There used to be 7 of us... Now I'm alone.
   I moved us to this particular countryside because of its remoteness. I felt it was far enough away that they would never find us. We left the city when Finn saw their mark on a building downtown. Silas thought we should move to another city. Silas and I are twins, but we think opposite from each other. We're the oldest at 22, and then there's Finn. Finn is 18 and wants to make his own decisions about everything. Faye is 16 and dreaming of a normal life like she sees in magazines. Tasha and Tobias are 10 and best friends; unlike Silas and me, they think and act almost like one person.  Then there's Oana, and she is the kindest of us all and the only one with dark hair. The rest of us are blonde. My name is Sema, and this is my story.
    We were at the park when we lost Oana.
"Not so high!" I said
"Oh, she's fine. Look at the other kids," Faye said.
Oana continued to swing high. Tasha and Tobias were trying to play kickball. Finn and Silas were arguing on the correct way to throw a baseball.
"Do you think we'll ever be able to go back?" Faye asked
"I've told you before, I don't know, but don't get your hopes up."
Tasha yelled, "Sema! Tell Tobias to stop kicking the ball that way."
She pointed in the opposite direction of where she was.
"I can't run way over there, and he knows it."
Faye and I got up, walked over to the twins, and they both started to explain at once; we got it worked out and walked back to the blanket and sat down. I looked at Oana, but only her swing was there, not her. I glanced around then stood. She wasn't anywhere I could see.
"Finn! Silas! Look for Oana! She's gone! They've taken her!"
Once they take you, you're gone forever, and you don't come back.
   We gathered our things but didn't go straight back home. We wanted to avoid having anyone follow us. Packing was fast and furious. It was the same when we left the city. Now back to a big city, we'll go again. Silas chose the last city, chose the small town; Finn is now 18, and he can choose. Finn says we go west where all the people are blonde, and we will blend in. All the younger kids want to go back to school, so Los Angeles it is. I'm against the school. It's when we're separated, they come.
    We keep in contact with clicks of our walkie-talkies. We all have them so if you're away at school or some other place we all know each other safe. Phones aren't safe. They can be traced. The twins have been at Valley elementary for 5 months. When they didn't check in on Wednesday with the normal clicks at recess. Silas and I rushed to the school. The secretary looked confused.
"You already picked them up."
'We did?" Silas asked
"Uh, well, yes, the both of you did about an hour ago,"
As we left the building I began to hysterically scream. Silas held me until I could walk then we raced home to warn the others. Silas and I walked into the house and immediately knew.
"Faye! Finn! Please be here." I screamed.
Silas ran from room to room. He came back downstairs.
"They're both gone." Silas sobbed.
I stood unmoving, unseeing as if I had turned to stone. Four gone in one day.
"They must have gotten the address from the school. Pack! Move Sema! Now!" Silas demanded.
Twenty minutes later we had changed vehicles and were headed northeast. We'd been driving for 23 hours only stopping for gas when Silas pulled over on the side of the road.
"We have to separate if we are to have a chance on this planet. I don't know what happened to the other families but we are the only 2 left of ours."
"No, Silas, I'll never see you again!"
But he was right. We had to be alone to have a chance at living.
                          There used to be 7 of us....now  I'm alone.