The Land of the Twice Born

Chapter One: Rations

I woke up with the familiar air of coldness and stiffness around me. I looked at my sister, Rhubarb, who was in a bed next to me. I sighed. Still ill.

I climbed out of the bed, making it nearly behind me, Rhubarb hated when I left my bed messy for her to stare at all day. The ladder creaked as my toes climbed down carefully, as not to wake my mother. Across the room, on another small bed, was my mother.

"Mother?" I whispered. She rolled over to look at me, then weakly smiled.

"Punzie, go get the food," she ordered.
I nodded and rushed to the window and door.

It was a door, technically. But it was also the only window in the tower.

I quickly tied my long, golden hair to the post, and descended to the ground. The light mist from the past night left a wet feel in my bare feet as I walked towards the farm house.

"Hello, Rapunzel," the farm house-owner said. She was a plump woman, and that was lucky. The farm house was to give a bit of their food to the residents and children of The Land of the Twice Born.

Which they stayed true to. Mostly.
Today I was given three chicken eggs, a bunch of wheat, and two carrots. I thanked her numerously, then rushed to the 'furnace'.
Old Joe, the owner of the furnace, would let the youngsters sleep in his little hut. It was a large brick dome. In the center, there was a large fire, and a pool of water that hot rocks were sent splashing into to keep the water warm for young ones to bathe in. There was a small empty space that he let them sleep in.

I used the furnace to cook my bread and eggs. I wasn't the only one, my friends and I came at the same time to talk. Ron, a twice born who had been here almost a year, and I were good friends. He was fourteen. I was thirteen. But that didn't matter. It's not like there's school here.

"Hey, Punz," he said as I walked in the furnace. I smiled at him.

"how are you?"

"Not bad, as I'm obviously not stone,"
Most people would laugh at a joke like that. But here, no one laughs about it.

"I see. Who was 'taken' last night?" I asked him. Somehow Ron always knew who was 'taken' and not.

"Kelly Green, poor girl. She was only ten. She was like a foot from the room of the Storage," he said. I looked down. I knew Kelly. She had come into our tower one night when there was no where else to go.

"Anyone else?" I asked.

"Yes. Matthew and Joanie Tend," he said softly. I frowned. Matthew was Ron's Neighbor back in the city.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.
He shrugged. But I knew he was hurt.

"There just aren't enough hiding places! It's always squished in the furnace and storage room, the Farm House lets a bunch in, and so do you, but more come everyday! And not many die everynight!" Ron says. I sigh. What was I supposed to do? The tower is always crawling with kids!

"We could build a shelter for them!" I said excitedly. His eyes let up.

"We should! But not today! .It's already noon. You better get your things from the store house and head home. I should find a comfy place to stay...maybe the 'orphanage' as they call it. At least there are beds there!" He said. I looked at him.
"There are lots of beds in the tower. Why don't you become like my brother?" I asked Ron. He shrugged again. I liked almost everything about Ron, but I really hated his constant shrugging.

"Nah. I got to watch out for the younger kids. I feel like I'm responsible for them," he answered.
I turned alway and headed for the tower. If only the parents of the
'twice-born's' knew what happened to their children when they boarded that plane.

A/N HEYY! Thanks for reading my book! Comments and votes are very appreciated! I will not be able to update till Sunday night...SORRY! I'm going to a camp!