I believe

Chapter One

"I hate this Eli! I hate it." I wipe the waves of sadness rolling down my cheeks. "I know you do. I know you do." Eli wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into him, kissing my forehead.

LETS GO BACK TWO HOURS EARLIER...

I slide into my large cushioned seat that has my name on it, just as President Bush steps up to the podium. I cross my legs and situate my dress to be more ladylike and look up at Bush, who is an older man, if you wish to know. As he begins to droan on about stuff we talked about last meeting, I look around the huge building filled with thousands of chairs. I look up at the five balconies above me and look at all of the people surrounding me. The place has lights lighting up the aisles all around and the room is very silent as Bush talks. I glance over at Eli a few rows away from me and we exchange a smile. I focus my attention back to Bush as he starts to talk about new business.

"Now I know we have had some riots going on right now and a lot of violence happening about religious beliefs. People have started setting fires to local bible stores, they've been vandalizing property, and causing a huge problem for everyone else in this city. I'm sorry if you don't believe in this stuff, but you need to respect what others believe. Not everyone has to agree on everything, but that doesn't give you the right to harm anyone's life in this city. These riots need to stop or there will be consequences." I hear movement all around me and look around as people rise out of their seats. I stay sitting wondering what's happening. They all drawl out pistols from under their clothing and point their guns at people by them. Everyone still sitting is on the other end of the guns, even me.

"Security!" President Bush shouts in the microphone and a few people with the guns pull their triggers. The innocent people on the other end collaps and lay still. What if that was me? What if I was dead right now? They obviously had this planned out, what if my attacker had the command to shoot me? All these things rush through my head as I hear President Bush yell,

"Hold security!" I just want to jump up from where I'm seated and run to Eli and hold him in my arms. Tell him how much I love him, but instead I have to sit like a helpless child. I see commotion in the crowd and a guy, in his thirties, walks up onto the stage. He's wearing a long black coat and has a black scruffy beard, that makes him look like he just stepped out of a Pirate Of The Caribeans Movie. He walks up to President Bush and whispers in his ear something that no one else can hear. The look on Bushes face says a million thing and he back away from the microphone. The other guys walks up and begins,

"Well hello everyone! Just to clarify what's going on for everyone who is sitting down with a gun pointed towards your head, we know your a believer. We had a meeting this morning, us who are against the idea, and we decided now would be the good time to do something like this, since you're all in the same area. Also when you didn't stand, which we planned if you didn't know, we figured out the people who aren't with us. Now what we're going to do in a couple of minutes will either be the death of you or the life of you. Your guns men will lead you or drag you up to the stage, your choice, in front of everyone. You will stand up on this stage and you either get to decide if you want to live or die. Simple. In the microphone you will say either you still believe with a gun pointed at you, which will end your life or you can say join side, which determines you get to live and come work with us." This is totally not fair and my heart is racing inside my chest. I'm not going to join their stupid side, which means I can say only one thing. Believe.

"Anna Aboun." He calls out loud.

"No!" I hear a girl screaming bloody murder and I look over at the girl, Anna, trying to get out of grasp of the guns men. He just keeps dragging her acting like she is a ragdoll and not a human being. When they reach the stairs she trips over and over again, trying to make it hard for the guy grasping her wrist. He just keeps walking, acting like she weighs nothing. Once they reach the microphone tears stream down her face.

"People out there scared as heck what your going to say, I just want to tell you decide for yourself. Don't decide because your scared. Don't decide because you want to live. Decide because deep down you believe in the strongest person out there. I still believe." Tears cover her entire face and she hangs her head down towards the ground. She's expecting it. Anna's guns men pulls his trigger and she collapses to the floor. I reach underneath my seat with my shaking hand and grab the one thing that I put under here when I was little. A gun. I cock it under the chair and slowly start to lift the gun from out of my chair. There is commotion at the entrances of the building and I look over to see the cities police. Soon I hear a blast of gun fire going off and all of the non believers turn, starting to shoot back. All I know is I need to get out of here while I have the chance. I slowly stand and tipetoe my way out of the aisle crouched down. I make a hand signal to the other people into the aisle to let them know what I'm doing. They start to follow my movement and I make my way over to Eli's seat to get him. Once I reach him I whisper,

"Come on. Let's leave."

"No. Not yet." He gets on his knees and starts to crawl towards the stage. I follow stunned. He reaches a chair with a young girl in it.

"Let's go." He smiles and whispers to the girl who looks one year old.

"Mamma." She points at Anna on the stage still motionless. Finally everything registers to me. Eli gets on his feet and picks the girl up. We begin on our way to the entrance/exit closest to us. Our feet move fast and we stay down low enough so we won't be spotted. Once we go through the exit I sigh a breathe of relief and we keep sprinting. We make our way away from the building and I follow Eli as we turn onto a road lined with shops. We make our way up the stairs of an abandoned house. I slam the door behind me and lock the two locks on the door. I slide down the door and crawl up in a ball weeping.

"May." Eli says walking towards me with the little girl in her pigtails.

"I'm fine. Take care of her." I look up at him and nod my head towards the girl. He walks away and I bury my head in my knees. Thirty minutes after I get myself under control I get up and walk over to join them two.

"Hey," Eli smiles at me and pats the couch next to him. I sit down and he puts his hand on my lower back rubbing it. I look over at the girl playing with a can of green beans on the floor.

"What's her name?"

"I have no clue." Eli looks over at me.
No one knows this girls name, the name her mom gave her. This really tugs at my heart strings.

"Well we should name her." I force a smile.

"Okay, have any ideas?" Eli looks at me with his chocolate eyes.

"I don't know. You know how much I suck with names." I look back over at her.

"This is a human though. You normally just name your animals." Many things went through my head at once. The one thing that stuck out was, he did not just say that. I punch him on his arm and he looks over at me with the "what did I do" look. "Come on you got to have some name you have in mind. I look over at the girl again and he's right. I do have a name in mind.

"How about Shaniqua?" I say and Eli burst out in laughter and I join him. After two minutes later of nonstop laughter, we collect ourselves.

"Now be serious May."

"Umm... how's Claire?" We both look back over at the girl.

"Claire it is," Eli agrees.

"Claire come here," I smile and say in a tone you use when you talk to your dog. She crawls over towards me and I pick her up and put her in my lap. She looks really tired and I put her in my arms craddling her. She starts to throw a fit when she realizes what I'm trying to make her do, but I just keep rocking her. Soon she gives in and goes quit. I look down at the precious girl sleeping in my arms and its probably the best thing that has happened so far today. That and Eli being safe. I look over at Eli and lip,

"Is there a cradle in this place?" He nods back in reply and I stand up careful not to wake her. I follow Eli up to the second floor of the house and enter a baby's room with blue walls. I slowly set her down into the cradle and look back at her sleeping. Eli slips his hand in mine and leads me out of the room to a master bedroom and closes the door behind us.

"I hate this Eli. I hate it," I wipe the waves of sadness rolling down my cheeks.

"I know you do. I know you do," Eli wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into him, kissing my forehead.