The chill of the early October morning woke her before the sun was able to peek its face over the distant mountains. She glanced down at the watch implant in her arm. 4:34. Just in time.
	Careful not to wake her roommate, Leigh pried herself out of bed and retrieved the burlap sack out of its hiding place beneath her bed. With silence that could only come from years of practice, she filled the sack with various clothe, dehydrated food, and a small water purifier she had stolen a few months back. She started over to the window, but at the last minute decided to grab her location finder, thinking it may be useful if she really didn’t know where she would be going.
	She slipped open the window and down into the darkness below her. The air was well below freezing, her own breaths forming translucent clouds in front of her. Doing her best to stay in the shadows, she snuck across the wall of her dorm, pushing her way to the edge of town. Even though it barely was large enough to classify as a town, Leigh walked for what seemed like hours, careful to check the corners, making sure none of the Parents were out on patrol.
	Luck was with her, and she managed to make it to the edge of town and nestle herself among the trees without spotting one Parent. Maybe this was actually going to work, she thought. Now that she had time to organize her thoughts, it was hard not to notice the stillness of the air around her. It gave a feeling of being alone that sent chills down Leigh’s spine. Shaking herself to get rid of the feeling, she started to think more practically about the voyage ahead of her.