was comforting her when she was still leaving him and her second family to fend for themselves. How can I live with this Papa? The thought wailed inside her head as she returned Sean’s hug.
But the Skillman’s were all healthy and vital, she reminded herself. They have the luxury of two adult parents and none of them are Sick. They may be able to survive. They would be given rations, they would be saved, she thought, trying to convince herself yet again. They would not be the ones selected for the death camps or whatever else the government has planned for those whom they can’t justify giving rations, those who were Sick like Maggie.
No, she was resolved. I can’t risk Kiara or Maggie’s safety. I will get them out no matter what, just like I promised Papa. Still, she couldn’t leave Sean’s family without some information, some help. They were all family to her. I will leave him a note, Fi thought, so they can follow our way out.
Suddenly Sean’s arms were no longer around her and she found him peering into her eyes again. “There you go again,” he said, sounding depressed. “Disappearing into your own head.”
He paused for a moment and then spoke, his words careful. “Fi, I love you and your family and I couldn’t be more sad to hear about Maggie. I don’t know how you keep going, but I know that you do and you will. But I also know still that there is more going on here than just Maggie.” At this, Fi felt a cold wave wash over her and her heart began to pound. “I know it, but I guess I can’t make you tell me and if you choose not to, I guess you have a reason.”
He sounded tired, resigned. He stood and walked down the stairs and then turned at the bottom. Even in the darkness, the look on his face made her shiver.
“I have something I have been keeping from you too.” He turned away from her. As he walked away, he disappeared into the darkness and Fi heard him say, “Rachel’s Sick too.”
Stunned, Fi stared into the darkness, and then lowered her head into her hands. So the Skillman’s are not all healthy, she thought, they’re going to face the worst as well. ‘What a world, what a world,’ she thought sadly, reminded of the dying refrain of the Wicked Witch of the West. It’s a world where young parents and little children die just from eating food, and where a fourteen-year old girl with a head filled with stupid movie references has to be the hero.
With her head still in her hands, Fi made the decision. There was no more argument she could make, she knew. If Papa had been here, Fi thought, if he had known that Rachel was Sick, he would have understood. Fi sat up and clapped her hands on her knees. She grabbed her pack and silently slipped inside her house.
----------- Sean -----------
The next morning Sean awoke to the sound of pebbles on his window. It was before dawn and there was only a hint of light in the sky. Sleepy, he walked to the window and peered out. Fi was straddling the big oak branch like she did when they were small, but she was wearing a backpack. Sean opened the window and gestured for her to come into his room, extending his hand.
She shimmied down the branch and swung lightly into his room and he stood, stunned. What the hell just happened, he thought?
“Wow. Since when are you so athletic?” he asked, impressed. “I don’t ever remember you getting in before without banging yourself some place…or without needing a hand from me for that matter,” he added. Then he finally noticed her attire. Why was she wearing cargo pants and hiking boots? Fi smiled and Sean’s felt his heart squeeze. It had been a long time since his best friend had graced him with her smile.
“Sean, we have to talk,” she said. “Convince your mom that you have a cold and need to skip school. This is going to take all day.”
As if to make her point, Fi walked to his desk and pulled out the chair, sitting down and laying her pack at her feet. She looked up at him and a
But the Skillman’s were all healthy and vital, she reminded herself. They have the luxury of two adult parents and none of them are Sick. They may be able to survive. They would be given rations, they would be saved, she thought, trying to convince herself yet again. They would not be the ones selected for the death camps or whatever else the government has planned for those whom they can’t justify giving rations, those who were Sick like Maggie.
No, she was resolved. I can’t risk Kiara or Maggie’s safety. I will get them out no matter what, just like I promised Papa. Still, she couldn’t leave Sean’s family without some information, some help. They were all family to her. I will leave him a note, Fi thought, so they can follow our way out.
Suddenly Sean’s arms were no longer around her and she found him peering into her eyes again. “There you go again,” he said, sounding depressed. “Disappearing into your own head.”
He paused for a moment and then spoke, his words careful. “Fi, I love you and your family and I couldn’t be more sad to hear about Maggie. I don’t know how you keep going, but I know that you do and you will. But I also know still that there is more going on here than just Maggie.” At this, Fi felt a cold wave wash over her and her heart began to pound. “I know it, but I guess I can’t make you tell me and if you choose not to, I guess you have a reason.”
He sounded tired, resigned. He stood and walked down the stairs and then turned at the bottom. Even in the darkness, the look on his face made her shiver.
“I have something I have been keeping from you too.” He turned away from her. As he walked away, he disappeared into the darkness and Fi heard him say, “Rachel’s Sick too.”
Stunned, Fi stared into the darkness, and then lowered her head into her hands. So the Skillman’s are not all healthy, she thought, they’re going to face the worst as well. ‘What a world, what a world,’ she thought sadly, reminded of the dying refrain of the Wicked Witch of the West. It’s a world where young parents and little children die just from eating food, and where a fourteen-year old girl with a head filled with stupid movie references has to be the hero.
With her head still in her hands, Fi made the decision. There was no more argument she could make, she knew. If Papa had been here, Fi thought, if he had known that Rachel was Sick, he would have understood. Fi sat up and clapped her hands on her knees. She grabbed her pack and silently slipped inside her house.
----------- Sean -----------
The next morning Sean awoke to the sound of pebbles on his window. It was before dawn and there was only a hint of light in the sky. Sleepy, he walked to the window and peered out. Fi was straddling the big oak branch like she did when they were small, but she was wearing a backpack. Sean opened the window and gestured for her to come into his room, extending his hand.
She shimmied down the branch and swung lightly into his room and he stood, stunned. What the hell just happened, he thought?
“Wow. Since when are you so athletic?” he asked, impressed. “I don’t ever remember you getting in before without banging yourself some place…or without needing a hand from me for that matter,” he added. Then he finally noticed her attire. Why was she wearing cargo pants and hiking boots? Fi smiled and Sean’s felt his heart squeeze. It had been a long time since his best friend had graced him with her smile.
“Sean, we have to talk,” she said. “Convince your mom that you have a cold and need to skip school. This is going to take all day.”
As if to make her point, Fi walked to his desk and pulled out the chair, sitting down and laying her pack at her feet. She looked up at him and a
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