The Forbidden Side

Lizzie

As Lizzie walked alone, she wondered if she had made the right decision, telling Erin how she felt.  She felt bad for saying this, but Erin wasn't completely caught up.  She wasn't entirely on their side yet.  Again, Lizzie felt bad for thinking this, but it was true.  Erin couldn't be trusted with everything, not yet.  She might still be feeding information back to Home.   No, Lizzie thought.  That's ridiculous.  She's my sister.  Don't think like that!  But part of her couldn't help but wonder...

            "Maybe its like a homing device," Justin said.  Lizzie stared at him.  Her little brother who got B's and A-'s in school just outsmarted straight-A students.  "What?  I listen to Julia."

            "Sure," Adam teased, "but you're probably right.  Let's take it back to Home to see what it does."

            He seemed so eager to go back to Home.  No, Lizzie scolded herself.  He's our brother; he's on our side.

            She passed a bush that was on the border between The Secret and Home.  Lizzie saw something move behind the small plant.  "Hey, guys," she called.  "There's something over here!"  Erin, Adam, and Justin stood next to her, peering at the plant.  "There!"  Lizzie exclaimed.  A girl that looked maybe fifteen walked out from behind the bush.  She had straight brown hair and brown eyes.  She wore jeans and a purple shirt with a yellow P on the front. 

            Erin and Adam gasped.  "Chloe?"

            "You know her?"  Justin asked.  They nodded.           

            Lizzie sucked her knuckle.  "What?"  Erin asked.

            "You know her?"  Lizzie repeated.

            "Yeah, why?"

            "Because," Lizzie said slowly, "that's the uniform worn by Home's artificial Powerfuls."   

            Adam's eyes widened at the older girl.  "You," he whispered.  "It's not Bradley at all, is it.  It's you.  You were the one Lizzie tried to warn us about.  She wasn't saying King Z, she was saying Enemy of King Z!"

            "Smart," Chloe replied.  "Smart and true.  I am an enemy of King Z and his Powefuls.  I was made a Hunter to stop you from ever getting to the crown.  I knew you two were Powerfuls like Bradley from the first time I saw you."

            Lizzie looked down.  Great, another puzzle piece. 

             Justin stepped forward.  "Can you tell us anything about Project Switch?"

            Chloe became interested in her fingers.  She fidgeted with them while she asked, "How?"

            "We have our ways," Justin said, grinning.  "So, do you know anything?"

            "That's highly classified information."

            Justin whipped a rope out of Lizzie's backpack.  He sped around Chloe while holding the rope, tying her to the bush.  She squirmed and screamed, but Justin said calmly, "We're the real Powerfuls here, and you don't want to know what these triplets can do.  So I recommend you tell us this information before these three mess with your mind."

            Chloe's eyes bulged, staring at the little boy.  "I - fine," she said.  "Project Switch was an experiment to see whether or not Powerfuls would lose their powers if they didn't have proper training in their real homes.  If so, Home would just take every young Powerful out of his or her houses and stick them in Home, where they would be just another citizen."

            "But why?"  Erin asked, finding her voice.  "Why take these kids out of their homes?"

            "We couldn't let King Z win."

            "King Z isn't even here!"

            "But he sent you to do his bidding."

            "But - " Erin sputtered.  She knew Chloe was right.  She knew what she had to do.  "I'm sorry, Chloe," she said, "but you're too late."  Go!  She transmitted to Lizzie.  Her sister nodded.  Lizzie pulled out the crown from her backpack.  It glowed the same stunning bight yellow as the border and floated up into the air.  The sapphire jewel glowed as well.  It sent a blue beam of light rocketing at Chloe.  It sent her flying back across the border to Home.  While Chloe sat dazed, the crown floated up some more and started moving towards the center of Home.

            "It's leading us to the prophecy!"  Adam yelled.  "Come on!"  They ran through Home.  Lizzie felt misplaced and exposed.  She could feel people's eyes on her as she ran.  She was so different with her bouncing, light curls compared to their dull, dark straightness.  Her bright, blue eyes compared to their dark, brown ones.  Her green shirt with a lightning bolt next to a question mark, the shirt worn by a Telepathic Powerful, compared to their plain, light blue shirts.  Not to mention her worn-out blue jeans compared to their perfectly ironed skirts.  Everything about them was perfect.  I kinda want to live here, Lizzie thought.  It's nice, everything seems in order and -

            What are you thinking!  Erin's voice screamed in her mind.  They're brainwashed!  The government is using magic for evil!  We exist to take them down!  Erin's voice faltered as she made her last comment.  Lizzie frowned.  She felt tears in her eyes.  Erin was right.  We do exist to destroy them.

            She shook it off.  Lizzie concentrated on the crown floating above them.  None of the children playing on the streets of Home said anything about a floating crown.  Lizzie walked slowly by a little boy bouncing a basketball in front of his house.  Lizzie looked at his face.  His eyes were brown.  Of course, Lizzie thought.  They can't see the crown because they have brown eyes.

              It led them to the Stations.  Lizzie was about to yell at the crown.  We already looked here! but it didn't take them into a Station, it took them around the buildings and to a huge dumpster in the back of the Home community.  The crown hovered above the dumpster.

            "So," Adam said, "who's ready to go dumpster diving?"