The Runner

Chapter 5: One New Big Happy Family

Once everyone was up and moving Derek introduced me and Blake to all 20 new members of our family. I was considering writing everything down but I thought about it and thought it would be embarrassing so I decided against it, wishing I didn’t.

The oldest was a girl that was 13, her name was Bethany, she was taller than me by at least an inch, 5’6”, she had a nice athletic figure she was lightly tanned and had hazel eyes and jet black hair. Then there was Jacob he was 12 and he looked very athletic as well he was about 5’1” and had dark hair and was very tan and he had dark brown eyes. Then there was Ryan he looked like a football player and was 5’5” and considering he was only 12 was pretty weird and he was pail and had blue eyes and blond hair. Then there were twin sisters Rocka and Jade they were both fit and looked stylish and they were both 5’2” and they were 10 the only thing that was different about them was that Rocka had green eyes when Jade had blue eyes.

            Then there was 9 year old Dalery who was 4’6” and very slim and had big nerd glasses on, she was very tan with dark brown hair and eyes that matched and she also had blue streaks in her hair. Then there was Rebecca and she was so cute for an 8 year old who was only 4’8”, she had aquamarine blue eyes and a slim body but what caught my eye first was her hair, it was a very bright red orange and was very curly and stood up every which way and it was also at least 3 feet long. Alex was the other 8 year old, he was 5 foot exact he looked like he hadn’t seen food in a month but at the same time he didn’t look starved he was shy and he had longish brown hair and blue eyes he also had on a neon green beanie.

            Brian was 7 and he was 4’6” and he had a birthmark on the right side of his neck that looked like a hickey but white and he was slightly tanned emerald eyes and hair that covered them just slightly. Courtney who looked like a younger Bethany except strawberry blond and rich chocolate brown eyes was 7 and only 4’3” tall looked very strong and forgotten. Then there were triplets named Elizabeth, Faith, and Gemma were 6 years old and 4’5” tall they still had the squishy little kid cheeks that grandparents like to pinch and the only difference was their hair color Elizabeth was a brunet, Faith was the red head, and Gemma was the blond.

Matthew was 6 had brown eyes with flecks of blue in them and shortly cut dirty blond hair and was only 4’3” and looked scared. Hailey was 5 and blond and had ringlet curls that bounced whenever she moved and she had sapphire blue eyes and was only 3’5” she look like a little angle who has been through hell and back. Nick was also 5 and was only 4’4” and had very little hair and by the looks of it was also by the looks of it had seen little food he had blue eyes and what little hair he did have was blond. Isabella was the only 4 year old and she looked sad and had brown eyes puffy from crying and long brown hair that was almost as long as she was tall standing and she was only 3 feet high.

Jason who was 3 had dark brown hair goldish eyes and stood at 4’2”he was frightfully skinny as well but almost all the toddlers were. Then Jason’s younger brother Kurits who was only 2 was as skinny as his older brother and had green eyes and also had little hair and his hair was brown. Then the last new member was 6 month old Kayla who was Rebecca’s younger sister had six red curls scattered around her head and also had aquamarine blue eyes and was only slightly under weight.

I walked around the now crowded room talking with everyone I could, or at least everyone that would talk with me. Then I asked if anyone wanted waffles or pancakes for breakfast and everyone shouted with joy. So I ran to the camping store for a stove top, propane, sleeping bags, back packs, and pans and pots for cooking and then to the grocery store for dippers toilet paper pancake mix, maple syrup, water, juice, canned goods, baby formula, bottles and spoons , baby food, dippers, and baby wipes for Kayla.

When I got “home” I set up the stove and started cooking the pancakes and I made around 50 all together, and everyone said thank you and smiled at me and I was happy to be fitting in and then I fed and changed Kayla and everyone came up and thanked me again and all the kids under 7 gave me a huge. When Derek saw how welcoming everyone had been to me made him smile his perfect yet crooked smile which made me giggle.

 After everyone said they couldn’t eat another bite me and Derek ate. I realized that this is probable the first time that they have EVER said the phrase I’m full.  The thought of it just made me want to cry because I know watching your family get killed is bad but what’s worse is being abused by them and think that you did something wrong when in truth you did nothing to deserve the pain they inflicted on you. Derek knew something was wrong and he pulled me in the “hall” to talk.

“Avony, what’s wrong?”

“What... Oh nothing it just sad to look at all of them….”

“Why? What is so sad about them?”

“Just thinking that the people who were suppose to  protect them did the opposite or just stood by and watched other people inflict pain on someone small and fragile and innocent and then they think that they did something wrong…”

“True but now they are safe and no one can harm them anymore...”

“Ya except people are after me so that puts you and everyone in there in danger!”

“Ya But not much more than they were already in at the places they once called home weren’t ANY better than here where they don’t have to run from their shadows.”

“I’m just scared ok! There I said it happy a brave leader who is supposed to protect everyone is scared and unsure of how to save her ONLY family….”

            The last part was a whisper and when I realized that I was crying so hard and then I slumped against the wall and was really crying. Then as if he was scared of touching me he hesitated for a second then he wrapped  me in his arms and said “everyone get scared and needs someone to protect them  and that’s ok. But family is a team, they are meant to be together and watch each other’s backs come hell or high water, everyone including me in there has your back like you have ours.”

            We went back to the room and everyone asked what was going on I told them how a secret group took me after they killed EVERYONE in my family and how they were probably doing this to other kids as young as Isabella and Jason and how most of them died in the first week and if not suffered for months at a time or slowly go insane, I also talked about how they were after me because I’m not only the only person know to escape but also survived the “test” they did.