Starfire

Chapter 7

" What's going on? Who are you?" I asked. She shushed me. I heard the Banks outside he door shouting, Come out come out; wherever you are. I assumed that this mystery person was a girl. She pushed the four of us into a storage cabin and locked it. She whispered to us to just held on and that everything would be over soon. She also said to trust her. I wasn't so sure.

​I heard the voices fade outside. Then I saw the lock click open and we tumbled out. Amanda and me were immediately pushed to the wall.
" Hold out your hands. Now! " The girl said. Amanda fainted. Right there; right then.

" What's wrong with you?! You scared her to death! " I said

"  I said hold out your hand. " she said like she didn't even hear me.

​" NO!! You're a phyco, us like the Banks! Why should I d what you say anyway? It's not like I actually trust you. "

" You need to trust me. Your life depends on it. "

​" What's your name anyway? "

" Hold out your hand and I'll tell you. " she said. I considered this. She looked sincere.
​' You promise. "

" I promise. "

​" Also promise that we're going to be safe with you. "

" I promise. "

​" Ok. ' I said and hesitantly held out my hand to her open one.

She turned over m left hand and looked at the inside of my left wrist. Her expression was shocked, relieved, happy, and most of all, frantic.  I had to carry

​I hear her whisper into her bracelet. I could make out a little of he conversation once she pushed me away.
​" We found.. of them... crazy...amazing...remarkable...feisty...the Center...take them...safe...out. "
​

" Now tell us your name. You promised. "  I said.

She responded, " My name is Melody. Melody Goet. I work for the International Center for Experimental Progress, or as most people know it, the Center. "

​" The what?  "  I asked.

" I'll explain more on the way. We need to get going, like, now. " Melody responded.

​Soon we were ushered out of the room and into the cool, sweet, starry night. Melody pressed a button on her bracelet and a car appeared. More like a truck. I had to carry Amanda, who was just starting to stir. We hopped into the car while Lilly and Lizzy were chattering about how Amanda, Melody, and me looked during our little " showdown. " unlike the Banks car Melody's car were clean, but not brand-new clean. It had McDonalds bags strewn about along both many stray maps and papers.

Once we were settled Lizzy asked " Do you think that Anaka could do this." She meant Anaka Sinca, a Spanish exchange student who as topped the popularity charts almost immediately after her arrival. She had black hair like Lizzy. She also had a snaky attitude.

​" No. I don't think so. " I replied. " So, Melody. I think you owe us an explanation. "

​" Ok fine. First and foremost Clarisse, my parents were friends with yours. "

" Were? " I said in reply, scared of the answer that I might get.

​" Yes were, Clarisse. Your birth parents are dead. "

I was taken aback, so the only thing I could say was " don't call me Clarisse. Call me Clare. And by the way I don't believe you. "

​" I'll tell you the story as I know it. You were born on September 26, 1996 in your home. No one knows why, but both of your parents went into hiding a few weeks before you were born.  They settled in a little cottage not too far from a creek or as it was then a lake. Once your mother had you, named you and discussed whether it would be safe for you in their world, she decided o bring you to the willow tree by the orphanage because Henry Dean, your father, convinced her that the right people would fid you. When they layed you down by the tree your mother Danisse sang a special lullaby. Henry and Danisse created a box and put relics of their childhoods in it. Henry then enchanted the box to open only, only when the time was right. Danisse tied an enchanted piece of blue string to the handle. They left you there, Clare. I'm so sorry that I 'm the one o tell you this. I had to though. You're special Clare. But no one knew why they couldn't keep you. "

​I was astonished. All that I knew was that I was abandoned under the tree. I told that to Melody.

​" Oh, I didn't know! I'm so sorry. Do you know where that box is?  We need it to be opened before we arrive. "

​" It's at the orphanage. But, enough about me, how about a little about you. Like for starters what do you do for this Center place or whatever. "

" Well, at the center I'm a searcher. I go out and find special people like you. You can usually tell because they don't fit with other kids, like I your case, you are the biggest troublemaker, rule breaker, and daredevil around. If we can't find anyone, like recently, we go and watch over some that are ok enough to live with normal people. But now I found you. There are a lot of searchers out looking for you. Good and bad ones, like the Banks. They are searchers that turned evil with greed of wanting to be different. There are plenty more of them. "

She caught me staring at her bracelet. It had blue beads with blue and white plastic prickles I between the other beads.
​" Do you like my bracelet? " she asked.

" I think that it's beautiful. Where did you get it? " I replied.

​" It's a design that all of he searchers get. Each person has a different color combo, even the guys. Mine as you can see is blue/white. " Melody explained. " We're here, now come on. Shoo! Get out of my car! "

​She basically shoved us in the street then slowly carried out Amanda while we were sprawled on the pavement outside the orphanage. I like to think of it as home. It usually seems so familiar. At night like this though, it seems so strange and unfamiliar. You could see the all red brick walls that Lilly and me painted as kids here. It looked like a haunted mansion that you would see in movies mixed with the church, Sainte Chapelle. We slowly trotted up the steps to head inside. I sensed that Melody was following behind us like, once again, a security guard.