Chapter One:

Surrounded. "Where were you when I needed you most... how could you have just left" these were the questions running around and around in my head. "WHY?" when I yelled out many people in the big building stopped and stared... I blushed and walked away from the mall. I knew they were on my tail. I thought about my chances of living through this... slim to none. Still, I will always try. That was something you said to me a lot, "Sydney, we're gonna try, and we're gonna get through this together." Yea, right. Thanks for that bit of let down and sorrow. When they came up and grabbed me I did not flinch, I knew what was coming. I did not struggle either. A gruff voice said, "Are you Sydney? Do you know why you're in this little predicament?" I gave one stiff nod, no eye contact. He sounded like you. It probably was, too. As I was shoved into the car the memories started coming back. The first time I was aware that I was in danger was the last day of 8th grade. The creepy men in unflattering brown suits followed my friends around as we celebrated the beginning of summer. Of course, I would never see any of them again after that day. My friend Claire, the brave one, went up to them and asked them to leave us alone. They killed her then. We were in a private room at a pizzeria so no one heard us scream. Somehow, without fully understanding it, I knew they wanted me. I got all my shocked friends into a vent and turned to face them, trembling all over. "What do you want?" I whispered. I was so scared I didn't even realize my friends had abandoned me. " We want you to join a little project of ours." They all spoke together, a perfectly oiled machine. Though I could tell they were human, I couldn't shake the feeling that they had been brainwashed or something. "NO!" I yelled, but my voice squeaked at the end so it sounded weak. One of the men stepped forward," yes." they grabbed me and pushed me toward a car similar to the in I was in now. But I was smarter than them. Maybe that's what they want from me... anyway, I used the karate maneuvers I had once thought stupid. Boy, was I wrong. I ran as fast as I could, which if I do say so myself is pretty fast. I ran to the first place I could think of... the movie store across the street. There was a trapdoor that I knew about so I jumped through it and started running to the back room where my dad worked fixing old and scratched DVDs. That's when I ran into you... literally. "God! Where are you going so fast?"

I looked up and saw your face... WOW. "Um... well... I... CLAIRE'S DEAD!" I was almost as shocked as you were when I yelled that out. The shock wore of pretty quick and I took another good look at your face. Again, WOW. Just in case you didn't know.. You are possibly the nicest cute guy I have met. Because I will probably never give you this you will be called by your name not "you." Jake smith. He had shaggy brown hair and deep brown eyes. He was about 3" taller than me. And above all, he barely knew I existed. My friends and I gushed over him daily and gossiped about how annoying it was that he had a perfectly... um.. stupid... girlfriend. So this was kinda special... even under these circumstances. He looked at me strangely and then said in a low voice, "so the Morado got her, huh?"

I must have given him a look of utter confusion because he grabbed my hand (!) and led me to the back corridor to explain. "The Morado is a secret government group put together to "bring in the best for the good of the community." It's a bunch of bogus, really. The Morado really takes the strongest, smartest, and fastest to overcome the weakest and sickest of the population." It took a while for this all to sink in but in a few minutes I started to shoot questions at him.

"But Claire wasn't weak, what was up with that? And I am totally not the strongest person in the world. Why does the government not want the weak? Will this be like the Holocaust? And overcome means-"

"Kill, right." Jake interrupted " Claire wasn't weak, but she stood in the way of what their mission was. The government doesn't want the weak because they "make America a difficult environment for the elite of our race." They recruit the strongest and kill the weakest to 'better us as a country'... they killed my brother."

It was so sudden when he said that I almost thought he was lying just to freak me out. But then I remembered the saddest time in my life and knew the pain in his face was real.

"Oh my god! They killed my mom!" this revelation came swooping through my system and threw off my entire outlook on this situation. I immediately knew I hated them with such a strong burning passion that I could kill to get revenge. My mother was the best person in the entire world. She was funny and kind and she loved me with all of her heart. And I loved her with all of mine. Then one day when I was 9 she disappeared. Just like that my best friend was gone. My dad became depressed for a while so because I'm an only child the responsibility for everything fell on my shoulders. I learned to cook, clean, and get strait A's at the same time... I'm a good multi- tasker I guess. My dad had only recently become his entirely normal self, so this news definitely wouldn't be the best he'd received in a while.

Seeming to read my mind, Jake stepped between me and the door to my Dad's office and gave me a warning glare.

"What?" I asked, "My dad needs to know!"

"No. He really doesn't. I'm sorry Sydney, but it's for his own safety. The Morado is a very dangerous group. I'm surprised you got away."

"Wow. Thanks for the confidence." I shot back "I feel very respected. And you should know that I'm just going to tell him once you leave."

And then he laughed. That's right, he started LAUGHING at me!

"What now?" I asked in an icy tone.

"It's just that you actually think that this is done, like now that you know its just going to disappear! Well, you're dead wrong. You have to come with me."

"Come with you? Come with you where? Not only do I barely know you, but also my dad could very well be in danger right now! I am not going anywhere."

Jake suddenly looked apologetic, "Sorry 'bout this" he said.

And then a felt a prick in my arm, and the warm envelope of sleep surrounded