How much do you really know?

fourteen- aspen

    I was so young. I don't even know how I made it. GORG had just taken over. We were one of the first families to be contacted by the government taking away any child over 11 who still needed to get a significant amount of schooling done. They ripped children from their loving parents arms. I am not proud to say I was one of the first to be taken.
    It started with a knock at the door which my mother believed to be her friend coming over for dinner.
    It was not.
    She opened the door with a smile on her face.
    "Amy, I've been..." she stopped. The smile fell from her face. The glass of wine she was holding slipped from her fingers. I was sitting on the couch with a clear view of the door. I watched the glass fall in slow motion, could see the cracks form and the red liquid spill onto the white carpet.
    "Mrs. Hallan, I apologize for frightening you." The voice that came from a mouth I could not see was deep, definitely from a man.
    "Oh n-no, my apologies." My mother couldn't even look him in the eyes. "Let me get you a cup of tea."
    "That won't be necessary. I'll be in and out in a pinch."
    "No, please. My pleasure," she said as she began walking to the kitchen. "Please, have a seat on the couch. Make yourself comfortable."
    My mother disappeared into the kitchen. The man glanced at me and smiled.
    I didn't trust the smile, especially because I could see the red stain on the carpet out of the corner of my eyes when I saw that smile.
    He came over and sat on the couch. I made myself as small as possible and cringed into the seat cushion.
    "Aspen, right?"
    I remained silent. I didn't even look him in the eyes. I stared at my favorite doll on the floor. She had pink hair.
    "Ok, well my name is Henry."
    I didn't care.
    Right then, I heard the footsteps of my mom. I spun around to look at her. She gave me a smile, but I knew it wasn't genuine. Her eyes look distracted. She was balancing a tray of tea cups on her hands.
    Henry immediately stood up. "Let me help you with that."
    Something was not right with my mother; her eyes looked different. I couldn't tell what. I just stared into them. What was wrong with her?
    I was pulled out of my trance when my eyes saw Henry grab the tea tray away from my mother. A different silver object was now in her hand. She had hid a knife beneath the tray.
    But she was dead before she could even make a move.
    A different knife was sticking out of her chest.
    Her knife slipped out of her hands, just as the wine glass had. She gurgled, blood bubbling from her mouth, and fell limply to the carpet. I couldn't tell the wine stain and her blood apart.
    I didn't scream. I didn't cry. I didn't speak.
    Henry wiped his hands on his pants as if he had just eaten a pizza and had gotten some sauce on his fingers. He turned around without a second glance, grabbed me under the armpits, and carried me out the door.

    I was barely at the school for three months. Amongst many things, I broke someone's nose for telling on me (I had stolen a pencil from the teacher's desk), I talked back countless times, I slapped a teacher after he woke me up while I was sleeping in class, and I flipped off every guard I saw. I was only 12, but my mind was much, much older. I observed other people and I made mischief.
    I fought the guards every moment I could, especially when they took me to the Alaskan base. That was ten years ago.

    I was then stuck in another "school", or more like a prison disguised as a school, but, to be honest, I liked the Alaskan base better. Less judgement. Everyone was here for some reason.

    I was there for about a year and a half. I didn't get in any trouble, but I stuck to myself. I didn't make any friends or hang out with anybody for fun. I started to realize that there was more outside of this base. Although I didn't hate it there, I didn't love it, and I wanted to love my life.
    So one evening, I decided I wasn't going to sleep there for another night. I had been working out to occupy my free time, and I was fit, so right when everyone was going back to their rooms for the night, I got my ass out of there.
    Knocked out three guards in the process.
    My instincts drew me to Canada where I went to the police. They told me about the deal between America and Canada, and they gave me a life. They gave me citizenship and helped me get a job. They didn't even question what I did to get into the base.
    Canada is a whole different world.

    "So,do you trust me now?"
    None of us could say no.