The Runaways

The Runaways: Chapter 26: Cathlina

My heart pounds rapidly as I sprint behind Trenton and Caleb. I really shouldn't have lost track of time. Just that time that those kids have been out there could've just killed them. And it could be all my fault. If they have met that fate.

This thought makes me pick up the pace until I'm going so fast, I turn invisible. The invisibility gives me speed. And I can go right through the double doors and up the ladder leading to the alleyway where the lookouts are without being seen, heard, or felt.

That's the thing about my invisibility – to anyone but myself, I'm not there at all. People can walk right through me without even knowing. If I say something, they can't hear me, but I can hear everything they say. What I find nice about this certain invisibility is that my clothes and everything I'm holding turn invisible too. There is no floating shirt or pants that people see. They have no idea that I'm standing right in front of them.

I reach the top of the ladder and climb out of the ragged hole in the cement. The bright light of the morning sun almost blinds me. The only source of light in our shelter is oil-powered lamps and battery flashlights or little tea lights. We don't have enough money for electric wiring, so we make do with what we can afford. Mr. Leight has had the oil lamps since he ran away when he was twelve. The oil is easy to get because we just use the cooking oil restaurants have used. It's gross, but it's cheap and it gives us light for a while. Until we get enough money for real wiring, we're going to using the oil method.

I scan the area where the lookouts should be. Nobody is there. But there are no bodies either. So, where are they?

I allow myself to become visible again. Trenton and Caleb climb out of the hole right behind me. They stand on either side of me.

Trenton grunts. “Jedda must've come. She must've taken them.”

“But why? Why doesn't she kill them? What does she want with us?” I ask.

“I don't know. What we do know is that she will come back, and we need to be ready. Never let our guards down, keep an eye on everything all the time. We have to be ready for anything that Jedda throws at us,” Trenton tells me.

Caleb asks, “Well, I know I'm new here, but how long has Jedda been after us? Has she ever found our hideout before?”

I decide to respond, despite the worry that's going through my head. “No, she hasn't. She's been looking for us for thirty years, and has never been such a threat until now. If she's going to start kidnapping our members instead of just killing them, we need to find where she is keeping them. But where do we even start?”

Trenton shakes his head. “Everywhere. Until we find it. We can't give up finding Jedda's hideout. If we can find it, we can destroy all that Jedda has worked hard on. Then she'll know how we felt when she attacked us.”

“Is that the right thing to do? Maybe there's a different way,” Caleb asks.

I think Trenton's idea is reasonable. If Jedda did that to us, then she should feel how we felt. Maybe she will stop after we show her how horrible she is.

Of course, that's only if she miraculously changes.

“I don't know. We should at least try this, and if it doesn't work, then we can face Jedda head-on. It's what she deserves,” I tell Caleb.

Caleb doesn't look convinced. He shakes his head. “Isn't that just revenge?”

Trenton nods grimly. “But it's fair. Jedda actually deserves worse than her stuff just being destroyed. That's us being nice. She deserves to die. You need to learn how to fight. You can't go easy on anyone. Nobody should be trusted outside of headquarters.”

Okay, so that might be a little exaggerated. “But that doesn't mean you should go around killing people. You can't be like Jedda,” I say.

Trenton clenches his fists. “Nobody should be like Jedda.”

“Right. Jedda is evil,” Caleb says. He doesn't sound sure.

“We should go inside. I can get the cafeteria running. You two can help me make breakfast for everyone,” I suggest.