The Monster Machine

The Fear

Although her heart beat loudly in her chest, Tova couldn't stop now. She couldn't stop for a second. If Maria was really telling the truth, then she had to trust her. She had never thought about it before, but she hadn't really trusted anyone before. Not really. But she couldn't be completely sure if she was in any real danger either. What exactly was she in danger of? Her father? The machine they were working on? Some other third thing she doesn't know yet? But more importantly... why? Why her of all people?

Tova twisted the handle on the front door and opened it slowly. She peaked through the c***k in the door, making sure the coast was clear. She took one last look behind her. She was about to leave the only place she ever knew. With one last inhale, she slipped through the door and closed it as quietly as possible.

She began to walk through the dirty street, unsure of which direction she should go. The ground was cold beneath her feet and the air smelled sour and rotten. Well... more like lack of air really. As she walked, she found herself on a crowded street. Lots of people wearing dark, heavy clothes. Noise coming from every direction, but no one seemed to be talking to each other. The longer she walked, the more crowded the street became. She tried not to pay any attention to them, wanting to be as careful as possible. She kept glancing behind her every so often to make sure she wasn't being followed. Soon she became overwhelmed on the crowded street and quickly stepped underneath a streetlamp to catch her breath. She looked up and down the street, hoping that she was going the right way, if there even was a right way...

When she looked in front of her, she spotted the old dilapidated building. She suddenly had a thought and dashed into the building. She didn't bother turning on the light. She went around to the back of the room and pulled out the shoebox from it's hiding place. She hoped when she got to the safe place, she could finally look at everything inside and maybe have some questions answered. She dared not go anywhere without it. She held the box close to her as she pulled out the note from her pocket and unfolded it, looking at the picture on the back. There were no instructions telling her how to get to the safe place, only to find the specific building. She sighed and looked around. It was all up to her. She folded the note and shoved it back in her pocket before exiting the building and continuing down the street.

"Tova!" A voice yelled through the crowd, making Tova flinch and turn around. She spotted her father's face through the crowd and she felt something in her chest sink. Fear and adrenaline began to envelope her and she couldn't think of anything else to do but run. She bolted through the crowd, clutching the box tightly and pushing through all the people walking the opposite way.

"Tova! I see you!" her father yelled again. Some people looked up to see who was yelling and who they were yelling at. Tova kept trying to shuffle and slip through the crowd as best as she could. But every person she ran into ended up slowing her down even more. Some stayed silent, others cursed her for bumping into them, but she had no time to apologize. Until she suddenly stepped on something sharp and she yelped, stumbling out of the way and leaning on the side of the wall and quickly brushing off whatever was on her foot.

"Tova, get back here now!!"

Tova began to panic as her father sounded closer. She continued to run through the crowds and noticed the lights above her beginning to brighten. She suddenly found herself in a city circle and stopped near the center. There was a broken fountain in the middle of the area and Tova whipped her head around wildly, looking for someplace to run or hide. But there was so much going on around her, she couldn't seem to decide where to run to. She looked left and right at all the buildings that surrounded her, the many wires that hung down and strung from above, threaded into every building. She saw pipes running up and down from in and out of the buildings and noticed the large flood lights above her that illuminated the space.

"TOVA!"

Tova flinched at the sound of her father's voice and she shuddered at the thought of what might happen to her if she couldn't escape. Out of blind confusion, she ran down a random street that was more open and far less crowded, allowing her to run faster. But exhaustion began to slow her down rather than bumping into strangers. She couldn't keep up the pace for much longer. And there didn't seem to be any good places to hide.

She glanced behind her to see if her father was still following her, until something suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into a small alley. Her mouth was covered to keep her from screaming and she began to panic even more as she struggled against her captor. One arm was gripping the box tightly while her other arm was trying desperately to free herself. She fought as hard as she could until she saw a shadowy face lean over her and put a finger up to their lips, indicating her to be quiet.

"Tova, come back here now!" her father yelled again, making her freeze. She heard loud footsteps approaching and her heart began to race. She watched as her father ran right past her, continuing down the street, until they echoed away into the distance. When she thought the coast was clear, she began to struggle again, but the person holding her easily kept her still.

"Woah, woah, woah! Calm down, it's okay!" the stranger tried to reassure her. "I'm not gonna hurt you!"

Tova looked up again, but she could only spot a large pair of goggles and she began to panic again.

"Hey, c'mon! Calm down, look, it's okay!" the person leaned his head back to pull off their goggles and take a step forward into the light, forcing Tova to take a step forward too and she looked up again to see his face.

"See, it's okay.

Tova began to calm down and the stranger slowly uncovered her mouth. She continued to hold the box close to her and stared at their face.

"Who are you?" Tova asked nervously.

"Don't worry, I think we're safe now," the stranger assured.

"What... but-... why did you do that?"

"I saw that man chasing after you and... I guess I just reacted out of instinct. I'm sorry if I startled you. I didn't mean to do that. He was chasing you, wasn't he?"

"....Yes." Tova answered. She peaked out from the corner and only saw a long, darkly lit street. Her father was nowhere in sight.

"Who were you running from?"

Tova paused,"My father..."

"Your father? Why?"

Tova looked back at the stranger.

"I... was told it wasn't safe for me to live with him anymore. I don't know why though. I was trying to get away without him knowing..." Tova explained. Part of her wasn't sure if she should be sharing this information with a stranger, but right now, she was too desperate and scared to think rationally.

"Oh... I see..." the stranger breathed, thinking to themselves for a moment. Tova sighed and looked down at the box in her arm.

"Hey, if you want... and this is completely up to you. I have a place not too far from here. If you want I can take you back with me so you can be safe for a while. This place isn't safe for... well, someone like you."

Tova looked up, confused.

"What... do you mean?"

"Look, I know it sounds sketchy, going with someone you've never met before, but I'm not that kind of person, I swear. But this is completely up to you, I won't force you to do anything you don't want to. I'm only saying it... might be better if you came along with me. Especially for someone not... wearing any shoes..."

Tova went silent for a moment, contemplating the stranger's offer. On one hand, they may be telling the truth. If they weren't here to pull her aside and hide her while she was running from her father, she could've been caught. On the other hand though, Tova already knew the risks and dangers of following a complete stranger. She'd probably only put herself in more danger. But in all honesty... she had no idea where she was going. She knew where she had to go, but she didn't know how to get there. And with her father after her, she wasn't sure how far she'd get before she was caught. And what would happen to her then?

"Well... I don't know..."

"Don't worry, I know, I get it. But if you're really in danger and your father is still looking for you, I'll make sure he won't find you. Unless you know somewhere else where you'll be safe. But if you don't, I'll let you come home with me. It's not far from here. I understand if you don't completely trust me. But I promise, I would never do anything to hurt you. So... what do you say?"

Tova looked up at the stranger's face. Their expression looked genuine and sincere. She looked down at her feet, averting his gaze and thinking to herself. She really thought he was being honest with his offer. She didn't know how to get to the safe place, but maybe this stranger could give her directions and guide her there safely. She trusted Maria's note enough to leave and get herself out of danger, and she also promised to be careful. This was her first time outside in the underground and she didn't know anything about it. If this stranger was telling the truth about helping her, then maybe this was the right way to go.

"Okay... I guess I can... I'll go with you." Tova finally answered.

"Wait, really?"

"Sure. But... only if you really promise not to hurt me and keep me safe. Please don't let my father find me. If you promise to do that, then I'll go with you."

"Of course. You have my word! I won't let anything harm you." the stranger patted her on the back and slipped the goggles over their head.

"I don't live too far from here. I'll show you where to go. Just follow me and everything will be fine. Oh, by the way, what's with the box your carrying?"

"Oh, it's... um, just some of my things."

"Oh, like personal stuff? Cool. Traveling light is a smart way to go."

The stranger began to lead Tova out of the dark alley and down the street they had just come from. Tova really hoped she had made the right decision. She hoped this was the right step towards finding a safe place where she didn't have to live in fear and uncertainty. She hoped she wouldn't have to keep looking behind her every second of the day.

She hoped this time, she'd be able to live freely.