I guess I should have known that my newfound freedom would only last so long.

Five days, to be specific.

Five days. I was expecting weeks or months with nothing coming up to bother me. And then the universe, with its sick sense of humor, waited until I felt like my problems wouldn't ever return before smacking me in the face with a mwahahaha, guess what's coming back to make your life crazy again?

It was just so incredibly impossible for me to be found again. I had gotten on that train with plans to disembark at the 25th Sector, but I'd realized that since I'd gotten on without a ticket, I might as well enjoy my free ride for as long as I can. Which, of course, is the reason I remained on that train for a day and a half, getting off at the very last stop--the 101st Sector, also known as the Sector that is literally on the other side of the continent from the Sector that I've never set foot out of since the day I was born.

I was surprised to find that the 101st Sector is nearly identical to home, if not poorer. Houses do seem smaller and shabbier, and there are more people here, though I'm not sure if that's just because I'm in a downtown area. And, god, this place is hotter than the depths of hell. I don't know how these people handle it.

But that's not the real issue.

I arrive in the 101st Sector early Monday morning. By Monday evening, I've flooded three bathrooms in three different restaurants. By Tuesday morning, I've flooded a hotel bathroom as well. By Wednesday, I've accidentally set off the sprinkler system in four stores and flooded an entire hotel room. By the time Thursday rolls around, I've stopped counting the disasters.

Needless to say, my abrupt relocation from the 13th Sector to 101st is not going as smoothly as I hoped.

Each incident sends me into panic mode. For so many years, I had it all under control. I practically forgot this... this power existed. I was determined to keep it hidden, not just because I was terrified that using it could somehow be connected back to the event that occurred back when I was five that led to me running away in the first place, though that memory, with that unfamiliar man stalking towards me with a predatory hunger in his eyes, was something I had buried deep within me as well. I was determined to keep this strange ability hidden not just for that reason, but also because I was scared of my own capabilities. I didn't know, and still don't know, how I'm capable of doing such things, what happened to me that made something like this possible, what's wrong with me that resulted in this unnatural ability and why there doesn't seem to be anyone else like me--and it's that fear of the unknown that shakes me up.

And now, it's as if that the encounter on Examination Day triggered something within me, flipping on a switch that had been turned off for nearly a decade. I'm sure that it's connected to that incident that started it all, because the time when it happened is when these powers first showed themselves, and the time when the memory finally resurfaced was when these powers returned again. Now I have to struggle to turn that switch back off, something that seems to be much harder than it was ten years ago, maybe because it--this strange ability that allows me to do such things--has been building up inside me for so much longer.

Sage was the one who helped me when I was five. He's still the only one who knows about what I can do. Surely, when he hears about what happened with the flooding of the parking garage back in 13th, when he and Asher wait for me to return from the Examination and I never do, he will put the pieces together. 

Maybe he'll tell Asher about my secret. Maybe it won't matter.

What matters now is that I'm on the other side of the continent and these crazy abilities are going, if possible, even more haywire. And this time, there's no one to help me control them.

Being the stubborn girl I am, I don't even consider returning home. I'm determined to figure this out myself. After running away, going back to 13th would be a serious blow to my pride, even more so if it turned out that the decision to come here was the completely wrong one.

So I try to ignore everything that's happening. I try to control it. And I fail miserably.

Despite the events of the past couple days, I still don't expect to get into very much trouble with authorities. Everything that happened could have been pegged down to accidents. Except for the hotels, there's no way these incidents can be traced back to me, and even then, I made sure to stay in places that were too cheap to have security cameras.

What I should be conscious about is pickpocketing money from practically everyone I pass in order to pay for the hotel rooms, but nevertheless, I doubt I'll be caught for that. Sage always tried to practically ban me from stealing any more than the bare minimum I needed to survive, claiming that I would get caught too easily, but not to brag or anything--actually, yes, I am bragging--I am somewhat of an expert at lying low, blending in, and generally not being caught while breaking the law.

So, of course I'm not expecting to be caught for stealing. What I'm expecting even less is for my crimes back in 13th to follow me all the way here.

Since travelling between Sectors is expensive (in the case that you actually pay for the ticket, which is pretty difficult not to do--I, obviously, got lucky), and also requires showing an ID (which I learned the hard way), it's not common for a criminal to escape from their Sector. Even if they do manage to follow through with that course of action, the law enforcement tends to decide that the criminal is now another Sector's problem and forget all about them. Unless the criminal is a mass murderer or serial killer or something. In that case, they send out warnings to neighboring Sectors, then forget all about them.

Obviously, there is no way the police from 13th would follow someone as unimportant as me across the continent.

Friday starts off like a freaking miracle. I manage to get through half the day without leaving a trail of water-related disasters in my wake. I'm starting to think that things might be going back to normal, that I may actually have this under control, that I am capable of figuring this out myself.

I'm in a ridiculously good mood when lunchtime comes around and I don't flood the restaurant I eat in. I'm even happier when I go to a clothing store and get a new shirt to replace the one that was practically destroyed by torrents of water during my grand escape from 13th, and I manage to actually pay for it and get out of the building without submerging it--something that literally took me five days to master. Somehow, over the night, it seems like I've gotten somewhat of a control over my haywire abilities.

Late afternoon, I'm practically bouncing off the walls. This must be some kind of record--almost the entire day, and nothing has happened yet. Surely nothing can ruin my good mood now.

But I'm sitting in a public library, relaxing with a book on a comfy beanbag, when it happens.

I turn the page. Look up to rest my eyes for a second. Glance at the shelf behind me, where enough books have been removed for me to be able to see through it and clearly make out the entrance to the library, a door that is swinging open right now.

And drop my book with a loud thud when I see the two people that I least expected to ever see again walk through it.

Shit.

***

A tall, dark haired man with sharp features and an air of authority about him, accompanied by a slender, mature-looking woman with a round face framed by straight reddish brown locks. That's who walks into the library as I gape at them through the hole in the bookshelf, frozen in place.

No, no, no. This is not possible. Absolutely not possible.

But it must be, because against all odds, it's happening right now.

One man and one woman. The man and woman. The police officer and his lady friend who chased me across the 13th Sector.

What the hell are they doing here?

No, I know what they're doing here. They're still after me. Me, Rel, a poor homeless orphan who, admittedly, steals from people quite a bit, but was just innocently trying to go and take the Examination when she ended up getting chased around the city, and accidentally unleashed a raging torrent of water on them in the middle of a parking garage, nearly killing them, then stole their motorcycle to make a quick getaway.

Okay, when put that way, that does sound kind of bad. But it's nothing bad enough to warrant them just up and leaving the 13th Sector on five days' notice for the sole purpose of finding me. Which, apparently, is exactly what they've done.

The better question would probably be, how the hell did they find me? They might have seen what train I got on, but there is no way they'd have known which Sector I got off at. Unless--

The tracking device.

Oh, holy shit, what if that tracking device I thought they must have slipped on me back in 13th is still working? What if it's functional even across such a long range? Shit, that means I need to find it, get rid of it right now, and then get the hell out of here. Maybe I need to go train hopping again, run away to another Sector.

As the thought runs through my mind, I hear the slight buzzing in my ears that I've learned to associate with my freaky water powers. On cue, I hear what sounds like a toilet exploding in the bathroom somewhere close by.

Oops.

There goes my disaster-free streak.

As I watch, the man and woman both turn to look in the direction of the bathroom. Then they start walking that way, probably assuming that's where I am.

Well, at least I bought myself a couple of minutes.

I'm more calm this time around, because I have a plan of action. I have to think about where that tracking device could possibly be. When could they have slipped it on me? Definitely before the whole train station disaster, and after I sprinted away from the Examination Hall. Maybe when they cornered me in the elevator. Maybe there was something on that motorcycle that attached to my clothes or something.

What did I do in between when I first saw them and when I left the Sector? I know I showered, so it can't be on my body anywhere...

My heart sinks as I realize that no matter when it happened within that time frame, one thing would have been constant. I was wearing the same clothes from the time I headed to go take the Examination to just before I left for the train station.

I look at the backpack I have beside me here in the library. It's the backpack I bought before I left 13th to carry my old clothes and any other extra things, the only thing here with me from 13th in 101st now except the clothes on my back. Inside is the outfit that I wore every day for the past several years, because for the longest time, it was the only thing I had. I've had that too-small denim jacket, the worn and torn jeans, the ratty sneakers, the stained t-shirt, for years now, which is probably why they're in such bad condition. But they hold sentimental value for that reason.

But if they have that tracking device in them...

With a little sigh, I open the bag and slowly pull out each item of clothing I know I'd been wearing that day, then stash them in a corner behind a chair where I hope they won't be discovered for a while. As an afterthought, I reach over and pull a button off the jacket, next to a little hole where one has already been yanked out, and stash it in my pocket. That jacket has been my favorite piece of clothing since I was eleven--I want to keep at least the button.

After I do that, I shoulder my now lighter backpack and peer around a bookshelf at the entrance to the library. The two adults are already making their way back there from the bathroom, talking in hushed voices and scanning the building. As I watch, they appear to come to an agreement and head straight in my direction.

Perfect timing.

I remember the little experiment I performed in the train station in 13th, where I kept switching directions to see if they'd follow me. Biting my lip, I turn on my heel and walk away from them, weaving through a few rows of shelves, and eventually somehow coming up on the other side of the library entrance. I can see the two of them making their way to where I was before. I hold my breath for a few seconds, not daring to hope that I just solved the problem with a few quick actions.

They don't seem to notice me. I exhale a deep breath I didn't realize I was holding, then waste no time in darting out of the glass doors and out into the hot outdoors.

I'm still not taking any chances with staying here. I'm going to get on a train to yet another Sector, but this time I'll be smarter about it. So I spend a couple hours roaming the streets of a shopping center, searching for the unlucky victim who just happens to look like me. Finally, I spot a blonde woman who looks sort of like me, but it takes even longer to find her ID and get it off her. I feel slightly guilty, as I've never stolen an ID before, but then I remember that she can always get another one, and I don't feel bad anymore. Once she gets a new ID, this one will be invalidated, but I'm sure I'll have enough time to get on a train before that happens.

I study the picture as I hurry to the station. Her blonde hair is longer and curlier than mine, and a slightly lighter shade, but I can always say that I've cut and straightened it since the picture was taken. Her eyes are more blue than gray, but no one is going to look that close. Her face is a bit rounder, her features softer, her lips a bit fuller, but I really hope the ticket seller doesn't notice. Alana Kiewel, her name reads. Twenty two years old. Doctor. I repeat that information to myself a couple times. If they ask me for my name, age, and occupation, the three things they're most likely going to want me to tell them, I need to be prepared.

More than likely, they will just glance at it quickly enough that they won't note the differences. But I still swing by a cosmetics store to get myself some makeup, so that I can at least make the resemblance at least a little stronger. 

It's late evening when I make my way to the station, confident that this won't be the same disaster as before. 

And I stop in my tracks outside the station when I see the man and woman, yet again, standing outside.

What the hell?

Why won't they just leave me alone?

I quickly dart behind a throng of people and squeeze into the midst of them so that I'm hidden from their view. There is no way that tracking device is still on me, is there? No, that can't be. This isn't as unlikely a situation as them tracking me across the continent. The library is not too far from here, so they probably discovered my badly hidden clothing stash, figured out what I did, and then assumed that I was going to try to leave the Sector. No tracking involved. Just a little bit of logical reasoning, right?

I'm then struck with an idea. If I eavesdropped on that man and woman, maybe I'd learn something about why they're so determined to catch me. And that, in turn, could provide me with information on how to get them off my trail.

The two of them are still standing at the entrance, scanning the crowds. I notice that there's an empty bench right next to them where I can sit. Maybe it's risky, literally walking right up to them, and plopping down in the place where they can most clearly see me. But that's also the last thing they'd expect me to do. I reach into my bag, pull out my sunglasses, and slip them on. I'm already covered in makeup, and maybe I'm wearing the same leather jacket and combat boots that I was in the station at 13th, but surely that won't matter.

I take a deep breath, square my shoulders, and stalk towards them without a care in the world. I'm barely able to breathe as I drop my bag on the bench and sit next to it, then lean over and open it like I'm searching for something.

Just as I predicted, they don't take any notice. I try to cover up my relieved smile. They really don't expect me to make such a stupid move, which is why it's so smart.

And now, I'm in the perfect position to hear their conversation.

"--can't believe we're still waiting here," the man hisses.

"We have to," the woman murmurs back. "She must be coming this way."

She, I assume, is me.

"I don't understand why we had to come all the way here from 13th, Alina." The man sounds slightly irritated.

"We've had this argument at least a hundred times in the past couple days."

"Then let's have it again. Why are we here, again?"

"Isn't it obvious? She's dangerous."

I freeze up a little. I'm dangerous? As in, follow me across the continent to catch me, dangerous?

"It can't possibly be that bad--"

"But it is." The woman, Alina, speaks more forcefully. "Clearly, she's been bottling it in for years and years. That's unhealthy, first of all. I don't understand how she hasn't gone insane. But now that her abilities have been unleashed, she doesn't know how to control them, which means she is a danger not only to herself, but to those around her too."

They know. These people know--they know that I can do--I can do whatever that water thing is--

"But--"

"You do realize that this is not the first time something like this has taken place? Do you not remember what happened, what is still happening, with A--"

"Don't say her name!" the man whispers frantically.

"Her," Alina corrects. "What's been happening to her."

"Of course I know. But she's a special case. And her situation is completely unrelated to this one."

"Not completely. She kept it hidden for years, mind you. And this girl's a special case too. Besides, we can't just leave her. The Academy is already sending a representative to find the mysterious Gifted girl from 13th--"

"A representative who we are not there to see, because we are too busy tracking this girl down."

"It'll be fine," the woman replies calmly. Meanwhile, my head is spinning. Academy? Gift? What does any of that even mean?

"I don't understand why we can't just leave the dirty work to the Academy," the man grumbles. "I know she needs to be dealt with, but they're perfectly capable of finding her on their own. Meanwhile, we've left her back home. That, if anything, is much more dangerous than this girl here. She is much more of a criminal than this runaway could possibly be, and we're harboring her in our house. Imagine if the Academy representative finds out."

"That's not possible," Alina says dismissively.

"Better safe than sorry."

I can barely breathe at this point. This man, I know, is a police officer. From the way they talk to each other, it seems he lives with this woman, Alina. And for some reason, they're harboring a criminal in their house? When he is part of the law enforcement?

A slow smile spreads across my face. If anything good came out of eavesdropping on this conversation, it's the blackmail material.

"Besides, it shouldn't be too difficult to bring this girl back. I feel a sort of responsibility, you know? I'm the one who found her. I should be the one who helps her out."

"Meanwhile, I'm using up my precious sick days from work," the man mutters.

"Think of it as a vacation," Alina suggests. "A little break before Hayden comes back from the Academy."

"Oh, come on," her husband groans. "Next, you'll be telling me that you've decided to rope him into this wild goose chase too."

There's a little pause.

"Oh, Alina, no--"

"That's actually a great idea!" she exclaims brightly.

"What have I done," he sighs.

"If you're so against a little family trip, you better help me find the poor girl now, because I'm not resting until we've got her."

"We don't even know what she looks like. The first time we saw her, she was brunette. The second time, she was blonde. For all we know, she's a redhead now, and we'll never be able to locate her."

"That is precisely why we are relying less on our eyes and more on your tracking."

"I will have you know that I'm trying," the man says stiffly. "But she was smart enough to leave her clothes behind in the library, which is making it a hundred times more difficult. I don't see how that's my fault."

"I never said it was."

I've heard enough. I casually close my bag and swing it over my shoulder before walking right past them into the station. They're still arguing, oblivious to my presence, as I walk right past them. I stifle a smile. Some police officer that man is.

But I can't get their conversation out of my head. They are well aware that I can do something unnatural--that I have some strange, water-related ability.

Not only that, but they seem to know someone else like me.

And they want to take me with them, presumably to the Academy thing they mentioned. Someplace in the City.

That sounds suspiciously like a glorified prison, or some sort of laboratory where they can perform experiments on me. Somewhere dangerous. A place I'd be better off avoiding.

I have to keep running.

Unlike last time, the process of buying a ticket goes smoothly. The ticket seller doesn't seem to notice that me and Alana Kiewel are two totally different people. I purchase tickets for the train heading west this time, for the 119th Sector, and get in line to scan my ticket on the little machines. The train arrives, people disembark, the scanners open, and people start to board the train.

It's all going perfectly. Until I pick up on the sound of thudding footsteps behind me and whirl around to see the man and woman making a beeline for me.

Shit!

"Wait!" Alina shouts, panting. "We just--want--to talk!"

"Well, I'm not interested!" I snap, trying to cover up my panicked breathing.

"Just come with us for a few moments," the man says, trying to persuade me. But I won't budge.

"Get away from me," I snarl, glancing behind me, but the line of people in front of the train is not moving fast enough. "Go, go, go, go!" I mutter frantically, trying to push them forward.

The two adults are closing in. They are definitely faster than this line, there is no way they won't make it to me, and my head is spinning and my breathing is coming much too fast and there's a buzzing in my ears--

And, for the second time in one week, a pipe bursts in the ceiling and empties gallons and gallons of water on their heads.

The person in front of me scans their ticket, and, painstakingly slowly, pushes through the turnstile, eyeing the torrent of water and then walking away, clearly relieved that they don't have to deal with that problem. I curse under my breath and fumble with my own ticket, stumbling through. 

The man and woman are still floundering while the pipe empties on their heads. Conveniently, they are the only ones who were caught under the shower this time, and they are receiving plenty of pitying looks. No one, however, seems willing to come forward and help them, and I realize that I have never been more grateful for selfish assholes.

I don't look back before I scramble through the train doors and fall into a seat. By the time the two of them manage to get to their feet, drenched, the train doors have hissed closed and the vehicle is moving. I see the man glance up at the screen displaying the train's departure information--a futile effort. While they may know what direction this train is headed in, neither of them know which Sector my ticket is for, and I doubt they can search every single Sector this train stops at. His expression morphs into one of fury as he seems to realize this. Meanwhile, the woman is staring after me in disappointment. 

I don't care.

I really, really hope that they won't find me again. I'm praying that my luck will turn and they won't be there to haunt me at every corner, not in yet another Sector.

I'm starting to learn, though, that luck is a fairly shitty thing to rely on.