Alone

Chapter Five

Kathleen's POV

They killed a man. Shot him right in the head. They said that if we didn't come with them, they would kill us all one by one until we did. Naturally, we went with them. No more innocent blood needed to be spilled for the purpose of resistance.

They put us in these things that looked like train cars, but they didn't have any seats. We drove for hours, or at least it seemed that way. When it got dark, they didn't give us any blankets, so we just slept on the floor of the car. Now that I'm awake, the adrenaline of the moment is gone. Jack lies beside me with his arm around my waist while Lila lies on the other side of him. They are both sleeping soundly, snoring lightly as the train roars across the tracks. In fact, most of the people on this train are asleep. I don't understand how they can all fall asleep in times like this. Am I the only one who realizes that we could be in real danger? Do they just see this as some little vacation?

I shift my position slightly, and Jack begins to open his eyes. He groans for a second before mumbling, "Good morning beautiful, did you sleep well?" I smile and laugh to myself a little. Sleep never comes as naturally to me as it does to him, especially in times like these. When I don't answer, he pulls me toward him and holds on a bit tighter. Then he kisses me and closes his eyes again, drifting back into the sleep that always seems to elude me. I try not to wake him again, I'll know he'll need the energy for whatever comes next.

But of course, there is no peace in this world we live in. The train comes to a quick stop, and the door in the back is opened, letting in the bright light of the morning through the car. I quickly rip Jack's arms off of me and stand up, while the rest of the car only squints at the light and props their bodies up on one elbow. This is no time for early morning grogginess.

My eyes come into focus, and there standing in the beam of light is one of the guards from the government facility. I quickly whip my head around hoping he doesn't recognize my face. I stare at Jack, wide eyed in fear. He looks back at me with a confused face, he doesn't know anything about this guard, so why would I expect him to share my discontent? Before everything that happened, it was like we almost had the same mind. At least from what I can remember. But now, it feels like we're growing farther and farther apart and I hate it.

Thankfully the guard doesn't recognize me and just yells, "Everybody out of the car! Line up!" Oh to be ignorant and stupid. Jack, Lila, and I climb out of the car and stand together in the line outside the train. We seem to be in the midst of a village that has not yet been lived in. The houses are very simplistic, each one having just four walls and a door. Looking down the road I can see our country's signature community center that is in the middle of every city and town. The most concerning of everything I see is the barbed wire surrounding the entire village. They're afraid of us running away.

"Drop all of your possessions, including jewelry and any currency!" The guard yells once we are all lined up. I look to my right to see Lila unclasping the watch Jack and I got her last year for her birthday. It was worth weeks of odd jobs and not eating on certain days, and now it falls onto the dirt road and is pushed into a pile of mismatched belongings. Lila stares at its shattered glass and allows a tear to slip. I desperately want to go comfort her, but the chance that I could be shot for stepping out of line is too great.

Next to me, Jack's hands reach toward his back pocket, but he hesitates then places his arms by his sides. Whatever is he has, he's trying to hide it. I hope its worth it. My fingers play with the locket around my neck; inside of it holds a picture of my little brother and one of Jack. My parents gave it to me when I was little, and back then it had a picture of the two of them and a picture of our previous president. Needless to say, when I was around eight I switched out the president picture with one of my brother. Then when I started dating Jack, I tried to completely erase the memory of my parents by getting rid of their picture and replacing it with Jack's. But unfortunately, the memory of my family will be forever burned in my mind. I can't lose this locket now.

I quickly tuck the chain on the inside of my shirt, hoping that the guard doesn't notice. But, because of my luck, he does. His eyes light up and a smirk appears across his face as he walks over to where I'm standing. Without a sound, he grabs onto the chain and pulls it out from under my shirt to examine it. After glancing at it for a second or two, he shouts in my face pulling even tighter on the chain around my neck, "Either you take this off yourself, or I rip it off your throat!" In fear, I pause. His eyes lock on mine, and suddenly with a quick force he pushes me backward. As if a machine was working on the inside of his brain, his gaze doesn't move. His eyes widen, not in fear but in a way of power as steps forward once again to whisper in my ear. "I recognize you, prick. You should be very afraid." He laughs to himself as he walks away. Not a good sign, I guess. My fingers caress my neck as I supress the urge not to run after him and punch him in the jaw. Jack and Lila glance at me; I know they heard the guard's words. Not only are they afraid for themselves, now they are incredibly afraid for me. I don't want them to be afraid for me anymore.

Eventually, after harassing several people, the guards move us into the concrete buildings that will be labeled as home for the time being. In a small act of kindness, they let us choose who we live with, so of course Lila, Jack and I stick together. The houses are small, each only having a single window, door, and a table with chairs.

When the guards finally let us have a moment of peace together, Lila says, "What's happening to us?" There is a moment of silence. Neither Jack nor I know how to answer her question.

"We're different.." Jack begins to say while I just look at my feet, "All of us here are. I guess they want to do something about that."

Lila pauses for a second, thinking it over before saying, "Kath, I'm really scared for you." I run my fingers through my hair, taking a seat on one of the beds. I knew that was coming. I wish that I remembered something, anything, about my time in the facility so I could comfort them in some fashion. But I don't. I don't know what differentiates me from Jack and Lila and from the rest of the world. I don't know what makes me the important one.

When I don't respond, Jack replies, "I'm scared for Kathleen too, but now is not the time to be scared, it's the time to be brave." I take a moment to look at Lila, and I see that tears are forming in her eyes. "Come here," Jack says, gesturing to Lila. He wraps her in his arms before saying, "You are so brave Lila, so incredibly brave. It's going to be okay."

"Promise?" She sniffles.

"Promise. It's going to be okay," he says, this time looking straight at me.