the panel clicked away and I saw golden hair, I laughed out loud as I pulled out the doll and then the book. I replaced the panel, wasting no time, clutching the items to my chest tightly.
I slid the chair back into place and looked at the girl. She was looking at me almost sadly.
“Those were there this whole time and I never knew?”
“I’m sorry. And I wish I could leave them with you, but I can’t. They aren’t just normal things. They’re special to me.”
She nodded and kicked her shoe into the wall. “Sure.”
“What—”
The door to the pod started to open and I froze. She looked at me with eyes that said This is all your fault !
“Dad! You’re home,” she said and ran to him as he came in. I went to stand beside the door, putting the items on the floor beside me, my back to the wall, and got ready. I hated to do this, but there was no other choice. I hoped that Amber would forgive me.
As soon as he came through the door and shut it, I hit him with the incapacitation spray. Then I put my hands over her mouth so she wouldn’t scream because that was next. And it was. She screamed and kicked as her father fell to the floor, his eyes open, watching us, so scared.
Gosh, I’d never felt so awful.
“He’s just asleep. It’s not hurting him. Amber, stop!” I hissed. “Stop. Stop. He’s awake. He can hear you and see you. He just can’t move.” She stopped moving, but was breathing heavily. “I just didn’t want him to alert the Militia before I could explain.” I looked at him. “I’m sorry.” I looked at her over her shoulder. “I’m going to release you. Don’t scream. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She nodded and as soon as I let go, she dove for her father.
She looked up at me from the floor. “Why did you—”
“I told you. He would have alerted—”
“No, he wouldn’t have!”
“Yes, he would’ve.”
She looked back at him and he was looking at me like I was the Earth’s commander in chief himself standing in his pod. If I were made of flint, this whole place would be ablaze. She puffed a little huff from her lips, her cheeks red with anger. “You still didn’t have to do that.”
“He’ll be fine in a minute. In fact, I need to get going before he gets up.” I leaned down to be eyelevel with them. “Thank you, Amber. I lost my father when I was just…” I couldn’t even finish that sentence without choking up. I smiled and let the tear pool in the corner of my eye before using my knuckle to rub it away. “When I was little. My mom died when I was eight. So I know how much he means to you. Believe me, I’m not here to hurt either of you. My mom gave me something for my last day of birth with her, hid it here, and…I just had to get it. I’m sorry.”
I stood to retrieve my items and turned to go. The man’s eyes locked onto the doll and widened. He tried to speak. “Wait,” he ground out. “You’re…Wendy’s…daughter.”
My entire body covered with goosebumps. “Yes,” I whispered. “How did you—”
He smiled in spite of everything, letting his head fall to the floor, tired from holding it up. “Fly, little…Sophelia. Fly.” I gaped along with his daughter. He picked his head back up and said steadily. “You have it. It begins.”
“What—”
“Go. Everything you need…you have.” I did need to go. I had to find a place for the night, but this was too much. “But you are not alone. Not anymore. Look to the stars…and you will find us.”
“But—”
“You have it, now go. Before they come. Go.”
I nodded, not understanding the peace on his face as he sat up. I thought I was going to have to fight my way out and here I was, leaving like I was a guest.
“Wait.” He stood slowly. “Here.” He walked over to a cabinet and grabbed a small shoulder bag and handed it to me. “Wish I could give you more.”
“No. This is great.” I knew people in the stacks were on rations. I had more
I slid the chair back into place and looked at the girl. She was looking at me almost sadly.
“Those were there this whole time and I never knew?”
“I’m sorry. And I wish I could leave them with you, but I can’t. They aren’t just normal things. They’re special to me.”
She nodded and kicked her shoe into the wall. “Sure.”
“What—”
The door to the pod started to open and I froze. She looked at me with eyes that said This is all your fault !
“Dad! You’re home,” she said and ran to him as he came in. I went to stand beside the door, putting the items on the floor beside me, my back to the wall, and got ready. I hated to do this, but there was no other choice. I hoped that Amber would forgive me.
As soon as he came through the door and shut it, I hit him with the incapacitation spray. Then I put my hands over her mouth so she wouldn’t scream because that was next. And it was. She screamed and kicked as her father fell to the floor, his eyes open, watching us, so scared.
Gosh, I’d never felt so awful.
“He’s just asleep. It’s not hurting him. Amber, stop!” I hissed. “Stop. Stop. He’s awake. He can hear you and see you. He just can’t move.” She stopped moving, but was breathing heavily. “I just didn’t want him to alert the Militia before I could explain.” I looked at him. “I’m sorry.” I looked at her over her shoulder. “I’m going to release you. Don’t scream. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She nodded and as soon as I let go, she dove for her father.
She looked up at me from the floor. “Why did you—”
“I told you. He would have alerted—”
“No, he wouldn’t have!”
“Yes, he would’ve.”
She looked back at him and he was looking at me like I was the Earth’s commander in chief himself standing in his pod. If I were made of flint, this whole place would be ablaze. She puffed a little huff from her lips, her cheeks red with anger. “You still didn’t have to do that.”
“He’ll be fine in a minute. In fact, I need to get going before he gets up.” I leaned down to be eyelevel with them. “Thank you, Amber. I lost my father when I was just…” I couldn’t even finish that sentence without choking up. I smiled and let the tear pool in the corner of my eye before using my knuckle to rub it away. “When I was little. My mom died when I was eight. So I know how much he means to you. Believe me, I’m not here to hurt either of you. My mom gave me something for my last day of birth with her, hid it here, and…I just had to get it. I’m sorry.”
I stood to retrieve my items and turned to go. The man’s eyes locked onto the doll and widened. He tried to speak. “Wait,” he ground out. “You’re…Wendy’s…daughter.”
My entire body covered with goosebumps. “Yes,” I whispered. “How did you—”
He smiled in spite of everything, letting his head fall to the floor, tired from holding it up. “Fly, little…Sophelia. Fly.” I gaped along with his daughter. He picked his head back up and said steadily. “You have it. It begins.”
“What—”
“Go. Everything you need…you have.” I did need to go. I had to find a place for the night, but this was too much. “But you are not alone. Not anymore. Look to the stars…and you will find us.”
“But—”
“You have it, now go. Before they come. Go.”
I nodded, not understanding the peace on his face as he sat up. I thought I was going to have to fight my way out and here I was, leaving like I was a guest.
“Wait.” He stood slowly. “Here.” He walked over to a cabinet and grabbed a small shoulder bag and handed it to me. “Wish I could give you more.”
“No. This is great.” I knew people in the stacks were on rations. I had more
Similar Books
