The Remaining

Chapter 2

I jumped on top of a bin and climbed through my window, quickly throwing my clothes into my cupboard and hopping my way to the bed, snuggling up under the quilts. All of a sudden Ms Tubbington barged through my door and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Get out of bed now!" and I simply replied with a calm tone in my voice, "As you wish Ms Tubbington." She glared at me for a few long moments and I just sweetly smiled back. I only do this because I know that she's just trying to make me angry so then I'll shout at her. If I do shout at her, she'll beat me until I can barely move. I think she likes to pick on me as she doesn't do this to any of the other children. I get up out of bed and put my clothes back on. Staring at the mouldy yellow wall, I withdraw myself from this world and my terrible life. Racking my brain, I go deep into thought about why my life is this way, what should I do with my life, and what I should do about the information that I have in my head. Snapping out of my day dream, I head into the kitchen to have breakfast. All of the other kids are still half asleep, yawning, stretching, with their bed heads and night gowns still on. Unusually, the radio is on which I am quite shocked about as we're not aloud any electronic devices in this house, even though its 2050. I ask Ms Tubbington as to why the radio is on, and she replies, in her cackling tone, "Important news is going about that the other two remaining planets, Vad and Seren are growing rapidly, but we are only growing steadily, which ain't no where near enough for us to survive and win the Trial. Whatever the Trial is anyway." I nod my head like I seem interested about the news, even though I know more than anybody else does. "Oh," she continues " apparently, there's some more information on the Trial and that someone knows what it is but they don't know who, and they don't know where they are." My heart starts to beat faster and my eyes widen. Trying to not look suspicious, I eat my breakfast of sloppy porridge, ignoring the horrendous taste. I have to get out of here. To get as far away as possible from this place and to go to whoever is in charge and tell them about the things I know. Then maybe, just maybe, Earth will beat the other planets...but not win the trial. 

After doing my daily chores of washing up, cleaning and everything else I get a free hour to do what I want. So today, instead of going up the park, I'm going to pack my bags and leave. Before I leave I go into the kitchen to grab a few bits of food and some water for my journey. I grab the stuff and go to head for the door and I hear someone, "Athena, why have you took food? Are you leaving?" I turn round to see Percy stood on the stairs still in his pyjamas, with a red hand print across his face. He must have gotten out of bed late so the witch must have given him a beating. I take a long look at him. He's like my little brother and I've been his big sister since he got here.  I walk towards him and he runs down the stairs to meet me with a long loving hug. A tear runs down my cheek, and I muffle into his shoulder, "I have to go Percy, and I might not come back, but what I plan to do could save everyone, even the other planets." I pull him away from me and I hold his shoulders, kneeling down to his height, desperately fighting back the tears. I caress his red cheek with my hand. "Please don't go Athena, please don't leave me here all alone...You're all I have." His face twists into a saddening frown as tears spill from his eyes. He looks down at the floor frozen. Lifting his chin up with my hand, I kiss him on the slapped cheek and whisper smoothly in his ear, "Stay strong Percy, I love you." He nods and I get up, ruffle his hair and just as I'm about to walk out the door, I turn back to Percy and put my finger to my lips and he returns the gesture. Stepping out of the Smalltown Orphanage door feels like giant weights lifting off my shoulders. I feel better already. Craning my neck to look back at the door, I ponder if I should take Percy, but he is too young, and shouldn't need to get involved with something this big. Breathing steadily, feeling more confident than I have before, I walk out of Smalltown, and into the unknown...