Termination

Chapter 3

Grabbing a large stick on her way, Alexia ran to the aid of her mystery follower. She didn't know why, she realized, but, a person

was in trouble so that was all that mattered to her. She couldn't leave a person stranded. Mazy had stayed back with Chloe and

Ceaser was flying over head. "Not far now, she's right up ahead." He said. Alexia jumped down off of the log she had just climbed

up and landed with a thud. "Hey, grab on to the branch hanging of the water ahead of you!" She yelled to the girl in the water.

The girl looked frightened and did as she was told, pausing only a minute to glance at the approaching curve in the river. She

pushed herself up and onto the tree the branch was connected to and heaved the stick towards the girl. She grabbed on and as

she did so, Alexia heaved backwards. The girl was heavy and waterlogged. Alexia was strong though, after years of climbing in the

woods and helping build Mazy's fence and such, she could just heave the girl out. They lay there panting for a minute or two just

looking at each other. The girl had short brown hair, brown eyes, and worn cloths. She looked to be about 14 which was Alexia's

age as well as Chloe's. she looks frail, small, and worried. It looked as though she thought Alexia was going to bash her in the

head or hurt her, or something of that manner. Finally they girl spoke, "Are you with them?" "Are you going to kill me? I promise

I haven't done anything wrong, just take me back I won't run again." She said all of this in one breath, and sounded like if Alexia

moved she would run like a scared rabbit. Alexia slowly shook her head saying, "I am not with the society, I am not going to hurt

you, I'm a runaway to." The fear slowly melted out of her features. Almost. "How do I know your not lying?" She asked hostility

making her voice thick and unwelcoming. Alexia thought for a second, "My friend back there," she pointed in the way she had

come, "She broke her leg when we ran away. Do you think we would be part of the society if she did?" The girl looked ashamed

for a moment and then started to apologize. " I'm sorry, you can't trust people now a days, they all believe eliminating "Lessors"

is the answer." The girl sighed and started to rise. Alexia did the same. "So how long have you been out here?" Asked Alexia

harmlessly. "Why would you want to know? We'll, I guess I can tell you, you seem harmless, 2 months and 16 days." She

answered. "Harmless?" Alexia scoffed, "I just saved your butt from being fish food no less than 10 minutes ago." She stated. " And

if i remember, You were the one trying to swing my head off!" Alexia said with anger. "Well I wanted to make sure you were not

one of them!" The girl screamed back, equally furious. Alexia sat there breathing. She understood the girls point of view but

really? Trying to smash someone's head, and push them in the river? She thought on this for a minute. "Alright, let's start over.

I'm Alexia, and this," she gestured to Ceaser in the tree. "Is Ceaser, my owl. What's your name?" The girl hesitated. "I'm Niki."

The girl said bluntly. Leaves shuffled to the left of Niki. Alexia tensed and Ceaser spread his wings ready to slash the potential

attacker. A wolf jumped right in front of Alexia. Alexia scooped up the stick she had used to drag Niki out of the river and tried

to smack the wolf in the jaw. Niki screamed and grabbed the stick before it could make contact. "No don't, thats Goldie, my

wolf!" She screamed. "Well, that would have been great to let me know before it flew out of the bushes looking like he, or she,

wanted to bite my head off!" She panted. Goldie trotted over and sniffed Alexia inquisitively and licked Alexia's hand which she

quickly pulled away from the wild animals jaws. Ceaser saw how close Alexia's hand was to the wolf and let out a screech of

anger and was screaming in Alexia's head at Alexia and telling her to back up and run away from the wolf. He didn't understand

why the wolf wasn't being like a normal wolf and growling or biting. "Ceaser come here on me, it's ok." She calmly said. Ceaser

landed on her shoulder, "what is going on?" He asked as calmly as he could. "This is, Goldie, she is our friend now, got it?" She

explained. "I'm, Niki and this is Goldie." Niki explained to Ceaser. "Keep your mutt away from Alex." He said to Alexia. She

decided not to translate that right, "He said hello and hopes we can be friends." She translated while glaring at him. Alexia asked

about how Niki could possible have been out here alone, and was told a story.

Niki had been outside playing with Goldie when a Society tram had pulled up at her house. She had climbed the plant on the side

of her house she had been climbing since she was younger to view the stars which she loved. She had listened through a house

vent. They were telling her parents what a disagreeable child Niki was and how they would soon have to terminate her if she

posed more trouble. They made the visit brief as to not tip Niki off about the cause of the visit. She acted like everything was

normal that night and her parents didn't tip her off. At all. She cried and packed that night. She had known something was wrong

like Alexia and the others had been sort of tipped off on how people were disappearing and not coming back or coming back

dazed and disoriented and not anything like they were before. Their parents were happier with their children than before

because of this change. They had the same friends, they just were not as troublesome. To Niki, some of her best friends had left

and comeback telling her to be not as much of a pain and more of a focused young adult and that she should focus on helping the

society not turning her back on it. She ran away with Goldie and didn't look back. "I didn't even miss my mom." She said

solemnly. "She was the one agreeing for me to go through the "change" the very next day. They would take away the fight in me

and it would leave my mind limp and able for them to implant feelings of pain in disobeying. Fake memories of my childhood and

of how I ended up in the facility. They would take the me, away from me."

"Wow," said Alexia, "That must be terrible, I can't even imagine them in my mind. Their slimy brains controlling mine." She

shivered at the thought of them attaching wires and beepers to her and making her believe a different version of who she was. As

Niki was telling the story they were making their way back to Chloe. Niki was about to say something, when they herd Chloe's

scream. Niki sprinted forward and Alexia ran with her.

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I feel like this is a longer chapter because of Niki's back story and all but my chapters are short...any way, my name is Emily Burke and I would love feedback or ideas on my story! Thanks :)