Journey

Alivia

America and I have been running the compound for a few days. We have been on high security level for two days. I tried to get America to send search groups out but she said it would be selfish of me to send people out their deaths because there is a slight chance of Indiana out there. I see where she is coming from but seriously though. Why not?

We have been rationing food for some reason. I don't know why but whatever. I got put on the memorial committee. I'm glad I am doing something but it is being run by a few 17 year olds and they have no sympathy for me. They have me setting up for the memorial and I am about 8 and a half months pregnant. That basically means I am on a latter doing things that might potentially kill me.

"Hey Liv can you go hang up a banner?" One of them asks me.

Oh right and they got into the habit of calling me Liv and not Alivia.

I grab the banner. They memorial is looking more like a birthday party than a memorial for the dead.

I am standing on the step stool watching all of my moves and praying I don't fall over. I am about to finish hanging the banner when someone bumps into me and the banner falls. I try and try but I can't pick it up.

"Hey can someone help me pick this banner up?" I ask.

"Stop being lazy and pick it up yourself," One of them says.

I've had had enough of her.

"Are you stupid or just blind?" I ask her in an innocent voice.

"Excuse me?" She asks.

I bend over trying to pick it up and fail again.

"Do the math genius," I tell her.

"It's not my fault you got knocked up," She spits.

"It's not my fault I can't pick up a banner because I'm bringing a life into the world," I fire back.

"Aren't you only like 16?" She asks in a mocking tone.

"I'm 19," I tell her.

"Lainy stop being so rude. Why did you even assign her to this job?" A girl asks.

She comes over and hangs up my banner.

I wince in pain as my stomach gets a wave of pain.

"Thank you," I say.

My face must have contorted because she said

"Oh my stars are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," I assure her.

"This doesn't look like fine. I'm taking you to the doctor."

The lady and four others carry my to where Sage has set up his makeshift office. Sage gets up in alarm and helps the girls set me down on the hospital bed. I am sweating now and it hurts.

"Alivia can you talk to me?" Sage asks calmly.

"Hi Sage. How are you doing?" I asked strained.

"Fine. Thank you," He tells me.

"What was the point of that?" The lady asks him.

"If she can talk through her contractions it means everything is okay," He explains.

"But she's in labor!" The girls exclaim.

"Alivia you have a choice. Do you want to have the baby now or do you want to wait?" Sage asks me.

"I don't want to. Not now," I cry.

He goes and grabs a syringe from a drawer and fills it with a yellow liquid.

"This will stop the labor," He tells me.

I nod my head and he injects the syringe into my baby bump. In about ten minutes the contractions stop. I am worn out and fall asleep.

When I wake up the girl is still here.

"What are you still doing here?" I ask.

She looks surprised for a moment.

"Oh um. Well I knew that Indiana couldn't be here and America is working hard helping people. I thought you should have someone here when you wake up," She stammered.

"What's your name?" I ask her.

"Rose," She told me.

"Thank you Rose."

"Your welcome."

"How old are you Rose?" I ask her.

"16."

"Oh. You're almost the same age as Lorelei. Have you met Lorelei? I think you two could be good friends," I tell Rose.

"You think I could be friends with Lorelei? Really? She is like a legend."

"Lorelei isn't a legend. She is just a survivor," I explain.

"Hey Alivia you are allowed to go know," Sage says poking his head in.

I get up off the bed I'm in and walk out with Rose.

"Which colony are you from?" I ask her.

"Oasis," She tells me.

"What was it like living there?"

"For most people Oasis was wonderful. The Princeps was a generous leader and put his thoughts to the better welfare of the people. For a long time my parents loved this colony but then my sister Tinesha went missing. We pleaded with our government to help but they refused us. I don't know why. Then they announced her dead for reasons I don't know. They hadn't seen her body but we had her funeral anyway. The Princeps didn't even pay his respects for her," Rose explained.

"I'm sorry," I exclaim.

"What was it like living on the ship?"

"It was fine for a while. We prospered and loved living there but they captain kept secrets. Way to many secrets. On Lorelei's 15 birthday we figured out how bad things were when we figured out what the captain was doing with his power. Then an arsonist went around blowing everything up. He killed Lorelei's parents and crippled her."

"Oh that's a problem."

"Yep but she's Lorelei Jameson so she survived."