The Lost Ones

14 - Adrian

The drive seems endless, and it is only now that I realize that I suffer from travel sickness. This is not aided in any way by the fact Maisie drives like a mad woman.

"Maisie," I say weakly, trying with all my power to not throw up on to the floor. "Could you perhaps drive a little slower? Like maybe, a mile per hour?"

She just laughs. "Nonsense, it's good for you to have a little bit of an adrenaline rush sometimes."

Great. We're stuck on a bus driven by an adrenaline junkie. Just fantastic. Lela's fast asleep by the window, completely unaware of anything. She looks so peaceful, breathing slowly in and out. I wonder if she's dreaming, and if so what about.

Drew's voice comes in on the intercom.

"Uh, guys, sorry about this, but you know it may have been a good idea to get petrol before we set off."

Then Gemma's voice.

"Drew?! What the hell? Are we running out of petrol?"

"No, no, no, I'm sure we'll be fine... for the next half hour."

"You idiot! How could you miss out such an important thing, you *censored*?" Gemma screeches, making the feedback crackle on the bus speakers. Then we're left to panicked mumbles throughout the bus.

Maisie tuts from the driver's seat. "She really shouldn't be using language like that in front of the children."

"Maisie! Didn't you just hear what he said? We're running... out.. of... petrol!" I say desperately, confused at how calm she's acting.

"Adrian, calm - freaking - down! We can head to the nearest inhabited town and get some petrol. Okay?" She says.

"Do you know the way?" I ask her, slowly losing faith in whatever plan there might have been.

"Oh, ye of little faith!" Maisie laughs. "I used to live around here, you know. A very long time ago, back before the hospital got me."

My mouth is dry. I've never asked Maisie about her past before. "How old were you? When they took you?"

"I was ten. I'd only been there five years. I can remember my family and everything," She sounds a bit wistful, so I don't ask her anymore. She turns around to face me and smiles. "Hey, don't worry. I've got over it. Go on, I can tell you're just dying to ask me more about it."

"If you're sure.... what was your surname?"

Maisie pretends to be angry and frowns.

"No, sorry, you've overstepped the line there," She laughs, a laugh that you can't help joining in with. "The name's Miller. Maisie Miller."

"The alliteration really adds to the effect." I joke, and she shakes her head at me.

"Now hush, I have to concentrate on my driving." Maisie returns to the steering wheel, which is just as well, because we were veering off the road slightly.

At that precise moment, Gemma's voice returns on the intercom.

"Well, after that little interruption-"

"Interruption?! There is a huge bruise on my right cheek! And that is not a joke for you people on the buses to enjoy!" Drew protests.

"Shut up, Drew! Anyway, the GPS says we're near Aqua Town, where Maisie tells me her old home was. Maisie, please lead the way." Gemma says calmly. I wonder how she's getting on without Josephine.

So we go on to a gravelly road and pass a sign saying Welcome To Aqua Town, Home to the Aqua Springs.

"The Aqua Springs?" I ask. I can see Maisie nodding in the mirror.

"The entire town is in the water business. At least, the majority. My dad ran a swimming pool and my mum taught kids how to swim. Josie always loved going swimming." Maisie smiles.

"Is Josie your sister?" I ask her curiously. It's strange hearing about someone family; nobody really talked about it any more.

"Yeah. Her and my younger brother. She was five when I got taken. She'll be ten now," Maisie continues. "My family had to run away to Cerise City, just east of here, because otherwise the hospital would have used them for testing too. I hope they're okay, wherever they are."

I hope, for her sake, that they are too. We pull up outside a gas station. The young woman inside stares at our buses in disbelief. I'm pretty sure she's seen the hospital logo on the side of it.

"Um, hi... we need, uh, whaddya call it..?" Drew dithers; Gemma rolls her eyes.

"Fuel. We need fuel." She sighs, exasperated. I have to admit, she is taking this all in her stride. Although I'm not so sure that's a good thing for her emotional health.

The woman, whose name badge reads Lauren, looks absolutely horrified at the few hundred children and teens gathered around the gas station. Nevertheless, she shows us how to fill the buses.

"So, how much do we owe you?" Drew asks, ruffling inside a bag.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing! You know what? I quit! This job is insane!" Lauren yelps in a high-pitched voice, and runs out of the station. Well.

So we continue on through the town, passing row after row of neat houses straight out of a storybook. Suddenly, we come to an abrupt stop. Maisie sweeps up her bag and steps out of the bus.

"Maisie?! Maisie, where the hell are you going?!" Gemma shouts from the speakers on the wall.

I have a feeling I know where she's going. I creep after her, hoping she doesn't notice me following close behind.

"Adrian?" Lela whispers. "Where are you-"

I put a finger to my lips and she stops talking and nods. I'm just glad Lela trusts me. So, I follow Maisie into a little abandoned cottage, that on the outside looks like the perfect nightmare house, but on the inside looks like it hasn't changed at all.

It was at this moment I knew: this was Maisie's family home. She stood in the middle of the room, just staring at everything.

"Maisie?" I said gently. She turns to me and there are tears in her eyes. "I think... I think we should go now."

She nods, and gathers a few things into her bag before we step outside into the dazzling sunshine. I don't bother to ask what she took, it's too private and sad. So we get on the bus and follow the road, far away from a shattered piece of a broken home.