The Fifth World

Cynric: I am running through the streets, it was hard enough running through the Academy and trying not to catch too much attention. I'm sure word would have spread by now. I'm sure a Time Jumper of parliament has already alerted the Academy. I look up at the sky and realise it is noon. I keep moving. The sun is highest in the sky. If Bo and I need to make our escape, it must be done now. As soon as possible.
I don't even bother greeting those I know, or those I don't, usually it's a nod of the head or a brief smile. But now, none of that matters. All that matters is that Bo is out of Hargon, away from government, away from society.
We are the hunted.

I am almost home and I am glad. I must gather my belongings, only the things I need and then Bo and I must leave. But I stop, I am only a few houses away from my beloved cottage when I notice black smoke reaching up into the air. I feel my heart stop, for just a moment, and I can see my home burning. Everything inside. Every memory. Every photograph, painting, blanket, grain of food, gone. Fire grows and grows, the stone does not burn, it simply turns a greyish black colour. But everything inside will turn to ash. I can see crowds of people gathering as if it is some kind of miraculous event. People brush passed me, hurry to get towards the uproar of worry. Guards are bordering the people, making sure nobody gets close enough to the burning building. I spot Alfred and the Angelican who was sitting behind me in parliament house. They are standing within the out of limits barriers, they appear to be in deep conversation. I am sure they are discussing the whereabouts of me and the whereabouts of Bo. I feel tears roll down my cheeks and then my mouth falls open.
Oh no. Where is Bo?

"Bo!" I yell as loud as I possibly can. It is like a roar.

I hear footsteps behind me, a familiar voice is at my ear but I do not listen. I run, I run and sprint as fast as I have ever towards my blazing home. I can feel my heart breaking, shattering, I can see her face, vividly, in my mind. I am almost towards the crowd before I feel a weight on my back, I fall, almost, and then I push the weight off of me. I take a quick look and then I stop. Janine? Did she just jump on my back?

"What the hell, Cynric?!" she yells at me and gets up off of the ground, "Bo is fine! Come with me. You must come now!" I don't even process what she is saying but I let her take my hand and pull me quickly away from the gathering of humans.

Bo: I hear a fiddling of Janine's door knob and I automatically fling myself off of the sofa and towards the door of her balcony. I press myself up against the wall and wait for whoever is outside to come in and kill me. Kill me. Just do it. Just don't hurt Cynric. My fingers grip onto something and I can feel myself sweat. I hear the lock on the door click and I take in a sharp breath. The lock on Janine's door looks over a hundred years old, anyone could pick it. The door opens and I prepare myself to jump, I realise that my bag full of belongings is on the other side of the room. I consider jumping to it and then jumping wherever else I can go. But I don't. Something makes me wait. Janine appears and I am suddenly calm. Cynric is behind her, he looks exhausted.

"Cynric!" I hiss and I jump across the room and into his arms. He holds me, so tightly, and he rests his head on my shoulder. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. He finally lets go of me, "are you okay?" I ask him.

He nods his head, "I'm fine, are you?"

"Fine."

He looks over towards Janine, she is standing awkwardly in her kitchen. She is trying not to look at us as she opens the cupboards and pulls all of the food out that she can find.

"What are you doing, Janine?" Cynric asks her.

"We need food, Cynric. We're not going into the mountains without it." She replies. We're going into the mountains? I watch her pull out a bag and try and rearrange everything so it will fit easier.

"I won't let you come with us, Janine." Cynric says, his voice strong. She stops, continues to look down at her kitchen bench tops. Her red hair curtains her face and then she looks up at Cyrnic with her beautiful green eyes.

"Why?"

"Because," he hisses, "I can't let you be apart of this. It's too dangerous."

"To be honest, I don't even know what this is. I don't even know what is going on but I don't care. You're my friend. I'm going to help you. Besides, I'm part of it now anyway."
Cynric sighs and rubs his hand over his forehead. I know he finds Janine particularly irritating but he has known her for many years. She's his friend. He loves her.
Janine looks down at her bag, which is filling up with food and bottles of water. She sighs and continues to empty her cupboards. I watch how she stops, and then looks over at Cynric, he is now sitting on her sofa, his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry about your home, Cynric."

"It's okay," he replies with a murmur.

"What happened?" I ask him and lean over the couch to look at him. He doesn't answer. I look towards Janine who is staring at me with concern. She looks away, guilt in her eyes, and then she looks back at me.

"They set it alight."

I instantly look away from her and over towards Cynric. He hasn't changed positions. The room is silent. Janine leaves and disappears into her bedroom for a while. She returns with a second bag packed of clothes and everything else she needs. Cynric and I still haven't moved from where we are. I look up at her and then I realise that she is ready.

"Let's go," I say as I pick up my bag. We all move towards the door, I carrying my luggage, Cynric carrying the food and Janine carrying her luggage. Janine opens the door and Nancy is there.

She looks at us all, up and down, for the first time her smile is not present, "where are you going?"

"We are leaving," Janine says to her. "Come with us."

"Why?" she asks quickly. Her eyes stare at Cynric as if she is silently having a conversation with him. He stares back at her. "What the hell is going on?"

"I will not allow you to come with us, Nancy." Cynric says, his voice hard.

"She's already with us, if she is seen walking out of this building - they will come after her too!" Janine yells at Cynric. There is a loud sound coming from downstairs. We can hear feet running up. Lots of feet. We hear shouts. Commands. Guards?

"They're here!" Janine yells and pulls all of us inside. We are thrown into panic. Janine and Cynric both lock the door and move whatever they can in front of it. First the sofa, then the wooden cabinet. Nancy and I stand behind them, her arm slightly in front of my stomach as if she is going to shield me from whatever comes through the door.

"What do we do?" I ask them.

Cynric looks up at me, sadness in his eyes, "Bo, jump to Angelica Falls. Nancy, I want you to meet Bo there and travel up into the mountains. Go now!"

"No, Cynric. Tell me, what is going on?" Nancy asks. Her voice shaking.

Cynric stares at the girl, or woman, he has known almost his entire life. He then looks at me, guilt crosses his face and he returns his eyes to Nancy, "Bo is the daughter of missing Parliament members Johnson and Evee."

Nancy's face fell a little, "but, but Johnson is an Angelican. Evee is a-"

"A Time Jumper, I know!" Cynric growls, "Nancy, please, take Bo away from here. The government knows. Take her away. Get her into the mountains."

"But you and Janine-"

Janine shoots a look at Nancy, I'm not really sure what to make of it, she says as her and Cynric stand by the door, several pieces of Janine's perfect furniture blocking it from opening."Nancy, take her. Now."

I look towards Nancy, her blond hair strikingly vibrant today. I watch her stare at Cynric, someone who is almost like her brother, she then looks to Janine and then at the floor. She vanishes. I look at Janine and then at Cynric. He stares back at me. His eyes afraid. I love you, I say silently. Then I am gone.