Chapter 5

Different person's POV

Past

I scanned the room looking for her. Where did she run off to? Unable to find her in her room, I search the rest of our home. My older brother was nowhere to be found either. Where are they? I left my house and walked to the field. As I looked for my younger sister, another young girl ran past. Her beauty astounds me and I can't help but feel that I know her. Her hair reaches down to her waist. "Hi," I called to her. She turned to look at me, her blond hair blowing in the wind. She stares at me with those big brown eyes filled with fear and panic. "Yes," she asked, her voice like honey. Her sweet voice was shaky as if she was running from someone. My voice gets caught in my throat. We stood there staring at each other, no more words passed between us.

"Hey, freak," my brother's arm comes around me. I see my sister walking up to us from the other side of the field. Her red hair bouncing as she skips along. My previous worries about my sibling, that had been pushed to the back of my mind, disappeared. As those worries went so did she. One moment I was staring at her and the next she was gone. I looked around the field for her but she was nowhere to be found. "Hi, Ben," I said reluctantly, "did you need something." I hoped he would say no. Much to my disappointment he says, "yes." The same word she had said no so long ago. His voice made the word sound harsh, almost unbearable to listen to. Not after hearing her say the same word.

I looked at my brother. His red hair is the same as mine and green eyes that he shares with my sister. My blue eyes are said to be the same as my mother's. She had died long ago, the day my sister was born. I was just a year old at the time and my brother was only two. She hadn't died from childbirth but from a rampaging father. He had taken the fact that his second born was a girl. His daughter was born just a day before my sister. I look across the field to see what is taking my sister so long to reach us but she is nowhere to be seen. "Ben, where is Ava," I asked, panicked. Ben looked scanned the field and fear spread over his face.

We ran off in opposite directions. I ran up to everyone I could, asking if they had seen her. With every person I asked, was just more fear. She was nowhere to be seen. Eventually the entire town was looking for her. Everyone came up empty handed. After an hour I ran into the girl from earlier. Everything left my mind at that moment. I was focused solely on her. When she saw me she ran over to me. She was bloody and appeared to have some broken bones. Falling into my arms she whispered, "They sold her." Then she was out. I called for help and we got her to the hospital. Her parents refused to leave her. She never spoke anymore of who sold who. My sister was also never found and no one ever saw her again.

Present

I shot up off the bed and collapsed on the floor. Fear shot through me as I remember what happened. The smell of burning flesh is still fresh in my mind. I could still hear the screaming. My last memory came back. My best friend turned his back on me and left me to die. I felt no anger or sadness because he saved her. "Good you're up," I turned to see my brother standing by the door. "Where are we," I asked him. "We are in space and on our way to connect with the Maiden," he tells me. "What is the Maiden?" He thought about that question and finally said, "It's a bigger spaceship." I couldn't help myself from asking the big thing on my mind. "Why did you save me," I asked him. He looked at me like I was crazy. "You're my brother and I can't lose you too," he said, clearly in pain over the loss that happened over twelve years ago. That day was a memory I don't like to remember because his pain is the same as mine. "You shouldn't have saved me," I told him. I should've died in that fire. "Why not," he asked me. His anger was apparent. "I'm not worth living," I replied. "Of course you are," he told me.

"No, I'm not," I said angrily. As both our anger rises he shouts, "Yes! You! Are!" He doesn't understand at all. I am not worth it. "I'M NOT WORTH IT! I HURT HER! You! Should! Have! Let! Me! DIE!"

The next words that came out of his mouth were unexpected. "She's pregnant." No. She can't be. "What," I asked him and he repeated himself. No. He must have seen the disbelief on my face because he said, "Kael, Estelle is pregnant. Almost two months pregnant." Two months? But that would mean she was pregnant when the fire happened. It would also mean that I am the father.

"Ben, that's not possible," I said.

"Why not," he said.

"That would make me the father, so she's not two months pregnant."

"Did you use a condom?"

"No."

"Was she on birth control?"

"Not that I know of."

"So then how do you know it's not possible?"

I thought about that for a second. It is entirely possible for me to have gotten Estelle pregnant. Then it hit me. I got Estelle pregnant! But the most important thing I realized is that she kept it. Estelle is having my baby. "Why are you telling me this," I ask him.

"Because Estelle is on the Maiden."

Change in POV

The ringing of the alarms sounded through the ship.The sound only caused me to run faster. The red flashing lights struck fear into me. I have to escape. I can't be trapped here. I can't let them be trapped here. I need to get us out of here. I ran to the nursery. Looking through the rows of babies, I found the two I'm looking for. I strapped them into the carriers on my back and chest and ran. I have to get the escape pods. I hear the pounding of feet behind me. Straight up a head I hear shouting. I turned left towards the south pods. It's farther than the north pods but if I use those ones we'll be caught for sure. As soon as I made it to the pods I jumped in one suitable for transporting babies. I unstrapped the girl, who is strapped to my chest, and placed her in the left buggy. Then I unstrapped the boy, who is strapped to my back, and placed him in the right buggy. I jumped into the driver's seat and started up the pod. I hit the bottom for the launch sequence and the five second countdown began.

One.

They have had to realize where I am by now.

Two.

The light on the door turned from red to green.

Three.

I hear shouting as they enter the room.

Four.

Please let us make it out alive

Five.

I'm off.

I feel my body relax in relief. We made it out. Now I just need to find a safe place to land. Far away from them. I let out a laugh. It only took me twelve years to make it out of that place. My red hair uncombed and I have bags under my green eyes. My lower lip was broken from where he had hit me. For the first time in a long time I felt safe. All I want to do is go home to my family but I have my own children to worry about now. I can't risk going back down to land and have them find me.