The Chase

Chapter Two

We walk a couple blocks away and race down a big field to Chase's grandparents house like we do every Saturday. We come to the farm to gather eggs, milk the cows, clean the stalls, an feed the animals. In return, Chase's Grandma Ruth makes us homemade biscuits and sausage. We've been doing this as long as I can remember.

"Hey Gram," Chase says dropping the newspaper on the table. "We'll start now."

Ruth gives us a sweet smile. But it's more of a smile with her sugar brown eyes than with her grin which is missing a tooth. "Okay sweetheart. Do me a favor and give June her bottle."

June is the new calf that was born the last Saturday I was here. It was really disgusting but a miracle all at once. I guess my face lights up when Ruth says this because Chase tells me I can feed June.

We go outside and I head for the chicken coop to gather eggs with chase right behind me.

"Hey Fiz," Chase says while nearly stepping on a rather large hen, "Mind if we skip eating here today? I have to show you something."

"If we must," I say with an overly dramatic tone as if I might die or something. I grin and put to eggs in my bucket. "What do you want to show me?" I ask.

"I can't tell you. It's a surprise. But we can get some food to eat on the way there," he says. He looks so happy when he says this so whatever the surprise is, I'm sure it's wonderful.

"Okay," I shrug my shoulders sarcastically. We walk back to the barn and put the bucket on a hook by the door. I feed the horses and the chicken while they peck at my feet. In the meantime, Chase cleans out the stalls.

I daydream as I carry the feed sacks to the stalls. I don't daydream about normal teenage girl things though. Boys, clothes, movie stars; no not me. I daydream about a world that isn't divided. A world where I could travel without the fear of being taken away and jailed for being accused of being what they call a double.

A double is somebody who does not choose to be a liberal or a conservative. I have no idea why the government finds these people so dangerous. As far as I know, all they want is for the United States to actually be united again. Although, I do see where some trouble could come in here.

Both the liberal and conservative governments are very strict. It is illegal to not choose a side. You have to reside in a country that is whichever one you choose. You are given an identification card that has your photo, date of birth, name, and either conservative or liberal printed on it. Almost like a drivers license, but not. If you are a conservative and caught in a liberal country, you will be jailed because the government suspects you to be a double. It's as simple as that.

But it's really a shame. I've always wanted to see a Californian beach. I want to run my fingers though the course sand while the tide engulfs my feet. But I can't and never will because California is a liberal country.

Chase interrupts my nautical daydream by nudging me on the arm with his elbow. "Ready to feed June?"

"Oh. Umm yeah. Of course," I say coming back to reality. I take the large bottle and follow Chase to June's stall. All of the other cows are grazing the pasture except June and her mother. June is squealing, excited to eat again. I bend down and sit on the soft hay as Chase helps June over to me. He calms her down a bit then I take her in my lap and begin to feed her. And boy, was she hungry! She's sucking the bottle so hard I can barely hold on to it!

"She's really sucking the life out of that thing, huh Fiz?" Chase says while practically dying of laughter.

"God, she's going to inhale the bottle if she doesn't slow down!" I yell laughing as well.

Then with a squeal, June finishes off the bottle and lays beside her mother.

"Let's go get some food and we'll leave," Chase says while grabbing the bucket of eggs off the hook.

We walk to the house and Ruth gives us a bag of her delicious biscuits. "Thank you darlings. See you next week," she says hugging the both of us.

We walk down the field this time while eating our breakfast. I'm still curious as to where Chase is taking me. I don't know if I can bear it much longer.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"I'm not telling you. It has to be a surprise," he say. That huge grin appears on his face again.

"What?" I say shoving him.

"Nothing. It's just... nothing. Come on," he says picking up the pace a bit.

I roll my eyes. "So that's how you want to play." I start running and don't stop until I get to the town square. "Hey Chase!" I say turning fast on my heels. Maybe a little too fast. He was right behind me and we collide.

"I'm so sorry Fizzy! Are you okay?" he says chuckling a bit while still on top of me.

Our faces are so close. I've never really noticed what a beautiful green his eyes are. Like an ocean; they're endless. We lay in silence for a moment and I don't know what's going to happen then blood starts pouring out of his nose and onto my shirt.

He jumps off of me and cups his hand over his nose. "Uhh sorry."

"It's okay, it was my fault. Let's go back to my house and clean that up," I say while I take my blood stained vest off. "Sorry."

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt that bad," he says. "You know something? We're both really clumsy."

We both laugh and I nod in agreement. I retrieve the key to my front door from under the welcome mat and wiggle it in the lock until I hear a click, indicating that it's open.

When I open the door I see a figure on the couch. It's a small body frame so I know it isn't mom or one of my other friends. The only logical explanation is for it to be Emalee. "Emalee, is that you? Why are you back so early?" I ask in fear that it isn't her.

But it is. And when she turns around she has a horrid look on her face. She looks like she has been crying for hours as well. "Mom's dead."

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If there is anybody out there who is actually reading this, please don't forget to vote! And give me constructive criticism so I can improve the story. Sorry for the grammatical and spelling errors in the prologue and chapter one. I will try to not let it happen again! Thanks! :*