The Way Out: So... Is it 'Life'? Or is it 'Death'?

By Suchitra Moholkar

About the book:
"Six Checkpoints To Travel To. Each Step Takes Them Closer To Their Goal. With Every Breath They Encounter A Danger. And One Wrong Move Can Push Them Into The Mouth Of Death." Clovis and Haru's life was great. All until that one day, that is. That one day when they got pushed into that monstrosity of a machine. They had never asked to be thrown into that hideous thing. They had never said they wanted to see what being on the brink of death meant. All they wanted was a normal life. Now Clovis is burdened with the responsibility of not only getting herself, but two other people out of that hell-like place. Will she and Haru be able to find a way out? Or will it be the end of them and and their dreams? The time is ticking. They have to make the choice. So... Is it 'Life'? Or is it 'Death'?
About the author:
Suchitra Moholkar is currently studying in 9th grade in Jnana Prabodhini Prashala, one of the most prestigious schools in Pune, India. She stays in Pune city with her family. Suchitra has always enjoyed writing stories and short poems. Her writing skills have many a times been seen in her school exam papers and competitions like Hindustan Times Scholarship (essay writing). She has written many stories, but this is the first one that has materialized into a book. With this book, she is making her debut as an author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pencil
• Release date: Jun 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9789356108080

Book preview

The Way Out

So... Is it 'Life'? Or is it 'Death'?

BY

Suchitra Moholkar

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ISBN 9789356108080

© Suchitra Moholkar 2022

Published in India 2022 by Pencil

A brand of

One Point Six Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

123, Building J2, Shram Seva Premises,

Wadala Truck Terminal, Wadala (E)

Mumbai 400037, Maharashtra, INDIA

E [e-mail]

W www.thepencilapp.com

All rights reserved worldwide

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Any person who commits an unauthorized act in relation to this publication can be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. The opinions expressed in this book do not seek to reflect the views of the Publisher.

Author biography

Suchitra Moholkar is currently a student of Jnana Prabodhini Prashala, one of the most well known schools in India. She is studying in grade 9th (14 years old). Suchitra lives in India with her family. She has always had a strong pasion for writing and this is her debut book as a young author.

Table of Contents

Contents

Prologue

Thanks Dad, For trying to kill me

Ace to the rescue!

Not From Clovis Scott's Narrative (1)

I might be going crazy, But that's perfectly fine

Ace really needs to work on his timing

Legend says Haru is still revising the plan

Not From Clovis Scott's Narrative (2)

Aster is what!

Bet you didn't know I can read Latin

Not From Clovis Scott's Narrative (3)

Haru is definitely judging us

Bloodhowlers, Just great!

Dustsouls it is...

Why does everyone want to kill us

Not From Clovis Scott's Narrative (4)

Big argument, That's all I can say

Aster has a what!

Theo joins the circus!

My dad's feeling... Guilty

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

Prologue

The man stared at the machine in front of him.

Done! It's done! He screamed, raising in arms in the air. He was drowning in the feeling of victory. He was overwhelmed. He had achieved something no one could. No one but him. Now all that was left was testing the machine. The man moved around frantically, pushing buttons and pulling levers. His eyes sparkled at every move he made. Once he was done, he looked up at the two portals of the machine that stood in front of him in all their glory. Without a second thought, the man stepped inside one of them. He was getting impatient. He wanted to be quick with the testing so that he could go out and tell everyone that he had won. He had acomplished what no man had ever even dreamed of. He smiled one last time as the doors of the portal closed.

I'll be back...

Thanks Dad, For trying to kill me

Run was the only thing that came out of my mouth as darkness engulfed me.

.   .   .

Fluttering my eyes, I noticed I was in an unknown place. My eyes took no time to adjust to the dim light and I started scanning my surroundings for any signs of my sister, Haru. My eyes burned as I took in her unconscious state. Black jeans ripped, leather jacket torn, face full of cuts and wrists red due to the tightness of the chord we were tied with. I struggled and struggled, wanting to break free. But all I could feel was the pain right down to my bones. I gulped down my cries of agony. I managed to slip the dagger out of the sleeve of my jacket and cut the ties around my wrists.

I kneeled down so I could take a good look at Haru. Her lips were bleeding. I felt like crying my heart out as I took in her appearance. But I had to be strong for us. Being older, I felt that I was fully responsible for her. My goal right now was to make sure that at least she got out of here safely. I gently called her name to try and wake her up. We had to leave before our captors came back. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around wildly. Her eyes were filled to the brim with terror.

I had been desperately praying for Haru’s escape, but my prayers had remained unheard. She had been captured all the same.

Why did fate have to be so cruel to me?

I tried to give her a reassuring smile. But I was pretty sure that she did not find it as reassuring as it was meant to be.

She got up, stretched her limbs and twisted her neck a few times while muttering profanities under her breath as soon as she was free of the demonish ties around her wrist. Her eyes were glossy with tears. My heart ached, seeing her in such a vulnerable condition. Looking so tough and strong yet so easy to break and destroy in reality. She tried her hardest to put up the facade of power, but I could see right through it. She was trying so hard to perfect it, but it was now breaking under the weight of her fear and urge to get out of this place.

I’m so tired of this, Clovis. She said, shifting her tired amber eyes in my direction. Her golden-brown hair was a mess.

"I tried running away. But neither my heart nor my head allowed me to leave you behind. I had to come back for you.

A lone tear escaped her eye.

I had to at least try to save that one person who has been keeping me safe from the time we landed in this simulation. Her voice was very brittle now. I was feeling so brave and all of a sudden that feeling was gone. It vanished in a second. I feel so scared. I want to get out of here.

I know. We’re going to get out of here soon. I said getting up and helping her up too.

How on earth will we do that? We don’t know where we are. And-

We’ve still got the trackers, remember? I can see Aster’s location on my tracker and then we can easily get out of here. I said.

Aster Bailey, a boy we quite literally bumped into. We called him Ace for short. He too was stuck here. His condition was pretty much like mine. He had no family. His parents had abandoned him when he was just three years old. I had no idea how Aster had come here, but I knew that I had to take the risk of trusting him if I needed to get out of here. Maybe it was the similarities between us that made me think that I could trust him. But I knew that gaining his trust and trusting him would be necessary for getting out. His pressence, somehow, made me feel safe.

Haru looked a bit relieved at the mention of Aster’s name. For Haru, Aster was like the brother that she never knew she could have.

We need to get out of here before our kidnappers come back to check on us.

Breaking the door and getting out of the room would not take much effort. Getting out of this place was going to be the harder part.

We were walking down a flight of stairs when I felt Haru hold my jacket tightly from behind. I looked back at her just to find her staring out of the window.

This place really gives me the shivers, you know? However much we roam in it, it just doesn't seem familiar. Haru said. She was right too. Had that stupid machine created a simulation of past or future, we would have had at least a basic idea about where we were. But we weren’t able to tell where on earth we were because the machine never simulated events of the past or future.

I considered my words once again before actually speaking. I hope you remember we aren’t really in the future or past Haru. She looked at me with glossy eyes as I continued. Dad pushed random buttons on the machine before pushing us inside, remember?

Right… The machine... She