Theo~

"I think we should go there." I say motioning to the place I just described.

"How do you even know about this place?" Sara asks skeptical as ever.

"Again," I reiterate, "I've been there."

"But why we're you there?"

"I have said this already. My grandparents were part of the resistance. My parents lived there, and I was born there. We came here when I was two years old; right when this residence segment was built. So no one would know we weren't originally from here."

"Right." she says in complete disbelief.

"Shut up mom." Arwin snaps, "Just because you don't ever trust or like anyone other than yourself doesn't mean that you need to be rude. Theo is telling the truth, and if you don't believe that, you can just stay here while I take everyone else. You can rot here and I won't care."

We all stare at her in disbelief, mouths agape and eyes wide open. Her mother looks just as shocked, and keeps opening an closing her mouth like a fish gasping for water, trying to say something back but has no words to do so.

"Theo," she motions to me, "Continue."

"Uh, okay." I stutter, shocked by previous banter, "Well, we go there, but will be safe about it. We are going to need to leave at night, be very quiet, and not alert any patrols."

"Ha!" Arwin chuckles to lighten the mood, "Try to get Saliah to be quiet for five minutes and she might explode."

"Will not!" she protests.

"Calm down Saliah, I was only kidding."

"Well, I think we should leave tonight," I say, "We only have a short window before patrols realize we are missing from the enlistees and come for us."

"Okay," my mother says, "Everybody pack light, only take what you need to, don't leave any tracks for anyone to follow, and we will meet here at 9:00."

"Okay." everyone says in agreement.

xxx

Somber, we all walk home and start preparing. Getting clothes, baking and packing long lasting food, getting blankets, pots, pans, you name it. We each load our backpacks that are given to each member of the society up to the brim with our belongings. I didn't know we had so much stuff until we tried to pick it all up and leave. I walk around room for the last time, only then remembering the thing I've always hid in here. I go over to the wall on the opposite side of the room and pull back the siding of the wall that has been coming off for years. I reach inside and pull out a picture frame. My dad stares back at me, the only picture we have. The only picture they didn't take because they didn't know we had it.

"What have you got?" Xander asks peeking around my shoulder.

"It's dad."

"Oh."

I hand him the picture and go around to open a pocket on his backpack, "You keep it safe for me, okay buddy?"

"Yeah, yeah." he nods furiously.

I grab the picture from him and carefully tuck it inside his clothes laying on top before closing the bag again.

"You ready to go?" I ask.

"Yep." he replies rambunctiously awaiting the adventure in store for him. At least, that's what he sees this as.

"Okay, let's go downstairs." We walk down the creaky rotten boards that qualify as stairs around here and meet my mother and Holland in the kitchen.

"Let's go," she says with finality, "Any last things someone forgot?"

We all shake our heads no, so she silently leads the way to the door. She opens the door and steps out into the street, suddenly stiffening. her posture. I mistake it for nerves as we all pile out of the house, only to do the same stiffening. There's someone standing across the street looking at us, and that can't be allowed. No one can see us leaving. I prepare myself, knowing what I have to do to keep my family safe, and start walking over to my mystery man.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Really anti-climactic, I know. Sorry for the short update...it's leading to something big! Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!