“CASSIE. CASSIE, DARLING, WHERE ARE YOU?” My mom came tumbling into the kitchen, almost knocking over the flower vase while she was at it. I looked up from my bowl of cereal and saw my mom, who was practically in hysterics, holding an opened emerald green envelope with a gold seal fapping every which way as she ran towards me. Confused, I reached for the envelope when she had finally made it to my side. “What is this?” I asked over my mother’s joyful sobs. The envelope was heavy is my hands, but when I pulled out the letter inside, it was only that - a simple letter. Or so I thought. My mother pulled a tissue out of her back pocket and wiped her eyes dry. “Honey, I am SO proud of you-“ “-Mom-“ “-I would have expected something like this from Hailey, but never from you, my dear Cassie-“ “-Mom!” I shouted, my heart pounding. What was in this letter that made my mom so… whatever she was. Only one way to find out, I thought. “Just, read the letter, honey. I’m so proud of you-“ “Mom.” “Ok, ok.” She was so giddy she looked at if she was going to faint. Slowly, I unfolded the letter, which had been hand written on the thickest, fanciest piece of paper I had ever seen in my entire 16 years of life. It was only until I saw who it was from that I stopped admiring the paper and felt like throwing it away instead.

To Miss Cassie Fray,

Your submitted piece to the nation-wide contest of literature and art has won first place for your social class/age group. As a result, Prince Carter Albertine formally requests your presence at the annual Whitlock Ball, where you will make a speech expressing your love for the kingdom and the Royal Family.

If for some reason you are unable to attend, that is unfortunately unfortunate, in your case. This is a required event. Formal attire will be provided at the Castle, as well as a place to sleep for your required two weeks of attendance.

On Friday, at noon, you will be formally delivered to the castle.

                                                       Sincerely,
                                                 William Williams 
                                                (Royal Organizer)

I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even move. Who had entered me into this contest? If it hadn’t been my mom… When I finally found my voice, I stood up and glared at my mom. “Who did this?” My mom’s brow furrowed in confusion. Hesitantly, she said, “You entered this contest, Cassie, dear. You wouldn’t have won if you didn’t-“ “I didn’t enter ANY contest, mom! This wasn’t my doing!” I blindly threw the envelope onto the table, which conveniently landed with a plop in my bowl of Frosted Flakes. With a shriek, my mom quickly picked it out of my bowl, fanning it with her hand in the process. Finally, I said, “I’m not going.” My mom laughed. “Oh, yes you are. I don’t care if you don’t want to. You HAVE too. Did you even read the letter?” My mom opened the milk-soaked letter and pointed to the letter. “See?” She said. “William Williams said so himself, dear.” “Any guy with that as his name can kiss my-“ Just then, my younger sister Hailey came bolting into the kitchen, a fake tiara sitting lopsided on her head. “Oh, Cassie! It’s all over the news! No one from our social class has ever been chosen as the winner!” She was speaking unnaturally fast, even for an 11 year old girl. “I just knew you could do it. That’s why I entered you into the contest in the first place. Just think: You’ll be meeting THE Carter-“ “You WHAT?” I yelled, pacing towards her. She shrunk back into the wall behind her. “I thought you’d appreciate it, since I knew you’d never enter it yourself…“ “What were you thinking!” I cried, willing myself not to rip that awful tiara off her cute little head. She knew how much I despised the royal family. She knew I hated the gowns and fancy parties and talking in front of crowds. And now, I’ll be going to the palace, going to fancy parties for two weeks straight, and giving as many speeches as the terrible Carter Albertine wants me to give. I took a long, deep breath, smiled, and quietly said, “I’m actually going to kill you.” My mom shrugged to Hailey. “At least she’s subtle with it.”

Despite the endless comments being shouted behind my back, I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the last letter. “Open me when you’ve lost your way,” it read. Just like the countless others we’d found over the summer, it gave specific instructions on when to open it; more over, and more eerily, it knew exactly of our predicament. Had we finally lost our way in the midst of this mind game? “My gosh, Hannah. Open the letter, you idiot.” Kade brushed past me, hitting my shoulder with his. I wanted to protest against his insensitivity, but I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe, at that. This letter… This letter could lead me to my sister. So why couldn’t I find it in me to move my legs and get the dang thing from it’s resting place? I watched as Kade picked the letter up from off the driveway - my driveway. Jordan, Kay, and Presley all stood behind, suddenly silent. Even without turning around, I knew that they’d become well aware of the fact that Kade’s face had turned pale in the moonlight. Kade stood reading the letter in silence for a little over a minute, the rest of us watching his face for clues of what it might say, but unable to move out of uncertainty. Hesitantly, Kade looked up at me with an unreadable expression on his face and slowly walked towards me. He whispered, low enough so the others right behind couldn’t hear. “I’m so sorry, Hannah. I…” He didn’t finish. He didn’t have too. He placed the letter in my shaking hands and walked back with the rest of the group. I could hear them saying things like “What did it say?” and “What the actually beans just happened?”, but pretty soon, the blood rushing to my ears drowned out all of the outside sound, and it was just me and my letter. The fist of the thirty some letters that we’d found that was written in my own twin’s handwriting - addressed to me.

To Hannah, I’m sorry. And I won’t ever stop being sorry. More accurately, I hate myself for what I’ve done to you and mom and dad. Instead of telling you where I was going, I’ve left you this series of clues, of which you have obviously followed to this: the promised final clue. Never-the-less, I knew you’d be able to figure out my little game - if that’s what you’d even call it - eventually. Though it may seem torturous now, I promise that someday it will all make since. However, until then, I have to ask you to trust me. Even if the journey is long and hard - trust me, because eventually, it WILL be worth it. Other than the whole waking up and finding your best friend missing part. Under normal circumstances, I know that you’d probably come out of this whole thing hating my guts, but I know you better than that. Trust me, Hannah - that’s all I’m asking for: a little bit of trust.

                                  I love you forever,
                                                         Elle
 Despite the fact that my cheeks were wet with fresh tears, I turned to the group, who had gone deathly quiet. I passed them the letter and let them read it. My hands shook so badly that I almost dropped it while handing it to them, but I managed to recover in time to not let them see my weakness. 
 Or at least I thought I had. 
 The next thing I knew, Kade was walking over to me, a concerned look on his face. “Are you ok?” He asked me, keeping his voice low. 
 Of course I wasn’t ok. The last piece to solving this unending puzzle had been an unsympathetic apology letter from my missing sister saying how I just needed to “trust” that her disappearing in the middle of the night was going to help anything - whatever that anything was. 
  Before I got the chance to answer, Jordan gasped. “Holy crap, guys. Hannah, look at this.”
  He held up the letter so Kade and I could see it as well. Jordan looked up at me. “Read the first letter of each sentence.”
 “What?”
 “Just do it!” 
 “Fine, fine…” I took the letter from his hands, and did as he asked. What I saw made my heart stop. 
 The letters formed one sentence.

“I am in the out,” I read allowed. Kade looked at me. “Does that mean anything to you?” A smile crossed my lips. “It means everything.”

“What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve believed?” Vince shifted uncomfortably onto his back and pulled his torn plaid blanket up to his chin with his unshackled hand. The question caught me by surprise, so much to the point that I was unsure if he was asking me or one of the others. I waited a moment for someone to respond, but no one did. Vince’s head lolled to one side, and I felt his gaze settle on me like dust on an old wardrobe. Despite my better judgment, I returned it. “That someday we may make it out of this mess,” I said with a light sigh. My heart hammered in my freckle-stained chest at the thought of the hundreds of kids stuck inside the warehouse. I should have done something. I could have gotten them out… “You’re thinking of them, aren’t you?” His voice was soft enough to be lost within the cool, chilled breeze of the autumn night, but somehow, I could only hear him. I could only hear the sorrow laced between each word he ever so carefully spoke. There was something about the quiet sound of his voice that calmed my heart - brought me peace. I couldn’t describe it. I could feel the apology seeping through his words, one syllable at a time. But he’s the bad guy, I reminded myself. He’s the reason you can’t sleep at night. Ripping myself out of the trance he’d put me under, I peeled my eyes away from his icy gaze and turned my vision towards the rustling leaves waltzing above our camp. At last, I responded. “I’ve never stopped thinking about them.” Almost immediately, Vince sat up and shifted himself to where he was sitting directly in front of me, his back to the fire. The flames made his blonde hair white, his tan skin speckled with red. It wasn’t far from the image I had seen while escaping the warehouse just a week ago. “Then what are you going to do about it?” Any trace of softness or sorrow in his voice had been burned by the flames dancing behind him. Anger rushed through me. How could he be so insensitive? So cruel? Had he finally become his dreadful father? Angry and a bit dazed, I spat back, “You are a COMPLETE moron, Vince Katz. Do you have no sympathy for the hundreds of children you left to die in the stupid warehouse that, oh, I don’t know, you told us was a safe house? I cant even begin-“ “-Izzy-“ “-to understand how someone could be so selfish and as evil-“ “-Izzy, please-“ “-as your selfish little-“ “IZZY.” Somehow, his hands had ended up on my shoulders, and my finger was pointing right in his face, which had a mouth hanging half open in amazement and wide eyes plastered onto it’s surface. “Are you done?” He remarked after a moment of electrified silence, in which I only answered with a dramatic slump back onto my sleeping bag. He stayed in his spot, his back to the fire. Vince looked away for a moment, running a hand through his tangled hair. My arms were crossed in front of my chest, my heart still pounding in my chest from the anger I felt towards Vince Katz. “I didn’t mean it like that, Izzy. You know I didn’t.” His voice was just above a whisper, but I could have heard it from a mile away. “Do I, now? What makes you so sure?” He grinned. “Because I’m Vince Katz. I know everything.” I let out a sarcastic laugh, shaking my head in the process. “Then I suppose you knew that your father was going to set our people’s safe house on fire, too? Now that, kind sir, is why you are just like your father. A murderer. A killer. A fool.” I spit out the last word like poison, and it was only then that Vince’s confidence wavered. But it was only for a moment. Vince stared at me with his icy blue eyes, and a cold breeze passed between the two of us - cold, dark, and electric. “I didn’t know, Izzy. I don’t know how I can convince you otherwise.” I gave him a half-convinced look. Vince looked away, and then slowly returned his gaze. “But If I do know one thing, it’s that…” his voice - his confidence - quavered, “that above all else, I wouldn’t have ever let them hurt you, not even for a second.”

Meagan took a quick look around us before leading me into the nearest divot in the wall. She whispered, “Three days ago, I was walking back to the room after my last assignment had finished up late. I accidentally took a wrong turn, and- well, you know how easy it is to get lost in this place. I was wandering around for like, ten minutes, looking for a regulator to ask what hallway I was in. Turns out there are more kids who wander around the halls than regulators these days. “I turned the corner of whatever hallway I was in and saw three boys and two girls surrounding a section of the wall. They spotted me before i could turn away and make a run for it, so I tried playing it cool-” “Are you going to get to the point, because we have assignments-” I interrupted, but a boy bumped into my shoulder, making me almost tumble over Meagan. People were starting to get suspicious; we had to move. Meagan took me by the shoulders and took one last glance around. “One of the boys was Roman. And they were surrounding a vent… a vent large enough to crawl through.” She paused and looked down. “They were planning to escape tonight, if everything went as planned… They invited me to come with them, Anne. I told them yes, but only if you would agree to come, as well.” I felt every last bit of color drain from my face. I shouldn’t know this. We shouldn’t be having this conversation. “Meagan…” “I was going to tell you tonight and ask you to come, but after what happened with Roman, I knew the whole plan was botched, so I just… didn’t mention it.” Something inside of my stomach started to turn, though there wasn’t enough food in there for anything to come up. I started to walk away, at a loss of words, but Meagan grabbed my arm and pulled me back. I just stood there, eyes wide with anger. When I finally found my voice, I whispered, “We could have gotten out of this… this hellhole, couldn't we?” I didn’t expect those words any more than she did, based on the surprised look that crept over her face. “Would you have gone?” She asked. “I mean…” I stopped. A regulator was looking right at us, talking into his intercom. His other hand was unclipping his gun holster. “We’ve got to move. Come on.” “What the heck-” “Just shut up and walk!” We worked our way through the slimming crowd of kids. Quickly, I glanced up at the digital clocks lining the hallways: Two minutes until assignments. We had to get there before the regulators caught up. Without looking at Meagan, I said, “There’s a regulator following us. Just keep your eyes forward; don’t look back.” “Would you have gone, Anne?” She really wanted to know. I didn’t respond right away. Honestly? I didn’t have a clue what I would have done if she asked me a few days ago-- before Roman was thrown out of the institution. I didn’t even know how I would have reacted if I was asked the question on the spot. But after what they did to Roman… I kept my eyes trained on the tall redhead's back that was right in front of me. “I think… I think we need to find those kids from group twelve and get the heck out of this place.” It only took one glance over my shoulder to see the pure joy that overtook her thin face. “Thank you,” she whispered, then continued forward.

“Anne- Anne? Hey.” A hand— Meagan’s— came down hard on my bony shoulder, pulling me back to my dreaded reality. I let out a small groan and tilted my head up to see Meagan’s gentle smile plastered on her bruised face. “You slept through lunch. Again.” At this, I dropped my head right back down into my crossed arms on the lunch table– if you could even call it that. “I don’t see the need to get up,” I mumbled, mostly to myself, but Meagan knelt down beside me. I met her eyes with my own. “What time is it?” “Noon. Come on, we have assignments to do and places to be,” she responded, pulling me up to my own two feet. I had to brace myself on the table to steady myself before continuing forward. Within the first week of my coming to this crap hole, exhaustion had crept inside of me like a thief, stealing every ounce of energy I’d had and replacing it with hopelessness and a really, really hungry stomach. Meagan must have seen me struggling, because she looped her arm through mine and moved me forward towards the long, metal hallway, which was filled with a mob of anxious teens rushing to get to their assignments. I just didn’t understand. The government promised us a safe haven: A place where the food supply never ran out. A place where we’d always have a bed to rest after what they called a “productive day.” But this… Nobody could have prepared for this. No mother would have ever let their oldest child be sent away to an institution that resembled a prison. A prison where you worked until your fingers were sliced open and bruised; where you couldn’t turn a corner without being watched by regulators who had guns in their hands at all times. A prison where breaking a rule meant being taken away. And never coming back. But that’s not what they told the public. They told us that we’d be safe from the bloody wars raging in our home towns. No more hurt and no more pain. And the best part? If you sent your kid away, you’d get put in a drawing for one hundred grand. In a jobless America like ours, well, who could turn that away? “Did you hear about Roman? From group twelve?” My voice was quiet in the rough crowd. “How could I not? Everyone’s talking about it.” I looked over my shoulder and found her eyes, which were, to my surprise, glassing over. “What do you think they’re going to do with him?” Even though I asked, deep down I didn’t want to know. Roman was the first person in the five weeks we’d been here to stand up for themselves. He’d gone as far as punching one of the regulators in their ugly face when they’d tried to humiliate him in front of his entire group by ratting him out for taking an extra slice of something that resembled pizza in the lunch line. He was half conscious by the time they’d gotten him into the black van parked outside of the exit doors. Meagan looked away, staring at her feet instead. “I just… When Roman told me that-” Her hand flew over her mouth, and she stopped. “Oh my gosh…” I took her arm and pulled her to the side of the hallway. “You’ve talked to him before?” Confusion and a mix of other emotions pulsed through my veins. We weren’t allowed to speak with any other groups. How did she… Meagan’s bright blue eyes were wider than I’d ever seen them. “Announce it to the whole wide world, why don’t you? Good grief,” she hissed, shaking my grip from her arm. “It’s not what you think, Anne-” “Then what the heck is it?” I whispered, not even trying to keep the anger out of my voice. Meagan knew we didn’t break the rules. She knew the consequences, and we’d promised each other that we’d do this together; we’d stick together here no matter what. If she got caught, that was the end for her-- of our friendship. How could she be so careless? Meagan brought her hands to her face. “If I tell you this, you can’t tell a soul, ok?” Her brows were twisted with guilt, making my stomach stir. I let out a sigh and threw my hands onto my hips. “Fine. Enlighten me.”

“It’s not going to work, ok? We’ve been through this already.” My teeth are chattering, and the bright light of our flashlights reflect off the fresh, crunchy snow piled all around us. From the corner of my eye, I can see Wade, who is walking to my right, shaking his head. “I’m just saying,” he argues, clouds of breath dissipating in the air, “if we continue West, we are going to walk straight into their trap. Don’t you think the most logical thing to do is head anywhere BUT West?” Zella let’s out an obnoxious groan, throwing her head back. “Please. Both of you. Just. shut. Up.” Her cuffed hands are dangling motionless in front of her, and I fantasize about taking her hands and smacking her face with them. Anger builds up inside of me, turning my frozen ears hot and red. “Zella, you aren’t even supposed to be here. So if I were you,” I threaten, “I’d keep my mouth shut and not be such a snarky little-“ “Guys,” yells Ethan, from the back. He shuffles quickly up between us and jumps to regain hold of the backpack he’s been hugging for the past two hours. “You two need to chill out.” He pauses and takes one long look at each of us. When he gets to me, he doesn’t turn his eyes, but keeps them locked on mine with sincerity and stubbornness. “This is going to be a long trip for all of us if we just pick fights with each other the whole time. I’m talking to you, too, Wade.” Wade tries to argue, but Ethan pretty much shuts him down right away. Quickly, I look down at my boots, which are buried deep in the snow. Guilt pangs at my stomach as I realize I’ve been the source of the real issue here. Jealousy has made me bitter, and now my best friend is telling me to get a grip. Classic Ethan, I joke to myself. All at once, the realization of what we are trying to do settles in, and my heart flutters. A small smile rises to my lips, and then a laugh. Zella, Wade, and Ethan all look over at me and stop in their tracks. I stop too, throwing one of my hands over my mouth to mask my chuckles. Zella looks at me with confusion— a hint of disgust, too— and says, “You think that’s funny, Wren?” Ethan and Wade exchange furrowed looks. I’m sure that they both think that I’ve officially gone insane from the freezing conditions and our lack of food and sleep, but I don’t care. “We are stuck in the middle of nowhere, heading to a place we don’t even know exists yet, and I’m over here fighting with my best friends about which way to walk.” I shake my head and look up at the stars, their twinkling light swinging down on us. “I’m sorry I haven’t been exactly… easy to get along with-“ “You can say that again,” remarks Zella, but I continue. “Wade— if you think going East towards Rivermont is our best bet, then let’s go. And Zella,” I turn towards her and force myself to give her a half smile, “I’m sorry for exploding on you like that.” I purse my lips, then murmur, “Kind of.” Wade smiles. The sight of it sends warmth throughout my entire body, and for a split second, I can feel my fingers. Wade immediately takes out a map from his coat pocket, and we all gather around it as he talks, including Zella. “Ok, so here’s the thing: We could backtrack a few miles North to Nokanville and rest up for a few days. Or… We could camp out here tonight and make a straight shot East to Rivermont; we’d be there in about three days time. Any suggestions?” Rivermont is closest to our desired destination, and backtracking would only make the journey longer and more excruciating. On the flip side, we all could use some proper beds and a good meal. Heck, we’d probably make it in TWO days if we had that. Just as I open my mouth to suggest we backtrack, Ethan opens his and says, “We should backtrack and head to Nokanville for a couple of days. I’d kill for a warm meal and an actual bed.” We all exchange looks and nod our heads. With a gleam of hope, Wade announces, “Nokanville it is. Let’s go.”

“I didn’t kill your father, Tessa.” His voice is low, dark, and strung with fury. “You killed him. You let him die, just like how you let your cousin, Marley, die.” I smile and crane my neck. “Is that right?” I can feel my hand heating up, and I look down to see it ablaze with red flaming fire. My smile grows as I lock eye contact with Nolan. “Last time I checked,” mocking him from earlier, “that little trick doesn’t work on me anymore.” I wind my hand back and throw the ball of fire right at his feet, and he winces. “Tess.” His eyes are now hastily searching for something in mine, and I shrink in discomfort. “You could rule with me. You could be at my side when I take over the Jakah Court, just as I did the Court of Hilem. You could be the queen of a kingdom like no other— one that is ruled by only the superior beings.” Nolan looks at me with those big, brown eyes, and I know he means it. He wants me to rule with him. He wants me to make him a king. Just so he can destroy the lives of all the people in Armavia. A deep pit arises in my stomach. “Because of you,” I spit, “I am already the queen of this kingdom. You took the queen and locked her-“ “You’ve brought this all upon yourself, Tess.” “Stop calling me Tess!” “Then stop calling me Nolan!” “But that’s your-“ I stop myself, since it’s pointless to bicker with an idiot. “The point is: You’re going to let me get inside of that room, because the future of my people depends on it.” I let a spark of flames arise from my fingers as I hold my hand up for him to see. “Move.” “Make me, you-“ “You heard the girl. Beat it, you roach.” Helena. That’s the only thought that pops into my mind as my mouth drops and I turn around to see Helena, Ash, June, and Reed standing in the middle of the hallway. My heart jumps as I give them a huge grin, trying to say “You just saved my life.” As I spin back around to face Nolan, my entire hand ignites into a flaming orb. Even through the smoky haze, I can see Nolan’s face turn a pale shade of white. “You’ll get what you deserve; I’ll make sure of it.” And just like that, he dissolves into thin air, into the shadow realm, and out of our hair— for the time being, at least. I turn around, letting the fire orb dissipate, and run into the arms of my friends. They all wrap their arms around me as I sink into their comforting embrace. “We were so worried,” whispers Reed into my hair. We all break apart, forming a small circle. “You guys got my call?” That’s all I can think of saying; I’m still so shocked that they actually showed. June grins. “Of course we did.” Ash starts saying something about how I should be more careful and not take so many risks, but I quickly shush him. A new noise, apart from the wailing sirens above us, has made its way into the hallway— no, it’s coming from the room. June looks at me, then slowly makes her way forward, towards the door. She stops. “Uh, guys? Do you hear that?” The bickers of excitement are gone now, replaced by the silence of the ear-piercing sirens and the odd, low pitched hum coming from the room. I start to move forwards, towards the door, but Ash puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me. “Don’t… I’ll go. Just stay here.” I start to protest, but Reed demands, “You don’t go anywhere. Let us handle it. You’ve been through enough as is.” He must see the concerned look in my eyes, because he adds, “We’ll be fine. It’s just a quick peek, yeah?” “Right.” I try to keep my voice from breaking— the weight of all that’s just happened is finally settling in. “Be careful.” Reed and Ash step forward and make their way towards the door. It only takes them a few steps to reach its entrance, thought they stay at the side of it. Ash looks inside first, then Reed. I can immediately see the change in their expression; fear, utter horror. “Uh, guys? You may want to take a look at this…”

I turn the corner of the long, darkened hallway, and continue to run as the sirens blare above my head. Just a little bit farther, I tell myself. You’re almost there. I can see the door to the medic room through the hazy smoke and red flashing lights— a good sign. So, so close. Ten feet. Five feet. The distance between the door and my body is rapidly closing as I sprint towards my only hope. 3 Feet… “Stop.” My body freezes, but not out of choice. I try desperately to turn around, but no matter how hard I try, I’m stuck this way. That is, until he lets me go. I squeeze my eyes closed, and beg, “Please, Nolan. You don’t have to do this.” All I get in return is a soft chuckle and the sound of light footsteps coming closer. Closer. Closer. Until they are stopped right behind me. “Why shouldn’t I, Tess?” I can feel the warmth of his breath on my sweat covered neck. Chills run down my spine, and I squeeze my closed eyes even tighter. “Everything I’ve ever worked for— everything my father worked for— would be nothing if I let you win; it’d all be pointless,” he urges, practically spitting out the last word. I open my flaming eyes. Nolan takes a few heavy steps forward, his hands behind his back, and positions himself right in front of my face, his nose close enough to mine that if I was able to move, I’d probably accidentally bump it. A malicious grin spreads across his face, but doesn’t reach his deep, piercing eyes. “So you tell me, Tess. Why shouldn’t I do this?” Fear has taken my voice away. I try to explain to him that his plan is nothing but evil and cruel, but all that comes out is a shaky gasp. Unwillingly, tears fall down my cheeks, which are probably a flaming red color from running all of the way up here, just to get halted three feet from the only hope my people have. Nolan let’s out a dark laugh, and terror rises in my stomach. “Like I said,” he hisses, “pointless.” “No,” I gasp, finally breaking out of my silence. “No, Nolan. It’s not pointless. It’s the only right way-“ “Don’t you dare tell me what is right and what is wrong!” Nolan points a nimble finger at me, his voice loud and angry. “Last time I checked, Tess, you weren’t any better than me.” He pauses, folding his arms to his chest. Then, replying in a quiet, yet fierce, voice, he says, “You killed your own cousin for your well-being and protection, right? Or am I just making that up.” He lets out a frightening chuckle. My heart sinks as the thought of my cousin laying on the cold, hard ground, blood covering her chest and pooling around her, replays in my mind. Over, and over, and over again. But I hadn’t done that. It couldn’t have been my fault. Had I really let her die? Could I have stopped it? My mind is racing, my heart rate increasing, and in this moment, I am the tiniest bit grateful that I can’t move, since I’d probably pass out if I tried. I speak up. “I didn’t kill her— You did! All you ever wanted was to kill us off, so maybe— just maybe— you wouldn’t feel threatened. So you could have the throne and destroy this kingdom!” He immediately fires back, red faced and steaming with anger. “Armavia is already destroyed, Tess! Can’t you see that? Or are you still too much if a child to see all of the problems that your father caused while he was still alive?” I can feel my eyes widen. “I think you’re forgetting the part where you started a Civil War and unleashed the shadows into your own home, Nolan. Or are you just to childish to admit to that?” All at once, my stance is loosened, and I drop to the ground. He’s let his guard down; I’ve thrown him off. Keep going, I tell myself. “How about the time when you, of all people, started a revolution to overthrow the Court of Hilems? Or when the Shadows that— mind you— you created killed my father and imprisoned my mother?”

“Five minutes, Max.” Ginger is peeking her head through the door of the security room, a salad and Dr. Pepper in her hands. “Make sure to lock up when you’re done with your nightly rounds, kid.” Just like that, I’m left alone in the small room lit only by five computer screens that constantly screen the surveillance footage of Parker’s Gas Station.
“Night,” I call back to Ginger, but she’s already to far to hear me, since old age has pretty much deafened the poor woman. For three years, I’ve sat in this little room— more like closet, if we’re being honest, here— during my summer break, and each day I wonder if she would be back the next day to ring up the few costumers we get. Spoiler alert: she always has, and at this point, probably always will. I let out a sigh and spin carelessly in the green office chair that’s almost to big for this room. Out of habit, I look up to the clock hanging above the door; it reads 8:37. Finally, I think to myself. Happily, I hop out of the spinning chair, humming to myself. Like usual, I find myself at the register, using the keys strung around my neck to lock it up, as well as all of the drink fridges. Just as I’m about to walk out the door, I realize that I’ve forgotten my cellphone in the security closet. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I complain to myself, and run back to the closet. As soon as I enter, I see the phone laying right in front of the monitors. The monitors… I rub my eyes to make sure I’m not just seeing things. Nope. Ginger is still there, standing in the back alleyway. I walk over to the computers and click zoom in on the live surveillance footage coming from the middle screen. What in the world? Is she… This can’t be real. Ginger, my ancient coworker, is standing in the middle of the alleyway yelling at… the air? Her hands are making huge gestures, but to who? No one is there. I grab my phone and run out of the security closet, accidentally hitting my knee on the side of the desk that the monitors sit on. I let out a small groan, but keep running. Ginger is finally going insane, I say to myself. It only took her 98 years. Quickly, I rush to the back exit and push open the door, finding a screaming Ginger. “Ginger!” I call out from the doorway, but she doesn’t respond. I call out again, but her deafened hearing has won, once again. She just keeps yelling at an invisible subject words that don’t even make sense. “YOU COULD HAVE DONE IT YOURSELF, BUT HERE WE ARE. HE DOESN’T HAVE IT. I KNOW HE DOESN’T. GO AND SEE FOR YOURSELF, YOU IMBECILE.” I decide that having 911 on speed dial probably isn’t the worst idea. But, as I pull out my phone to punch in the three numbers, she stops. As I look up from my phone, the lights on the sides of the doorway flicker, and my heart rate goes nuts. My attention is immediately drawn to Ginger, who is now absently staring into the air with her mouth wide open. What the heck is going on. “Ginger?” I walk down to her and place a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her. “Uh, hello? You good?” “Max Denver.” I jump, letting my hand drop from her thin shoulder. Ginger’s voice is no longer Ginger’s, but has been replaced with a deep, rough, man voice. My eyes get wide, and I hastily try to call 911 on my phone, but just as I’m about to hit dial, the screen goes black. The rough voice fills the air all around me, causing the hairs on my arms to stand straight up. “We’ve been expecting you.” I’m frozen in fear. Either the old woman has gone nuts, or I’ve been playing to many video games and am having a vicious nightmare. But that can’t be it, because when she tackles me to the ground and slams a hand over my mouth, I feel every bit of it. “You have something we want, Max. Give us the Septor, and you can go peacefully.” I try to yell and say that whatever “they” think I have, I don’t. But before I get the chance, my limbs go numb. Then, I pass out.

Tuesday, 20th August 10:40 P.M. Dear diary, It happened again. This time, mom was standing right next to me, and I had to stuff my hands underneath my crew neck in order to keep the light invisible to her. That’s twice in one week. The most it’s ever come out in a seven day period. At it wasn’t during an assembly at day camp this time. Gosh— now THAT was scary. I’ll update you next time it happens.

Wednesday, 21st August 11:32 P.M. Dear diary, Someone saw me. I’m not sure who, but today, while I was checking out grocery’s at M.K’s, they started glowing. They stopped after about ten-ish seconds (the longest they’ve ever held their state has been fifteen seconds). Luckily, my required gloves hid most of the light, and the old woman that I had been checking out grocery’s for was rummaging through her purse, trying to find her extra quarter to donate to the Children’s Hospital fund, so she hadn’t seen. But someone had. A man with a black beanie and green pants looked over at me with wide eyes and bolted out of the store, and from what I could see through the storefront’s window, had driven away faster than the law would ever allow. The odd thing? There was another person in his van ( the van was red, with a huge black letter ‘A’ painted on its side)— a woman— and she immediately pulled out a black box— most likely a walkie-talkie— and started yelling into it. I’m not sure what all that was about, but I’m planning on finding out.

Friday, 23rd August 8:00 P.M. Dear diary, They didn’t glow today, or yesterday, which kind of struck me as odd. I guess I kinda thought that since they glowed two days in a row… However, I’ve felt… different since the incident at M.K’s. More—how do I describe it? Flowy? Loose? It’s like my head is constantly detached from my body, but I am still conscious and stable. I just don’t know anymore. It probably doesn’t even mean anything.

Saturday, 24th August 3:00 P.M. Dear diary, There’s a van parked outside my house. It’s the same van that the beanie man had drove off in on Wednesday. Nobody’s home. I don’t know what to do. What I do know, however, is that writing this is making my head explode. Instead of my usual light-headed state, my head is pounding. It’s like someone has stuck a knife through one side and out the other. Gosh it hurts so bad. I’m going to go lock the front door. I’ll be back to write more.

Saturday, 24th August 3:12 Dear diary, I don’t have much time, so I’ll make this brief. Someone’s in my house. I don’t know how they got in; both doors were locked when I went to check them… They are coming upstairs. I have to go-