Previously:

     They were nearing a small tunnel that had light shining in from the other side and upon reaching the other side of the short tunnel she saw a large opening in the sandstone that looked carved out and through it, she could see the whole canyon and on their side, there were hundreds of carved out holes with people in them.

"Are those what you live in?" She timidly dared to ask.

"Yes, you were kept in our farming area but we live on the side of the cliff, it keeps us protected from the weather and predators. " Replied Miles.

"Ugh, Miles, you don't need to tell her why we do things. It's not like she's going to be around to understand." Taunted Jamir with a sneer.

Sam sped up her walking to put more distance between herself and the man behind her. Not going to be around?

Present:

     Weaving through the tunnels Sam was amazed at the ingenuity of them. They weaved through the cliffside, sometimes burrowing in the side and other times running along the outside of the cliff with only a small wooden picket fence separated you from a drop that would definitely lead to death. Off the path, some stairs led down to, what Sam would guess, is the homes. There were no doors, only curtains that separated their private room from the busy path.

     Passing by people who continued to glare at Sam, she was led further down the cliff until they were almost at the bottom. Sam could see a small stream running down the middle. That must be where they get their water Sam was momentarily distracted by the steady flow of the water and was quickly bumped into by Jamir. Only to receive a harsh slap on the back, "Keep moving prisoner." He gruffed.

     Sam hurried along and was led deeper into the cliffside, down a tunnel that was only lit by candles and a large wooden door at the end. We're all alone, no another civilian to be seen down here... I don't even remember the path we took to get down here if I wanted to run. So many turns and twists. Sam slowed her walk, scared of what could be on the other side. They just wanted to talk, they just wanted to talk. God, don't be stupid Samantha, they could just as well kill you and down here would be the obvious choice. No people, no way to escape.

     Sam was shaking by the time she received another hard smack from Jamir. All of her fear instantly turned into anger at the situation and she turned around winding up her fist to punch the man. "Would you stop doing that?!" Sam felt a tug at her wrist that she had balled up in a fist, getting ready to swing.

     "She's right Jamir, stop antagonizing her. You're being a dick." Spoke up Miles noticing the shaking through the chains. "Sam, we're not going to hurt you. Behind these doors are our leaders who would just like to ascertain your intentions before we make a decision on what to do with you," Miles let out in a sigh.

     "You guys have a funny way of showing your intentions." Spat out Sam, still angry at the man behind her.

     Miles shrugged with a look of indifference on his face, "Let's just get this over with." And with that, he tugged on her chains leading her towards the door. Pushing the large door open, Sam was met with another dome, but this one was much larger. Rows of empty benches faced a large table that had six people sitting behind it.

"Please, come in." Said an elderly lady sat on the edge of the table.

"Samantha, you come upfront. Miles, Jamir, please have a seat." Spoke a younger man near the center of the table.

     Miles and Jamir did a slight bow to those at the table and Miles handed over Sam's chains to Sam. Sam took the bundle and stared down at the chains that she had in her possession. Why?

"Please, approach." Said the same man as before.

     Sam resigned and dropped the chains, letting them slide to the floor in a chaotic, musical, mess. Walking to the table she let them drag behind her and stood tall in front of the varied leaders.

"Let us introduce ourselves, We are the Leaders of Syracuse. I am Elizabeth." Spoke the same elderly lady as before, her silver hair flowing past her elbows. The plumb dress she was wearing was a stark contrast to her pale skin that seemed almost translucent.

"My name is Rosa." Quietly spoke the next younger lady with a Spanish accent.

"Luca." exclaimed the younger man that spoke earlier, his red hair almost blending into the red sandstone behind him. His bright smile was almost offputting next to the rest of the people with their solemn frowns.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Firash." spoke the next elderly man his black skin so loose, you couldn't see his eyes as they looked closed and it looked like he was wearing a monks robes.

"Masika." Mumbled the next women, who looked far older than anyone else.

"Rui." spoke the last leader who looked completely disinterested in what was happening

"Now that we've introduced ourselves I suppose we should tell you why we brought you here." spoke the man called Firash, " We know you are Samantha Green, though you look nothing like your family."

"Family." the man named Rui put the word in air quotes.

     Sam clenched her fist and stayed quiet as Firash continued, "But that's not why we are here. We are here because you brought a young boy crossed the desert. Leaving your safe home, after only knowing the boy for a few days."

"You must understand how suspicious that looks to us." Spoke up Elizabeth

Sam only nodded, of course, she understood their reasoning. But it's not like I had a choice.

"Marco gave us his side of the story, we would like to hear it from you. From the beginning, how did you find Marco?" Asked Rosa.

    Sam started from the missing food and told her story all the way up to leaving the tower. Leaving out only minor things like meeting up with Robin or her previous interactions with Don beyond that night. She didn't feel like they needed to know about that.

"There's one thing that's bugging me," spoke Luca, "Why did you go that far for the boy?"

"Because, as you already have figured out, the Greens were not my real family. I was just someone who they took in as a kid after I lost mine. In my mind, the only thing to do was to try and return Marco to his home. There was no other option." Spoke Sam with conviction.

"And you felt that you had to leave the tower because this, Don? Was chasing you? What do you know of this man? Apparently enough to fear that you couldn't stay as long as he saw you." Inquired Masika

     Sam looked down at the ground, How much do I tell them? Everything? No probably not the best idea right now. Instead, she settled with a half-truth. "I lost my phone one day in the Marketplace and he made sure I got a new one. Because of that incident, I know that he works high up in security."

     At that moment Sam could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rise as eyes bore into her from behind. Paying it no attention, for now, she focused the people in front of her as they looked at each other and spoke under hushed breathes. All minus Rui, who was leaned back in his chair staring at her intently, opening his mouth he spoke.

"So, what is your intention now? Do you wish do you return to the tower?"

      Sam felt her eyes strain as she held back the flood of emotion of her next statement. "No, I know that I'll never be able to return. Or at least never alive. I knew that the moment I stepped out of the tower. Please believe me when I say that I never intended to be a disruption in your home. I just wanted to help Marco, but I have nowhere else to go at this point. I have lost everything."

     Everyone looked at Sam as she spoke and even Luca dropped that smile of his. "Please leave us now, we have a lot to discuss. Unfortunately, you will be going back to the dome until we make our decision." Said Masika.

     Sam only nodded and heard Miles and Jamir stand up. Turning around to face them she saw Miles bend down and pick up her chains, offering her a small smile. She didn't return the sentiment and kept her head down following them out the room. On the return trip, no one said a word and even Jamir didn't seem as hostile as before. Leaving her plenty of room to fall behind or keep up. However, what didn't change was the glares and spitting she got from the passing people they walked by.

     Not that any of it bothered Sam, she was too caught up in her thoughts and just followed the shoes in front of her. Step by step, back to the small dome on a plateau. She didn't take the hands offered to her to climb up, as she did it herself on her hands and knees and slid down the hole. Shuffling to the edge so Miles could bend down and bolt her down to the center. She brought her knees up to her chin and watched as the light of the second sun was slowly cut off but by the top. Leaving her in darkness, silence, and alone.

     Sam wept for herself and her loss.