Operation Shutdown

...Chapter 6...

"Emma!  Em, wake up!  Emma, guess what, guess what?"  Rosie was giggling and jumping on Emma's bed.  Emma groggily opened her eyes to see Rosie's face right in front of hers and then back up and bouncing.

 "Good Morning!  Today's the day!  We get to set off on our own.  Two girls on the run," Rosemary talked like an announcer.

 "Rose, it's five in the morning!  I said we'd leave around ten!"  Emma got to her feet, for the bed was violently bouncing still from Rosie.  A quick rush came to Emma's head and her heart was pounding.  She got a splitting headache.

 "I guess lying around for days isn't all that good for you," Emma squinched her eyes closed.

Rosie hmmed and went back to giggling.  Emma rolled her eyes, but laughed at Rosie who was proceeding to roll around on the floor because it made her dizzy.  When she's not being a handful, she's kind of like a puppy, Emma thought.  She left the room, with Rosemary followed right behind her.  She peaked around the corner towards Wesley's and Clara's bedroom door.  Emma turned to Rosie and put her finger to her lips. Rosie shook her head vigorously.  They crept into the kitchen.  The wooden counters and cabinets matched.  The dark wood brought in an outdoorsy atmosphere to the room.  They continued to the door next to the dishwasher and walked outside.  The house, surrounded by woods, blended in, making it nearly impossible to see from far away.  There was a small picnic table, with ivy wrapped around the legs.

 “Rosie, sit.”  Emma commanded.  Oh gosh, I'm treating her like a puppy.  She’ll never snap out of it if I let her act like this.  “Now, Rosie.”  She said it gentler and Rosie sat.

 “Fine, but if I see a bug, I’m getting up.”  Emma smiled because for the first time since the Test, some of the old Rosie showed through.  Emma sat down across from her.

 "So where do you want to go once we're off and gone from here?”  Em questioned.

 Rosie didn’t even have to think before she answered.  “Home.”

 A pang hit Emma’s chest.  “Rose, you know we can't."  Emma had been dreading that response.  Saying those words out loud meant finally admitting they couldn’t go back.  They would never see their parents again.  Never walk together to work. Rose whimpered and watched Emma. They continued to talk about what they planned for what lied ahead and where to go.  After about an hour and a half, they had still agreed on nothing.

 "We can't go back into the country.  We could get caught and ki-" Emma stopped after hearing footsteps crunching on leaves.  They were getting louder.  Rosie turned to Emma wondering what they should do.  Emma got up and gestured for Rosemary to follow her. They jogged back into the house, finding Wesley and Clara around the kitchen table.

 "Oh, I thought you two were still sleeping," Wesley said, glancing at his watch.  "You two are up early."

 "Wesley, we heard footsteps coming this way," Emma stammered.  There was a knock at the door.  Wesley stood up from his chair, a small smile playing at his lips.  Is he smiling?  Aproba's finally found us and are coming to take us away, and he's smiling?

 Clara spoke, “Don’t look so horrified, Emma.  We know who it is.”  Wesley opened the door, revealing a boy, about seventeen years old, his hair dirty blond.  His eye searched the room before landing on Emma.  He smirked a little, his brown eyes twinkling.  

 “Aunt Clara!”  The boy turned his attention to the woman, now standing, and went to hug her.  “It’s so good to see you again.”

 She kissed his cheek, “You too, Holden.” Holden pulled back away and quizzically glanced at Emma again. She didn't know why, but he was making her sick.