by H. J. Lawson
“We need to get to the institute.”
“Give me my sword and get on.”
“I need my gun.”
“Yes. Here.” I give her the gun. No time to argue. Once she’s on the bike, I feel a sharp jab into my back. No way. I twist around and see a blank stare from my mother. “Don’t point the gun at me.”
“But what if I need your attention?”
“It can wait.”
I feel the jab of the gun again and the hairs on my neck stand up. “What?”
“Doesn’t Brooke look good? The same as the day she left.”
“I haven’t seen her.”
“You will once we get the device.”
Chapter Fifteen
The institution is back in sight, but all the lunatics are loose. They’re practically spilling out of the institute, screaming and clawing their way to what they think is freedom. It’s a sight right out of a horror movie. The saddest part is there might be some that aren’t infected among the crowd, but they all look like the same amount of crazy. There’s no way to tell the difference.
“Paige, faster. We have to get the device.”
Instead, I slow down and turn around.
“What are you doing?!”
“There’s no way I can get in and out with the bike. Not with all those people. Everyone’s going to want it.”
I pull over when we’re a few houses away. It isn’t going to be as easy as last time to get out, but I can’t risk losing the bike, especially with my mom here. She holds up the gun and starts walking slowly towards the institute. We use the bushes to help hide us since the people have started to migrate to the street. Every time I glance over my shoulder, I get a glimpse of the spaceship. It can’t be real.
After a couple of blocks, my mother’s bags come into view. I give a sigh of relief. The sooner we get what she needs, the sooner we can be on our way to Willow.
I try to push my thoughts and worries away about Willow. I have been gone for a while, and AJ still hasn’t called me to say the planes are leaving. I hope I didn’t mess up by leaving her with him.
Quietly, we sneak towards the bags. To my right, on a porch, are a bunch of the infected, rocking back and forth. Most of them are chanting something I don’t understand, and I don’t think I want to.
Keeping my eyes up, I reach for the bags. My mom squeals with delight and dives in. So much for keeping it low key.
“GRAH!”
I’m swung around and a crazy man is screaming in my face. The whites of his eyes are all yellow and there’s blood pouring from his nose. I reach for my sword but not fast enough as he backhands me to the ground. He then grabs my wrist, shaking it so violently, I think it’s going to break off. Then I hear a snap but feel no pain.
He broke off the bracelet.
I try to grab for my sword when I notice he stopped shaking me. Now he’s just staring at me. Then all of a sudden he yells, “SHE’S THE SEEDLING!” He throws me across the sidewalk, knocking the air right out of me.
He jumps on top of me, screaming over and over how I’m the Seedling and shaking me. Others stop rocking and chanting, giving their full attention to us. I try to scream and kick him off, but he’s too strong. My sword is out of the question, and I don’t know what else to do.
His head explodes and blood pours all over me. I push off his slumped body and see my mom standing there, grinning with the gun raised. She just saved my life, but there’s nothing more frightening to me than seeing her standing there like that.
“I never did like him.”
She then breaks into a sprint into the house. “Mom!” I jump up, trying to chase after her, wiping his flesh off me as I go. I look back at the bags and see all the contents spilled out. Clearly whatever she’s looking for wasn’t in those bags.
I stop running when I get to the front door. Slowly I walk in, with my samurai sword out in front of me. No more getting thrown around. People are still inside in the dark, pressed against the walls, and staring at me like I’m the threat.
“She’s glowing.”
“Glowing … like them.”
Whispers flow around me, loud enough for me to hear.
“She’s got to be …”
“Seedling.”
Up the stairs, I hear my mother cluttering around and muttering. I break into a run and follow the sounds. I find her standing in the middle of a room and smiling with an open bag.
“I found it.”
“What is it?”
“Wait, Paige.” She looks scared and starts going through the bag, pulls out another bracelet like the one the guy ripped off, and throws it over to me. “Quickly, put it on.”
I put it on in time to hear the same people who were talking about me glowing climb the stairs, chanting the word Seedling over and over again. My mom shoves my old bear into her own bag. Why does she have it and why is it coming with us?
“Mom. Why do you have my teddy? You don’t need to bring it with us.”
“It’s not for you.”
The bars on the window catch my eye, showing there’s no way out except to go through the bedroom door exactly where all the crazy people are. “Mom, are you ready? We’re going to have to break out of here with all these people clawing after us.”
“I’m ready.” She holds up her gun, something she definitely loves doing and something I’m definitely not used to seeing.
“Why are they calling me the Seedling?”
“Because Paige. You’re the hope for humans. And the Shadows … the men in the Shadows, they want to kill anyone that gives us any sort of hope.”
“Is it ‘cause I can’t get the virus?”
“No, you can’t get the virus because of what the Watcher’s gave you.”
“Huh? So, there are two groups of aliens?”
She smiles. “You’re finally getting it.”
“But, Brooke … which one took her?”
“Nobody took Brooke. They gave her a choice.”
“She chose to go with them?”
“She had a choice, just like you will.”
“I don’t think I’ll be choosing to go with any aliens. No thanks.”
“Everyone’s an alien. You have to stay away from the shadows, Paige. They’re the ones with the virus. The ones who created all of this. And they’re after you.”
I don’t know what scares me more. What she said or that I’m actually starting to believe everything she says.
“Come on Paige, let’s get Willow.” She holds out her gun and charges out of the room. I follow suit with my sword held high, following my mother into battle.
Chapter Sixteen
We’re back on the road and can clearly see the spaceships on the horizon. At first I thought it was only one, but as we kept going, the others came into view. So far I’ve counted four. They look like they are special effects, silver and clean cut. Except the real thing is a lot more horrifying.
I push the bike to go as fast as it possibly can. The roaring of planes is heard in the distance and I know that means they are landing, which only makes me go faster. We can’t miss this.
“IDs.” The same guard asks when we frantically approach him. “All weapons outside the base.”
“What? But we need to protect ourselves,” my mother instantly argues.
“Mom, let’s just listen to him.” Although I agree with her. I feel so naked and vulnerable without my sword, it’s been the key to my survival so far. But my sister is way more important than sticking my ground.
The guard searches through mom’s bag, pulling out the weirdest things. “Did you really need to bring all this random stuff?”
“It’s not random stuff! We will need it!”
She snatches the bag of dirt out of the guard’s hand and holds it up. “Be careful with that. It traveled across space to get here.”
I just roll my eyes.
“That’s for my daughter,” Mom says, gripping hold of the teddy. Willow hasn’t had a teddy for years.
“We’re watching you two,” says the guard as he puts the same red bracelet on our wrists as before. He takes us to a room with Willow in it.
“What’s with the teddy?”
“What can’t a mother give her daughter a gift?”
This woman is wearing me down. I’m going to find a nice corner in the spaceship and sleep the whole journey to the mothership, that’s where Dad said the spaceships will stop off before they got to Mars I smile at the thought. It would mean sleeping for a week. That would be okay after the day I’ve had.
We get to the room with Willow and AJ, and I notice there are drastically less children here since I left.
AJ is sitting with Willow in the corner. A sigh of relief escapes me, seeing the two of them together and safe. But it doesn’t last long since my mother starts freaking out and yelling across the room. Before I can stop her, she’s screaming and running at the two of them.
“Get away from her!!” She’s screaming at the top of her lungs at AJ.
A guard stops her before I can, yelling at me to control her. I try my best. “Mom, what’s going on? Calm down. They’re going to kick us out if you don’t stop.”
“He’s a Shadow! He’s a Shadow! Get away from my daughter!”
I glance at AJ who only looks confused.
“See! Look how he looks at you! He wants you, Paige. He wants you!” Mortified, I can only blush. This is not the reunion I was imagining. “GET AWAY FROM US!”
“Mom, mom, he’s helping us get out of here! He’s on our side. Look, he’s been watching Willow this whole time while I was out getting you.”
“Paige, we can’t trust him. He’s one of them.”
“All right, all right. Just give me a minute,” I say with the softest voice I can find.
AJ and I walk away from my mom. “Sorry about my mom,” I say, shaking my head.
“It’s okay.”
“Did you get everything?”
“I did except for the guard uniform.”
“Crap. Okay.” I look at the guard who is still watching over my mother. They are about the same build and both look annoyed already with one another. “I have an idea of how we can get one.”
I make my way back to my mom, trying to figure out the best way to get her on board. “Mom … listen to me. I need you to go crazy.”
“Huh?”
“Trust me. Just go nuts.”
“I guess I can do that.”
Instantly she starts screaming at AJ and has the full attention of the guard. AJ is taken by surprise and starts moving away to get as far from my mother as possible. It couldn’t have worked out more perfectly. The guard rushes past me, and I put my foot out to trip her. She goes down, hard, and I smack her in the back of the head, knocking her out.
The other kids in the room let out a cry. “She’ll be okay,” I try to reassure them.
“Help me,” I ask AJ.
AJ pulls the guard to the side and strips her of her clothes.
“Mom, put these on.”
I take the guard’s gun and stow it in the back of my jeans. Then I take the guard’s blue bracelet and give it to my mom as well. She wastes no time and starts stripping right in front of AJ.
“Mom! Over there.” I point to a corner of the room.
“Paige, really. It’s just the human body,” she tuts.
I sigh.
AJ gives me the blue bracelets and we swap them for our red ones. I hope this plan works.
It takes a few minutes for my mom to dress and then she returns scarily looking like a guard.
“Mom, you have to get us to the planes.”
“Straighten up!” She orders, then ads a wink. It’s like she’s been training for this her whole life. Well, she has really. All the years I’ve been alive.
“One minute,” Mom says as she takes out the teddy.
“Seriously?”
She smiles as she pulls her gun out from the inside of the teddy. I grin. She stuffed her gun in the bear. Only my mother would do that.
“Nice.”
She gets right into character and leads us out of the room and into the corridor.
We follow her instructions and walk in a straight line, as if we’re in elementary school again. She leads us to the other kids lined up with the blue bracelets on. They are all standing in front of huge, grey planes.
We watch as one by one they go up to the guard at the door of the plane, give their name, and he checks a tablet. But, not everyone gets on. There’s about five that had given their name but were turned away and had to get out of line.
Goddamnit. It’s not just the bracelets that gets them on the plane. Frantically, I look around to see how we can ensure we get on.
“Paige, what’s wrong?” my mom asks as I step out of line.
“We’re missing something. There’s more to it than the bracelets. But I don’t know what.” Our name needs to be on the list. That’s when I notice Tilley, the president’s daughter. Bingo. She’s the golden ticket.
“What is it?” AJ asks.
“I have an idea. Get to the front of the plane.”
I head over to Tilley, take the gun from the back of my pants, and point it at her head. “Don’t come any closer or she’s done for!”
Mom points her gun at the guard. I know for sure she’ll use it. I don’t want her kill anyone if she doesn’t have to.
Everyone is silent, including Tilley. I wish I could tell her it will be okay. I walk backward with Tilley toward the plane.
“Put the gun down,” a guard orders with his gun pointed at me.
“No,” I say backing onto the plane. I point the gun at the pilots. “Go to the Maryland NASA compound.”
“What the hell is going on?” yells the pilot.
“We have the President’s daughter, and we’re going to Maryland. So, don’t think of doing anything stupid.”
“Why Maryland?”
“There’s a spaceship there to take us off the planet. My father’s there. He can get us on one of the space shuttles.”
I hand the gun to AJ. “Watch them.” He nods and sits behind them as they prepare for take-off. Willow is sitting wide-eyed with Tilley, who looks unimpressed with the whole situation. I guess she’s ran through kidnapping training.
“Hey, Tilley, we’re not going to hurt you. I just really needed to get them to go to my dad’s base. There’s shuttles there that are going to help us get off the planet.”
Tilley just nods. She’s the calmest person on the plane.
I take the seat across from Tilley and look out the window as the plane takes off. My breath catches in my throat when I see all the spaceships hovering in the sky. I lose count of how many I can see; they turn into a blur on the horizon. They look like they are eagles waiting to attack. No, more like an army, ready to engage with the enemy.
I lean back and close my eyes, taking a few deep breaths. It’s all going to be okay. We just need to get to Dad.
I rummage in my pocket and pull out my phone. I still have bars. I quickly call Dad before the phone goes dead.
“Hello?”
“Dad, it’s Paige.”
“Oh god! How are you? Do you have your mother and sister?”
“Yeah, we’re on a plane now headed to your base.”
“They’re getting the shuttles ready to leave. Hurry. I will stall them until you get here.”
The plane jolts and my phone goes dead.
It jolts again, then AJ comes running into the cabin. “The pilots have lost control!” As soon as he finishes, the plane nose dives, causing AJ to be flung towards the front of the plane. All the TV screens go off and breathing masks come down from the ceiling.
“Mom!” Willow cries, as she grabs tightly onto our mother who looks like she’s trying to stay calm while also looking like she’s so close to exploding at the same time.
The plane levels off and the power comes back on. “We need to land!” one of the pilots yells from the cockpit. I waste n
o time getting up and pointing the gun at him.
“You’re not landing yet. We need to get to the base. For all of our sakes.”
Again, the plane plummets, throwing me back. Not too shortly after, the pilots manage to regain control again.
“Paige, it’s him!”
I look to where my mom is pointing. She’s pointing at AJ. He’s rubbing his head, and his gun lays on the floor. Before I can protest, she’s up and has his gun to his temple.
She pulls him towards the door and reaches to open it.
“Mom! What are you doing? If you open that, then we’re all going to die.”
“Not if you sit down and put on your seatbelts.”
“But, then you will die!”
“That’s fine with me. It means you’re safe.”
“Mom, please don’t do this. It’s not him.”
She opens her mouth to respond but the pilots lose control again and the power is cut.
“Dammit!” Mom yells as she loses her grip on AJ. He comes to stand beside me.
“Paige, we have to land,” AJ says.
“We’re not at the base yet.”
“It’s the spaceships Paige, they’re messing with the plane. We have a choice: crash or land.”
I look around at everyone on the plane, including Tilley. AJ’s right.
“Bring the plane down.”
Chapter Seventeen
The pilots bring the plane down to a safe landing in the middle of a grassy field. In the distance, I manage to make out the city with a spaceship hovering over it.
“Maryland is that way,” one of the pilot points, towards the city, right were the spaceship is. Great.
“Spaceship at NASA Maryland?” the pilot repeats what I said earlier.
“Yeah.”
“Now what?” Tilley asks.
“Don’t worry, my sister always figures it out,” Willow assures her with little success. She smiles proudly at me anyway, which makes my heart melt. At least one of us thinks I’m doing a good job.
I start to lead us towards the city. I’m not 100% sure about it, but it seems like the best option for us. If anything, there’ll be a car I can hotwire for us to use.
