The 826NYC Review, Issue No. 12

shouts and cries just make my headache worse. The swarm of people rushing into the streets makes the air warm and sticky and it's getting harder to breathe without the feeling that I'm suffocating. The pounding in my head is too loud to overcome my fear of what will happen if I don’t relax. I look at Zehra and the emerging realization and panic that comes to her face when we meet eyes tells me enough. She pulls me to a stop and grabs my shoulders.

“Emeren’s technology has been breached,” she shouts.

“What! This can't be happening.”

My eyes are wide in panic and my thoughts are stumbling like an ongoing wave filled with panic. We continue running and this time my mind can't help but welcome my fear.

My fear of how our technology-ridden country is getting breached. Fear of who could possibly be overriding our system. With the flow of people pushing and shoving past, I stumble and trip. My knee comes rushing to the floor, but before it can crash into the pavement, a group of vines tear out of the floor and catch it. Zehra, who is standing over me trying to lift me up, locks eyes with me. She looks around to see if anyone has noticed and the next wave of worry washes over her face. I look around and note that what just happened didn't draw any attention from the pool of people running around. When I follow her eyes I can see the origin of her worry. A drone, one of the many that are placed all around Emeren, is facing directly at us. And with the news of Emeren’s breached technology I know that whoever is watching us isn’t from Emeren's security.

A rush of clarity comes to me like a pound to my 171