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Two boys run hand in hand, meteors raining down around them. Till looks back briefly, but his hand doesn't slip from Ivan’s grasp.
This is the freest they will ever feel.
Ivan had been planning his escape with Till for over a month. Nobody suspected him of course, obedient as he was. He listened to conversations about ship routes and observed patrols, relaying the info to Till to map out. All Ivan had to do was get Till when the time came.
That was the easiest part.
They boarded a large cargo ship docked on the planet via an open shipping container filled with merchandise. Once on board, they holed up behind some containers in the back of the cargo bay and slept in shifts. Finding food was difficult, due to the dietary differences between humans and their alien captors, but they made do, taking turns scavenging through trash receptacles for anything edible.
No, the hardest part was waiting.
Ivan is good at laying low, he had to be to survive. Till on the other hand, is loud and brash. Shoot first and ask questions later. It's part of the reason why Ivan fell for him, but it makes for a poor stowaway.
Ivan sits in a corner and watches Till pace back and forth a few meters away. He's been growing antsy lately.
After a while, Ivan speaks, “What are you thinking about?”
Till stops walking, his back to Ivan, “Why did you take me with you?” His voice is uncharacteristically quiet.
Ivan smiles, even though Till can't see him, “Because I like you.”
Till’s fists clench, but he doesn't say another word. Soon, he goes back to his pacing.
Ivan doesn't understand why Till is behaving so oddly. He gave him everything he wanted, right? This is what Till had been fighting for. He can’t still be thinking about Mizi, can he?
Ivan rolls over and closes his eyes. He falls asleep to the rhythmic sound of Till’s footsteps in his ears. His dreams are littered with ‘what ifs.