Anisha Remembers

Chapter 7

Jenny held on tight to her seat as the helicopter zoomed away from the home where she had lived all of her life. She looked back, stunned and scared that Jake was left behind. She was intimidated by Alison; she quick-tempered, irritable and violent while Jake was calmer, more reassuring and patient.

"Jenny!" Alison called. "Get in the box. Now! If they see you, we're as good as dead." She scrambled into the cardboard box just in time for the landing. Jenny curled up and tried to stay as still and quiet as possible. The door of the helicopter slid open.

"Who are you?" A rough voice called.

"I'm the person in charge of depositing the baby and supplies. Duh!" Alison replied.

"We do not say duh. And where is the other man? Where is the 18-year-old? And how come you were a brunette when you left? You stupid girl. You think I would be as stupid as to believe a lie like that?"

"No, no! The man couldn't get on the helicopter in time with the 18-year-old. The mission has failed." Alison did her best to regain control of the situation, but without Jake, their lies were not convincing at all.

"Security!" the rough voice yelled. "And check the helicopter for anyone else. Don't take too long, we have a strict schedule." She heard scuffles and shouts and guns being shot. She knew that there were soldiers there and Alison was being taken away. One guy did a cursory search of the machine, completely missing the box where Jenny was hidden. She heard more yells and orders and footsteps and then nothing. She exhaled, and then dared to take a peek outside. There was still nothing. She climbed out of the helicopter. She was in a large, utterly empty apart from the giant machine room. There was an open door to her left that she rushed to. There, she saw a small street and in the distance, two soldiers dragging Alison away, who yelled and spit at them. Jenny followed them, her footsteps silent. The threesome came to a door that they locked behind them. Jenny grinned. She knew exactly where that door led and another way to get to it. She rushed back and ran down another alley.

Ahead, she could see one of the huge streets filled with people laughing and talking, strolling down the crystal road. As she came near it, she heard the roaring sound of a happy city. She saw buildings of varying sizes and neon colors. She could see huge, glowing signs that advertised the most recent flying motorcycle or the most delicious combination of pizza and ice cream. She could smell the scent of thousands of people gathered together joyously, of frying meat, of hamburgers, of all the different kinds of wonderful foods that she never got to taste. She pushed her way through the crowds, longing for the joy that these people share, but knowing she can never have it if she doesn't find Alison in time. Suddenly, she bumped into someone.

"Hey, there, you OK? I'm sorry; I guess I was in your way." Jenny heard the familiar voice and gasped, looking up at a familiar redhead.

"Dan? Oh my goodness, Dan! Alison was kidnapped we came here to save everybody and we stole a helicopter they might kill her Dan you have to help me!" she cried quickly, tripping over her own words.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do I know you? I'm afraid that I have forgotten everything from before yesterday..." Jenny looked at Dan's eyes and saw an ignorant haze in there.

"They must have wiped his memory... I have to save him, too!" She ran away, and rushed down another alleyway, escaping the crushing crowds. She stopped abruptly and hid behind a wall as she heard voices.

"Let go of me, you pieces of scum! If I had my knives, you would be chopped to pieces! All you are is wimps hiding behind a gun. Come on! Fight me! You think I'm just a girl? I can kill both of you with both hands behind my back! Let me go!"

"Alison," Jenny whispered to herself. She rushed over to a door that stood about 10 feet from her. It stood in the middle of the alleyway, with nothing behind it. She ran around it for a few minutes, confused. She took a chance and opened the door. It was a small room with a chair in the middle. A girl was tied to it, her black hair stained with blood falling in her face. There were soldiers on the other side of the room. They hadn't seen her yet; they were having an argument and once in a while one of them would lift their hand up to their ear and say something to an invisible stranger. Jenny silently closed the door behind her and crept up to Alison. The captive saw Jenny, a look of recognition and relief gleaming in her eyes. Yet when Jenny started to untie her knots, she shook her head and motioned to the wall to the right of her. There was a thin glass wall in front of it. Behind that, there was a maze of wires completely obscuring the wall all wrapped around a small heart-shaped object. And right smack in the middle of it was a golden switch. On the glass wall, Jenny could faintly see the words 'Say the magic word!'

Jenny, upon seeing that, immediately thought of code words that might work. She now knew what the robot had meant by 'the heart of the city'. She only had a few seconds to do this. She suddenly had a flashback to when she was 5 and she had found an old, dusty book. She didn't know how to read yet, so Dan was reading aloud to her.

"Anisha is the goddess of light. She shines like the sun and radiates heat when you are cold. She is the beacon of hope to many people. When they are in urgent need of help they would call out to the light to shine their way. 'Anisha!' they would say." Jenny knew what to do. She ran over to the glass wall, not caring that the soldiers had finally noticed her and yelled "Anisha!" at the top of her voice. Alison's eyes widened as she saw the soldiers raise their guns, aiming at Jenny. The glass wall split in two, sliding apart so that Jenny could reach the switch that would change the lives of a thousand people.

"NO!" Alison yelled, ripping her arms free of the ropes trapping her. As she threw herself across the room, the soldiers' fingers tightened around the triggers in unison. Two bullet shots reverberated through the room as Jenny reached up and pulled the switch down. The lights went out, and for a second all she heard was dead silence.

**********