The Twins (Part of the Upcoming Saga "The School")

On the Move

Claire

I look around. I've never been this far away from home before. In fact, the farthest I've been is my backyard. Everything is so different. There are so many new people, most of which I'll never see again. My head starts to hurt. So many emotions: the man next to me is upset, the woman across the street is ecstatic, that child playing hopscotch is having a great time, while his parents are overwhelmed, oh, there are just too many! 

Jarrett sees that I'm in pain. "Claire," He asks, "Are you okay?" 

"I'm alright. I'll live if that's what you mean." I shrug it off, but it's still there, a dull throb echoing every time I take a step. "Are we almost there, Jarrett?" 

"Almost, just a few minutes out of town." We keep walking along, and the pain deepens the closer to the center of town we go. But gradually the emotions become less and less, and I can tell we are leaving the town. Relief overwhelms me when finally, the only person's emotions I can sense are Jarrett's. I walk along, enjoying not having to hear the emotions of so many bouncing around my skull. I'm following Jarrett, but when we walk off the sidewalk, I can't help but ask where we're going exactly. 

"I told you," Jarrett answers. "To the Community." 

"But it's not on the main road?" 

"No, otherwise it wouldn't be kept secret for long." 

I continue following him, but when we're about a half-mile into the forest, I can't help but distrust him a little. How do I know he's not just leading me to them so they can have me? 

But something is telling me to ignore the feeling of distrust. It's strange, but it's like the distrust is a feeling I'm sensing. Not in the aura of a person, but the aura of the forest. 

I look ahead and there's a clearing, but it's covered in fog. "Jarrett, what's-" 

But he silences me. "Wait here," he hisses. I duck behind a bush, and Jarrett runs into the fog. I stay there for one minute. 

Two. 

Three. 

Four. 

Eventually I lose track of the minutes. What is taking him so long? And then, I hear voices behind me, getting closer. I move into the bush now, remembering Jarrett telling me I can't be seen. 

I hear two men, talking. But I can only catch snippets of their conversation. "Very uncooperative... Had to threaten... Wouldn't tell me anything... Girl was too darn smart... Yeah, he's probably with her... Nope, burnt to the ground... Outside crying... Nothing like it..." 

I suddenly realize they're talking about me. And that they were also talking about my parents. I gasp, but then regret it. 

They're next to the bush. 

"Did you just hear that sound, Ed?" 

One of them turns around and looks. I figure that's Ed. "I didn't hear nuttin, Tim," Ed says with a southern accent. 

Tim walks towards the bush, but isn't looking down. "Sounds like it came from over here...," 

And I don't have time to react before he's dragging me into the Community by my neck.