Burying the Hatchet (COMPLETED)

Ripped Off

March 17, 4020

Ridges Residence

“Make sure your sister doesn’t find out until later okay? It’s a surprise.” She muses at the thought. Sally has her hands full, preparing for a private birthday for her youngest.

Cooking her favorite pasta, cake and sandwiches. A few mock-tails and juice. While Jack is setting up the for their after party game later. It’s just family because Eli is not a fan of the crowd unlike her sister. They don’t even remember a single friend who visited from school, not that she even got the chance to go. She prefers home school and online courses suit her best.

At some point they blame themselves of how reclusive Eli has become. The only actual interaction she gets is with them. She haven’t set foot out of the house unless it’s their mandatory yearly travel. Which they forged an agreement set on stone to do it on her birthdays.

“Mom I already packed the bags for later and she’s still sound asleep. This is going to be fun,” Sol giggles at the thought. Excitement evident on her tone.

Though it’s Eli’s birthday she can’t outsmart all three of them not to go out. Not if they all look like puppies begging for a stroll. Her weakest point yet.

“You guys she’s waking up!” Jack tries his best to whisper outside Eli’s Door.

They wrapped things up and put everything in their transporter. After that they gathered on her bed side. The moment she opens her eyes, she’s greeted by a whimsical looking cake.

The top is made from jelly with strawberries inside that looks like it’s carved from glass. It’s as if time stopped and preserved its beauty that elegantly matches the white base with a thin layer of biscuit crust. Accentuated by a single mini-firework candle. While her family are all making expectant faces as if she just learned her first word. Which is always the view on her birthdays. That she would not trade for anything fancy in the world.

“Happy Birthday Eli!” All three of them said in unison. While Eli smiles genuinely.

“You didn’t have to, ” she admits sheepishly.

“We want to.” They fired back in chorus.

Her eyes started to water, before she knew it she was wiping them frantically. “I can’t thank you enough for loving and raising me like your own. I love you guys.” Then she blew her candle.

When she tried to look at each one of them for thanks, they were all wearing those mischievous grins on their faces.

“No!”

They turned a deaf ear to her protest and smudge her face with cake icing anyway. With that, Eli rose up from bed and ran after them in her pajamas. Only to find an empty kitchen. Her brows arched and evident sighs of defeat.

“They’re all in the transporter right?”

'Yes they are. There’s no chance of escape either.' Gab, her virtual assistant replied.

Left with no choices she changed and went to them with a made up furious face. Crossing her arms while trying her best to sound sulky, that she’s been picked on by her own family.

“You guys don’t know when to give up do you?” They just wiggled their brows as she entered the transporter.

“Gab to the rest house please.”

“Right away Jack.”

“Thanks to EDEN program and Gab, dad can take us out in a car without driving,” Eli chuckles teasing her father.

“That I agree on.”

“Not you to Gab.”

“Then I’m sorry Mr. Ridges.”

They say being a parent is the most heartbreaking and fulfilling time of your life. You rear them with all you’ve got but then one day they have to leave the nest and start their own life. Sally glanced at her daughters from the shotgun seat. They’re practically adults now. Growing up fast before their eyes. While Jack overlapped his hand with hers, comforting her sentimental wife.

“Ew gross!” Eli faked a scowl to lighten the mood. While gently elbowing her naughty sister.

***

Eight Hours Later…

All Eli could hear were ambulance and police sirens outside their house. Shaking, she roamed her eyes around. Her father lied lifeless next to her game set. With a stab wound on the upper right of his back. She ran to her mother’s room, only to find her in the with a slashed neck bathing in her own blood as the water overflowed. Lastly, her sister was tied up in the post, mouth foaming next to a glass of mocktail. She felt her legs wobble, head spinning and stomach churning.

“It’s all my fault. I killed them.” She was hysterically shivering and sweating cold at the same time. While the cops slapped bolts on her wrists but they’re no ordinary shackles. They can control the severity of electric shocks through their minds, all linked through the EDEN program. Serialized per user to avoid unwanted commotion and authority breach.

“Admitting your crimes won’t lead you to a lighter sentence,” the officer said with finality and took her away to the police transporter.

Even Eli that time can’t vouch for her innocence because there were past episodes, where she can’t remember what she did. Due to anger management and anxiety issues. She’s swarmed by horrendous possibilities. Each getting worse as she tries to remember. Wallowing in confusion, playing herself back holding a bloody knife makes things unbearable.

Did she really kill them?

'You didn’t do it Eli, trust me.' Gab was talking to her subconsciously. 'I had it all recorded but for now you need to escape. You’re nowhere safe especially in prison.'

With those words she went back to her senses and relied on the only thing she’s good at---hacking.

Bypassing EDEN was a piece of cake, she did it a year ago and there’s no stopping her now. The police transporter went into a halt while the police officers remained frozen. Suspending nearby cerebral activities is like walking on a tightrope. If they have a strong stream of consciousness she’s done for.

It was the longest five minutes of her life. Running and never looking back. She’s got no home to go back to now that they’re dead.

*Incoming file from encryption*

The notification dangled in front of her eyes like hitting an unexpected gold mine.

Open File

Running while scanning the file is tiresome but she does it flawlessly. Thanks to her daily running simulations and virtual games.

For your eyes only

Equal Defense Encompassing Network (EDEN) is a fraud. The government is using it to execute enemies and protect allies. Your parents’ past have cost them their lives including your sister, they were marked as traitors because they raised you.

Click here to access additional attachments.

With that she ran for the nearest river bank and hid. Now she needs to be at rest in order to think and digest the situation. The freezing water washing over her feet even heightened the melancholy she currently battles at the moment.

MUSS

Order to execute on March 17, 4020 21:00

Jack Ridges

Sally Ridges

Solana Ridges

Frame and retrieve Elizabeth Fibber Ridges

“What on earth is this?” She never shed a lot of tears for many years not until that day. She was bawling her eyes out with muffled screams. She can’t even mourn for her family properly and now she learns that her whole life is a lie too.

DECODING ROOT FILE COMPLETE

A black screen pops up.

'Who are you and why are you telling me this?'

Her words types itself according to will.

'We have a common enemy, helping me would bring your family justice.'

She asks the questions mentally just to be sure, even if they are in an encrypted channel.

'How can I trust you?'

'I know you recalibrated EDEN’S virtual assistant for your own benefit. Not even your own family knows about your mad hacking and programming skills. You can’t escape me either, now choose your side.'

'You already chose for me.'

Incoming call from unknown contact...

Answer

“Welcome to REVIVAL, Eli. I’m Trei. After this call a map will be sent to you for your temporary hide out. Then in a few days, you will gain access to our private channel. Instructions will follow. For now don’t let yourself get caught.”

Call Ended

What on earth did she get herself into? A stranger butts in right after all that tragedy. Dropping bombs right after another. This doesn’t make the slightest sense to her. Not only that, she has got her eyes access to some confidential government sh*t. She didn’t even want to know about it. She didn’t have an ounce of interest in anything or anyone outside her family.

She didn’t ask for any if this. Of all the time, place and occasion why does it have to be on her birthday? Why does it have to be her family? Why does it have to be her? All of these questions crushed her to the core. Who would have thought? that she’d be running at her wits end escaping as a criminal, in some deserted river. Looking like an abandoned and wounded animal. Left to fend for herself or die trying. She was just a kid yesterday, now even barely transitioning into womanhood.

Clueless to the inner workings of the world. Theories tested for the first time. Before it was just a game, now it’s a nightmare of a reality she is forced to live. If she puts it out before, left in the wild she’d be definitely the first one eaten. Survival skills next to a crumbling match stick. Social skills out of the question. The worst of all. The future here on out, scares her to death. But death itself is a lighter sentence if she has to choose.

“I’ll pay it with my life if it brings you justice.” Her eyes pierced like ice. Cold, unyielding but dangerous in it’s own right. Her anger quenched the fire her body was craving.