Twenty Fifty-Six

+26+

"C'mon sleepyheads, get up!"

I sit up and look around.  Jay is the only one up, the rest of us are rubbing our eyes groggily.

"Seriously Jay?" Kendra asks.  "It wouldn't have killed us to get some extra sleep."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah.  But we have to do something about our food situation.  Right now each of us get half a protein bar, and then we have no food."

Thinking of food reminds me of the ache in my stomach.  We've been rationing the food, but we didn't have that much to begin with.

"Crap," Mitch mutters.

"We might as well eat the last of our food then. I think I speak for all of us when I say that I'm hungry," Tristan says.

"Yeah. I guess it just makes the decision about going into the town," Greyson says, surprising us all, because he really didn't want to go.

Jay passes a protein bar to Kendra and me, and keeps one for him and Greyson.

"Don't even think about giving me a bigger piece cause I eat more," Tristan warns me.

"I would've, if I wasn't so hungry," I say, breaking the bar in half.

After eating the last of our food, we pack everything into our backpacks.

I can't believe it. We're going into a town. It's so exciting, but terrifying. What if they send us right back to the complex. Or worse, what if they kill us on the spot?

Just as we're about to leave the clearing, we hear a small voice say, "Who are you?"

Looking around, I see a small girl who can't be more than ten. She has brown hair tied up in pigtails and is wearing brown pants and a blue shirt. Her clothes look to be very worn out.

"Are you lost?" She asks.

Kendra bends down to talk to her. "Not exactly. Who are you?" She asks in a kind voice.

"I'm Elaina," she tells us. "I live over there," she says, gesturing to where the town is. "Daddy taught me that I have to bring lost people to him. Come on."

I'm skeptical to take orders from a little girl, but what else can we do? We were going to go into the town anyway.

It's about a five minute walk down a hill and into the town. I stumbled twice because of my ankle, and Tristan-my boyfriend, I think with a smile-caught me both times.

Elaina leads us into the town, and straight to a small house. The whole town seems to be pretty old looking, but it's really cute.

"Daddy!" She calls. "I found lost people!"

A man, who I assume to be her father, comes to the front door. He seems very surprised to see us.

"I'm going to take them to the centre square, Elaina. Please go get Mr Browley and Mr and Mrs Calder."

Elaina nods and runs off.  Her father leads us to the centre square quietly.

"It's been a long time since we got visitors like y'all.  We're gonna hafta decide what we're gonna do with y'all.  Where are ya kids from?"

"We ran away sir," Greyson tells him, giving away as little information as possible. 

The man doesn't seem happy with the minimal information, but he hasn't told us anything either.

Elaina returns with three adults.  A man who looks to be about mid thirties, like Elaina's father, and an older man and woman.

As the four adults talk to Elaina, townspeople gather around the square.