Free If I Fall by Kelseyleigh Reber

shadowing his face. I cannot answer. He wraps one of my arms over his shoulders and begins walking around the next corner. He shouts over his shoulder. “No worries! Lad simply had a bit too much to drink. Nothing a bit of sleep cannot cure! Good luck with your endeavor!”
    The man calls after us, pumping his clenched fist in the air. “We will get them! Every last one of those wretched leeches! We have already killed two found in steerage; it is not long before we find the others! Long live the Radicals!”
    Two already caught. Not long before…
    My knees give way again and I collapse to the floor.
    “Elvira?” His voice—it sounds so far away. I am lifted, two strong arms holding me against a warm chest. Shock and fear overpower my will. My eyes flutter shut as I slip under.
    I wish …
    The weight of the man’s words press down on me even in sleep.
    Not long before we find the others.
    Not long at all.

10 KNOWING
    In and out of consciousness, I travel between dream and reality until it is not long before the two are indiscernible. Voices fill my head. Dream? Reality? I am not sure.
    “Is she awake yet?” a man asks, distress coloring his tone.
    “Calm down, my dear. Give the girl time.” It is a woman speaking. Something cool presses against my forehead; the cold, soft fabric feels wonderful on my hot skin.
    “Give her time? She could be in a coma for all we know! We must wake her!”
    “No!” The voice is gentle, but stern. “She must sleep. Something has clearly traumatized the dear girl.”
    “Very well,” the man says. “I will stay with her. Please, get some sleep.”
    “No. I have had my sleep. You, my son, have been awake all night, no doubt gallivanting around with this young lady. You sleep; I will awake you when she rouses.”
    A sigh followed by a door slamming shut assures me the man has left. Without reluctance, I slip back into oblivion.
    When I wake again, I force my eyes open. Light assaults my vision, blinding me. I squeeze my eyes shut as swirls and dots blink in and out of existence. My head feels light and I wait for it to subside before cautiously prying my eyes open a second time. Better accustomed to the brightness, images slowly form before me.
    A large bed beneath me and a white comforter pulled up to my chin, soft as the most expensive furs. Green wallpaper and paintings of important-looking men adorn the walls. A chair to my left occupied by a man. His head bent, his hat lowered over his eyes. I watch his chest rise and fall in a slow cadence. How different Mr. Laurence appears with those astounding green eyes closed and his usual smirk relaxed into a straight line.
    I consider waking him, but instead decide to slip out unnoticed. It is better this way , I tell myself, as I move through the bedroom door and into the drawing room. I have been a fool these past two days, fraternizing with the enemy, putting both my sister’s and my own life at stake. Well, no more. One purpose pushes me forward, and that is to find Dela and get her safely to America. And whether I like it or not, my promise to her and my mother does not involve Mr. Laurence.
    Tiptoeing over the beautiful Persian rug, I walk around the pink chaise and reach the door. A silk hat hangs limply from an ornate coat rack. A twinge of shame knots my stomach as I lift the hat from its perch. There is no denying that I am a thief now, I think as I put it on and reach for the door.
    My hand rests upon the doorknob, but I cannot will myself to open it. I take one more glance around the cabin, reluctant to leave its warmth and protection, afraid by what I might find back in the cargo room—or worse, what I might not find. What if Dela has already been caught?
    With this thought in mind, I pull the door open, preparing to rush down to the cargo room, when a voice makes me stop.
    “Miss Hamilton!” A hint of surprise threads through the woman’s voice. Another person who knows my secret. Wonderful.
    Slowly, I turn