Chapter 1On my first full day of freedom, I woke up beside Kyer on the beach, deafened by the roar of the ceaseless surf.
Every muscle in my body ached, and sleeping had only stiffened my bones. The night before, when we had made our escape from the Colony, we were optimistic about what lie ahead. Hand in hand, we ran up the ramp onto the bridge, our shoes clinking faintly on the metal. As the clouds faded behind us, I had laughed into the sky above, and the twinkling stars seemed to laugh back.
We were free.
But the bridge seemed to stretch into eternity. Our steps slowed from a brisk run to a trot, then to a jog, and finally to a winded walk. A stitch in my side ached each time I moved my leg, and I pressed a hand under my ribs to try to make it stop hurting. Beside me, Kyer took deep
