Retrospect

Ten

   The gray-eyed man furrowed his brow in confusion. "What are you planning on doing?"

   Miles disappeared in a back room and emerged with a can of a mysterious spray and a determined expression. He ignored the gray-eyed man and swiped the device that was still laying on the table from when I had put it there. "Excuse me!" The gray-eyed man barked. Miles didn't look back, but he motioned for me to follow. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want the gray-eyed man to come after me, though millions of officers were already hunting me down. One more person wouldn't make a difference, and I was sure we were coming back here afterwards, so it wasn't like I was leaving for good.

   The thought of just being outside and doing something motivated me to go with Miles. I got up from my chair slowly and the gray-eyed man told me to sit back down. I didn't. I began trailing behind Miles who had already unfolded the stairs and gone up. The gray-eyed man warned me not to leave. I did. I didn't know exactly why the man wasn't following me, trying to stop me, but I didn't think about it too much. All I saw was his icy stare as I left.

   As soon as I went up the stairs, out of the dark room and into the bright sunlight, it felt as if a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. It felt like I could breathe again as the wind whipped at my hair and my face. Miles was waiting impatiently outside until I stepped out into the alleyway. Once he saw me he waved dismissively at my hair that was going wild in the breeze. "Cover that up," he ordered, glancing around every once in a while to see if people were coming. I put up my hood as I was shoved aside.

   I wasn't surprised to see that Ana came through the doorway of the room we had been in. "So what are you up to, Laurier?" she questioned, pulling up her black hood as well.

   Wait, Laurier? That was the name of the section I lived in. Or had lived in. I could never go back there now.

   I decided to keep quiet about asking any questions for now. There'd be a time later when I knew I wouldn't be around Ana and any snarky comments.

   Murl appeared in the doorway after Ana as Miles answered. "She's gonna show me how to use this device she has." Miles slipped on a pair of gloves. "I'll probably set off an alarm and get tracked somehow if I try anything with it." Then, he held out a plastic bird mask to me. "Put it on. There's this party down the street and everyone's wearing em'," he explained. I took it from him and put it on over my hood so it wouldn't fall back down. Putting on my own pair of gloves, I pointed to the device Miles held in his hand.

   "You know that thing opens doors to the worker buildings, right?" I told him, watching Miles put a fox mask on made of cheap plastic similarly to mine. At first I didn't think he heard me since he was busy shaking the can of unknown spray in his hand, but then he finally replied.

   "Yeah, I know." He had a bag like I did and he stuffed the device in it as if it didn't matter at all. Ana leaned against the building wall, waiting for Miles to give her a mask, but he never did. He began strolling down through the alleyway and I guess he expected me to follow.

   "Hey, Laurier!" Ana called after him, "aren't you forgetting something?" When Miles didn't turn around, she raced after him, spinning him to face her. "I need my mask," she protested.

   Miles gripped the spray can and even with his mask on, I could tell he wasn't in the mood for putting up with the girl. "You aren't going," he said plainly, his voice carrying clearly through the thin plastic of the mask.

   "Oh, come on," Ana spat, "what's wrong with you today? First you get Reeves all cranky over cards and now you're picking a fight with me?" she complained. She stared at him a little while longer, trying to intimidate him, before he quickly held up the can to her face and sprayed. I watched as she slowly but surely crumpled to the ground, yawning and then saying something before passing out.