A/N
Hello, everyone!
This is my first story, so I would absolutely LOVE it if anyone reviewed or offered constructive criticism… that being said, I understand the time (and patience) it takes to write a review…
This story DOES, in fact, have a main OC, but please don't hate on me… I have mallowmelt…
LET THE CHAPTER BEGIN!
Chapter One
Nobody notices when I get on the subway. Then again, why would they? I'm just a girl with her bags packed, moving away from the only life she's ever known.
Basically, the same as everyone else here.
I plop down on a booth, nobody bothering to ask me why I'm on. Nobody cares right now if they have an excuse or not – they just want to get on this subway and fast. It leaves in two minutes and fourteen seconds if I'm correct – and, for some reason, I am. I always am.
"Nick," I say to the boy sitting across from me, "where's your brother?"
"He caught it," he whispers, eyes glistening with tears. I slide into the seat next to him. He's three years younger than me, twelve, to be precise. He normally doesn't break down like this, but he hugs me and weeps. He weeps for his younger brother, who he will never see again.
I don't know what to say, so we just sit there for two minutes, watching the scenery as it goes by, letting Nick's sobs subside into hiccups. I just sit there, wishing that I could do something.
There are many reasons why people are leaving the town. Maybe it's because their home was seized. Maybe it's because they have family somewhere else. Maybe it's the sickness. The sickness that killed 87% of our town and is still killing. It doesn't matter if you have perfect health, or cancer, or any other sickness, disease, antibody… anybody is susceptible, and anybody can die.
Just like Nick's brother.
- line break -
"I don't know why Grady grounded me!" Sophie fumed in her bedroom to Keefe. "It's so unfair! I didn't even do anything this time!"
"You were talking about visiting the Forbidden Cities," Keefe mused. Sophie mentally slapped herself.
"But I didn't mean it," she said. She sighed and flopped down on her bed.
"Where's Gigantor?" Keefe asked, referring to Sandor, Sophie's goblin bodyguard. "He isn't outside your room, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to sneak in."
"How did you get in?" Sophie asked. Keefe winked.
"A master never reveals his secrets," he said.
"The Great Gulon Incident…" Sophie prompted, but Keefe only laughed.
"It's not time. Maybe some other day," he replied. He grabbed Sophie's Imparter and handed it to her.
"Why do I need my Imparter?" Sophie asked. Keefe just winked again.
"We're going to the Forbidden Cities."
- line break -
After talking to Fitz, Dex, Biana, Tam, Linh, and Marella, the two elves waited for their friends to light leap to Sophie's room. After a few minutes, Fitz and Biana appeared, followed by Tam and Linh, then Dex, and finally Marella.
"So, we're going to the Forbidden Cities?" Marella asked, even though she obviously knew the answer. She could hardly contain her excitement, hopping up and down while barely keeping her flames under control.
Sophie nodded. Biana handed her a blue leaping crystal and Sophie slapped her own forehead.
"Why did you take your dad's leaping crystal?" Sophie whispered. "Won't he know that it's missing?"
"Not before we're gone. Where are we going, anyways?" Biana asked.
"Maybe New York," Sophie replied, setting the facet. "Or Miami. Or Chicago."
"Chicago sounds nice," Linh replied happily, the others nodding. Tam just shrugged. Sophie set the facet and grabbed Keefe's hand with her left and Fitz's hand with her right. Dex immediately grabbed Biana's right hand, Tam holding onto her left one.
Together, the group stepped into the pillar of light, leaving no trace except for a shard of blue on the floor.