Rebellion members are already mounting.
“I’ve decided,” I say, adjusting the weight of my backpack on my shoulders. Mike smiles. He must have seen from the beginning that I would say yes.
“That’s what I thought. You can join Smaller Sally in the back.” The tall blond girl leans out and waves. I walk over and slip into the seat behind her.
“I’m Smaller Sally,” she says. A wisp of blond hair falls across her face, but her bright blue eyes continue to shine through. “Named for age, not height.” She blows it back into her helmet.
“I’m Molly.” The wisp falls back down, and she doesn’t bother to correct it a second time.
I look out at the people of Hopetown watching. The separation between them and the Rebellion is very clear. And they’ve already ostracised me. I am no longer one of us , I am one of them. I survey the four members of the Rebellion. They haven’t accepted me yet. I am still the girl from Hopetown who said some stupid things to a man on a snowmobile.
And for now, for this one moment when I don’t belong to anyone, not one of us , not one of them , just one of me , I feel free.
For the first time.
“Alright gang, it’s time to get back home. We move out in one minute!” Mike shouts from the front. Smaller Sally hands me a helmet.
“You ready, Molly?” She asks me with a mischievous grin.
“No,” I admit fastening the helmet straps. It’s a little large and slides towards my right ear.
“Neither am I,” Smaller Sally says. “But let’s go and change the world.” Those are the last words I hear before the snowmobiles jerks forward and all other sounds are drowned out by the motors of the rebellion.
CHAPTER 4
We ride for a long time. After what seems like an hour, I can’t feel my legs anymore. Every time we go over a root or a large rock, I’m sure I’ll fly off. My arms are wrapped around Smaller Sally’s waist and I hold on for dear life.
“You having fun?” Smaller Sally shouts to me.
“No!” I shout back. She laughs.
“Learn to love it. We ride these everywhere.”
Dear lord. I swallow bile and vow to stay away from these demon machines for as long as I possibly can.
Smaller Sally drives as if she doesn’t have a care in the world and would fly into the sky if she fell off. I am terrified of what gravity would do to me if I let go of Smaller Sally’s jacket. We’ve been riding for two hours non stop now, and my knuckles have locked in position on the smooth leather.
But despite the horrors of the snowmobile, I am in a state of awe. This is the farthest I’ve ever been from Hopetown, and also the fastest I can ever remember travelling; automobiles are just a vague blur on my most distant memories. Despite my nausea, I can’t help but feel the adrenaline that comes from the thrill of the winds in my hair and the trees streaking by in a collage of green and brown, and I wonder if fear and excitement are two different things.
Through the terrifying exhilaration of the ride, it is easy to forget the most important thing.
I just left Hopetown.
To join the Rebellion.
I. Me. Molly.
Joined the Rebellion. I’ve dreamt of the moment I would leave Hopetown since we moved in. I don’t know what I expected it to be, but now that it’s happened, I can’t remember waiting for anything but this.
And here it is: my dream of thirteen years finally came true. It’s surreal. My thoughts run around in my head faster than they ever have before, wondering how this is possible,
“I’ve decided,” I say, adjusting the weight of my backpack on my shoulders. Mike smiles. He must have seen from the beginning that I would say yes.
“That’s what I thought. You can join Smaller Sally in the back.” The tall blond girl leans out and waves. I walk over and slip into the seat behind her.
“I’m Smaller Sally,” she says. A wisp of blond hair falls across her face, but her bright blue eyes continue to shine through. “Named for age, not height.” She blows it back into her helmet.
“I’m Molly.” The wisp falls back down, and she doesn’t bother to correct it a second time.
I look out at the people of Hopetown watching. The separation between them and the Rebellion is very clear. And they’ve already ostracised me. I am no longer one of us , I am one of them. I survey the four members of the Rebellion. They haven’t accepted me yet. I am still the girl from Hopetown who said some stupid things to a man on a snowmobile.
And for now, for this one moment when I don’t belong to anyone, not one of us , not one of them , just one of me , I feel free.
For the first time.
“Alright gang, it’s time to get back home. We move out in one minute!” Mike shouts from the front. Smaller Sally hands me a helmet.
“You ready, Molly?” She asks me with a mischievous grin.
“No,” I admit fastening the helmet straps. It’s a little large and slides towards my right ear.
“Neither am I,” Smaller Sally says. “But let’s go and change the world.” Those are the last words I hear before the snowmobiles jerks forward and all other sounds are drowned out by the motors of the rebellion.
CHAPTER 4
We ride for a long time. After what seems like an hour, I can’t feel my legs anymore. Every time we go over a root or a large rock, I’m sure I’ll fly off. My arms are wrapped around Smaller Sally’s waist and I hold on for dear life.
“You having fun?” Smaller Sally shouts to me.
“No!” I shout back. She laughs.
“Learn to love it. We ride these everywhere.”
Dear lord. I swallow bile and vow to stay away from these demon machines for as long as I possibly can.
Smaller Sally drives as if she doesn’t have a care in the world and would fly into the sky if she fell off. I am terrified of what gravity would do to me if I let go of Smaller Sally’s jacket. We’ve been riding for two hours non stop now, and my knuckles have locked in position on the smooth leather.
But despite the horrors of the snowmobile, I am in a state of awe. This is the farthest I’ve ever been from Hopetown, and also the fastest I can ever remember travelling; automobiles are just a vague blur on my most distant memories. Despite my nausea, I can’t help but feel the adrenaline that comes from the thrill of the winds in my hair and the trees streaking by in a collage of green and brown, and I wonder if fear and excitement are two different things.
Through the terrifying exhilaration of the ride, it is easy to forget the most important thing.
I just left Hopetown.
To join the Rebellion.
I. Me. Molly.
Joined the Rebellion. I’ve dreamt of the moment I would leave Hopetown since we moved in. I don’t know what I expected it to be, but now that it’s happened, I can’t remember waiting for anything but this.
And here it is: my dream of thirteen years finally came true. It’s surreal. My thoughts run around in my head faster than they ever have before, wondering how this is possible,
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