I'm startled awake by a small shock at my wrist. It slowly spreads, consuming my body like bubbles do boiling water. It tingles and singes all at once, reaching from a pounding headache to tingling toes. My mouth opens to scream, but I press my lips into a tight line and bit the inside of my cheek. Tears roll down my face, my mind sharp and alert.

The sensation halts abruptly. I let out a sigh of relief, completely emancipated of the burning pain. Trembling, I glance down at my body, holding an arm in front of my face. The skin is untouched, my clothes undamaged beyond scattered wrinkles. The faux skin covering my Chip, however, is blackened to a crisp. A gasp escapes my lips as I practically fly out of bed. I yank open the door to my room and dash into the bathroom.

The lights above the vanity and the single one meant to illuminate the entire room flicker to life. Glancing in the mirror, I bring a shaky hand to my face. My emerald eyes are wide, mussy hair tangled and matted to my forehead. The flesh on my pace has paled, giving me a sickly look.

This must have something to do with my malfunctioning Chip! Once again, I cast my eyes down to my wrist. Then, slowly and cautiously, I peel away the blackened bandage. I toss it into the trash, watching as my golden Chip clatters to the floor. The skin where it was once implanted has nearly healed, leaving a nasty square-shaped scar.

My heart thumps against my ribcage as my knees slam onto the frigid tile. My fingers inch for the metal, my pointer slightly grazing the surface. Nothing. Not a spark is emitted, nor does a shock travel up my arm. It seems like an ordinary piece of metal, save the engravings and few spatters of dried blood.

With a sigh, a grab some gauze and wrap it around my wrist, a temporary solution to hold my Chip in place. My whole body trembles as I do so, finally tapping it in place.

I should call Cody! He'll know what to do. Swiftly, I hop to my feet and race to my room. My whole body continues to trembles as I grope around for my watch in the dark. Once I feel the cold metal screen under my fingers, I fumble to place it it on my wrist, fascinated as I feel the straps wrap around it and fasten themselves. Next, I whisper, "WatchAssistant, call Cody." My voice is hoarse, throat parched.

"Calling Cody," the automated voice replies, nearly causing me to leap out of my skin. I press my finger against the screen and drag it downwards, lowering the volume. Then, I reach over and tap the base of my lap, causing it to illuminate my room.

Cody's face suddenly appears above my watch, his light hair a ruffled mess. His eyes are barely visible through what I'm assuming is the darkness of his room. "Autumn, it's nearly two a.m," he whines childishly.

I roll my eyes. "Something weird happened."

His eyes widen. "What happened. Did Etchers come to your house? Did-"

I raise my hand, silencing his worried babbling. "My Chip," I whisper, glancing around the room as my nerves settle on edge. "It- it shocked me."

Cody seems wide awake and stunningly alert for someone jolted awake at two in the morning. "It- what?" Then, he proceeds to glance around his surroundings. "Okay, meet me at the ice creamery. It's safer to talk there."

"Cody, wai-"

"Call ended."

I let my arm drop to my side, once again tapping my lamp's base to shut it off. Instantly, I regret it, realizing I still have to get dressed. Well, no one but Cody's gonna see me, right? So, I skim my foot over the surface of my floor, smiling as I feel one of my slippers. Quickly, I locate the other one right beside it and shove my feet into the pair. They're soft, almost like cloth.

As I tip-toe down the stairs, I run my fingers through my bed hair. Each creak sends a jolt of panic and fear through my body. I grit my teeth, letting out a breath of relief as I walk off the last step. Moonlight streams through the window next to the door, streetlights having been shut off at curfew.

Determined, I yank open the door. Then, I softly shut it behind me, making sure to reset the alarm. The late night breeze jabs at my exposed flesh, my sky blue nightgown doing nothing to protect it. The silky texture seems to add to the feeling of coldness sending shivers down my spine.

I glance both ways, wary of guards on night patrol. Surprisingly, there's one at the end of the block, his flashlight pointed in the direction opposite of me. He seems to be yelling at a tall boy and a slightly taller girl. I recognize them as a couple from my school, and I assume they're breaking curfew.

Silently thanking them for the distraction, I hurry in the other direction. My slippers slap the pavement, setting my nerves even more on edge. As I begin to panic, I repeatedly glance behind me, terrified that the guard will spin around and spot me at any given moment. His loud shouts ring through the otherwise silent neighborhood.

From what I can tell, the girl is on the verge of tears, clinging to the boy's arm as the guard ruffly grabs one of hers. Her scream pierces through the air like a knife, causing me to practically hop into the air. The boy yells something incoherent to my ears, attempting to divert the bulky guard's attention. He earns himself a taser, which is administered by the guard placing his watch against the boy's neck.

Still walking forward yet glancing behind to witness the scene, I cringe as the boy slumps to the ground. The girl screams as the guard tosses the boy's limp body over his shoulder like he weighs the equivalent of a small cat. Wow, I believe they're only in ninth grade, a grade below me. They must be terrified, yet they were well aware of the severe, though overdramatic, consequences. Sadly, so am I.

I nearly smack into a pole before making a turn. I let out a sigh of relief. Sorrow floods my heart as the girl's sobs seem to amplify themselves. They won't die. If I helped them, I would get myself into more trouble. Yet, I want to. I wish to run back and console the girl, knock the guard unconscious and grab her boyfriend. Alas, I'm no fighter. There's no way I could help them, or anyone for that matter. Yet, I want to. One day, I'll run Ingrid six feet under.

Once I arrive at the ice creamery, I all but throw open the door. The bell jingles and it slams shut behind me. Cody's sitting in front of his computer, the glow illuminating his slightly sharp features. His eyes grow wide as he hops out of his chair and places a hand on my shoulder.

"Autumn, I was really worried! And, why are you crying?"

I bring a hand to my damp cheek and shake my head. "There was a couple from ninth grade who were caught braking curfew. Gosh, I wish I could have helped instead of using it as a distraction for me to escape my house. Her screams-" I stop, shivering.

Cody lets out a deep sigh, his hand squeezing my shoulder. "I know you want to help everyone, but you can't. You would have gotten yourself into trouble."

A small smile inches onto my face as I shove his hand away. "We'll take down Ingrid soon enough."

"Autumn, are you sure? I don't think that will become-"

"A reality?" A finish, heading towards the table he was previously seated at. "Let me tell you about my Chip," I cut him off through gritted teeth. It's not too big of a challenge, not too much of a risk! Anger and ambition swirl within me.

"Autumn, please, calm down, okay? I want to take her down as well. But it's very risky, and dangerous. We need everything lined up first."

"But-"

"If we just run straight into the fire, we'll all die. Nothing will be accomplished. Is that what you want?"

Silence envelopes us for a few seconds before I loudly exhale. "You know it's not. I'm sorry, but with everything that's been happening, I just wanna-"

"Everything?"

I can barely make out his outline through the darkness. "My Chip shocked me awake. I felt as if my whole body was on fire," I swiftly change the subject. "Why do you think that happened?"

"I knew this would happen eventually," he sighs.

"What?"

"Well, your Chip got messed up with that shock from the fence. But it's also programmed to electrocute you if it's removed."

"So, it might-"

"Maybe," he whispers, his voice wobbly. "Maybe the Chip finally got over the malfunction. I'm not sure. But the Chip check is coming really soon. Within this week."

My breath catches in my throat. "So, I'll die either way."

"No!" He practically shouts, the sound causing me to flinch as it echoes off the walls. "We'll figure something out. Tomorrow night, Eva and Jared will join us. There might be a way I know, but I'm not super sure. The Etchers won't take you. And the Chip won't kill you for a while, probably just random shocks. But- you won't die, okay?"

"Why do you care so much?" I snort wrapping my arms around my stomach. "I'm just some girl you met a few weeks ago that managed to score a few extra weeks of life." Something twists in the out of my stomach. Honestly, I'll miss my new friends when, or if, I die.

Rough hands grip both of my shoulders. "Stop thinking no one cares about you. At least three people do now! Eva and Jared would both argue my point. None of us will let you die without a fight. And a damn good one at that." He leans closer so that his breath mingles with mine and my heart flutters.

I nearly gasp at the fact that he cussed. We're not supposed to cuss. Besides, he's never gotten emotional enough to do so. "Damn? That's the best curse word you got?" I laugh, completely steering away from the solemn emotions of the situation.

"What?"

"You finally cuss and the word you use is 'damn'."

"Autumn, focus." Yet, as he attempts to act serious, a laugh escapes his mouth. "What did you want me to say? 'We're gonna kick some ass in a fight before we let you fucking die and throw in crap, damn, and shit somewhere?"

We both burst out guffawing, collapsing onto the floor. Our bodies smack the ground with simultaneous loud thuds. Our laughter resounds through the warm air.

"Maybe," I choke through laughs, coughs shaking me as I place a fist in front of my mouth.

"You okay?" Cody chuckles, patting my back with his palm.

I swat his arm away while nodding into the dark. "I'm fucking fine, douchebag."

At that, we lose it all over again.