The Outsiders

Chapter One

1854 K.E

My parents knock on our door.

"Time for you to get on with the day Maggie and Athena!" Mother said with a cheery voice.

I lace my boots and pull my skirt on. I can't change my shirt because I only have two, one of them is for special occasions. Once Maggie is done we grab our bags and run out the door. We jump on the back of a carriage and wait till it was our turn to jump off.

She nudges me and points to a tipped over mailbox. I nod and we count to three then jump. Once we're on the edge of the forest next to the mailbox, we sprint through the trees and weave our way to a narrow passage, enclosed with trees and weeds. When we emerge from the secret passage we dance and skip in the field of wildflowers. They are beautiful and the way the grass feels on our legs makes us feel free. I look at Maggie, squinting through the sun, and see her white lace dress whipping around her legs.

When we return home it's nearly dark. I know something is wrong as soon as we reach the porch. Maggie opens the door and we see a women in black and men in black suits, hair slicked back. They had their arms around out mother and father.

"What are you doing here?" Maggie asks, her eyebrows are drawn and her lips rigid.

"We just came to take your parents out for a bit." One of the men says. I don't understand.

Mother shakes the hands off and asks if she can speak with us. The women looks at the man beside her, he nods his head then the women says ten minutes.

We ask mother questions, saying we don't understand. She says,

"Listen children, we will have to go. But, we will be back..."

"Where are you going mama?" Maggie asks. I nod my head, wanting to know too. She slips a paper into a brown leather wallet, then she wraps something in cloth. She tells us to look under her bed but not until she leaves. We nod our heads and kiss her cheeks. Then father comes over.

"Now girls, you listen very carefully. Mama and papa are going to leave soon and we won't be seeing you for a long while. When we see each other again, both of you will be different. I love you both dearly and I wish we had more time." He smiles but it doesn't go to his eyes. His hands move toward his pocket on his worn down pants. He gives me a necklace and fastens it around my neck. Next, he gives Maggie a bracelet it has tiny golden flakes inside red jewels.

The next thing that happened had Maggie and I begging. The women snapped her fingers and the two men walked forward, grabbing my parents arm. Maggie grabbed for them but a knife came out of nowhere, pointing in our direction. We both stumbled backwards.

"Mommy! Come back! Daddy!" We shouted. Maggie and I had tears running down our faces. They shouted that they loved us then they were rushed out of the house. Something came down on our heads and we fell into darkness.