A/N: This chapter is going to be the last one unfortunately. I will need to end it but the next "Book" will be posted very soon;)
Chapter 3 Serenity POV (Time skip to day they move into Chicago)
Today we go to Chicago. Mom and Dad are going to the faction called "Skookum". Me, I'm waiting in the cafeteria of the so called school building, waiting to take my aptitude test. Some dude walks out of an office and says " Hello dependents, you will be staying here for the next month or so. When we call your names, please go into the room that is numbered accordingly with the order of the 5 names called." He continues speaking, but I tune him out and slouch on the table. All of a sudden, a woman who bears great resemblance to my "dead" grandmother begins talking."Here are the first names, and they will not be in alphabetical order, will Hunter Farmer, Danica Hayes, Barbara Priore, Gregory Black, and Gracelyn Jones please enter the rooms." I recognize the first three names. Hunter is my cousin, Danica is a prissy girl who lives down the road from me, and the name Prior sounds really familiar for some reason. When they all come back, the lady speaks again. This happens maybe 2 more times before I hear the first dude speak up. "I will now take over for Miss Eaton-Johnson. Will Hailey Graven, Serenity *cough* Johnson, Kyle Hayes, Johnathan Pedrad, and Leila Nouhsavayong please enter the rooms." I stand up from my bench, stretch, and walk into the 2nd room. A woman wearing all black turns to me. "Sara, I need you to sit down in the chair and drink this please". Nothing can begin to describe how much my nervous level went down. It's my mom's best friend, Christina Farmer a.k.a Aunt Chrissy. I grin and sit down, taking the shot glass from her and downing it while she attaches wires to my head. She smiles back at me and goes to sit down at the computer. Then darkness takes over.
I appear in my old house. In front of my are two binders. Binder one has Safety written on it, and Binder 2 has Survival in it. On the ground in front of each basket is a map of the city around the building. A voice thunders "Choose" it says. I stand there starstruck and grab both binders while stepping on the map. Then they both disappear. I am left with the map and a basket that has a knife in it and a basket that has a glitching branch with 3 apples on it. I sigh, then take the basket with the knifes. The scene fades and i am standing outside my house. There is a rifle in my hand and a pistol in my belt. Several knives are hidden in the lining of my boots. I look on the map and there are instructions on the side. "At the place where nothing is inside, but is fun filled for children, you will find the child in need. Fail to save her, and die." I walk to the center of the little area we live in, named Bear City. There is a small bench by the sandbox, and I go sit on it and pull out the map. Speaking out loud, I list all interpretations of what it may mean, and use a stick to write it in the sandbox. "The place where nothing is found, could be the dumpster, but no kid would have fun there. Then if we look at the fun filled for children part, then it could be here, but the hollow part is untrue. Wait. The Hollow." I exclaim. As a kid, i would go there with the school group and we would play hide and go seek around the trees. So i would guess that the girl is hidden in the big stump that the seeker counts inside.
It takes me 5 minutes to get to the Hollow. I run over to the big stump, hearing the whimpers of a child. I look over the edge to see a small girl, maybe four or six (A/N: wink wink) with blonde hair and green eyes. I hear the rustling of leaves behind me and see a harsh looking dog, with rabid eyes. I unsheath two of my knives, and stand between it and the girl. I turn around and the rope tying her hands together, and give her a small, blunt knife. "Cut the ropes, and try not to get yourself" i tell her. She nods, and I turn back to the dog. Slowly walking nearer to it, I speak in a soothing voice "here puppy, I don't want to hurt you". The dog sits down, cocks it head, then barks. Its panting and wagging its tail. I reach out and pat its head before turning back to the girl, only to see her get out of the stump, and the dog running to her, teeth bared, snarling and spitting. I tackle it and turn around, making it's head hit the stump. The scene fades and I am back in the third room, and Aunt Chrissy is staring straight at me. She walks over to me and then whispers "you are very special. And i mean special, special". I nod then she tells me "You got everything but sincerity. Honey, go straight out and act like nothing happened, do not tell anyone but your parents, they will single you out and force you to be their slave. The worst thing you could do would be to tell anyone. Now go!".
I walk outside, hopefully keeping a straight face. I sit down next to Hunter and put my head in my hands. I hear voices calling my name, but pay no attention. I fall asleep to a quiet school bell and shuffling feet. Hunter shakes my shoulder. I groan and stand up, only to fall flat on my face. I feel strong arms pick me up. Then it all goes black. I hear a voice say "Serenity Johnson, you will go to skookum or this will happen to your mother." Images flash by my closed eyes, each one more disturbing than the last. It all goes black again and I hear the voice say "remember…"
End Of Book One