The Regenerates Read Online Free Page B

floor with colorful glass.
    As night fell, he wondered where Coralie and her parents were right now. Were they in a jail cell like the other Sentenced, counting down the days to their impending deaths? What could they be feeling? He lay in bed, nauseous, disgusted and frustrated with everything. He racked his memory for images of all the other children his age and younger who had been hung in front of him during previous Abolition Day ceremonies. What had their crimes been? Something petty, perhaps. A while ago, his mother had had him sort the crime reports of the Sentenced. He laughed darkly as he recalled their offenses: Unlawful use of transportation. Disrespect of Coran texts (Placed personal objects, food and drink etc. on top of ancient documents – discovered during Drudger Inspections). Attempted contact of foreign civilians through forbidden technologies and radio devices. Attempted to alter and dismember transport pods for personal use.
    He couldn’t sleep now. Would he get to speak to Coralie again before it happened? There had to be something he could do…
    Then it hit him. Ven got out of bed, snuck into his mother’s bedroom, opened her dresser drawer as quietly as he could and picked up the stack of keys that would allow him access into almost every room on the estate. He slowly tiptoed outside, grabbed a night robe and snuck out the door. He kept a tight grip on the keys so they wouldn’t make any noise.
    Pure desperation sent him sneaking past the night guards, lower and lower towards the basement floors until he reached the underground prison quarters. Used mainly for political prisoners, spies, and those sentenced for treason, this prison had been built in the deepest recesses of Lord Magistrate’s estate. So deep, in fact, that the guards didn’t even bother keeping watch on individual cells. There was no way to escape, anyway. If you managed somehow to exit through the main door, a row of guards awaited you at the end of a very narrow hallway.
    Lucky for Ven, having a blueprint of every room meant he had an alternate means of entry. He felt like a different person, stealing keys and blueprints, and sneaking into prison to seek help from a fugitive. But what other option did he have? Even if this didn’t work, he could at least say he’d tried.
    Ven checked the blueprint again. In the hallway beside the prison quarters was a small wooden door. He looked around him, and it seemed as though he was in the right place. There it was, towards the end of the corridor. Ven fumbled with the keys until one of them fit, opened the door, and crawled into the tiny space that lay beyond it.
    It was pitch black and smelt damp. He hadn’t bothered to bring a lamp with him; he wanted to remain as invisible as possible. Ven felt his way around the small space, running his hands along the dusty walls until he could feel rough wood. Feeling for the doorknob, he rummaged with the keys once more and pushed open the small door.
    The copper lanterns lining the prison walls emitted a faint glow. The cells were just around the corner. Ven prayed that the man Kayn had struck would be the only inmate, at least in this area. The last thing he needed was someone overhearing him. Ven tiptoed ahead, his heart racing. As he approached the cells, he slowly peered into each one. They seemed empty, save for one closer to the end of the stone hallway.
    The man looked different up close. He seemed to be asleep, leaning against the side of the cell, his breathing heavy. Ven had expected him to look frail and injured from the beating he had taken earlier. Instead, he looked fit and able-bodied. Stubble covered his chin and his pale hair was unkempt.
    His heart pounding faster than ever, Ven leaned in closer. “Excuse me. I need to talk to you.”
    The man opened his eyes and looked up at him. He stared at Ven for a moment, tilting his head. “I didn’t know the prison guards wore night gowns. What is it, kid? Here to give me another