By mixing and matching clothes, Ruth and Jessica were able to achieve full body coverage. Ezra wouldn't be allowed to approach the edge of the ceiling because he wouldn't have enough clothing to cover himself, but that would only matter in an emergency. Ruth slowly crawled toward the edge of the shade, Jessica carefully crawling along behind her. The dark blue panels were all angled slightly, dipping downward toward the panels below. The city apparently resembled a flower when seen from above, each panel vaguely petal shaped and layered over each other. Ruth wasn't sure why that mattered, considering nobody would be stupid enough to try and fly above a city like this.

  The girls made their way to the edge of the shade and stopped. Ruth began unpacking her bag, pulling out the charging panel and power bank before glancing at Jessica. The girl had stopped dead and was staring at the visible bit of horizon they could see from here. It was the tiniest line of blue, but the girl's eyes were locked on it. It stood out starkly against the horizon line of the ground far in the distance.

  "It's...actually the sky. Right there."

  Ruth could sympathize with the feeling of awe, at least a little bit. The first few times she had glimpsed the small line of blue between the ceiling panels had felt like nothing else in the world. "First time?" She pushed the panel out into the sunlight, careful to keep her hand in the shade.

  Jessica seemed to collect herself, then shook her head. "No. I grew up in Jericho city." At Ruth's blank look, she elaborated, "It's a city up north, one of the biggest uncovered cities in the country."

  That caught Ruth's attention. "Really?" An uncovered city...it sounded like something out of a dream.

  "My dad and I moved out here about nine years back. I don't remember much...but I miss the sky." Jessica got a far off look, and Ruth found herself strangely sympathetic with the girl. The idea of not being trapped beneath this oppressive covered city was something she could relate to.

  "I've never seen it...not really anyway."

  Jessica looked over, her expression sad. "Never? I know it's supposed to be dangerous but-"

  "It's beyond dangerous. Sunburn sets in too quickly, even through goggles. If I get caught with a burn I'll be hauled off somewhere." Sunburn, or worse, a tan, were both sure signs you were doing something you weren't supposed to.

  Jessica looked a bit skeptical. "Surely it's not that bad."

  Ruth let out a bitter laugh. "I once saw a guy with a light tan get off a train and get arrested immediately. I don't know what happened to him after that, he just got dragged off by constables. I think he was just a tourist or something, but it didn't matter."

  "I knew some of the covered cities were serious about that kind of stuff, but I didn't think Helianthus was that bad."

  Ruth shrugged, glancing at the power bank as the first light lit up to indicate that the panel was working correctly. "I have no idea about other cities. I only know that risking some sunlight is basically a death sentence for me and my brother."

  Jessica was quiet for a moment, glancing back at Ezra. "What's your story anyway? How did the two of you end up doing this kind of stuff?"

  Ruth glanced over at the girl, attempting to glare at her despite both of them wearing goggles. Jessica dropped her gaze, apparently deciding to let the topic drop.

  A silence stretched between the two of them after that, an awkward tension in the air. Ruth ignored the other girl entirely, straining her eyes to look out over the panels below them. The slowly curving blue panels stretched for miles, gradually dipping lower with the buildings of the city.

  Staring out over the panels like this was the only time Ruth ever felt like she could breathe. It felt like she was the only person in the world, no troubles or worries. Just her, and the harsh light that wanted to burn her away. So naturally, Jessica had to speak up again and ruin the moment.

  "Have you ever seen the constellations?" Jessica was staring out over the covered city as well, not turning to look at Ruth.

  Ruth sighed and turned her attention to the other girl, "What?"

  "The constellations. The day ones, I mean."

  "Of course I haven't. How would anyone actually see them?" The day constellations were the whole reason the city was covered in the first place. Some moron had poked a bunch of holes in the sky years ago. Apparently the little black dots in the blue sky let in more sunlight, which meant more power or something. Enough holes had been made that people decided to make constellations out of them, which didn't make any sense to Ruth. You could only see them during the day, and looking at them basically meant going blind. Why would anyone give names to something that nobody could even see?

  "If you want...I could let you and your brother see them sometime." Her tone was serious, almost pitying.

  That stopped Ruth cold. What was this?

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Jessica continued, still gazing over the city ceiling as it stretched out below them. "My daddy and I are going somewhere soon. We are leaving on a special train that lets you see the sky safely. If you two came to work for me, I could get you out of the city."

  It was a trap. It had to be. They had met this girl today, and Ruth had been bossy and annoyed the whole time. How was this happening? Nothing about Jessica had indicated that she put thought into other people at all.

  "Umm, I uhh... Can I think about it?" Despite the warnings blaring in her head, Ruth wouldn't outright say no. A chance to leave the city? Start somewhere else, presumably with a job? Even if it meant joining the gang, it was a chance she couldn't deny at first glance. If Ruth could confirm that Jessica was leaving the city, that would lend some validity to the story.

  Jessica nodded. "Yeah, I'll find a way to let you contact me in case you want to come. It'll be soon though, less than a week." The pity was still there, in her voice. Ruth wanted to be annoyed at that, but how could she be upset in the face of an offer like that?

  It wasn't a lot of time, but it wasn't like she and Ezra would need to consider it that much anyway. They would either risk it, or continue with their lives of crime and living in abandoned construction sites. At the end of the day, it might be their best escape from this shadowed city.

  The two fell into silence, Jessica seeming content to simply watch out over the city. Ruth's mind was racing, desperate to figure out where this offer was coming from, and how they could make sure it was safe. Ruth wanted to talk to her brother, but she couldn't ask Jessica to switch with Ezra for several reasons. She didn't trust Jessica to keep a watch out, and Ruth was wearing some of his protective clothing. He would have to keep far away from the edge of the shade, and Ruth needed to stay with the gear.

  Ruth could no longer sit in content silence. Her body thrummed with nervous energy, each new revelation of the day painting a daunting picture in her head. Just like she had feared, she and Ezra were being pulled into something bigger than them, something they couldn't control. Her mind, trained and honed to search for a way out, was running at full speed as she searched for a way to escape the daunting path laid out before her.

  Jessica seemed ditsy and airheaded. Ruth was sure that the girl really did have some of those qualities, but there was something else buried there. Offering a way out of the city, this girl had seen a weakness in Ruth and hit it directly. She had offered exactly what the siblings needed, out of nowhere. It spoke of intelligence and cunning, things that the girl clearly kept hidden. It had been out of nowhere, which meant Ruth wasn't seeing the whole picture.

  Ruth glanced over at Jessica once more out of the corner of her eye. As bundled up as she was, there was no way Ruth could spot the flash gun concealed on her body, but she tried to pick it out anyway. It didn't help that Jessica was healthy and had good genetics. Ruth was skin and bones, all her muscle lean and hard from years of climbing and running across rooftops. Jessica had gentle curves, her body clearly getting enough food to fill out as she grew. The flash gun could be tucked anywhere against her, and Ruth would probably never spot it.

  Ruth ripped her gaze away from the girl, mentally chiding herself. Thinking about that kind of thing anymore would only mean her mind would wander, something she couldn't afford right now. The girl was dangerous, and she also had a flash gun. The safest thing Ruth could do was finish the job. Then she and Ezra could-

  Ezra started sliding down the roof toward them. Ruth quickly pulled the panel back into the shade, righting herself and getting Jessica's attention. Ezra wouldn't risk coming out this far without protection unless he spotted a patrol.

  Ruth crawled up to meet her brother, pulling away the wrapping from her head. "Constables?" she kept her voice as quiet as she could.

  Ezra nodded, serious. He pointed south, and Ruth cursed under her breath. The patrol was on lower roofs, headed higher up toward them. They had collapsible ladders that they would use to traverse buildings and scout out each ceiling panel along their route.

  Jessica looked nervous, her body fidgeting. "What do we do?"

  Ruth shot her a glare, holding a finger to her lips. She had to think; this was bad. They didn't often get this close to patrols, and it would be hard to run with Jessica in tow. Escaping upwards toward the power plant was their best chance to get away, but Ruth wasn't sure the group could handle the route they would need to take.

  "How many?" she asked her brother, hoping for a miracle. He held up five fingers, and Ruth felt her heart sink. Four was the average patrol size, but sometimes they had less. Five meant they were probably training a new recruit, which meant they would be extra thorough with their searches. There was no way they could hide up here.

  Ruth frantically wracked her brain, feeling the pressure of running out of time when Jessica grabbed her by the shoulder. "Quick, get your brother dressed in the extra clothing." Jessica had started removing her extra layers, throwing Ezra's clothes at him.

  Ruth didn't hesitate, any plan that involved protecting her brother was fine with her. When Jessica began removing all her extra clothing and tossing it to Ruth, the whole picture came together. A sudden moment of panic overtook her as she realized what was about to happen.

  "Jessica, don't do this." Jessica glanced at Ruth, but didn't stop removing her extra layers. None of them stopped, not even pausing as they franticly worked to exchange clothes. Despite her objection, Ruth wouldn't pass up this chance.

  Ruth cursed herself for letting this happen. This whole idea was nothing more than jumping out of a frying pan and into the fire. But there was nothing else she could do, not if she wanted to keep herself and her brother safe right here and now.

  Ruth and Ezra finished covering themselves, quickly examining each other for gaps where the sun could hit exposed skin. Jessica grabbed Ruth by the arm once more. "I'll contact you tomorrow. I'll be fine, and I won't let you two take the fall for any trouble." It was a nice gesture, but Ruth wasn't about to hold her breath. The kind of men who ran the Nosferatu gang weren't known to be the forgiving types.

  But instead of arguing, Ruth simply nodded. "Thank you."

  Ezra looked between the two of them, still not quite comprehending what was happening. Ruth grabbed him and brought him back down toward the edge of the shade. Jessica crawled back further into the shadows, toward the edge of the city ceiling panel where they had climbed up. Jessica glanced back at Ruth, a soft smile on her face. Then she hopped down onto the rooftop below.

  Ezra tensed as he watched Jessica go, whipping his head frantically between the edge and his sister to ask a silent question. Ruth only shook her head, now wasn't the time. She took deep breaths, bracing herself for what was about to happen. She silently cursed every constable, gang member, and person she had ever met who had put her in this situation. Gathering her courage, she found herself giving silent thanks to Jessica. Maybe the girl wasn't so bad after all.

  Then Ruth dragged her brother out of the shade, and they stepped into the sunlight.