The Descendants Series Vol. 2

Chapter 17

“Oh, no.  Like I said, they loved me even though I was adopted.”

“I wonder how that happened,” I said.

“How what happened?” she asked, looking confused.  “How I was adopted?”

“Yeah,” I said.  “I mean, you were kidnapped.  I wouldn’t call that adopted.”

“I’m sure my dad didn’t kidnap me,” she said.  “He was probably the sweetest man I’ve ever known.  Well, for what time I wasn’t locked up.  And I know my mom wouldn’t have either.”

“Did they tell you how they got you?” I asked.

“My mom was the one who told me,” she said.  “She told me that my dad just came home with me one day after a business trip.  He said that he adopted me.  They’d been trying to have a baby for a long time, but with me, they were happy.”

“So no strange people coming to them and just handing them a baby?” I asked.

“No,” she said.  “They were the best parents I could have asked for.”

“What happened to your dad exactly?” I asked.  “Do you remember?”

“It was a long time ago, so I really don’t remember,” she said, shaking her head.

“Try and remember something,” I said.  “Anything.”

“It was one night during the summer,” she said.  “I’d gone to bed, but my mom was still up with my new baby sister.  I heard loud banging down in the kitchen, so I got out of my bed and went to take a look.  But when I was just about to go down the stairs when about four men ran up the stairs, one of them grabbed me up and carried me down the stairs.  He ran out of the house with me and all I could hear was my mom screaming for them not to take me.”

“What happened after?” I asked.

“I don’t really know,” she said.  “They knocked me out with something, so I can only remember glimpses of where I was going.”

“So that’s what happened when you saw Central Headquarters?” I asked. 

“What?” she asked. 

“Central Headquarters.  That’s the name of the building that you saw, the one made completely of glass,” I said.  “I just learned the name of it a day ago, so you’re not the only one who didn’t know.”

“Oh,” she said.  “Yeah, I guess.  Um, all I can really remember is the building and them taking me through a long hallway.”

“Do you remember anything about it?  Like which door they took you through?” I asked.

“All I can remember is the number seventeen,” she said.

“Okay,” I said.  “Maybe that’s the cell or floor number.”

“Maybe,” she said, shrugging.  “After that, I woke up in the cell that I’m in now.  I don’t remember anything else.”

“Who knows how long you’ve been in there,” I said.  “It must be pretty boring just sitting there.”

“Yeah, well it’s not now,” she said.  “Or at least it’s not going to be for any longer.”

“Because I’m coming to get you out,” I said. 

She smiled.  “Yeah,” she said.  “Now, tell me more about what’s happened.”

“Happened?” I asked.

“That Directrix thing you were talking about the last time we were here,” she said.  “What is it exactly?”

“It’s what took over after the US government was destroyed,” I said.  “And when that happened, they started bombing everyone to gain control.  But after a couple of months, they just seemed like they didn’t care about anyone else.  They’ve continued bombing every once in a while.  The last time was a week or so ago, when they destroyed Chicago.  Again.  There’s nothing left.”