Next chapter, on the train. Thank you for reviewing, Sideshow Cellophane 26!
I opted to sit away from my family on the train to Seattle. Mom was reluctant to let me, but I pointed out that if one of us got caught, then being separate would benefit us. Bart was drawing way too much attention to himself, and Lisa was concerned that the government would find out about us. Eventually, she slid into the seat next to mine.
"I don't know how they would catch up with us, but they could." she whispered.
I nodded. "I know, sis, I know. This isn't a movie, though. Nothing will save us if we do get found out."
"Mom did say that the government isn't listening in on everyone's conversations, but they could."
All of us kept a low profile, hoping to get to Seattle without problems. And, to be completely honest, getting to Seattle wasn't a problem. It was just that the EPA was already after us. TV-On-The-Dome Russ Cargill, the head, was waiting for us.
I ducked down on the floor, underneath my seat, and pulled Lisa down with me, not that she needed pulling in the first place. I could hear Mom's voice a few seats away. "Do you think he saw us?"
I didn't look to see anything, but I heard smashes and guns, and then Cargill's voice. "Yes. I did."
Lisa and I stayed underneath the seat until we knew all the EPA men with the guns were gone. Unfortunately, the train had started up again.
"OK." I whispered. "Not one more word about who we are. They found out, and now they'll be on the lookout for us and Dad."
"Steph, what can we do?" Lisa asked. "We can't go back to Seattle, and I have no idea how to get to Springfield."
"Don't worry, I've got a map." I said. "The train goes to Capital City. If we get off there, it's the best place to let people know about Springfield, next to Seattle."
I didn't admit it, but I was scared. This was dangerous, for both of us. Even if we weren't fugitives, stepping onto unknown territory was frightening. But just the look in Lisa's eyes made me know that I had to swallow the fear. After all, however mature she was, Lisa was my little sister, and if Mom, Bart and Maggie were caught, and Dad just didn't care, who else was left but me?
The two of us whispered our plans together, and then I realized what could help us when I saw my reflection on the window.
"Lise, got a hair band or something?" I asked. Lisa pulled one out of her dress pocket, and I immediately tied my black hair into a schoolgirl plait, to make myself look a little less like the Stephanie Simpson everyone knew. Then I brushed out Lisa's blonde hair carefully (although I had to use my fingers) so it reached past her shoulders.
"Disguises." I whispered. Lisa nodded. But the minute we stepped off the train, we faced the same fate as Mom, Bart and Maggie had. One person even yanked the hair band out of my hair, taking black strands with it. Then they shackled both of us and led us to a van where the rest of our family was.
"Girls, are you OK?" Mom asked anxiously.
"Yes, Mom." I said. "Don't worry, we're no worse off than you."
"They're taking us back to Springfield, aren't they?" Lisa said, her eyes wide with fear of this realization.
"Springfield will kill us if we go back!" I cried. "We can't!" Memories flooded my mind, of the faces of my friends. Azure's death glare, Tasha's disappointed stare, Laura's hard look, Sunshine's face screwed up and trying not to cry, Mel's emotionless blank...I couldn't take it. And for the second time in as many days, I tried hard to suppress tears. But they came. I hadn't cried since I was little. But this time, I cried harder than ever before, leaning on Mom for support for once. She didn't cry this time, but Lisa did, and Maggie burst into tears, just like a chain reaction.
Meanwhile, Bart started battering at the wall. Even after the crying ended, he continued to do so. Lisa played her saxophone as best she could. I started to join in with Bart.
"Let us out! Let us out!" Bart yelled.
"Get a clue, you incompetent idiots!" I screamed. "Let us go, you son of a bitch!"
"Stop that!" called another voice. "You'll scratch your shackles!"
"I hope I do!" Bart yelled.
I wish we hadn't, because the next thing I knew, a gas sprayed into the compartment. Mom held her and Maggie's nose, while Bart and Lisa and I tried to hold our breath, too.
"Oh, way to go, Bart." Lisa said sarcastically.
"Before I succumb to this, I'm telling you, you screwed this up!" I said, glaring at Bart, as my eyes began drooping. Bart and Lisa managed to kick one another, as all five of us dropped down, unable to fight the gas any longer. The blackness took over, and I knew, that when we finally woke up, things would be very tricky. They'd take us back to Springfield, I knew, and even if they didn't kill us, we would die when the town was blown up.
Sorry about how short this is, but hey, we're near the end, and the next chapter will be longer, promise. Now, review!