Chapter 1

"You okay?" Jake looked back up at a girl. Upside down he stared into her curious eyes and scoffed. Of course he was okay. "You look pretty bad." She waited and he just looked away. "Here," she stuck out a hand. After a while he sighed and stood up without taking her hand. She frowned and brought back her hand, but refused to leave.

"Look," Jake began, "What's your name again, new girl? I don't need any help or your pity. Just mind your own business, go on go," he motioned to the road. They both stood off the road. The lake had just recently frozen, winter setting over, and it was abandoned for the most part.

"It's Jennifer," she retorted. She had just started school two days ago, in the middle of the week, but she found it incredulous of him to have forgotten her name. "I'm 8 years old."

He chuckled, cute he thought, her last comment breaking the ice. "I'm Jake-"

"I know," she interjected curtly.

"And I'm 10," he smirked.

"Why are you in my grade then?" Jennifer didn't mean it in a bad way. She was naïve and in the tendency of blurting out anything that popped into her head. Her parents often scold her, but not really being around all the time the habit grew.

This brought back a shadow in Jake's face, but decided to ignore her. "I'm sorry-" she immediately caught what had happened. She had offended him and perhaps probed somewhere he was uncomfortable with speaking. "I failed math one year…"

Despite all her deficiencies something sparked Jake's interest in her. His clear blue eyes studied her for a while, making her uncomfortable Jennifer finally turned away and began, eager to break his staring, "I saw them ganging up on you so I came down to help." Jake's thoughts broke and his eyes flashed with humor, but kept from laughing aloud. Her help? Please, he thought, but she continued. "But I was a bit far off and I um, fell, and arrived here late." He hadn't noticed before but she was covered in dirt and snow here and there.

"Thanks anyway." Jake smiled, but put off the laughter. She was charming. "It's the thought that counts after all."

"Sure, whatever," she crossed her arms, a bit offended. "Anyways, my mom can look at your wounds. They look…painful."

"It's okay, I got my own mom."

"My mom's a nurse, though." Jennifer added.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see ya around, Jen." He picked up his backpack and began walking away.

Jennifer's gaze followed him for a while and searched for something else to say, but nothing would come. At her age she wasn't too sure what it was, but something drew herself to him. Maybe she was too lonely. Maybe she was desperately in need of a friend. Maybe it was the new town. Maybe it was this bleak world, Edonia, that she was now forced to relocate and try to start her life here once again because of her parents. But maybe, maybe it was just him.

As Jake walked away he had a playful smile on his face. Part of him didn't want her to follow him, but part of him wished to see her again and maybe talk again, even if what most of what she said was silly and almost rude. But she was different. Since then he knew she was special, that she'd probably be if she'd let herself, but how he had failed her.

Jake sighed heavily awake. It was just a dream, a memory. He quickly remembered where he was and at what point of time he was in. He turned to his side and there, just where he had left her, lay Jenny fast asleep. 7 years had passed since they had met. 7 years of friendship and mutual understanding that neither had experienced before. Jennifer was now 15 and he was 17. 7 years she had been free to form ties, but a few weeks ago her parents had told her to look forward to moving. Jennifer wouldn't have it and to be honest he wouldn't either. He was being robbed of a close friend, the only person he had left, his mother had passed away a few years ago, and she was all that was left. He'd cling to her and she would too and so they had run away.

"I'm cold," Jennifer mumbled as she sat up. "I can't feel my face." She padded it with her gloved hands.

"It's winter, what did you expect?" Jake teased.

She sneered as she rubbed the drowsiness out of her eyes. "It's a drafty old house, that's what it is."

"How much longer do we have to hide out?"

"A few more hours. My parents said they would leave no matter what today." Jennifer checked her phone.

"Even without you?"

"Would I have run away if they'd cancel their plans upon my leave?"

"Pfft." Jake pouted naughtily, "and here I thought you couldn't live without me." She nudged him and was about to say something in reply when her phone rang. An unknown number.

"Don't answer it."

"I know," Jen snapped. Her parents had tried to get a hold of her a few times, but they always called with their own phones, this could be a trap to talk some sense into her.

It kept ringing and even after 3 missed calls the people kept persisting. Jake finally snapped and snatched the phone out of Jen's hands. "Hey!"

"Relax, I'm sure they know you're with me. I'll just tell 'em straight up that you're staying in Edonia."

"They won't listen!" Jen began but Jake clicked 'Answer.'

"Jake!" the voice started, as if they had called to talk to him and not their daughter. "Take Jennifer away from Edonia. You two are not safe here. There's not much I can divulge, but Jen might be able to fill in the rest, it's regarding my latest work- it's been…compromised. Or at least they're trying to get a hold of it and in the wrong hands, it wouldn't be good for the world at all. Take Jen away. Anywhere. Leave this phone and don't try to contact us. We'll look for you. But leave now! You two need to leave now!- The line broke.

Both of them were taken aback. The obvious anxiety in her dad's voice had revealed something had gone terribly wrong. "We gotta go," Jake said briskly and stood up.

"No!" She yelled and stood up as well.

"Come on!" he grabbed her hand and made towards the door.

"No, Jake!" Jen yelled and pulled back. "I'll go! But you can't."

"What? What are you talking about? Come on-"

"Jake," her voice was softer. "My dad's dragging you into this, but this isn't your problem. It's dangerous. You can be fine if you just stay. It's my family, not you."

Jake shook his head and grabbed both of her arms, "No, we're in this together. Friends for ever, remember?" he winked. He was good natured. She smiled, but when tears started to form she turned away and restored her resolve.

"We'll always be friends, but I can't drag you into this." Jen looked into his eyes, "My dad was doing research and it was upsetting these people. He knew and kept going. He knew that this was coming. As your friend I can't involve you in this."

"What was it? Do you know?"

Her eyes began to betray her, "Yes, Jake," she began hesitatingly, "Jake, my dad approached me a while back. He told me to hide the information. So if they ever got him he'd never be able to give away the whereabouts even if he couldn't hold out any longer. He gave me the information and I hid it. Jake, I'm the only one that knows where it is."

Jake carefully took everything in. "Do these people know that?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Then let's go together, we'll be fine," he assured. Jen hesitated, but the thought of being alone and possibly tracked scared her. Was it wrong of her to drag him in when she cared so much for him? At the moment she honestly thought they'd be okay. They'd look after each other. She nodded, "Alright, let's go."

They grabbed their belongings, Jen placed her phone on the floor and Jake destroyed it with a brick, but they were too late. When they opened the door to leave the house it was surrounded. The abandoned house they had hid out in had been compromised. Men in masks, pointing weapons at them walked closer to them. The phone call must have been tracked.

"Run!" Jake howled.

Jen did and defended herself the best she could. Years ago when Jake and her met she had meant what she had said. She really meant to help him that day. Since a young age she had been trained to fight. She never actually needed it till then, but the training had never left her. Jake, taking odd jobs that Jen often reprimanded him for, had developed his way of defending himself and both of them successfully put out a fight but when Jen saw an opening and turned to yell for Jake to follow her a huge blow was given to the back of her head. She fell unconscious. Jake rushed towards her, but now with his guard down the men quickly got him and both were captured.