“I love her Father.”  

Searing pain spread through her right cheek, a handprint manifesting itself quickly. She said nothing; there was nothing she could say to make it better, her fate was already sealed.

She pretended she was shocked by her family’s reaction but she had expected it since the minute she first kissed a girl. The small town of Amity was far from what the name suggested. Peaceful coexistence ensued when everyone followed the ancient laws. Taeyeon, however, had always been a rule breaker. She had never followed tradition either, finding small ways to rebel against her family ever since she knew about the outdated rules. This did not bode well with her parents, who were senators of the city council, and representatives of her village.

That night she went to her room and pulled out a flyer she had been given by an old friend long ago. It was a retro looking propaganda advert. ‘Resistance’ was painted over in red bold lettering, with soldiers dressed in army green uniforms placing their fists in the air.

She first learned of the resistance from her mother when she was 8. They had launched an attack on the town hall of her village in an attempt to retrieve a man sentenced to death for the crime of sodomy. Taeyeon had watched in awe out her bedroom window while they stormed the village, using non lethal force and left triumphantly with the man they came for.

Taeyeon’s mother had told her they were criminals, thieves and anarchists; Taeyeon saw them as heroes.

When she left that night - with the choice of exile or imprisonment - she brought out the prepacked bag she had in her wardrobe and went in search of her heroes, 11 years after they had been in her city. She had no idea whether they were still even around or where they were if they still existed; but she had supplies, her parent’s money and the hope of a better life.

A lonely tear slithered down her cheek as she left her home for the last time. It had been her safety through her whole life, but also her prison.

The sun was rising as she strode through the barren streets. A purple hue stretched over the sky, silhouetting her figure. The last Taeyeon had heard, the Resistance had been gathering on the outskirts of another district. Taeyeon had never travelled, but she had heard of the city of Wohlstand and it’s lofty buildings - always wanting to see it herself and not on the front of a pro-establishment propaganda banner.

She had prepared for this day well. Ahead of her was a 17 mile walk to a motorbike she had stashed with a friend in a small hamlet which lies in a valley, hidden away from control and authority. From there she would be able to rest and reach Wohlstand before nightfall the following day.

She hadn’t seen the friend she was about to visit in almost 7 years. They had been inseparable at first until one day a letter appeared on her bed. He didn’t say why he had to leave, only disclosing details of where he was moving to and the knowledge that Taeyeon could use it as refuge should she need to escape her parents. The whole journey was a gamble, but she was willing to risk it.

She placed a cigarette between her lips and lit it before long. The tobacco was laced with hemp, and each puff relieved the stress of the bag on her shoulders and made her mind relax, forgetting everything which could go wrong. The journey progressed slowly but successfully and by the time the sun was in the center of the sky, Taeyeon could see the mountains in the distance. With a slightly bigger spring in her step, she powered onwards with hopes of reaching the village before nightfall.

Her footsteps began to become heavy as the sun settled below the mountain peak. Taeyeon found herself on a singular street, surrounded by log houses. She kept walking until she found an inn and entered. Making her way to the bar, she placed her bag on the floor and waited for the bartender to serve her.

The young woman was pleasantly surprised by the interior of the inn. The walls were lined with copper coloured boiler tanks and rustic pipes stretching across the ceiling. Everything looked modernised compared to anything she’d ever seen at home. The village had been notorious for its veteran population and this was clear from the villagers who Taeyeon could see.

Many of the inn’s inhabitants adorned mechanical limbs and body parts. The gears and pistons whirred as they moved creating a faint hum in the background, mixed in with all the chatter and laughter. She had never seen this sort of mechanical technology: the university she studied in back home focused on more sleek looking designs rather than old parts and engineering. She prefered the classics however, loving the way each cog moved to perform the overall function like a large beautiful piece of art.

The resistance had clearly treated these soldiers well when they left. They were all well dressed and though old fashioned looking, the replacement body parts used only the newest technology.

She was disrupted from her thoughts by the sight of the bartender in front of her.

“You seem a little young to be in here don’t you think blondie?” He questioned.

“I’m not here to drink,” Taeyeon replied. “I’m looking for a friend of mine, I was told he’s a regular here.”

“What’s your guy’s name?”

“Heechul.”

The bartender raised his eyebrow inquisitively before speaking again.

“Any friend of Heechul is a friend of mine,” He stated, pulling out a tankard and pouring a pint from the draft. “It’s on the house lassie, I’ll get one of my guys to take you to your friend once you’re finished.”

It wasn’t long before Taeyeon headed off with a short enthusiastic woman to find her friend.

“My name is Lee Soonkyu but you can just call me Sunny!” She practically yelled, making Taeyeon stumble with shock.

“It suits you, you really seem like a bundle of sunshine..” Taeyeon mumbled back.

“Thank you! You’re Taeyeon right? The daughter of the amity senator!” Sunny chirped back to her. Her answer was received as Taeyeon tiredly nodded.

“No ! What brings you to our town of delinquents if you have a rich family like that?”

“I left to join the resistance.” Taeyeon replied cooly, despite Sunny’s sudden squeal.

“You are CRAZYYY Kim Taeyeon,” she admitted. “But where’s the fun without crazy?”

Sunny kept chatting on as they walked to Heechul’s house. Taeyeon was enjoying her company; after years of not talking to anyone her age, she felt at ease. It wasn’t long before they were faced with a weathered oak door. Sunny stepped up and banged on the wood.

“Heechul! It’s Sunny, I have a surprise for you!”

“It’s a little late for surprises don’t you think Soonkyu?” A masculine voice replied, as the locks started to click. The door opened and swung open, revealing the young man himself.

“Hi Heechul..” Taeyeon spoke up, waving her right hand awkwardly.

“Tada! She’s the surprise!” Sunny added, grinning as she walked past him and into his house.

“Taeyeon... I thought you were never going to show up.” He said, grinning happily.

“I had no way of letting you know when I’d be coming or I’d have let you prepare.” She chuckled in response, eyeing the mess that was in the kitchen as she followed Sunny through the hallway.

“Why did you end up leaving?” Heechul quizzed, once they were all seated in the living room with a bottle of cider.

“They found out about my girlfriend.” Taeyeon recalled sadly.

“ Taeyeon, I’m sorry. She’s safe though right?” Heechul continued, his voice quivering with worry.

“She’ll be fine, she didn’t love me. Just a harlot I used to meet at nights. She probably won’t even notice I’m gone.”

Taeyeon sighed. No matter how much she hated home it hadn’t been easy to leave. Many times she had prepared to leave but couldn’t take the final step. Sunny didn’t seem to have expected the dark back story: she looked like a sad puppy curled up on one of the sofas pouting.

“Cheer up Soonkyu, life will be better for her now.” Heechul reassured her, noticing her sorrow.

She stood up and waltzed over to Taeyeon, engulfing her in a suffocating hug.

“I’m sorry you went through that Taeyeon, if you ever need a friend I never leave this village, you’re always welcome to come see me.” She whispered, her voice full of empathy.

“Thanks Sunny, I’ll remember that.”

Taeyeon had rested well in Heechul’s house, and woke up as the sun