The Institute by Kayla Howarth Page B

to avoid getting arrested, not
making jokes.” It is the first time I’ve heard him speak all
morning. You can tell he is not happy about leaving all of our
fates in the hands of Drew. I think he feels backed into a corner
with no other option of getting out. There is another option
though, but that involves turning his own son over to the
Institute, where we will never see him again. That, to me, is not
an option.
    Drew fires
questions at me and Dad all day and we practice answering them over
and over again until we get the answer perfectly memorised, without
sounding fake. I feel like I am ready for whatever is coming. When
they come, I will know exactly what to say.
    When they ask
where Shilah is, we will tell them that he is at a friend’s house.
I need to play dumb and innocent. Pretend I don’t know why they are
looking for Shilah. If I let on that I know he is Defective, they
can arrest us for not turning him over to the Institute.
    We have debated
about asking about the blood test. If I bring it up will they
suspect me? If I don’t will they think I should be more curious
than I am? Shilah has had his ability for so long, we are not sure
of how ‘normal’ families think when it comes to finding out these
things. Drew ultimately decides to go with a vague approach,
complete and utter denial is how I need to play it.
    As long as both
of us can stay focused and keep calm, there should be no reason for
them to suspect us, only Shilah. Dad will call the authorities
later that night stating Shilah has not come home and we don’t know
where he is. It’s not much of a plan but it is all we have got.
     
    ***
     
    Shilah and Drew
are ready to leave. It is harder than I thought it was going to be;
I knew it was going to be difficult, but I didn’t think it would
feel like my heart was tearing into a million different pieces.
Tears are already falling on my face and they aren’t even out of
the door yet. My body is urging me to run with them, to be free, to
forget my life here and start new like we have so many other times,
to live in the woods with Drew and his family, to protect Shilah
and live a simple and happy life … but this time it’s different.
How happy could I be, constantly looking over my shoulder? It’s not
a life I wish for anyone, not for myself and especially not for
Drew or Shilah, but I have another option, and they don’t. It’s
this or the Institute. And this way, I may get to see them. I don’t
know when but maybe in a few months when things will have hopefully
quietened down.
    Drew grabs my
hand and walks me outside and we sit down on the swing seat on the
front porch. I feel sick in my stomach and my chest is heavy from
trying to hold back the tears. I don’t want to say goodbye. Drew
puts his arm around me and I lean back and put my head into his
shoulder. We are slowly rocking back and forth, completely silent,
I can’t bring my eyes up to look at him.
    “I need to ask
you something,” Drew finally cuts the silence. “I’m taking Shilah
with me in the hopes it will mean I get to see you again, but there
is one thing I need to know.”
    “What’s that?”
I ask nervously.
    “What exactly
can Shilah do? I’m asking you and not him because I know how he
feels about me. I’m afraid he won’t tell me the whole truth. Could
it be helpful in our escape?” he asks.
    “He doesn’t
exactly have control over it even though he’s had it since he was
young.” It feels weird talking about it, I promised Shilah I would
never do this but I need to tell Drew what his ability is. It will
probably be beneficial to helping them get away. “Basically he can
see what is going to happen to him before it happens.”
    “How far into
the future can he see?” Drew asks casually.
    I have to keep
remembering that talking about this kind of stuff won’t shock Drew,
he too is one of them. The lack of surprise is weird to me, I
always expected if anyone found out about Shilah they would freak
out