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Chapter 8

                           Chapter Eight

                               Runaways

                                Calla Spears

I ran out the door with the rest of my family (plus Tem) following behind me. Running brought back happy memories of times when I would play with all the kids in my town, regardless of financial state or parent’s jobs. That was before we got older and before the kids I used to play with grew up like the snobs their parents were.  They were suddenly too good for people like me and that was the end of that. My momentary happiness was shortly lived as the S.W.O.R.D.S. agents clambered after us with impossible speed. I was out of shape but I still was beating my family. I needed to focus. Pump your arms, short, fast steps, I thought.

I laughed as I felt myself speeding up. Running felt so good. I nearly forget myself as I ran.

“Help!” someone yelped from behind me.

I turned around. To my horror my entire family (plus Tem) was circled by S.W.O.R.D.S. agents. I turned and started to run towards them.

“Run Calla, run,” Mom cried.

I mentally calculated the situation and decided that I would do no help to my family if I were captured. So, with that decision in mind, I turned and ran.

Heartbeat rising. Sweat dripping down my face. Thundering footsteps behind me. My feet aching for a rest. I couldn’t rest. I had to keep going. My breath came fast and my lungs burned. I ran and ran and my thighs burned. Somehow I would get back to them and save my family.

My foot caught on a root, my ankle twisting as I tumbled to the hard ground.  I slowly rose to feet, despite the shuddering pain in my ankle. Breathless, I faced my captors. But, to my surprise, only one person faced me. It was impossible to tell his age with the robotic suit they used.  As he reached toward me, I suddenly became very scared. I started to back away, but with my hurt ankle I didn’t go very far before he harshly grabbed my wrist.  I looked down, preparing for the worst.

There was a tense moment of silence. Finally I looked up to see that the S.W.O.R.D.S. agent had taken off his helmet.

I stared into his ocean blue eyes. There was something familiar about those eyes, those young crooked teeth, that mangled unbrushed hair.

“Louie?!” I exclaimed.

He stared at me for a moment.

“Calla?” Louie asked.

I nearly lost myself in those big, wonder-filled eyes, but one look at his metallic suit brought me, sickeningly, back to reality.

“Louie! Louie! You have got to let me go. You must believe me. I haven't done anything wrong. And my family, my family,” I pleaded with Louie as I tried to pull out of his grip.

Louie seemed to contemplate my argument as he looked at me deeply. At last he released his grasp. I turned and hobbled into the distance as fast as my ankle would allow me.

“Thank you,” I shouted. I snuck a look behind me to see an odd, dazed look on Louie’s face as he stood, unmoving.