Chapter One
I moaned as I stretched and sat up, hugging my knees to my chest. My bedroom was silent, exept for the steady humming of the AC, making my room cold.
On my nightstand, my alarm clock read, 3:57 AM.
I flopped back down. No point getting up yet. I examined my shoulder. No tranquilizer darts. I'd been sleeping on it funny again.
I closed my eyes, hoping that maybe, maybe, I could get some sleep before school started at 8:00.
School.
My eyes flew open. I'd almost forgotton. Today, at 8:00, my first day of real school. I'd always been homeschooled, because--
Something furry and large jumped on my chest, and the air left my lungs with a whoosh. I shoved my cat, Libby, off, and she mewed in annoyance and padded away.
I sat up. No way could I go to sleep now. I swung my legs off the bed and shoved the warm covers aside.
I shuffled downstairs, blinking sleep out of my eyes. I went to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and got out the strawberries. Yum.
I ran the strawberries under the faucet, basically cleaning them, as my mother tried to drill in my head everytime I had a snack. Which was often. I eat a lot, and it's never made me overweight, though my mom warns it's just because I'm a growing girl, and that it'll catch up to me one day.
I shrugged, and popped a strawberry in my mouth, tasting its sweetness as its juices flooded my mouth. I closed my eyes, enjoying its tart and sweet flavors as they mixed together.
When I'd finished the strawberries (leaves and all--I was hungry), I walked back upstairs, my footsteps sounding unatually loud in the silent house. I quietly slipped into my mom's room and grabbed her laptop from the top of the dresser. I tiptoed out, and slowly closed the door, wincing when it squeaked on its hinges. Thank God Mom didn't seem to have heard it.
I stepped into my bedroom, closing the door behind me. The AC had clicked off while I was downstairs, so my room had gotten slightly warmer. I plopped down on the bed, and opened Google Chrome. While I was waiting for it to load, I patted the bed, and Libby, who'd been walking the hallways, leapt up beside me. She rolled over and started purring. I scratched behind her furry ears for a minute, then refocused on the computer.
It had loaded. I typed in my email and password, and all my recent emails loaded on the page.
An add from Kohl's, an email from my new school about supplies (check), and...here.
I clicked on the email that I'd just spotted, and it opened in expanded view.
We know what you are.
We found the Others.
We can and will find you.
The message was the same each time. Capital 'O' in 'Others. Never signed. I'd been getting it every day since my most recent birthday, 2 weeks ago (I'd just turned 14).
I know what you're thinking. 'Why would they want you? You're just a normal, regular, person who just happens to love strawberries. Why would they send you this?'
Well, I know why they want me. I didn't do anything. I'm not a criminal, trust me.
But I'm not regular.
Because part of my dream was real.
I.
Have.
