"When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw." -Nelson Mandela

The erie squeak of the iron gate slamming closed pushed shivers up Abigail's spine. The cold spread itself through her neck and down her shoulders, making her whole body stand on alert. She shouldn't be here. She crossed her arms in an attempt to warm herself from her internal chill. Taking in a breath so deep she could feel her lungs stretching to their maximum capacity, Abigail held the breath for a few seconds before slowly letting the fear she had building inside of her dissipate with the air she blew out. She needed to be here, she reasoned.

Turning from the heavy gate, she faced the expansive area before her. Perfectly maintained graves surrounded her and stretched farther than she could see. Some seemed much older than the others, with words that were barely visible through the weathered stone that had almost worn some of them smooth. But the newer ones were as white as the clouds above her, with the letters engraved into them as sharp as the day they were carved. But the grave she was looking for was even newer than these: she was looking for the fresh dug grave of Daniel Wells.

She tiptoed carefully through the expansive area, being cautious not to step on any graves. She didn't need to be charged with disrespect of graven property on top of being caught visiting a criminal's resting place with no logical explanation.

Seeking out the section she was searching for, it didn't take too long to locate the decent-sized lot that was fenced off even within the gates of the cemetery. As she neared the area, she could feel a heavy sinking in her chest from the sight of the graves. They were poorly maintained and were constructed of a cheaper material that had already cracked: even the more recently placed headstones were in rough shape. Daniel deserved so much better.

Abigail walked around to the entrance gate to the felonious resting place Louxe had so carefully cordoned off from the rest of cemetery. Even in death they had no compassion for anyone who didn't fit the mold of a 'perfect citizen.' As her eyes wandered over the many graves, she couldn't shake the feeling that she would wind up buried here near Daniel one day. Somewhere in the dark recesses of her mind, she could feel a nudge pushing her to answer Alex's proposition before such an occurrence could transpire.

It occurred to her that in reality death was supposed to be a great equalizer. No matter how you lived your life, in the end you would end up buried in a box in a hole the same size as everyone else. But Louxe had tried to flip that logic, it seemed. Here they all lived in identical boxes for homes wearing the same clothes and living the same lives day in and day out. And in death, there was no equality. If you didn't fit the mold during life, you were segregated out and locked in a fence with the other outlaws.

Knowing the gate to this section of the cemetery was locked, Abigail walked closer to Daniel's grave, which was easily identifiable because it was the only one without a cheap headstone, and leaned against the fence looking at it. The metal of the iron cut into her arms as she pressed herself as close as possible, wishing she could just visit it like a normal grave. Though even visits to passed family members was rare in this town.

"Daniel," she began, feeling a bit silly talking to the empty air, "I didn't know you."

She turned to look around, making sure no guards were coming by to check on things.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you," she began again. "I just want you to know something before I talk to your brother." She lowered her voice to almost a whisper. "I listened to you. I believe what you had to say. You were right. And the fact that you would die for this tells me you truly believe it, so maybe Alex isn't crazy after all.

I just worry about what will happen. I've never known any other way of life. But I have always searched for it, I think. Somewhere in the back of my mind there has always been a voice telling me everything you were brave enough to announce to the world." She paused again to once again check her surroundings. "So I am going with Alex. And we won't ever be able to come back so this is a first meeting as well as a goodbye, I suppose. Thank you, Daniel, for changing my life and making me realize what I truly have to lose."