

### AMBER RAIN

### Celesta Thiessen

### Alyssa Thiessen

### Published by Celesta Thiessen at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 Celesta & Alyssa Thiessen

Smashwords Edition

Dedicated to our family, and especially to our Mom, who showed us how to love.

# Chapter 1 - Ellie

The city was on fire. Downtown buildings burned. Amber showered the streets. Panicked screams filled the night air. People ran for safety, cowered behind parked cars or banged on the windows and doors of the buildings left standing, seeking some kind of refuge. A couple stood in an embrace under the tattered overhang of the darkened door of Stan's Pizzeria. His hand was resting lightly on her red hair. Her face was buried in the front of his thin jean jacket. Her shoulders shook. She was obviously crying. His lips were moving, as if he were trying to comfort her. In the restaurant behind them, people huddled together looking out the window. A young woman on the street outside, holding the hand of a little girl, suddenly stopped and looked straight up. In an instant, she was draped over her daughter, and then the two were gone, along with most of the Pizzeria. Flames engulfed everything for a moment, and the camera, already shaking and unsteady, fell, turning the world sideways. The reporter's rapid voice, which had been more or less indistinguishable from the noise around him, fell suddenly silent. Another impact, and then - snow.

"After that, as if the world hadn't suffered enough, the sickness came." A high pitched, nasal voice broke into the silence of the aftermath, a pale, red-lipped woman appearing on screen in front of a black backdrop. Elisabeth Lauder shifted in her seat, trying to pull her chair forward to avoid the steady rhythm on her chair from the feet behind her. Not that she really needed to pay attention; she'd seen this video three times before. The announcer was Mrs. Smith, who used to live next door. She was the voice in most of the high school history films, which had been, in Ellie's opinion, an unfortunate choice. She had died three years ago, though. Most of the Originals were gone by now.

Suddenly, Ellie felt something small and wet hit the back of her neck. Fighting the urge to turn around, she pretended to be riveted by the film instead. Another spitball hit her in the ear, and she blinked rapidly, fighting tears. "...Attacked the brain, quickly. By the time anyone figured out what was happening, they simply couldn't do anything about it. Only those who were prepared for a disaster of this magnitude survived."

_Lucky me_ , she thought, and then instantly felt ashamed of herself. She knew she should be grateful that her parents had been among the most wealthy and the most paranoid in the United States. She should be happy to be down here, surviving - thriving even. As the film ended and the lights in the small classroom came on, her hand shot up. She could feel Ryan's eyes on the back of her head.

"Yes, Elisabeth?" Mr. Adelson barely glanced up as he began to write the review instructions on his tablet, sending the notes wirelessly to the large screen at the front of the class. The students were supposed to be typing them up, but most had closed and unplugged their laptops already and were watching the clock.

"Can I go to the washroom?"

He nodded a response as he began his list, and Ellie grabbed her books and stepped towards the door quickly. Class was almost over; she just wanted to get out before they did. She was so intent on her exit that she didn't see the foot shoot out from the aisle. Her books skidded across the floor as she stumbled forwards, hands shooting out automatically to break her fall. She heard the people closest to her snicker. Mr. Adelson paused to look at her, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry. Tripped," she said. He looked back to the board, expressionless, and continued writing. She scrambled for her texts and walked out the classroom door. The bell sounded as she reached the corridor. She just wanted to get home.

"Hey, Ellie, wait up," her brother's high-pitched voice called from behind her. A year and a half younger than she was, at fourteen, Paul's voice was just beginning to change. She slowed her step, allowing him to catch up. His long legs matching her stride now, she could see him looking at her face as they walked. "What was going on in there?" Of course, Paul had noticed. The most perceptive of her three brothers, Paul rarely missed the classroom subtext.

"Nothing. I'm just not feeling so hot today." Paul had already been in enough trouble for fighting. If he knew how miserable Lisa, Ryan and the others had been making her, he'd defend her – and be suspended for sure. And Mom would cry, as usual.

"Really?" His voice was tight. He didn't believe her.

"Yeah. I'm going to ask Mom if I can stay home tomorrow." That much was true, anyway. She'd been "sick" a lot these days. But things were just getting worse.

"You're planning to stay home? The history test's tomorrow. Adelson will never excuse you."

She sighed. Of course he wouldn't. She got the distinct impression that Mr. Adelson didn't like her, or her brothers. "Right. Guess I won't ask."

She didn't look at her brother as they walked down the long corridor, but she knew he was frowning at her again. As they reached their apartment, she paused, looking at him. "Paul, promise me you won't say anything about today, okay?"

"What, that you're not feeling well?" His voice had an edge to it, and his freckled face was redder than usual.

"Exactly."

"Fine." He pushed past her and opened the heavy metal door. Of course he was angry.

"Paul..."

"Hey, you two, how was school?" Steven Lauder's warm voice melted the tension in Ellie's shoulders instantly. He had been working nights, and having him home when she walked in was exactly what she needed.

Paul grunted, walking past him to his room, but Ellie smiled into his blue eyes. "Good, Dad." Good now, anyway. She moved to the cabinets to set the table. She worked carefully – they'd broken a dish last week and didn't have an extra one now. Supper wouldn't be ready for an hour, but she liked the routine.

"Ready for your history test?" he asked, settling back into a kitchen chair.

"Of course."

"Not surprised. Top of the class. You take after your mother." She tried not to laugh, as she carefully arranged the forks and knives around the plates. If she had inherited her quick mind from her mother, that was about the only way she resembled either of her parents. Both of them were fair-haired and pale. She and her siblings looked nothing like them – or each other, really. Paul was the only red-head she'd ever seen. Her own black hair and dark brown eyes looked out of place within the family and the community.

"We watched that video again today. The one about the amber and the sickness. I wish I could have seen what it was like up there, before."

"Yeah, me too."

"Grandma and Grandpa used to talk about it all the time."

"I remember. The world was a lot bigger for them than it is for us."

"I know." Her voice must have sounded sad, because his eyebrows shot up.

"You doing okay, Ellie?"

Thankfully, the door swung open. Jakob and Scott entered together, noisily. They were breathing hard. "There's no WAY you beat me! I was at least two steps in front of you!" Jakob's loud voice filled the small kitchen.

"Uh-uh!" Scott, less than a foot from Jakob, out-shouted him. "I touched the door first!"

"No way!"

"Hey, guys," Ellie said, attempting to interrupt their argument. Ignoring her, they continued arguing their way to the room they shared with Paul. Ellie was lucky to be the only girl, and the oldest. She had her own room, while the triplets shared one. She thought again how dissimilar they looked, especially for triplets. The other twins in the community didn't look identical either, but they had the same eyes. Although Scott and Jakob both had an olive completion, their physical features were clearly at odds – Jakob, with his broad shoulders, square chin and prominent forehead, and Scott, with his small, thin nose and birdlike frame. Ellie was pretty sure she would have noticed on her own, even if their distinctive differences hadn't been pointed out by well-intentioned neighbors and unkind classmates over the years. Everyone else in the family ignored it but it bothered Ellie.

Through their door, she could hear Paul's voice rise above the din of disagreement, and she grinned across the table at her dad.

"He's probably trying to study. You know he wants to catch up to you," he said.

"Never going to happen." She stood up, pushing in her chair. "Speaking of which, I should go study. Just in case."

Her dad nodded, and Ellie grabbed her laptop and disappeared into her room. Putting it on her nightstand, she flopped down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She didn't actually need to study. She had left before Mr. Adelson had finished writing the review anyway, and she knew the stuff cold. Her father wasn't exaggerating; she was at the top of her class. Not that it won her any friends. Not that anything would. _Why do they hate me so much?_ she wondered. Lisa's porcelain skin and crystal blue eyes appeared in her thoughts. Lisa was laughing. Always laughing. Her full lips were turned up into a mean grin. Ellie wished for a moment that Lisa had gotten the sickness. Of course, she hadn't even been around then, and there was no way up now, but if there were – if there were, she'd wish it on Lisa. She felt a quick pang of guilt, and took it back. She'd seen the video – she didn't actually wish it on anyone. When her grandmother was nearing the end of her life, she began to forget things; people, places – even how to use the simplest of technology. She'd often be confused or suspicious. Doctor Rawlings said it was common for a woman of her age to be forgetful. Ellie remembered, though, how, in a single moment of clarity, she'd commented that this was how her neighbors must have felt as the sickness was taking its toll. Ellie had been surprised to hear her mention them in that context, because Grandma never talked about the sickness, only about the parties and restaurants and galas.

Ellie had known what the sickness did for as long as she could remember. That's why the world up there was still uninhabitable. The sickness was devastating. It made you forget, not only who you were, but also how to function cognitively above the most basic level. It was no wonder it had destroyed the majority of the population so swiftly. But to hear her grandmother comment so directly about it, and relate it to her former neighbors, had driven the horror of it home for Ellie. She couldn't imagine losing anyone like that. Or losing herself like that, for that matter. Losing Lisa, though, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

***

"Please pass the potatoes." Stacie Lauder's polite request was answered with a muffled grunt as Jakob pushed the chipped green dish across the table. "Thank you." She received a quick nod of acknowledgment from Jakob as he shoved another forkful into his already full mouth. The table had been alive with conversation a moment ago but, as soon as her dad set down the food, the boys were consumed with eating. Even Paul, usually social, became solely focused on his plate.

"How was your day, Mom?" Ellie asked, mostly just to fill the silence. Her mother never really talked about it.

"Good. How about you? Learn anything new today?" It was her typical question. She often said that, once a person learned something new, they were done for the day.

"Nothing today. Oh – The Sheretons are expecting." Her dad's head shot up, and Mom's fork froze, poised over her lentils.

"Expecting?"

"Yeah. You know – pregnant."

"I know – it's just – are you sure? Her youngest is your age!"

"Yeah. I heard Lisa telling people about it. She's pretty excited."

Steven glanced at his wife. "They have four already, don't they?" The question made sense. Nobody in the community seemed to have more than four – most stopped at two or three. Things were already pretty full. Ellie was starting to wonder what would happen when the children in her class started getting married and having kids. Could they build more space down here? Where would they all live? Most of the extra storage space had already been converted into living areas.

"Yes." The word was clipped, and Ellie wished she hadn't mentioned anything.

"Hey, speaking of Lisa Shereton..." Paul's plate was empty now. Ellie shot him a look, but he avoided her eyes. "She tripped Ellie in class today." Ellie had thought he hadn't noticed.

"Accidentally," she said.

"Not accidentally," Paul shot back quickly. Her other two brothers finally stopped eating to look at them. They probably sensed an argument. She knew they wouldn't weigh in. Things weren't great for them, either, but they could hold their own. They were athletic in their own ways, and the girls were starting to notice them, which didn't hurt.

Her mom sighed. "Did Mr. Adelson notice?"

"No," Ellie said.

"Yes," Paul corrected her. "But he pretended not to, and Ellie didn't say anything."

Ellie ignored the look her parents exchanged. "I'll talk to Mr. Adelson," her father said finally.

"Please don't, Dad," Ellie begged. She knew it would only make things worse for her at school. Her parents had been talking to her teachers about her social situation for years.

"Mr. Adelson tries his best to be fair," her father replied. Ellie noticed the look on her mother's face as he spoke. "He'll deal with the situation."

"That's what I'm afraid of! He'll make some sort of half-hearted attempt at defending me, and it will just make everyone worse!"

"Then I'll call Lisa's parents. I'll call Mrs. Shereton's intercom tonight," her mother said.

"Yeah, and tell her congratulations while you're at it," Ellie said sarcastically, pushing her plate away. "Excuse me. I'm not hungry." She pushed her chair back and stood up abruptly. Paul called her name, but she shut her door firmly behind her. She knew she was acting like a child. She knew, too, that Paul and her parents were just trying to protect her. But they couldn't protect her, and nothing ever changed.

She ignored the knock on her door. She really didn't feel like a heart-to-heart with either of her parents. "Open up, Ellie. It's me." Or Paul, for that matter. "Ellie, I'm sorry, but you can't just let them walk all over you."

"So, should I beat them up?" she called back through the closed door. "That's working out really well for you."

She heard him sigh. "Well, I'm sorry anyway." He stood at the door for a long moment. She waited quietly until she heard him leave. The other two wouldn't come by. What could they say? She knew them well enough to know they felt bad for her, but they had their own issues to deal with. The fact that things were finally starting to get a little better for them made them less eager to fight her battles. And they'd lose, anyway. Outside her room, she could hear the hum of discussion between her parents; they were talking, she knew, about what to do. She wondered if they'd mention the pregnancy. Ellie could tell they weren't happy about it, and even Mr. Adelson had frowned when he'd heard Lisa talking about the baby.

She thought about Lisa's family. Her parents were always friendly enough, although maybe not exactly warm. But they used to have her over to play all the time. She'd even have said Lisa and she were friends back then. Most of the children used to get along pretty well with her. No sudden event had changed that. It was a slow eroding over time. Ellie had realized a few years ago that it had mostly to do with the fact that she looked so different from the others. Nobody offered any explanation as to why but, once it was pointed out and focused on, nobody forgot about it, even for a moment. They used to tease her until she cried. Now, she'd gotten much better at pretending she didn't care. Despite how unhappy all of the adults looked about the addition of an extra, unplanned child, it would be loved by everyone in the community. It would be like Lisa: beautiful and accepted. So unfair.

She moved to the small brown desk in the corner of her room. The chair matched the desk. It was wooden, unlike most of the gray metal ones and, as Ellie sat in it, she ran her finger along the desk's smooth but slightly uneven edge. Her parents had brought it in for her, in pieces, when she was seven. It was the middle of the night, and, although she had pretended to be asleep, she had watched them from her bed as they quietly assembled it. She'd wanted to ask where they'd gotten it, but she knew, even then, that questions like that were simply not answered. Instead, she pushed the questions out of her mind and just loved the desk. Nights like this one made it harder to ignore the questions.

She sat at her desk, thinking, half-reading over her history notes, until the apartment was silent. Her father had gone to work, and everyone else was asleep. She waited a moment more and then quietly pushed back her chair. She needed some time to just walk. Carefully easing open her door, she quickly shut off her bedroom light and entered the dimly lit kitchen area. Crossing the floor soundlessly, she held her breath until she was alone in the hallway. The night shift had already begun and the corridors were clear. The quiet was beautiful. She was thankful, as usual, that the community didn't have any sort of nightlife, although they still played old movies in which the open night sky was alight with streetlamps and building signs, and characters danced in clubs or met for coffee. Here, there was no sky and no night and no nightlife. The main corridor lights would dim at eight, and people were predictably in bed by ten. It was half-past eleven now. The world was hers.

She walked slowly down the main corridor. She had nowhere to go, really. She just found that being alone with her thoughts helped. And, despite the fact that their community was finite, the tunnels were so vast and complicated, she used to be able to find an arm she hadn't explored yet, every now and then. It didn't happen any more – she'd been wandering the corridors by herself long enough to be pretty certain that she'd been everywhere. Everywhere except the work areas - the sections reserved for the food and goods manufacturers. When she was given her career, she would be granted entrance. _The final frontier_ , she thought, rolling her eyes. And then she would work, probably get married, maybe have children. She wondered if the child allowance would be reduced by then. Her life was mapped out, finite like the corridors. She ran her hand along the smooth metal walls as she walked. The texture was so different than that of her wooden desk. Cold and flat, yet just as familiar. Turning down the corridor away from the main areas, she headed towards one of the remaining storage facilities. Eventually, she imagined, that too would be used for living space.

Inside, she stood for a moment in the dark before reaching to her left and switching on the light. None of the storage rooms were lit at night. There was no need. She hadn't been in the room for a few weeks but very little had been moved; it looked almost identical to how it had looked when she'd been here last. They were careful with supplies. She turned off the light again and finding, by touch, the large, Ellie-sized box in the corner that she'd previously designated as a seat, she scrambled up. Pulling her knees up close to her body, she let the blackness envelope her. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her knees. She knew she was safe. Nobody was expecting anything of her. She didn't feel like crying when she was alone here, so far removed from pity and hatred. But she could only stay so long. As she felt sleep settling on her, she knew it was time to go. Shaking herself awake and scooting to the edge of the box, she climbed down backwards, carefully touching her feet to the floor before letting go.

***

Ellie left for school earlier than usual the next morning. She grabbed her toast and quietly closed the door behind her, her thin gray laptop tucked securely under her left arm. She liked arriving at the schoolroom before anyone else. The doors wouldn't be locked, and she could make sure she sat in her lucky spot. Deep down, she knew she didn't really need luck, but it was routine. It was also a convenient way to avoid running into any of her classmates on the way to school in the morning. She half-expected to hear Paul calling after her, but she knew it was _his_ morning routine to sleep in as long as possible. He seemed to enjoy the challenge of arriving at school on time.

In the empty classroom, Ellie found the back middle desk and sat down. Plugging in the computer, she watched the screen light up. She wondered what it would have been like to have been around when the batteries were still working. It seemed so much simpler. But none of the outdated technology could hold a charge anymore. She had heard that some of the Techs were working on creating new batteries but, with such limited supplies, she doubted it would be possible.

Two of her classmates came in. They glanced at her, through her. They sat in their own lucky areas of the room. Ryan was next. He looked around the room slowly and then feigned surprise to see her there.

"Oh...That's where that smell is coming from!" He laughed loudly at his own joke and sat three rows directly in front of her. She stared at the single strand of white-blond hair that seemed to have escaped his comb and stuck straight up in the air. She pictured herself reaching forward to smooth it down. Ryan was a jerk, but he was a good-looking jerk. Her brothers were next. As they walked into the noisy classroom, all three gave her a quick nod before finding their desks. She liked how they were all in the same class. When she'd moved to the high school room first, and they'd stayed with the middle years class, she'd been unprepared for how lonely life felt without her brothers. This year, they were back together in school. It was probably the only thing that made life bearable for her.

Lisa walked in close behind her brothers and, as she found a desk a few rows in front of Ellie, she turned and glared at her before whipping around in her desk and setting up her laptop, with an obviously false sense of concentration. _Mom had called._ Finally, Mr. Adelson swept into the room, the door banging loudly behind him. He looked startled by his own loud entrance and the sudden silence in the room. He cleared his throat, crossing the room quietly and typing quickly into his own laptop. The test appeared simultaneously on their screens. All other functions, of course, were locked. Not that she'd need her notes. A quick glance at the questions reassured her she was as prepared as she needed to be.

"You have an hour to complete this test. When you finish, you may disconnect and wait quietly for the bell. We meet back here after lunch." The room was filled with clicking of the keyboards. Ellie typed automatically, her fingers flying across the keys. She was the top of the class in all of her subjects, but history was especially easy for her. There was really only so much past to know.

She was the first one done but she kept her fingers poised over the keys and her laptop open and connected. She felt a definite sense of satisfaction being at the top, but she preferred not to call attention to it. She waited until a few of her classmates had finished before disconnecting.

"Ms. Lauder, please stay a moment." Ellie froze. _Mom had called Mr. Adelson too._ She stood awkwardly at her desk as the classroom emptied. Nobody looked at her as they left. She tucked her laptop under her arm, threw her bag over her shoulder, and walked up to his desk. "Your mother tells me you're having some trouble in class."

"Does she?"

"Yes. With some of the other students."

"It's fine," Ellie said, looking down. _This is so embarrassing._

"I hope you don't think I would deliberately ignore any kind of disrespect happening among the students in my class."

"Of course not."

"Well, I just wanted to make sure I addressed the issue with you."

"Right."

"Just... Know you can talk to me if there's a problem."

"I will." _Like that will happen._ She couldn't help but notice he hadn't asked Lisa to stay. Not that it would have made the situation any better.

"I'll let your Mom know we talked."

"Sure." She stood for a moment and then turned and left. She had to give her mom some credit; she had follow-through.

"Oh, look, if it isn't little poor little Ellie," she heard Lisa call across the room as soon as Ellie entered the common eating area. The hum of conversation fell quiet, as if her peers were waiting for her response. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction. Instead, she moved quietly past them to sit with her brothers. They were waiting, too. Placing her computer on the table, she put her bag down and took out the small box containing her water bottle and sandwich. Taking a drink, she pretended she couldn't hear Lisa coming up behind her. She felt Paul tense up. Jakob and Scott kept their eyes noticeably glued to their plate.

"What, nothing to say now? Just going to tell your Mommy at home later?"

"Back off, Lisa," To Ellie's surprise, Jakob stood up, his chair scraping across the floor. "Don't you have anything better to do?" Paul and Scott stood too. Ellie reluctantly stood to face Lisa. _Where was adult supervision when you really wanted it?_

"Oh, how nice. The freak-four, united." Lisa's voice dripped sarcasm. A few people laughed. "You guys are a joke. What are you even doing here?"

"Oh, four – that's interesting," Ellie said, feigning calm. "I hear your Mom's expecting a _fifth._ Nice to see she respects the family allowance. And where exactly are you planning to put your wonderful addition?" Lisa's face colored. Nobody really talked about the family allowance, and when she'd mentioned the pregnancy, nobody had questioned her. "Did your parents decide they just needed one last chance to get it right?"

For a moment, Ellie felt a surge of satisfaction. Lisa wasn't smiling. Then, she flipped her hair and shrugged. "Well, at least we actually all _belong_ here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Jakob.

"I don't really know. I just know I heard my parents talking after your nosey Mom called. Dad said you guys aren't even from here."

Ellie felt like the air had been sucked from the room.

"That's stupid," Paul's voice cracked.

"Where else would we be from?" Scott asked at the same time.

"Don't know, don't care. I just know what I heard." Ryan put his hand on Lisa's arm – a warning. What did he know? Ellie blinked rapidly.

"You're lying," she said. Lisa had to be lying.

"Am I? You don't look anything like _anyone_ here."

"So? You and your sisters have different colored hair _and_ eyes."

"Yeah, but we still look like we're from the same family. We still look something like our parents and grandparents."

"We look like other relatives. My Grandmother always said..."

"Don't really care," Lisa interrupted. Her eyes narrowed, and Ryan, who had come up behind her, pulled at her arm a little. She shook him off. She was going in for the kill. "Ryan found an old Grade Nine Biology textbook in his Grandpa's old things. You know, his Grandpa, the founder of the school?"

"Lisa, don't," Ryan interrupted. The Lauders were silent, waiting.

"According to the book, you inherit certain genetic traits from your biological parents. What, exactly, have any of _you_ inherited from yours?" There was a moment of stunned silence, followed by the thud of Paul's fist connecting with Ryan's face. Ryan's friends grabbed Paul, and Ellie saw Jakob lunge across the table. Simply numb, Ellie pushed past the fray and ran out into the corridor, away from the learning rooms, away from the noise.

She ran until all she could hear were her leather shoes against the hard floor. As she reached the end of the hall and leaned against the wall to catch her breath, the sound of her ragged breathing echoed in her ears. Falling to her knees, she threw up. It had to be true. Lisa was a terrible excuse for a human being but what she said had to be true. It explained everything – from the adults' treatment of her family to her own sense of segregation. Everything was a lie. But if it was, where _had_ she and her brothers come from? She felt suddenly chilled as a thought occurred to her. Looking up, she realized where she had run. Maybe she'd known all along. In dark lettering on the door was "Night Manufacturing. Do Not Enter." People never came down here unless it was to work. Ellie had only been outside this door a few times, when she'd been wandering herself. Even then, she'd never been tempted to go inside. People respected the rules. Nobody locked anything. Everybody trusted everybody else. Or they used to, anyway.

Ellie looked at the door for a moment, deciding. Then she turned the handle and quietly slid inside. It was pitch black, and she groped along the wall for the light switch. Finding nothing, she continued to search, first the wall by the door, and then the adjoining one. She was surprised when she again reached the entrance and had found no switch. Why would there be no light in here? What kind of manufacturing could be done in the dark? She opened the door again, and, using the light from the hallway, looked around. The room was significantly smaller than she'd imagined and completely empty, aside from a single, long, ladder in the far corner of the room. Her gaze followed it upward, and she held her breath as she realized what, exactly, she was looking at. It was a small, round hatch. It looked clean and maintained – this was no rusted, out of use, out of date thing of the past. Someone had been using this. Recently.

Resolutely, she stepped towards the ladder, letting the door shut firmly behind her. A voice in the back of her mind told her not to be foolish, to wait to talk to her parents, to listen to reason. She ignored it. Walking blindly in the direction of the ladder, she stopped as she felt her fingertips brush against it. Holding its edges with both hands, she put one foot on the rung, and then the other, moving up towards where she knew the opening was, stopping at each step to reach upwards. At last, she felt the large, circular handle. Without a second thought, she turned it.

# Chapter 2 - Ellie

Ellie pulled herself up quickly, ignoring the coarse, wiry surface that pressed against her palms. Climbing out on her hands and knees, she barely heard the hatch bang closed behind her. The light was blinding as she knelt there, squinting up into the yellow-orange globe far above her, harsh against the light of the pale blue sky. She blinked rapidly, trying to see, trying to think. The smell in the air was strange but familiar, slightly sweet but also dry – fire. Surrounding her was the sound of a loud rustling; in her spotted vision, the thin gray-brown trees swayed slightly, as if they were alive. The same force that moved the trees was grabbing at the ends of her hair, brushing them lightly against her neck. She gasped, her heart beating wildly. Something moved against her hand, and a scream escaped her lips as a small black creature scurried across her skin. Flinging her arm upwards, she scrambled to her feet and then froze, as she heard the ground crack beneath her.

"Help!" she cried, panic winning over reason. "Somebody help me!" Her eyes combed the ground frantically, imagining the earth opening its gaping mouth and swallowing her. Green and brown blades bent beneath her feet but the ground was solid. Breathing deeply, she forced herself to focus on slowing her breath. Grass. She was standing on grass. She'd seen it in movies, in pictures, in textbooks. She moved her foot slightly. A small twig, snapped in two, lay beneath. The world wasn't opening up and swallowing her. This was outside. This was above. She looked into the sky again. _Sun. Clouds._ It was so much bigger in real life, so much brighter – so much more terrifying. She looked back to where the hatch lay. It was almost invisible, covered in waist-high grass and smoothly set in the ground. When she moved the grass, she saw, on the side of the hatch, a small button, like the kind they used in their interior intercom system. Lying in the grass beside the hatch was a pile of loose foliage that had slid off as she'd exited.

She kicked the debris back over the hatch and stared down at it. Someone had gone to great trouble to make sure this opening stayed hidden. If everything was gone out here, and the sickness was still around, why were they still coming out? She looked up, suddenly chilled. _And why the need to hide the opening?_ She'd already answered the question, before she'd asked it. There must be survivors out here. _Is the sickness gone?_ Her people were using this hatch. They would never come out if the sickness was still here.

She stepped forward hesitantly. The area surrounding her was lightly forested, thin grayish brown trees sparsely populating the glade. She reached out to touch one and was surprised to see that her hand was still shaking. The bark was rough against her skin. She'd expected it to feel like her desk. But nothing up here felt familiar. _I should go back in and get Paul,_ she thought _._ But even as she considered it, she knew it couldn't happen. Everyone had seen what had happened with Lisa. They'd be looking for her. If she were going to find out what was up here, it would have to be _now_.

Resolved and slightly steadier, she reached up and pulled out the blue elastic that was tying back her thick black hair. Letting it fall loosely over her shoulders, she wrapped the elastic on a branch a few feet from the underground opening. She wouldn't go far. She looked around again, trying to get a sense of direction. Peering through the trees towards the sun, she could just make out the edge of the wooded area.

As she stepped into the clearing, she paused. The air moved so fast up here. It moved the trees and her clothing. It moved the tall grass and – _the flowers!_ She'd never seen flowers in real life before. They existed in science and history class and in fiction. But there they were – a patch of bright, multi-colored petals. _Why don't we have flowers anymore?_ On impulse, she reached down and plucked a small purple one from the ground. Holding it out in front of her by its stem, she felt herself smiling. _I. Am. Outside._ She carefully tucked the flower into her shoe. She wished that she'd thought to bring her bag out with her. Continuing slowly over the grassy field, she watched a yellow bird – _a bird!_ \- flying high above her, crying shrilly as it passed.

There was another sound on the wind, faint at first. Ellie stood stalk-still, eyes wide, listening. Quick snatches, unintelligible but unmistakable. Voices. Whipping around, she searched for the source. Just over the hill, three figures were barely visible. Dropping to her belly, she lay flat against the dirt, the tall grass surrounding her body. What would they do to her when they found her? _I'm such a fool._ She could hear their deep voices grow louder as they neared her grassy hiding place. Their footsteps were closing in on her, and she held her breath, her head prickling with sweat. She could just make out their shoes now - brown leather, much like the ones supplied to her, but more thoroughly worn and much larger. The men stopped suddenly, five feet away from where she lay.

"They went this way." The man spoke English; his voice was angry, rough, and the cadence of his speech itself wasn't what she was used to. Shaking, she tasted blood as she bit her lip, fighting the urge to get up and run. The other voices murmured in agreement. "We'll find them soon enough." The group was silent, waiting. Ellie held her breath. "This way", he said finally and, changing course slightly, began walking. The others followed quickly and wordlessly. As their footfalls faded, she burst into tears, hand tight over her mouth, trying to muffle the sobs that wrenched themselves from her gut. Seconds ago, she'd wanted to run. Now, she should get up and go back to the hatch, but she couldn't make herself stand. What if they hadn't gone far? All the cruel things Lisa had said to her this year, all the ways she'd tried to intimidate her, hadn't prepared her for what real fear felt like.

***

Ellie's arms felt stiff when she finally, cautiously, pushed herself up to a sitting position. The air was cool now, and her thin tunic felt inadequate. She exhaled slowly as she looked up into the darkened sky. Thousands of tiny dots lit up the expanse above her. She'd never seen anything so beautiful in her life. A loud cry echoing from somewhere in the distance brought her attention quickly back to the reality of her situation, and she crouched down quickly. _What was that?_ It sounded almost like a woman screaming. Ellie heard it again. Loud, terrifying. Inhuman. _Animals._ Despite the cool air, she felt beads of sweat forming on her brow-line and she fought to control the rising panic. Wild men and wild animals. Glancing around, she carefully started walking, in a low crouch, towards the tree line. She tried to make her steps silent. Another cry. Was it closer this time? She could see the forest now. Would anyone be looking for her yet? She'd made a habit of being alone. Would they be giving her time to cool off? Would they be worried? _Please find me. Please, please._ A low growl answered her silent entreaty. Inhaling sharply, she turned slowly and met the gaze of two almond shaped eyes that seemed to be glowing in the dark. Straightening up, she took a step back. The large cat-like animal, a few feet from where she stood, snarled, its lips curled back. A spotted, red-brown tail flicked angrily. Stepping slowly back again, Ellie weighed her options. The animal wasn't as big as she'd first imagined; about four feet long with short black ears. Its gaze was alert, though, and its legs were muscled and powerful. She had never had to outrun anything before. Their physical fitness classes never focused on speed.

The cat crouched, growling louder, and Ellie stumbled backwards, a cry involuntarily tearing itself from within her as she turned and ran towards the trees. She could hear its soft stride right behind her, gaining on her. The uneven ground rose up to meet her as she tripped, rolling onto her back and raising her arms up in front of her as the cat leapt. A haze of fur, and the beast fell still beside her. Panting, sobbing, she rolled away from it, crawling blindly. A hand touched her back and, screaming, she scrambled up again, onto her feet. She ran, blindly, frantically, towards nothing. Footsteps pounded the earth for a moment behind her and then a hand grabbed her wrist, swinging her around. She fell, pulling her assailant down on top of her. His hands pinned her to the ground, and she struggled against them frantically.

"Sister! Sister, it's me!" His voice slowly registered, and, already exhausted, she looked up into deeply set, unfamiliar eyes. His jaw line was covered by a thin black beard but he didn't seem to be much older than she was. His eyes were young. She didn't know him. "Sister, what has happened to you?" His dark eyebrows furrowed, his expression a mixture of confusion and worry. She lay still, watching him. "I heard there was an attack. I couldn't find anyone. How did you escape? Did you bring any of the others with you?"

Unable to find her voice, she shook her head slightly. He nodded slowly, moving back onto his haunches. Reaching out, he took her hand, and Ellie allowed him to pull her to sitting. Leaning forward, he looked closely at her face.

"Are you unwell, Sister? I heard you screaming before. I recognized your voice. It was how I found you." When she didn't reply, he moved her hair from her face and tilted her chin gently towards himself. "Are you ill? Where have you been?"

She cleared her throat "I – don't remember – Brother," she said, hoping they all used the familial term for one another. She had to let him believe she was one of _them_. How else would she keep her family safe and make it back to them alive?

He was silent, considering her. "Come. You will be well again soon. Some food and some rest will help you be...you again. Where is your water?"

She shrugged very slightly. He handed her his wineskin. She drank deeply. The water was cool, and she realized it had been hours since she'd taken any liquid. He stood, waiting. Finally, reluctantly, she handed it back to him. He shook it slightly, listening to the water slosh.

"We will need to pass the river for more, tomorrow." Ellie watched with wonder as he reached down and calmly pulled a large knife from the neck of the cat. He wiped it off firmly on the grass beside it. Sheathing it in his belt, he lifted the animal, slinging it easily across one shoulder. He didn't look back at her as he began to walk quickly towards the forest. _He just expects that I will follow._ She was on her feet in moments and had to jog to catch up to his long strides. If the daylight was terrifying, the night was downright horrific. Shadows seemed to loom in her peripheral, vanishing as she turned to look. A howl echoed in the distance. Biting her lip, she focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Something fluttered against her cheek, and she cried out before she could stop herself, raising her hands to shield her face. The man she was following turned instantly, alarmed.

Seeing the cause of her distress, he clapped his hands together once, quickly. "A moth," he said softly. "It is gone."

_One of the many terrible things out here._ He was continuing on now, and she walked quickly to keep pace with him until they reached the edge of the woods. He didn't slow as he entered the shadows, and she reached out to hold his arm, both for guidance and comfort. She could see almost nothing. It was black under the cover of the trees. He glanced down at her in surprise and slackened his gait slightly. Ellie wondered where they were in relation to the hatch. Would someone come out to look for her? Was she putting them in danger right now?

She expected that they would stop to rest soon. He had mentioned rest, hadn't he? Instead, he continued on, until they were in the thick of the woods. Finally, they stopped.

Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darker environment. The young man was quietly gathering dead branches and laying them down in a pile. She stood, stalk still, shivering in the damp air, as she watched. He glanced at her, although she couldn't make out his expression. He paused in his work. "Don't worry. We won't stay here long," he said, by way of explanation. "Only long enough to eat and get warm. Do you have your knife?"

"No."

"Here." She moved quickly as he tossed something towards her. It landed softly at her feet. He waited for her to pick it up. When she didn't, he picked it up and handed it to her. _His knife._ He turned from her and continued gathering wood. She looked down at the blade, then at the stranger again. After a moment, he straightened up, stopping to look at her. "Are you going to prepare the meat?"

"Meat?" she echoed weakly. She looked over to where the animal's body lay on the ground.

"Yes. Meat." He waited again while she tried to process the request. When she didn't respond, he gently took her hand and guided her to kneel on the grass. Then, he carried the cat to where she knelt, laying it out in front of her. "Skin it and cut it up, quickly. We will have only a very short time."

He resumed his work, and she stared down at the animal in front of her. _Skin it?_ Horrified, she looked at the knife again.

"You're going to eat it?"

" _We_ are going to eat it. What is wrong with you?"

What could she possibly say? She'd never even seen a real animal before. The thought of eating it was almost implausible. "I'm sorry. I just don't know..." She heard the tears in her own voice.

He sighed, deeply. "It's all right. Okay?" He came and knelt beside her. Deftly, he took the knife from her and began the task. She was thankful it was dark.

When he finished preparing the animal, he hung the pelt over a low branch. "Someone can use that," he said. He laid the ample meat on the ground beside his woodpile. She was surprised how much there was from such a small animal. Pulling a small bow-like tool from his belt, he began working over the woodpile.

Ellie squinted in the dark. _What is he doing?_ Suddenly, a small spark appeared. She could hear him blowing gently on it, and the spark slowly grew into a flame. As she watched him, she knew, without a doubt now, that there could be no more sickness here. But she could see why the adults had been lying to them. This was not a world any of them were really prepared for.

He'd made some sort of skewer now, and he rigged it up so that the animal pieces hung above the flames. She sat in the dirt, breathing in the strange scent produced by the meat and fire. Her mouth began to water. "Warm yourself," he said, moving aside and gesturing for Ellie to join him. "It won't be long before they smell this and come looking for us."

_They._ Coming to stand beside him, Ellie's mind worked slowly, trying to connect the information. _They_. Suddenly, she touched his shoulder. "I think people were looking for... us... before."

He looked up sharply. "When?"

"During the day. I hid, in the grass. They walked right by me."

"Which way did they go?"

"I... I don't know." She knew she should be able to tell him. She knew he would know. He seemed to know exactly where they were and exactly where they were going, even in the dark. His frustrated silence said what his words didn't: she was useless.

"The meat is ready now." He pulled the makeshift skewers off the fire and then, in one swift motion, kicked dirt to smother the flames. "We will take some with us. Eat now." He thrust a large piece at her and took some for himself. She watched him bite into the blackened meat, juice from within it running down onto his chin. She thought of the cat's eyes, watching her. Closing her eyes, she brought the warm food to her mouth. _People used to do this all the time. It's normal._ Forcing the image of the animal from her mind, she sunk her teeth into it. She was surprised by its soft texture and, as she chewed, by how strong the taste was; it was salty. It was okay though, she decided. Strange, but good. _And slightly barbaric_ , she added, as she took another careful bite. They ate quickly. He finished off several pieces before she was done her one, but she shook her head when he offered her another. She could still feel bits of animal flesh between her back teeth. He wiped his hands on the bottom of his tunic and began shoving the rest of the still-hot meat into the bag at his waist. Letting it fall against his leg, he reached out his hand to her. Without pausing, she took it. She had no choice but to trust him. She realized, to her surprise, she already did, entirely.

"Where are we going?" she asked quietly as they neared the edge of the forest.

"The ruins." He said it like she should know what he was talking about.

"Will we make it there tonight?"

He glanced sidelong at her. "It's a half day's walk from here. If we walk all night, we should just make it by daybreak."

"All night?"

"It's the safest way. Most of the other tribes will be sleeping now. If we move quickly and quietly, we'll be at my shelter before the sun rises. We can sleep in shifts when we get there." He hesitated. "I know you are unwell. We can stop when you absolutely must. But you need to _try._ " They left the cover of the trees and, although he didn't slow, Ellie noticed that the stranger made his body smaller; he rounded his shoulder and bent his knees. His footsteps were silent. She tried to emulate him.

"You'll love the ruins, you know. As soon as I saw them, I knew I'd have to take you with me there someday," he said. "I just wish the reason had been different." She fell silent as they walked, absorbing his words. He had thought of her, specifically, at the ruins. _Who does he think I am? What will he do when he realizes he has the wrong girl?_

***

Exhausted, Ellie stumbled again, thankful for her partner's quick reflexes and strong arms. He righted her back on her feet. She looked up into the dark sky as they trekked along. Her feet felt like lead, although they couldn't have been walking for more than a couple of hours, at the most. There was no sign of light in the sky. Just as her body wasn't cut out for running, neither was it made for distance. Ellie could feel irritation emanating from him as she slowed further. She willed her legs to move. Blinking rapidly, she tried to hold back the tears of fatigue and frustration. Her eyes blurred.

"Look, up ahead." His voice was a whisper close to her ear. She followed the nod of his head.

"The ruins?"

He laughed softly. "No, but it is a place we can rest."

She sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. We will rest and rise again at dawn. We'll need to travel more carefully in the daylight though."

She allowed him to lead her to the dip at the edge of a small hill. As she sank gratefully down onto the solid ground, she pictured her own bed and smooth gray ceiling above it. She'd never spent a day away from home. And now she was about to go to sleep in a place she hadn't even known existed, with absolutely no way back. Even if she could slip away from the stranger – which was highly unlikely, considering the ease at which he navigated this dark, dangerous world – how would she find her way back? Even if she could, of course, she wasn't sure she'd want to. The risk of exposing her home was far too great. As she closed her eyes, she clung to the hope that they would come looking for her. After all, people from her community had obviously been here before. They had created the hidden entrance. They would find her. They had to.

***

"Come, it will be light soon." He was pinching her shoulder, and she moaned, slowly opening her eyes. She looked at first into the warm eyes of a woman, her long black hair hanging down over her shoulders. She blinked, and the image vanished, replaced by the young man's already familiar face. The sky was a dark blue now. She felt like she'd barely slept at all, although she knew, from his deep frown, that he'd been trying to wake her for some time. She struggled to sit up, and he moved back, handing her a cold piece of meat. "We'll gather berries when we can," he said, pulling her up. He took her hand, and he began to walk quietly through the rising dawn. She looked down at the food, shuddering. Breakfast was supposed to be hash browns and bread and lentils. Her stomach growled, in spite of her misgivings. She chewed as they walked.

Soon, the sky was painted with color. Pink, red, orange, and blue lit up the horizon, and Ellie felt tears filling her eyes as she took in the unexpected beauty.

"You always have loved the sunrise, Natasha. You should have been 'the one who loves the morning'". Startled, she realized he had been watching her gazing at the sky, and he was smiling down at her. _Natasha. The other me has a name after all._ She managed a nod.

"I'm glad you're safe, Sister. I will make you well again." Again, she merely nodded.

He fell into an alert silence again. She could tell he was listening and watching as they made their way through the grass, staying close to trees. She wondered how it was possible they were dressed so alike. She felt the fabric of her tunic again. It was soft but strong. They were told it was manufactured leather, but she wondered, for the first time, how they had been making it. She hadn't really seen anything else, besides clothing, made from this material. Even their sheets and comforters were dyed wools and soft silks - taken and preserved by the Originals for long-term use. She looked again at his brown tunic; the material, the cut, even the minute stitching along the arm was similar to hers. She looked at her shoes. They, too, were like his. This fact explained one of the reasons that the hatch existed. _We're getting goods from them_.

In the daylight, the outside world was far less daunting. She passed another field of bright yellow flowers. Such color! As they walked, she adjusted to the feeling of the loose ground beneath her tired feet, and she passed the time by trying to count the new creatures she saw. Her throat began to ache; he'd given her the last of his water hours ago, shortly after they'd begun the morning journey. She wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her; she could hear the sound of flowing water. She felt him pick up his pace slightly, and she followed suit. The sound grew louder and soon she could make out a thick line of water, flowing along brown banks. _The river._ She was so thirsty. He released her hand as he bent down to fill the wineskin. She fell on her knees and scooped the cold water up in her cupped palms, bringing it eagerly to her dry lips. Gulping greedily, she dipped her hands in again. She could hear the man drinking beside her. She wanted to ask him his name, but she knew Natasha would know it already.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her, having satisfied his thirst.

"Hungry," she answered honestly.

"I am too."

"What about the meat – from before?"

He frowned at her. "You know we can't eat that. It wasn't dried."

"Right."

"Sister..." he stopped, still frowning. Then, shaking his head, he got up. "You rest here, by the water. Drink more. I'll bring you food." She watched him disappear into the bush. What were her real brothers doing right now? Lying on her side by the river, she dipped her fingers in gently, creating soft, swirling patterns along the surface. She wondered if Natasha were a real person or a figment of his imagination.

"Found them." He appeared beside her suddenly, and she held out her hands to him. He filled them with plump, deep purple berries. She grinned at him. Here was another first; she'd never had purple berries, although she'd had strawberries all her life. He sat down beside her, feet stretched out in front of him, and ate. She popped a berry into her mouth and almost laughed aloud as the sweet juice rushed out onto her tongue. _Today I'm finding out the best of this world._ She wanted to eat them slowly, to savor them, but her hungry stomach and her partner's hurried prompting demanded that she finish the small meal quickly. "We... I... will hunt when we arrive at the ruins. I wasn't sure there'd be game there. But there are all sorts of birds nesting in the taller buildings.

She allowed him to lead her onwards again, every step taking her farther away from her home.

***

"There they are – see them?" They emerged from the tall grass, and she found herself walking along the edge of a long, gray strip of pavement. A highway. She followed his gesture and sighed deeply, relief instantly flooding her. The broken, abandoned city of Des Moines stood in ruins not far from where they were. It looked much like it had in the history video she'd seen, except it had been standing then. The boy began to walk faster, still cautious but more hurried. They entered the city, and she felt relieved as the large buildings hid them from the open space. "Amazing, isn't it?" he asked, stopping at last in the midst of a half-standing building. "So many structures from the old times. And many places to find warmth and shelter. It was even better than I thought it would be." She allowed him to lead her to the place he'd been describing as _his_. They walked past a small woodpile and through a doorway. On the hardwood floor lay some thick blankets. She yawned, just looking at them.

"Rest, Natasha. I will watch over you."

"Thank you." She lay down on the floor, some blankets beneath, and pulled one of the smaller ones on top of her. As she drifted off, she wondered if the woman would find her in her dreams again.

The smell of fire woke her and, as she opened her eyes, she saw sunlight coming in through the open door. She'd slept through the night and well into the next day.

The man came in through the door and knelt beside her. "How are you feeling, Natasha?" he asked her, looking closely at her face. "You have slept so long! It's late afternoon. And you're so pale. You look unwell." As he spoke, they heard the sound of faint footsteps and turned to see who was approaching. Looking up, she froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. She was staring into a copy of her own face.

# Chapter 3 - Natasha

"Sister!" cried Lee.

She looked at his wide, frightened eyes and wondered at the cause.

"Brother! Why did you not come look for us? You must have heard what happened. Most of our people are dead! Or did you give up on me so quickly?" She had finally found him in one of the dwellings in the ruins of the great city. D _oes he not care?_ Why did she have to search for him these seven days? He should have been searching for her!

"Natasha-the-Warrior, it _is_ you!"

"Of course it is me. Brother, have you lost all sense?" She couldn't help the anger in her voice. Surely Lee was not playing the fool. What was wrong with him?

Then she followed Lee's wide eyes and noticed, for the first time, that there was another girl in the room, just rising to her feet. Perhaps she was the cause of his delay. The girl had long black hair. Natasha's eyes locked onto her face. Shock followed. She was looking into a paler copy of her own features! Now she understood her brother's fear! Was this some sort of otherworldly creature? Natasha reached for the blade she carried at her right hip.

"Natasha, no!" Lee cried. She regarded her brother briefly, her hand still on the hilt of her knife. "Natasha...this is...she must be...our sister!"

"I have no sister," she said sharply, turning her attention again to the stranger.

"When you were born, there were two. Twins. I'm three years older. I remember it. There was another girl."

"But she died?"

"No. She was taken. When you were two years old."

Natasha released her knife and circled the other girl who stood perfectly still. She smelled odd. Her eyes had tears in them.

"I have seen such a thing before," said Lee. "Two of the same mother, who came at the same time and looked the same."

"But where could she have been, for all these years, that we have not seen her?"

"I don't know," said her brother.

"And why is she so pale?"

"I don't know."

"Does the girl speak? What is wrong with her?"

Just then, the girl burst into tears.

Natasha took a step back from her. _There is no threat from her._ "She is...like a child."

"Yes," said Lee. "I thought she was you."

Laughter erupted from the sun-darkened warrior as she whirled to face her brother. "Oh, Lee! How I have missed you! I am glad to see you in good health." She flung herself into his arms. He had not abandoned her. All was well.

Lee hugged her back. "Where are the others? Mother, Father – and the rest of our tribe?"

Tears were in Natasha's eyes now, as she pulled from Lee's embrace. She blinked them away fiercely. "Most are dead. I saw Mother and Father killed. It was the Terrock. They didn't take any prisoners but slaughtered all they found. Father would not let me stay to fight. He sent me and River away with all the children big enough to run. River is hiding with the children now. We must go back for them."

Lee bowed his head and clenched his jaw, his mouth forming a hard line. "And what about Nathan-the-One-Who-Sings?"

"My betrothed is dead."

"Betrothed?" a quavering voice spoke from behind her. The girl wiped her face on her sleeve.

Natasha turned to see the pale girl, still crying. _So, she does speak._ "Of course - betrothed. I am sixteen. I would have wed this fall." She regarded the pale girl with disdain. "What do you have to cry over? You didn't just lose your family and tribe," Natasha snapped. Lee moved to stand beside Natasha.

"I did!" insisted the girl. "Only _I_ never even got to know them."

Natasha nodded, acknowledging the truth of what her sister said.

"My name's Elisabeth but people call me Ellie. My family and some other families – we live underground."

"Why would they call you Ellie when your name is Elisabeth?" asked Lee.

The girl shrugged.

_How odd._ "Under the ground?" Natasha looked to Lee for explanation.

"I have seen some places like that in the ruins of the city here. Rooms and even larger areas that have been built under the ground."

"We live underground for safety. There was no sickness there. And no fighting. No one can attack us there," said Ellie.

"Sickness?" echoed Natasha.

"The great sickness from days past that came from the sky," said Lee. "I have heard elders speak of it."

Natasha nodded. "You never come out? What do you eat?"

"Different kinds of lentils. Hydroponically grown. It's very nutritious."

The girl's words made no sense.

"Why did they take you?" asked Lee, anger in his voice. "Mother cried for many days. Why did they take you from your family?"

"I don't know," said Ellie. "I always thought they were my real parents. They raised me as their daughter."

"They treated you well?" asked Lee.

Ellie nodded. "They loved me."

Natasha felt her brother relax a little.

"Then why have you run away?" he asked quietly.

Ellie looked down and her eyes filled with tears again. "My parents were kind to me but...some of the others said I looked too different. That I didn't belong. That I wasn't from there. I had to find out the truth."

Lee nodded. "We welcome you, Sister Ellie." He embraced her as though he were just meeting her.

"I, too, welcome you," said Natasha, giving the girl a brief, firm squeeze.

Lee looked at Natasha. "You must be tired from your journey. Come, let's sit down." Lee led them to a smaller area where blankets and pillows were piled on the floor.

Gratefully, Natasha settled in, warm and safe.

Lee took a small plastic pail, filled with berries, down from the windowsill. He passed the container around, and they each took some. Ravenously, Natasha shoved a handful into her mouth. She noticed that Ellie ate only one at a time.

"I wish I had known it was you, Ellie, and not Natasha," said Lee. "I wish I had known Natasha was still out there because I would have kept searching for her. But now I know where you're from, I have so many questions..."

The wind outside whistled past the building but, inside, the air was still. By the fading light that filtered through the dust-covered window, Natasha could see that Ellie looked sad. But she didn't cry this time.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know who you were or what you were thinking. I was afraid – and just so glad to have you taking care of me." Her brown eyes drifted up to focus on her brother's face. "Please don't be angry. I didn't mean to deceive you." Her eyes were filling with tears again.

"Don't be sad, Sister." Lee sat up, leaned over and hugged her again. Then he rested back on the pillows. "We will have much time together for you to tell us everything."

Lee took a mug and poured water into it from a large, red, plastic pail. He handed the water to Natasha. She drank deeply. The water was good. Lee refilled the mug and passed it to Ellie. She drank. Then Lee drank from the cup as well.

It was odd having a sister. The three of them now. Odd but good, Natasha decided. It would be nice having her around.

"We should sleep," said Lee. "Tomorrow, we will have to prepare for the journey back to River and the children from our tribe."

***

The gray light before dawn came in through the open window. It was chilly and Natasha wished they had built a fire the night before. She scanned the room. There was no wood anywhere. Nothing to burn.

"You're awake." Lee was watching her and smiling.

"Of course, I'm awake. It is dawn."

"I'm glad to have you back, Natasha. Ellie sleeps until the sun is already high in the sky. I was so worried when I thought she was you."

Natasha grinned. "Let's get ready to go."

Lee stood, stretched and then crouched beside her. "I will go find us provisions for the journey. There is food to be had if one knows where to look. I have found some small yards where berries and other kinds of food grow."

"We should all go together," said Natasha.

"No. Ellie's still asleep."

"So, wake her up," she said, impatiently.

"Just stay here with her," said Lee. "I have not found her to be a help in such things."

"She should learn."

"I agree, but I think, right now, it would slow us down. And I want to get to River and the children. I pray the Terrock have not found them."

She looked at the pale, sleeping version of herself and sighed. "Very well."

Natasha followed Lee to the door and he showed her how to operate the locking device. After he left, she locked the door behind him. _Might as well get more sleep. Nothing else useful to do._ Natasha lay down and pulled a thick blanket over herself. She rested a while longer. When her body and her anxious thoughts wouldn't allow her to remain lying down, she got up and walked around the place Lee had chosen to live.

There were three small rooms, two larger areas and a very small room that had some sort of seat, a small basin and a huge basin. Natasha guessed the basins were for washing but, as for the odd seat, she had no idea. She left the tiny room and continued her inspection of the place. They had slept in one of the smaller rooms. A few of the windows were merely open voids. But most of them were intact, as they had been in days past. Natasha walked over to one of the glass windows and looked out. She noticed, to her surprise, that it was raining lightly. Though her tribe had avoided the ruins of the great city, now she could see how living in a place like this could have its advantages. The walls and roof provided protection against the elements and perhaps they would also provide some protection against thieves and others who might want to harm you. But...she shook her head. Living in a place like this meant you couldn't follow the herds. Then what would you eat?

Natasha heard scraping coming from the hall near the door. Without making a sound, she drew her long knife from its place at her right hip. Placing each foot carefully, she walked silently toward the source of the sound, which was quite the trick considering she wore steel-toed boots with a steel plate in the bottoms. Lee had found her these boots several years ago. Walking quietly in them was more difficult but they had been helpful a number of times. She looked at the door. It was still closed and locked, the way she had left it. Then she looked down and saw the cause of the noise. A large, brown rat. Quickly she kicked at it. Natasha felt the impact on her foot. But still the rodent skittered away and disappeared into a hole in the wall.

Her thoughts fell unexpectedly to Nathan. Everyone had thought him the fool when he had cared for a sick, weak, black and white kitten one winter. He carried the tiny thing around with him in his tunic for months, feeding it bits of food. The other children laughed with scorn and even his mother chided him for being impractical. Yet that little cat grew up to be a very good hunter. It always travelled with the tribe, bringing to Nathan rats, birds and even rabbits. During the hard times, the tribe had been grateful for those frequent offerings that put meat into the pot. _Nathan. Beautiful voice and kind heart. Lost to her forever._ She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the thoughts and tears away.

A sound from the other room brought reality back into sharp focus. _Ellie?_ But no. The sound had not come from that room. Quietly she walked toward the source of the noise. It came from one of the other small rooms. Likely just some other small animal. But Natasha drew her knife. She would feel the fool when her brother returned and asked her what she had done with her time. _I have been tip-toeing about this place with my knife out. Chasing rats._ Natasha heard a scuffling sound again. She stopped just outside the door. As she stood in the hallway against the wall, her heart pounded. There had been no glass in the window of this room. Still...it could be a rat. Or some other animal.

A large man, with black paint patterned on his face, stepped out of the room, carrying a spear. _The Terrock!_ Only the Terrock painted their faces that way. They must have been tracking her! Natasha lunged toward him, sliding her long knife all the way into his gut as she grabbed his spear with her left hand and flung it away from him. The man cried out loudly and collapsed as she pulled her blade free.

She stepped away from the doorway, back behind the wall, as two other men burst over the fallen man and out into the hall. They, too, carried spears. Natasha sprinted the three steps toward them before they got their bearings. She knew that, with only her knife as a weapon, she would have to keep them at close quarters so their spears would prove awkward and she would have the advantage.

Natasha tried to ignore the moaning of the fallen man behind her on the ground. He was as good as dead. She slashed at one of the big men, who still wore a stunned expression on his face. Let them gape in surprise at a woman warrior. She caught him on the right forearm. The wound was deep. He cried out and dropped his weapon. She continued her forward momentum and slammed into the other man. He stumbled backward and let go of his spear, realizing it was as good as useless to him in this fight. The tall man used his hands to try to grab her arm and keep her knife from finding a place in him. He fell onto his back and she fell on top of him. Natasha switched her knife to her left hand. She slashed at him, nicking several of his fingers and his eyebrow. He cursed and tried to wipe the blood from his eyes. She rolled away from him - away from the doorway. The man she had cut on the forearm was coming for her again. And there were other men behind him. How many of them were there? Fear was rising up to take the place of the cold calculations she had been making. She slammed her booted foot into the fallen man's head, just as hard as she could. The man made no sound, meaning he was unconscious. One less to fight. If she were alone, now she would run. It was likely that she could outrun them. She was the fastest runner in her village. That was one of the reasons that she had been allowed to train as a warrior. But Ellie was sleeping in the other room. These men took no prisoners. She had to fight.

Natasha saw four men advancing. Quickly she stepped back, out of the hallway and into one of the open areas. Again she stood near the wall at the doorway to the room. Blood dripped from her blade as she held it, ready to defend herself. There was no other way into the room except for the locked front door. They would have to pass through the small opening one at a time so, here, she still had a chance. Perhaps she could still win if she were to fight them individually, though her strength was waning. It was then that she realized her error. Ellie was in one of the other rooms! The men were now between her and her sister. If they found Ellie, they would kill her. But surely they would be focused on coming after her and not search the other rooms? Natasha knew she couldn't take that chance.

She screamed her tribe's war cry as she dashed back through the door. One of the men was right there, with his spear pointing in her direction. Behind him, she could see that the other men were starting to search the rest of the house. Natasha turned sideways to avoid the sharp tip of the weapon. Then her momentum plummeted her into the man but he didn't fall.

Suddenly, Natasha found herself caught, her arms pinned down at her sides. He squeezed her in a vise-like grip while sneering wicked things to her. Natasha paid the words no heed but strained against his hold. She still held her knife - if only she could get her arms free. His feet were bare. Natasha stomped down with a booted foot, giving it everything she had. The man cried out in pain and raised his hand to strike her.

That was all the opening she needed. She plunged her knife into his exposed side and pulled it free just as quickly. The man grunted and put a hand to the wound. She had no more time for this. Natasha shoved past him in an explosion of fear. The other three men were about to enter Ellie's room.

Natasha screamed the war cry again and flung herself down the hall after them. They didn't go into the room. Instead, they turned back toward her. Her only advantage was that the hallway was narrow and she was smaller than they were. She stopped short of the reach of their spears. Natasha stood with her knees slightly bent and her knife in her hand. Two of the men advanced on her while the other hung back to watch. She moved from the middle of the hall to one side. Now, perhaps only one of the warriors would strike. Natasha watched the men's eyes and hands, waiting for a cue. Then the warrior farther from her heaved his spear back over his shoulder and sent it flying at her. Like a spring released, Natasha leapt to the other side of the hallway. The spear struck the white wall and held fast in the chalk-like substance.

Natasha threw herself at the now unarmed man, feet first. An expression of surprise registered on the faces of both men. She landed a kick to the man's middle that stole his breath away. Eyes wide in panic, he collapsed to the ground. She crouched and then sprang at the other man's legs, under the level of his spear. He tried to fend her off with his left hand but she had too much force behind her attack. She buried her knife deep into his torso as she collided with him. Natasha pulled the knife free and rolled away. He cursed as he went down, clutching the wound.

The other man was on his hands and knees, gasping for breath, and the watcher was now moving toward her. She kicked the winded man and heard the sound of ribs breaking as he cried out.

"Oh, no!" cried Ellie. She was standing in the doorway to the room.

The man between them turned to see who had spoken. He was ready with his spear. Natasha heard the men behind her getting up but she couldn't spare the time to see what they were doing. She ran at the man who now had his back to her. He had almost reached Ellie with his spear and she just stood there.

The man swung round to face her. Natasha couldn't stop in time. In only a split second, she was impaled on his spear. She screamed as the tip ripped through flesh to her gut. The pain was like nothing she'd ever before experienced. So intent had she been on saving Ellie that she hadn't foreseen the man's obvious ruse. Natasha screamed again as she saw the warrior prepare to drive the spear right through her.

Then she heard the war cry of her tribe. It was Lee!

The weapon was yanked from her body. Blood flowed freely from her wound as she fell to the floor. Lee killed the man who had attacked her and made quick work of the others she had injured. In a few moments, Lee was there beside her. He fell to his knees and held her hand.

"You have done well, Sister...fought off so many men by yourself. Father would be proud. And you saved Ellie. You saved our sister. Look." Lee reached to Ellie with his other hand and pulled her to sit with him on the floor. "See. You have saved her." Lee leaned down and brushed stray strands of Natasha's hair from her face.

"Lee..." Natasha gasped. The pain of her injury made it difficult to speak. And she saw black on the edges of her vision. She was fading fast. "I am grieved that I have killed so many."

"They attacked us...What else could we have done?"

"Now I will never marry or have children."

"But we will remember you," said Lee. "You gave your life for your sister." There were tears coming from Lee's brown eyes now, flowing freely down his face. "We will always tell of the great warrior, Natasha."

"Don't be sad, Brother." She squeezed his hand weakly.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to take care of you," said Lee.

She tried to smile through the pain. "We both know you haven't needed to take care of me since I was twelve."

"Goodbye, Sister," Lee leaned down toward her. He kissed her forehead.

Lee sat up. He picked up his knife from beside him. It was still wet with the blood of the Terrock warriors. He cleaned the blade on the tunic of one of the fallen men.

"Sister, perhaps it would be better if you closed your eyes."

"No, Brother. I will meet death with my eyes open."

"Wait. What's going on here?" asked Ellie. Her eyes were wide in horror as she looked from Lee to Natasha.

"I will give her a quick death as I have done for the wounded Terrock."

"That's crazy! Don't kill your own sister!"

"I will give her a mercifully quick death. This is the way of our people."

"No! Why kill her? Just because she got injured? That doesn't make any sense!" Ellie grabbed his arm that held the knife and held on to it with both hands. She tried to pull him away. "Please, don't do this, Lee. Please! Please don't kill her."

He wrenched his arm away, anger contorting his face. "Don't you understand?" he shouted. "Natasha is already dead."

Ellie looked at Natasha in bewilderment.

Natasha nodded, confirming what Lee had said. She felt too weak to speak.

"She's not dead," Ellie insisted. "I can see ...she's not even unconscious."

"Do you really know nothing?" asked Lee, frustration still evident in his voice. "With this kind of wound, a person cannot live. To keep such a one alive would be a great unkindness. They may live a few days or even a few weeks. But it will end in fever and death. That is what always happens."

"Oh!" cried Ellie, with a look of understanding.

"So now you understand why this must be done?" asked Lee quietly.

"No!"

"No?" Natasha echoed, despite her injuries. Ellie's passionate response fascinated her.

"My people..." Ellie explained, "I have seen them treat all types of injuries, some worse than this one."

Lee sheathed the knife and gave Ellie his full attention. "The people underground can heal this type of injury?"

"Yes."

He grabbed hold of Ellie and crushed her in an embrace. "This is wonderful news, Sister! The underground tribe can do miracles!"

She laughed nervously and pulled away from him. "It's not miracles. Just medicine."

"Okay." Lee nodded. "Medicine. What do we do? How can we get to the place where you lived underground?"

"So...I will live?" The black was still there on the edges of Natasha's vision and she felt even weaker.

"Yes," said Ellie, taking Natasha's hand and squeezing it. "And thank you for saving my life. You were very brave." The sisters exchanged a smile.

"I'm glad I have a sister," said Natasha.

Ellie pulled her hand away and spoke quietly to Lee. "We need to stop the bleeding."

"What do I do?"

"We need clean cloths to press on the wound so that the flow of blood is stopped."

Lee nodded. "I think I have something clean." He stood and walked to a smaller area of the room, closed off by a small door. He lifted out a small, flat rectangular package. Lee came back and handed it to Ellie. She looked at it quizzically.

"It's a sheet," she exclaimed, "in its original packaging!" Ellie ripped into the clear plastic surrounding the cloth.

"There are many interesting things here in the ruins of the great city. I was planning to save it and give it to my wife on our wedding day. But now it will be put to even better use."

Ellie pulled a sheet with vibrant pink flowers from the clear wrapper. She looked at Lee and said, "Cut her clothing away, a little, at the site of the wound."

Lee nodded and leaned over Natasha with his knife. Carefully, he cut a slit in her deerskin shirt, revealing the puncture in her belly.

Ellie pressed the sheet to her wound. Natasha cried out in pain. "I'm sorry," Ellie whispered. "I need to stop the bleeding."

Black almost eclipsed her entire vision now and Natasha wondered if, perhaps, Ellie were wrong after all.

"We need to find something to carry her on," said Ellie. "We need to carry her as still as possible but we also need to hurry."

"I think I have seen a thing that might work. It's not far away. I'll be as quick as I can."

"Do you think anyone else will come?" asked Ellie.

"I don't think ..." Their words were fading away as the blackness completely closed in around Natasha.

When Natasha awoke, she felt herself being shifted. She groaned.

"Sorry, Sister, we need to lift you into this for travelling."

She felt herself lifted off the ground, Lee's strong arm cradling her like a baby. Her gut pained like hot coals inside her. She squeezed her eyes closed and pursed her lips, trying not to cry out.

Natasha felt herself set down in a hard-edged hollow, large enough only for her upper torso. Her legs dangled out of the contraption uncomfortably. But there was something soft, a blanket, likely, under her head, shoulders and back.

"I think it's called a wagon," said Ellie.

"A wagon," Lee repeated. "We can pull her in this and it will be just as quick as if she were walking."

"Yes. This should do."

"We must leave quickly," said Lee, "before any more of the Terrock arrive. Soon enough, they will begin to wonder what has become of their tracking party."

"Right," said Ellie.

"Come, let's gather up a few things to bring with us. After I take the two of you to the underground tribe, I must go on and find River and the children. They will be hungry so I must not come empty-handed."

Natasha heard their footsteps down the hall. She opened her eyes but all she saw was ceiling. Light was still coming in through the windows. It looked like it was still morning. Not much time had passed.

She heard sounds in the other room as Ellie and Lee packed. It hurt to move so she didn't try to sit up. Natasha felt her middle and found the sheet still there. It was held on by strips of some other material. She looked at her hands. They had been washed clean of blood. Her wound hurt and she felt weak but, somehow, she felt better. Maybe Ellie was right and she would survive. It would be nice going with Ellie to meet the underground people who loved her and treated her kindly. She could go there and rest and heal and be safe for a little while. Rest sounded good. The pain in her gut faded to an ache as sleep called to her.

Then she heard Ellie and Lee coming back down the hall.

"I think this is all we can fit into the backpacks but it should be enough," said Lee.

"Oh, you're awake!" said Ellie.

"Sister," Lee crouched beside her. "We are leaving now. How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Natasha said hoarsely. Her mouth felt so dry. "Can I have a drink?"

Lee retrieved a water bottle and blue plastic cup from his bag. He poured a little water out into the cup. Lee leaned over and tilted her head up a little. Natasha's hand found the hard plastic cup and Lee helped her to drink. She was relieved when she lay back down.

"I will be glad to meet the people who love you," said Natasha. "I am glad I am coming to the underground with you."

Ellie looked at Natasha and then to Lee with a worried expression.

"What is it?" asked Lee.

Ellie was silent for a moment, looking down.

"What?" asked Lee. "What does your silence mean? Do they not love you? Will they help our sister?"

"The couple that raised me, the ones I called Mom and Dad...they love me. But not everyone loved me."

"So not everyone in the tribe loves you. What difference does that make?" asked Lee, impatiently.

"It's not just that, it's...I think the people underground are afraid of outsiders. They told us that no one lived out here anymore...I don't know if they would agree to help someone from outside...or if they would even let them in."

"What!?" shouted Lee in frustration. "You mean to tell me that my sister may die anyway?!"

"No." Ellie looked up at him. "I've already thought about this. They will let Natasha in."

"But I thought you said..."

"We'll send her in alone," said Ellie. "Everyone will think she's me."

# Chapter 4 - Natasha

They were living in what remained of an old brick building. The four walls still stood, and part of the roof. Her tribe had taken refuge here before. Wind howled outside. Natasha huddled against the wall with others from her clan. It was a very cold winter. They would need to stay warm if they were to survive. A large fire blazed nearby, in the center of the room where the roof was long gone. Its smoke billowed up into the dark night sky, swirling around the falling snow, melting it before it reached the ground. Natasha felt the fire's heat on her face and stretched out her legs to warm her numbed toes. Children were pressed in around her. If they get enough food they will be okay, she told herself. Some of the men were out hunting. Natasha prayed that they would bring back some good meat this time.

Then, in the doorway, stood Nathan, the fire illuminating his light brown hair and smiling face. In his hands, he held two large hares. Her father tramped in behind him, carrying a third and stomping the snow from his boots.

"They were caught in our traps," said her father, gruffly.

The children beside her cheered and clapped their little hands. There would be meat in the pot tonight! Nathan handed the hares off to another tribe member and came to Natasha. Playfully, he wedged himself in next to her, shoving some of the children over. The children laughed and pummeled him good-naturedly.

"I will now sing for you of our adventure."

"Your adventure?" scoffed Natasha. "You only left this morning."

"It seemed a lot longer," said Nathan, pressing his body closer to her, "because I was away from you."

Several of the children who surrounded them giggled. But it was common knowledge that they were to be wed in the summer.

Some of the women took the hares and began skinning and butchering them. The skins would be used to make soft boots for the children. Nathan pursed his lips and closed his eyes. Then he hummed - a sound Natasha knew well. It meant he was going to sing. The children and others nearby stopped talking so they could hear Nathan's song.

Then his blue eyes flew open and the song began. "We walk through deep snow. We walk the path we know well. We hope God has been kind. We hope for animals in our trap. We walk through deep snow. Then the wolves – we hear them howling. They are close by. Are they hungry? We pull the knives from our belts. Our knives glint in the moonlight. We walk through deep snow. We watch the shadows. We see our traps. There are hares caught in the line. Some men collect the animals while Nathan-the-Brave keeps watch, knife at the ready."

Some of the little children snickered at that part. But they were hushed by the adults.

"The hares are ours now," Nathan continued. "We come home. We walk through deep snow. We don't hear the wolves again. We see the fires of home. We hurry. We walk through deep snow. And then, we are home, with those we love." His last word died away into silence and the children clapped and cheered. Even the adults nodded with approval. Nathan had a beautiful voice.

Suddenly, Natasha felt pain in her gut, jarring her away from the peaceful memory. The scene before her faded away. She tried to open her eyes but they felt sticky. There was pain searing through her middle and jarring beneath her shoulder blades. _What happened?_

"Nathan..." Her voice cracked as the word issued from between her dry lips. "Nathan?"

"It's okay, Natasha," said Lee. "We are taking you to the underground. Remember?"

Natasha struggled to sit up.

"No, Sister. Lie down. You have been injured."

Still Natasha could not open her eyes. She licked her lips and tried again to speak. "What has happened?"

"Our tribe was attacked. Don't you remember?"

Natasha managed to part her eyelids and found herself lying on her back, looking up into a sunny sky dotted with white, fluffy clouds. From the position of the sun, she could see that it was just past midday. And it was almost summer now, she remembered. She should be warm...not cold like she felt.

"Where's Nathan?" she asked.

The trees on either side of her seemed to march away from her. Natasha realized she was moving, being pulled in something, being taken somewhere. She focused on Lee who was walking beside her. His brown eyes met hers with concern.

"Natasha, rest. We are taking you to the underground. You will be okay, Sister. You are strong. You will survive."

What happened to Nathan?

The sunlight was too bright. She let her eyes close again. The blackness welcomed her.

Natasha felt cold and then she found herself snuggled up beside Nathan once more, in the old building her tribe was calling home. He had his arms around her and was looking at her. She could see sparkles in his deep blue eyes. The fire had burned down and now left much in shadow to either side of them. Natasha only saw Nathan. He was watching her and she him. She was at peace in his arms. They would have a good future together.

It was late night now. The snow had stopped falling and the sky was clear. Natasha glimpsed the stars through the gaps in the roof. Earlier, they had all eaten a full bowl of soup. The meat and herbs were now bringing comfort to their stomachs. There was contentment in the camp. The children had fallen asleep and many of the adults, too. But still Nathan watched her. They didn't speak. They didn't have to. There was peace in silence. Nathan leaned closer to her and she leaned towards him. He closed his eyes. She did the same. Then she felt his warm lips touch hers, for just a moment. Natasha opened her eyes and pulled away, smiling. Nathan was smiling too. _Their first kiss._

The soup in her gut turned to pain and she felt movement beneath her. Though she reached out to grasp him, Nathan faded from her vision. All was blackness and pain.

When Natasha opened her eyes, it was to daylight. She was on her back. She looked for Lee. But, to her surprise, she saw a girl walking beside her. A girl who looked just like her. Then Natasha remembered...she had a sister. Something else struggled in her mind to make itself known. Her parents...her tribe...Nathan.

Natasha pushed those thoughts away. The sun was bright above her in the cloudy sky. The air was humid and she felt hot now. Natasha licked her lips before speaking. "I'm thirsty."

"Stop for a minute, Lee." The movement stopped. Ellie pulled off her backpack and took out a container of water. "Here's water." The girl knelt down with the water and put the bottle to Natasha's lips. But the cool water spilled all over her face and neck. Natasha coughed.

"Let me help," said Lee, coming to kneel beside Natasha. He lifted her head a little and then slowly put the bottle to her lips.

Natasha was able to drink this time. The water cooled her parched tongue and dry throat.

"How are you feeling?" asked Ellie.

"Not well," said Natasha. "There's something wrong."

"You've been injured," she explained.

Natasha closed her eyes. It was more than that. She wished to be back with Nathan. In the cool winter darkness, away from the heat and pain.

"Let's go," said Lee. "We have to hurry. She doesn't look well and blood is starting to come through the wrapping you put on the wound."

Lee got up and Natasha felt herself lurch forward again. The thing she was lying on rocked and bumped over the uneven ground, bringing her renewed pain every few moments. A fly buzzed close to her face but she didn't have the strength to swat it away. Natasha squeezed her eyes more tightly shut. The pain was too much. Surely a person could not survive such an injury. Why had Lee not ended it?

Lee. _Such a good brother._ Natasha was glad they were together again. _Even if it won't be for much longer._ She felt sadness in her heart. Death...would it be a final separation?

She opened her eyes and found herself standing in a field of long grasses. Lee was there with her.

"I'm going away," said Lee. His brown eyes were searching her face for a response.

"Away? Hunting?"

"No. I'm going to the great city. And I'm going alone."

"Lee, why?" She reached out and touched his arm.

"I need to know about the times before. You know other tribes we have traded with have found many wonderful things there."

It was true. "But father says we must stay away from that place -that it's a place of evil, where the ghosts of the dead do not sleep." She feared for him in such a place alone. Even a powerful warrior could not defend himself against the unseen.

"I have talked to others who have been there. I do not think that's truth. I will go anyway."

"Shouldn't I come with you, Brother? It is dangerous for one to travel alone."

"No. You will marry Nathan soon. And I think it is good for him to stay with the tribe."

Natasha nodded. It was true. Nathan had a softness to him. "When will you tell Mother and Father?"

"I have already said goodbye."

"No." Natasha almost choked on the word. She blinked away tears that were rapidly forming in her eyes. "So soon." She reached up and hugged her older brother. "When will you return?" She released him.

"I don't know." He looked down. "It might be a long time...I need more than just surviving. I want to learn things. Those who came before us...there must have been so much knowledge in the world. Just look at this." Lee quickly pulled his knife from his belt and held it up. Sunlight reflected from the clean blade. "It is a thing of such beauty. It does not break like wood or bone. The metal does not rust as other metals do. Yet no one I know could make such a thing. Were does this material come from?" He tapped on the blade. "And how was it formed into such a shape?"

"Some say it is magic," Natasha offered.

"I do not believe it. It was fashioned. Just as we fashion things from wood."

Natasha took the knife and inspected it as she turned the thoughts over in her mind. "You think the answer to this mystery lies in the ruins of the great city?" She handed the knife back to Lee and he put it back into the sheath that hung from his belt.

"I think there are many answers there. I'm not content with this life. So...I must go."

Natasha felt a drop of water fall on her nose. Confused, she looked up at the clear, blue sky. Thunder rumbled. Another drop landed on her cheek. Her brother turned and walked away, sunlight shining off his black hair. The rain fell on her more quickly now.

"Goodbye, Lee," she called after him. "Goodbye, Lee!"

"Sister, I'm right here."

Natasha startled into full wakefulness, her eyes flying open, at another crack of thunder. "What?" She tried to sit up. With the movement, she remembered her injury as she felt the pain in her gut.

"I'm here, Natasha." Lee was there, walking beside her as she lay on her back, being pulled along. ."Don't try to sit up, Sister. It's just a thunderstorm. Hopefully it won't last long."

Natasha looked up through tree branches to a gray, clouded sky. Rain fell, bringing relief to her parched lips. The downpour continued and soon she was soaked through. Natasha began to shiver. Lee stopped and pulled a blanket from his pack. He laid the thick quilt over her. But she felt no heat from it and the shivering continued.

"Will I live, Brother?" she asked between chattering teeth. "It feels too bad."

"You will live." He strode ahead more quickly. "Ellie, let me pull again now. We must hurry."

Ellie dropped back to walk beside Natasha as Lee took over pulling the wagon. The sisters looked at each other for a few moments.

"It's going to be okay," said Ellie, finally. "The people where I'm from....I'm sure they'll be able to help you... Don't be afraid."

"I'm not afraid. I'm ...tired." Natasha was still shivering. The fire in her gut had turned into an overwhelming ache. She wished for unconsciousness to take her as before; yet, she lingered. The rain continued to fall. The gray day and the worry on Ellie's face gave her little hope.

"What are your people like?" she managed to gasp out between chattering teeth.

"They're nice. They're kind. Well...some of them...most of them," Ellie stammered.

"Some of them?" Natasha echoed.

"Well...sometimes the other kids were unkind. But my parents are nice...The people who call themselves my parents and my brothers...But I guess they're not my real brothers... I don't understand why they took us."

"You have brothers there?" Natasha asked.

"Yes, we all live together. My mother and father and three brothers."

"And are your brothers kind? As Lee is?"

Ellie nodded. "Yeah, they're kind but they're younger than me so I kind of help take care of them."

"How old are your brothers?" The shivering subsided a little as she spoke.

"Two years younger."

It was good. Ellie had family. "But not everyone who lives there is kind?" asked Natasha.

"No."

"Why? What do they hold against you? Did you do something wrong to make the others angry?"

"I..." Ellie looked down. "I don't know why they don't like me."

"Maybe it is like the Terrock," said Natasha. "Violence for no reason." The truth of what had happened had come to her now that she was fully awake. She tried not to think on the memory.

"Oh, no! Not like those people. They wouldn't do that. They...they just bully me...sometimes."

"Bully...what is that?"

"Well...they just say things... that aren't nice or, sometimes, they push me or something, but they don't get physical very often."

"So these others, they say things you don't like?"

"Yes."

"What do they say?"

"That I don't belong...that I'm weird."

"Oh." Natasha thought about it. "But I guess, in some way, you don't belong. You are my sister. You belong here with me."

"I guess. But they said other things too. They just said whatever they thought would upset me." Ellie continued to look down.

"Why would they want to upset you?" Natasha asked.

"I don't know." She pursed her lips, sadness on her face.

Natasha was growing frustrated with the conversation. It just didn't make sense.

"And you told them not to say such things?" A raindrop fell into one of Natasha's eyes and she blinked it away.

"Well...yes. But they don't care. I guess that might be the point of it for them. To try to get at me." Ellie looked at her.

"And they continued to say things to upset you after you told them to stop?" asked Natasha, feeling her irritation rising further.

Ellie looked back down. "Yes."

A hard bump caused Natasha to jolt in the wagon. She cried out in pain and then pressed her lips together to stop the sound.

"Sorry," said Lee. "There's no even path here."

"It's okay," said Natasha. She wondered at Ellie's words. These others...It didn't seem too serious to Natasha but perhaps she was not understanding the situation correctly. Her shivering returned as the rain continued to fall.

They went on in silence then. And although she did not want to, Natasha began to think back to her tribe and the battle. She felt so tired. Natasha closed her eyes and felt close to sleep or unconsciousness, she knew not which. Natasha did not want to remember again what had happened. But, as she faded from the world, she awoke in her memories, to just that place.

It was a beautiful morning in early spring. The children were playing amongst the trees. The adults tended to their work or watched the young. The hunters had brought down two large deer. They would feast well. Some of her tribe gathered roots and leaves that would also be thrown into the stew. The wind blew past her face and she smiled at Nathan, digging roots with his knife and fingertips. She had been set to watch the children, a task she was often given. She enjoyed their company and the children obeyed her.

Natasha heard the sound of horses galloping fast. She froze and looked up in the direction from which the sound came. The men of her tribe were pulling the knives from their belts. Natasha pulled her knife from the sheath that hung on her right hip. Another tribe was coming. But not the whole group. There were no children or elderly among them. It was just the warriors. Fear gripped her heart. It was a raid! Then Natasha recognized the paint on their faces. It was the Terrock. Only Terrock painted their faces in that way. The Terrock left no one alive.

Then her father grabbed hold of her arm. "Natasha, take the children and run, as far and as fast as you can. Don't look back. We will fight."

"No, Father, I won't run. I, too, will fight."

"No, Natasha, someone needs to take the children away." Then her father saw River standing nearby, knife unsheathed, waiting for the battle to begin. Her father saw that Natasha had not moved.

"River," her father commanded, "take the children and run, as far and as fast as you can. You must save our children. I give their care to you."

River's brown eyes locked with those of Natasha's father. His dark hair swayed as he nodded curtly. "Children!" he barked. "Follow!" Then he set off at a fast clip in the opposite direction from which the Terrock were advancing.

She watched River but did not follow. _My parents are here, my Nathan. How can I run?_ Natasha's father saw the stubbornness in her and turned his attention back to the enemy. But Nathan had heard what Natasha's father had said.

"Go, Natasha, go!" he shouted.

But she wouldn't listen to him either. Natasha shook her head. _Nathan is my future. I'm not going to leave him behind._

Natasha watched as the opposing tribe made ready with their spears. Most of the others from her tribe were closer to the advancing horsemen than she was. Nathan was ahead of her, as were her parents. The Terrock screamed a war cry and some warriors let their spears fly. Her beloved cried out in agony as a spear lodged in his gut. Then Natasha watched as her mother was run through by a long spear, thrust down by a man on horseback. He jerked his spear back up and her mother collapsed to the ground screaming. Her father charged forward. He pulled the man from the horse and ended his life with the sharp blade of his knife. But before Natasha could reach her father, to help him in the battle, another of the Terrock ran him through from behind. Her family was dead. Natasha only hesitated for a fraction of a moment. There was nothing more she could do here. But she _could_ help the children. She could obey her father's last instruction to her.

Natasha saw River and the children through the trees. She took off after them. Natasha heard hoof beats behind her and turned aside into the brush. The horse followed but slowed as the small branches slapped against its legs and chest. Natasha walked quietly through the bushes and between the small trees. Then she crouched down where the man would not see her. The warrior gave up looking for her and went back to the main battle. She watched from her hiding spot until she was sure he wouldn't turn around. Then she ran after River and the children. When she reached them, she saw the littlest ones weren't there. River wouldn't meet her eyes when she looked at him. They were still running so she said nothing and grabbed the hands of two children who were struggling. They ran to a nearby stream and hid in the long reeds. The sound of the rushing water masked the crying of the children.

"What happened to the others?" Natasha asked quietly.

"They couldn't run fast enough," said River. "They couldn't keep up." He looked down and pulled one of the children closer to him, his arm around the child. "The Terrock...they..." But he never finished the sentence. He didn't have to.

Natasha hugged the children closer to herself and did not reprimand them for their tears, as was her usual habit. They had lost so much. But she blinked back her own. She needed to be strong now. She needed to be strong. _Strong._ She balled her hands into fists. And woke up lying on her back, under a darkening sky.

"The children..." she gasped. The rain had stopped but she was still wet. She shivered violently. The heat of the day was going.

"We're almost there," said Ellie. "Don't worry, Natasha. It's going to be okay." She leaned over and patted her sister.

Natasha looked at her sister. "It's not going to be okay. How could it ever be okay now?"

Ellie looked confused and concerned.

What would this new life be like? How long would she stay with the strangers? She needed to get back to River and help the children.

"Lee," she said. "Lee," she called more loudly.

"I'm here, Sister," said Lee from the shadows somewhere nearby. "I'm pulling you in a wagon. I think we're almost there."

"Lee," gasped Natasha, "you have to find River and the children."

"I will, Sister. I promise. I won't stop looking until I find them."

"We took all the children who could run..." Blackness was closing in again at the edges of her vision. Natasha took in another gasp of air through her shivers. "They are hiding by the big boulder in the stand of oak trees..." Natasha claimed another ragged breath, "...where we used to play as children."

"I know the place of which you speak," said Lee. "As soon as you are taken inside, we will go there as fast as I can make Ellie run."

Natasha closed her eyes and clung to consciousness. She tried to bring to mind the things Ellie had told her about the underground but she only felt the movement of the wagon beneath her, jerking over the uneven ground.

"Let's leave the wagon right here," said Ellie. "They will find her at nightfall. Men will come out then and they will see her."

Finally, the jarring movement stopped.

"They will know she didn't arrive her by herself in this wagon," said Lee.

"You're right," said Ellie.

Natasha felt Lee cradle her in his arms and lift her gently from the wagon to the ground. She groaned faintly at the pain. When she opened her eyes, she could hardly see because the fire in her gut was so great. Natasha felt sick.

"I am fading, Brother. Don't wait. Just go."

"Of course we will wait," said Lee firmly. "Ellie, go hide the wagon in the tall grasses over there so the people who come out won't see it." Lee leaned down and spoke softly. "You will live, Natasha. You are strong. We will be together again and we will make a safe home for the children of our tribe."

Natasha nodded.

"We will make a home for them together?" asked Natasha. She clutched his arm. "You will help me? Not go away again alone?"

"We will care for them together. I will help you," said Lee. "We will be a family."

She released his arm. _We will be a family._ The sun was setting. The treed area was mostly in shadow, but some golden light still filtered through the branches high above them, shining behind Lee like a halo. But then he was gone.

"Lee, Lee," she called. Suddenly, she felt an irrational fear. She tried to sit up. But the pain forced back down.

"I am here, Sister," Lee called out. "We will watch for them to rescue you. Be still now. All will be well."

The blackness closed in then, and she let it. Her brother would watch over her while she was too weak to fight.

Suddenly, there were rough hands on her shoulders. Shaking her. Natasha opened her eyes. Too bright. She squinted at a large, white light.

"It's Ellie!" a man exclaimed. "She's soaking wet...She's injured! There's blood here!"

The beam turned away from her face and lit up her torso. She could now see that there was a small crowd hunched around her.

"Quickly, bring her inside," said another man.

Natasha felt herself being lifted again and the fresh wave of pain swept away all conscious thought.

# Chapter 5 - Natasha

Natasha awoke looking at a concrete ceiling, painted white. She tried to quickly roll to her feet but found herself pressed up against the metal railing of a narrow bed. Her clothing had been replaced with a simple, white tunic, and a white sheet covered her. There were four white walls lined with shelves and counters that held strange supplies she had never seen before. Her injury protested against the movement. Natasha held her gut as she recalled all that had happened. Settling herself back into the center of the bed, she decided against trying to get up. Everything seemed safe for now. And the wound didn't hurt as much as it had. She should rest and heal.

Natasha heard voices beyond the doorway. She closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.

A man's voice. "She hasn't woken up yet."

"How did the operation go?" asked a woman. "Is she okay?"

"I've repaired the internal damage and given her a strong dose of intravenous antibiotics. Your daughter is going to be just fine."

"Oh, thank you! I'm so grateful. I thought maybe I would never see her again...And then, when she was brought in, all bloodied and wild-looking..."

"Ellie will be fine physically," said the man, "but mentally and emotionally...she obviously suffered some kind of trauma out there. So she will need support and help coping with what has happened."

Natasha kept her eyes closed and tried to keep her breathing deep and even. She could hardly follow their conversation. They needed to continue to think she was Ellie. But Natasha wasn't sure she would be able to pull that off.

"Will you be able to help her with that?" asked the woman.

"No. I've been trained in medical practices but not in psychology. You know we haven't had a need for that down here. I haven't studied that subject much because I didn't expect something...well... something like this to happen."

"I understand."

"I'll advise you the best that I can but I don't think this is something that I'm equipped to deal with."

"Thank you for what you've already done." The woman's voice broke and she began to cry.

Natasha shifted slightly to make it seem like she was starting to wake up. She wanted to open her eyes and see this woman whom Ellie called Mother.

"Let's go out," said the man, quietly. "I think we're disturbing her. Ellie really needs her rest right now."

Natasha heard the sobs retreating and she opened her eyes. They were gone. She sighed. Would they know she wasn't Ellie if she spoke? She couldn't let them know that she was an outsider.

Natasha did sleep then. It was the best use of time. She needed to get well so she could leave this strange place. The children of her village needed her.

***

"Hey, Sweetie, you have to wake up and eat something."

Natasha startled at the strange voice spoken so close to her. Her eyes flew open and she reached for her knife in its usual spot. It was gone, as was her usual clothing. Her eyes took in the white room before coming to rest on the woman leaning over her. The woman's blue eyes and pale face were filled with concern.

"Here." She held out an orange plastic cup. "It's water."

Natasha took the cup and drank deeply, deciding to trust the woman.

"That's better. I was getting worried about you."

Natasha handed the empty cup back. "Thank you, Mother."

Ellie's mother patted her arm and smiled faintly. "Everything's going to be okay, now that you're home. The doctor's fixed you up. He says you're going to be just fine." The woman tried to smile again.

Natasha nodded and tried to imitate her expression.

"Ellie..." She stroked Natasha's cheek. "Ellie, are you okay?"

Natasha nodded again. "I'm okay, except for..."she moved her hand to her gut.

"Why did you leave? Oh, Ellie..." The woman put her arms around Natasha and held her, weeping into her hair.

Natasha fought the urge to push her away. "I'm okay," she insisted.

"What happened to you?" Ellie's mother pulled away to look at her.

Natasha just looked down. What could she say? She wasn't used to making up stories. She didn't know what would sound right...and somehow telling Ellie's mother things that weren't true... Natasha pursed her lips together. They'd just have to live with not knowing.

In a moment, she heard movement and looked up. A plate was being held out in front of her. Natasha looked up into the tentative smile of Ellie's mother.

"It's okay. We don't have to talk about it. Here." She pushed the tray toward Natasha. "The doctor said it would be good if you would eat something."

Natasha took the tray. The scent from the soup was bland but steam rose from the bowl enticingly. Her stomach rumbled. She grabbed the bowl and slurped the warm, brown liquid. The stew contained potatoes and other well-cooked vegetables but she tasted no meat in it. _Too bad._ Natasha drained the rest of the bowl, scooped out the remaining lumps with her fingers and sighed. She looked up to see an expression of shock on the older woman's face.

_I have made a mistake of some kind._ But she didn't know what she'd done wrong. So they simply continued to stare at each other. Natasha put the bowl back down on the tray and looked down, trying to think.

"I'm sorry." Natasha said. "Did you want some of the soup?"

The woman looked confused now. "Oh, no, Honey, it's fine. Everything's just fine." She patted Natasha's arm and then took the tray away. "My, you were hungry, weren't you? That's good. I'm glad you have an appetite after all that has happened."

Natasha tried to smile but didn't reply. _They must have different eating customs..._

Ellie's mother set the tray down on the side counter. "The doctor says you will be able to come home soon - maybe tomorrow. But you will still need a lot of rest." She sat down in a chair near the bed, concern etched in her face. "Ellie...the doctor also wanted me to remind you there is a washroom just around the corner. He says you're well enough to walk slowly and carefully to the washroom. Just don't move quickly or you could rip the stitches."

"Washroom? I should wash myself?" asked Natasha.

Ellie's mother shook her head. "Should I help you?" she asked.

Natasha nodded. The older woman took her hand and Natasha slowly got out of bed. Her gut still hurt but it felt much better than before. Standing and walking were possible. Ellie's mother led her to a small room. Inside, at waist height, was a small basin that was empty. Near the floor was a larger basin that was filled with clear water. Natasha inspected the setup and the looked back at the woman in confusion. Ellie's mother wasn't saying anything.

Natasha pointed to the basin near the floor. "Am I to wash there?" she asked finally, irritation adding an edge to her voice.

The woman looked startled. "No! Ellie...Don't you remember?!"

Natasha pulled her hand away from the woman and crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's okay, Ellie." The woman patted Natasha's shoulder and then explained the use of the washroom.

The next morning, it was time for 'Ellie' to go 'home'. Natasha pretended to be asleep again. She'd been doing a lot of that lately. It seemed that, whenever she interacted with people, she made mistakes.

"Are you sure she's well enough, Doctor?" asked Ellie's mother. "She just seems so..." The woman lowered her voice so that Natasha had to strain to make out the words. "So odd...I don't know. It just seems like something is wrong with her."

"It's the emotional strain because of what happened to her out there."

"She hasn't talked to me about it."

"Don't push her to. Just be there for her. And try to keep things as normal as possible."

"Ellie...Ellie..." The woman touched Natasha's face. "It's time to wake up, Sweetie. It's time to go home."

Natasha stretched and feigned awaking. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on Ellie's mother.

The walk from the clinic to the rooms that the woman called home was slow and painful. Natasha put one hand against the gray concrete wall for support and held her gut with the other. She took small, slow steps so as not to tear open the wound.

"Here we are. Home sweet home." Ellie's mother opened a heavy, metal door to reveal more of the same concrete inside. "Your brothers are still at school so it will be nice and quiet for a while. You can rest in your room in your own bed – that will be nice after being away for so long."

"How long was I in the hospital?" she asked.

"Five days. I'm so glad to have you home."

"Five days," echoed Natasha. She needed to get back to the children! Natasha stood in the doorway and counted four openings off the main one. She wondered which one was Ellie's room. "Will you help me?" She held her hand out to Ellie's mother.

"Of course, Dear." She took Natasha's hand and led her to one of the rooms. Natasha was relieved to see a bed. She knew how to use that.

"Just rest. We'll eat when your brothers get home from school later."

_School?_ Natasha wished she had been well enough to ask Ellie some questions on the trip from the great city to the entrance to the underground. "Will Father also be joining us?"

Ellie's mother looked pained. "No...Your father...he's out looking for you."

***

"The doctor thinks it would be best if you went back to school now. We should try to keep things as normal as possible for you."

Natasha was sitting up on Ellie's bed. "Mother...things are not normal. Things will never be 'normal' ever again." It was true. Reality certainly had shifted. Things would never be the same again but she had to be careful. She had tried to keep to herself, even eating in her room instead of with the rest of the family. But now she was being forced out. Natasha kept reminding herself, _I must not make them suspect that I'm not Ellie!_

The woman's eyes watered and a tear spilled out onto her cheek. She wiped it away. "Everything's going to be okay, Ellie."

Natasha shook her head but said no more. Eleven more days had passed. She could walk unassisted now but still there was pain. Pain slowed you down and, outside, that could mean death. Natasha knew she couldn't leave yet. Ellie's brothers had turned out to be boisterous and unruly. They spoke loudly about things she didn't understand. And now she would have to deal with, not only her 'brothers', but also others at 'school'. Again Natasha wished she had been able to learn more from Ellie.

"So, are you ready for school or what?" Jakob asked loudly from the doorway of her room.

"Yeah, I don't know why we have to walk with you there, anyway," complained Scott.

"Hush," said their mother. "Ellie needs her family to be supportive right now."

"Her family," said Jakob scornfully. "Where's Dad? Where did Ellie go that she got hurt? Why doesn't she talk anymore? Nothing makes any sense."

"You two can go on ahead. I'll walk with Ellie," said Paul.

Their mother nodded and two of the boys left. Natasha got up carefully to walk with Paul to school. Going to school was a lot more stressful than hunting and gathering nuts and berries. No wonder Ellie had run away.

The woman handed her a bag. "Don't forget your laptop." Natasha took the bag and carefully slung it over her shoulder.

Outside, in the hall, Paul looked at her. "You're welcome," he said. The boy looked like he was expecting some sort of response. He had hair the color of carrots. One of the children with River had hair just that color. Natasha just stared at him. She had found that people eventually gave up if she didn't say anything.

"What _is_ wrong with you, anyway?"

Natasha simply waited for him to lead the way. Finally, she shrugged, in lieu of an answer, as the boy was still not moving.

"Look, Ellie. I know you know what's going on. Where's Dad? What happened to you?"

"Aren't you supposed to be taking me to school?" Natasha snapped. She had not meant to speak but the way he had raised his voice irritated her.

Paul blinked in surprise. "Fine." He walked briskly down the hall away from her.

Natasha matched his pace and tried not to wince as her gut protested the quick movements. They walked into a larger room where there were small tables and chairs. Her tribe didn't usually use those types of things but she had seen them before. She wondered if there were a customary seating order she needed to follow.

She grabbed Paul by the arm and pulled him closer. "Where do I sit?" she hissed into his ear.

He looked at her like she was crazy and pulled away. "Sit wherever you want. There's no assigned seating this year."

Natasha followed Paul and sat beside him, near the middle of the room. Again he made wide eyes at her but she ignored him. Paul pulled an object from his bag and placed it on the table in front of him. Natasha mimicked him. He took some strange looking rope from the bag and shoved one end into the object and the other into a different, thicker rope lying on the ground. Natasha took a similar rope from her own bag. She inspected the two ends of the rope and then looked at Paul. He had his arms crossed now and was looking straight ahead. He was pointedly ignoring her. Natasha sighed. Then she noticed that the boy sitting on the other side of her was staring right at her, his blue eyes watching quizzically. He had brown hair and a pleasant face, though he was pale like the rest of them. She gestured with the rope towards him. He took it from her and stuck one end into the object on the table and one into the cord on the floor. She nodded her thanks and looked at Paul. He had now opened the object and part of it was glowing like their false lighting did. Natasha tried not to show surprise. The other boy was still watching her. She tried to open the object on her desk. Although she pried at it with her fingers, it would not budge. The boy beside her laughed lightly. She looked at him without smiling. He stopped laughing and, leaning over, released a catch, allowing the lid to open.

"Will's got a girlfriend." A girl's singsong voice came from somewhere behind her.

Natasha didn't know what she meant, exactly, but certainly the boy's name was Will. "Thank you, Will."

Will grinned.

The next few hours passed in frustration, trying to understand the man talking at the front of the room while mimicking the things Paul and Will were doing. A couple of times, Will leaned over and touched some things on her laptop to make it work. Finally, the man at the front said it was lunchtime. Natasha's stomach gurgled in appreciation. What a strange way to spend time. _School._

She followed Paul to another room. This one also was set with tables and chairs, only the tables were larger. She sat down next to him. Will followed her and sat down on her other side. Her brothers came and sat across from her. She saw Paul take a container out of his bag and open it. _Ah._ There was food inside. Natasha looked into her own bag. She found a small box. Turning it around once, she saw how it was held closed. Her fingers felt large and clumsy but she was able to get it open. Inside were a water bottle and some kind of food. Lifting the box to her nose, she sniffed it. It smelled bland but good. When she looked up, she saw that all the boys at the table were watching her. Beyond them others were staring too. Natasha pretended she didn't notice. She opened the water bottle and drank deeply. When she set the bottle back on the table, it was almost empty. It was like she could feel the eyes of the others on her. _Let them watch._ She grabbed the light-colored, good-smelling square food and took a bite. _This is good!_ Natasha ate as quickly as possible and then licked the remnants from her lips and fingers.

Then she remembered her audience. She looked up to see everyone in the room watching her in silence. Will had only taken one bite of his food. Natasha wondered at the social ramifications of grabbing his food and eating it too. The food had been wonderful. Then she thought better of it and looked back down to the table.

"That was so weird," came a girl's shrill voice from across the room. "There's something really wrong with her."

"That _was_ weird," said Will.

"Shut it," said Paul, leaning his body across her, towards Will. Will was bigger but her red-haired 'brother' had a fire in him.

"Weird in a good way." Will raised his hands in mock surrender.

Paul grunted and moved back to eat his food.

"Where were you, anyway?" asked Jakob.

"Yeah, where were you?" echoed a girl somewhere else in the room.

Natasha sighed and stretched. Then she leaned back in her chair and stared into Jakob's brown eyes. "Where do you think I was?"

"I have no idea. Mom said you were at the hospital the whole time. But when Paul and I went to look for you, on the first day, you weren't there. And why is your skin darker? What kind of sickness does that?"

"Where were you?" asked the same girl again from where she was seated across the room.

"Where do you think I was?" Natasha challenged.

"How would I know?" the girl retorted.

"Come on. Just think about it." Natasha let silence fall back over the room.

"You weren't outside." Will spoke quietly but there was fear in his voice.

"Yes, I was."

Will pushed his chair away from the table, eyes wide. "No."

"You couldn't have been outside," said Paul. "The sickness..."

"How do you think I got stabbed? Of course I was outside. It was the..." Natasha groped in her mind for the right word, "the savages. One of them stabbed me with a spear."

"Yeah, right," said the girl across the room.

But the boys nearest her had fear in their eyes. Will was the first one to push away from her and leave the room. Soon she heard other chairs scraping against the concrete floors. She kept her eyes on the table. Maybe she had said too much. When she looked up, most of the kids had left.

Paul was still there, looking at her. "I'm going home to talk to Mom about this. You might as well come with me."

Natasha nodded, put her box back into her pack and slung the bag over her shoulder. She followed Paul to their home. When they arrived, her other brothers were already speaking animatedly with their mother.

"Ellie," said her mother with a worried look on her face, "I asked you not to tell anyone."

"They guessed," said Natasha simply.

Their mother held her forehead with her palm.

"You mean to say it's true?!" Paul demanded.

Their mother slowly nodded.

"But what about the sickness?" asked Scott.

"It's been gone for decades," she replied.

"Why has everyone been lying to us all these years?" asked Jakob.

Their mother went to the couch and sat down. "It's too dangerous out there. Everyone gets told the truth when they turn 21. It was for your own safety. We didn't want any of the kids trying to sneak out there...Just look at what happened to Ellie."

"So what else have you been hiding from us?" asked Paul.

"Your father's outside. He's looking for Ellie."

"Oh, no!" said Scott. The boys looked grave.

"He's been outside before," said their mother. "Your father can handle himself out there. He'll be okay."

"When has he been outside before?" asked Scott.

Their mother sighed. "Every night he works, he goes out. There is no night manufacturing. The workers collect goods from outside. That's where all of our clothing comes from."

The boys looked at her and then at their clothing in obvious surprise. "Then who makes the clothing?" asked Paul.

"The people out there do," said Natasha quietly. She had forgotten herself for a moment. She closed her mouth, reminding herself to remain silent.

Their mother nodded. "It's true."

"But why doesn't Dad come back?" asked Jakob.

"I have no way of letting him know that Ellie has returned home."

"When will Father return?" asked Natasha. Again she spoke without thinking first. These people talked too much. She was going to get herself in trouble if she wasn't careful.

The woman's blue eyes filled with tears. "I don't know."

"And...have you been keeping anything _else_ from us?" asked Paul, with an edge to his voice.

The boys looked at the woman and waited. Would she tell them the truth about their parentage? Natasha pursed her lips together. She wasn't going to say anything. From the looks on the boys' faces, they suspected there was more. It seemed their mother was struggling with a decision, as she looked at them. Then she looked down.

"I'm not in the habit of keeping secrets from you, Children. I love you. We were sorry we couldn't tell you about the outside. But we thought it was for the best."

"Just look at how well that worked out!" fumed Paul. "Just look at what happened to Ellie! There's something really wrong with her. You should have warned us. There was danger out there, not the sickness but real danger, and you should have warned us!" Paul stormed into the room he shared with his brothers. The metal door banged closed.

Jakob and Scott looked at each other. "Mom," asked Scott, "is it okay if we go back to school?" Their Mother nodded weakly. The boys sprinted from the room and took off down the hall.

"I want to rest now," said Natasha.

The woman nodded. Natasha walked to her room and quietly closed the door.

***

When Natasha arrived at school the next morning, she saw that Will and Paul were not sitting near each other. Paul had his arms crossed and wouldn't look at her. Will was seated near the back of the class and was beckoning to her. There was an empty table beside him. Natasha sighed as she made her way toward him. _He was helpful yesterday._ She hoped this wasn't some strange betrothal ritual of their tribe because she would have none of it. Just as soon as she was well, she was going back to River and the children. They needed her. No one needed her here.

She sat down and Will grinned at her. Natasha didn't smile back, not wanting to encourage the boy. Carefully, she pulled the laptop from her bag and plugged it in. She was getting the hang of this. Natasha looked up to see Will still grinning at her.

"Well...that was easy now, wasn't it?"

"I learn quickly." Natasha closed her mouth. _Stupid! Ellie knew that skill already!_ But the boy's expression had not changed.

"So, what was it like outside?"

"It was...beautiful." And then Natasha remembered again that she was trying not to talk. Maybe Ellie didn't think it was beautiful. She pursed her lips together. Trying to keep quiet in a culture of talkers was more difficult than she had imagined.

"Don't worry about saying or doing the wrong thing. The teacher explained everything to us."

"Oh?" asked Natasha, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah. PTSD."

"PTSD?" echoed Natasha, confused.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder."

"I don't get it."

"They didn't even tell you? Wow. Harsh. Mr. Adelson explained it to the whole class yesterday afternoon. What happened to you outside...It's made you...well...a little crazy, I guess. He said it's normal for you to be forgetful or to get upset more easily. He said we need to be nice to you." Will grinned again.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "So you think I'm crazy?" These people were the crazy ones! She didn't understand them at all.

"Not bad crazy. Aww...it doesn't matter to me. Turns out, I like crazy." He grinned again.

She decided then that she would talk to this boy and not worry about it. He thought she was crazy anyway. Trying to remain silent was taking far too much effort. And she was failing at that anyway. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. But she didn't smile back. She didn't want the boy to get the wrong idea.

"Will has a girlfriend," a male voice floated across the room. She looked up and locked eyes with a blonde, blue-eyed boy.

"Just ignore him," Will muttered quietly. "It doesn't matter."

"What is a girlfriend?" she asked.

Will blushed. "Well...umm...It's a girl who's your friend but more than that..."

Natasha continued to stare at him. "I don't understand."

"It's like...when you like the person but more than like...It's uhhh..when you're in love."

"Oh. Like when you're going to get betrothed and marry the person?"

"No! I mean...well...maybe eventually. I guess something like that." Will squirmed in his seat and looked away from her.

"Is it a funny thing here to have a girlfriend? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No...Ellie...he's saying that you're my girlfriend. He's just being an idiot."

Sudden understanding gripped her. She must have made a mistake in regard to their cultural practices. Somehow, she must have misrepresented her feelings to the boy. Natasha had to clarify the situation immediately!

"I'm not his girlfriend!" she shouted loudly.

The blonde boy looked at her and blushed. The whole class turned to look at her. They said nothing. Natasha was satisfied. Now there would be no misunderstanding.

"Class, it's time to begin today's lesson," said Mr. Adelson from the front of the room.

"Okay, wow," muttered Will, hanging his head down.

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully, for the most part. Mr. Adelson stood in front of them and spoke for almost the entire time. Some of what he was saying Natasha didn't understand but much of it was fascinating. Lee would love it here. Some of the other students seemed bored and some of them looked intently at their laptops where small, colorful moving images were displayed. At lunchtime, she and Will walked together to the common eating area.

"That was interesting," Natasha remarked.

"Was it?" Will asked, smirking.

"Yes." Natasha chose an empty table and he sat down across from her.

The table of girls beside them were laughing loudly and looking at Natasha. She wondered briefly at their laughter and then dismissed it, as she opened the square box that held her food. The content of the container was similar to the previous day's fare. Natasha didn't hesitate. Quickly, she ate all the food and drank the water from the bottle.

She looked up to see Will watching her. "Wow," he said. He had only taken a few bites of his food.

"Wow what?" she asked, wiping her mouth with her hand.

"Wow, you eat so fast!"

"Oh." Natasha considered this. "Is that the wrong thing to do?"

"Is that the wrong thing to do?" she heard echoed in a high, whiney voice from the table next to theirs. Natasha looked at the girl and wondered why she was asking the same question.

Will looked down. "I'm sorry. It's fine. It's just..." He looked up at her, smiled and shrugged. "Just a little odd, that's all. It's okay, Ellie."

_Right. I'm Ellie._ She still had to try to fit in better. Natasha sighed.

"Is that the wrong thing to do?" the girl from the other table repeated, again in an odd voice.

"Why do you repeat the same question?" asked Natasha. "And what is wrong with your voice?"

"What is wrong with you?" the girl snapped.

Natasha shrugged. "P. T. S. D.," she said slowly.

Will laughed. "Good one, Ellie."

Natasha looked at him in all seriousness. These people were odd.

In the afternoon, they listened to Mr. Adelson again and then they had an assignment. The others all began pressing the buttons on their laptops. Natasha tried to copy their movements but failed to see the value of such 'work'.

"What are you doing?" asked Will, quietly.

"The assignment?" said Natasha.

"You haven't even got the word processing program open....Here, let me help you." Will leaned over her and pressed something on the laptop. Now the screen was mostly white. And when she pressed the different buttons, different symbols appeared on the screen. Natasha tried pressing all the buttons one at a time.

"It's amazing. The button that I press...the symbol that appears matches what is written on the button. I have seen these symbols before." She looked at Will to see surprise written on his face again. But it didn't matter. He just thought she was crazy. She ignored his look and continued to look at the symbols on the laptop. Maybe she would learn something down here after all. Natasha had always wondered what the symbols meant. Natasha practiced putting the symbols together in different orders, coping patterns she saw on Will's screen. Occasionally, she leaned over to take a close look. He angled his laptop so that she could see it better. When she glanced up into his pale face, he was smiling tentatively. _Ha. Maybe he's not so sure he likes crazy now. Just as well,_ she thought. The time passed quickly as she mimicked the way he placed his fingers on the buttons and tried to press the things Will was pressing.

"That will be all for today, Class," said Mr. Adelson.

Will unplugged his laptop and put it into his bag. Natasha did the same. Most of the others had already left by the time Will and Natasha were heading out the door.

"The assignment is due tomorrow," Mr. Adelson reminded them. "Make sure you send me the file."

Will nodded.

"Send the file?" Natasha asked Will as they stepped into the hall. "Can you show me how?"

"Umm...yeah...I mean I could but...you were just typing gibberish in there. I don't think you should send that." He looked at her and smiled weakly as they walked down the hall.

"So there you are, weirdo," said a female voice. Three girls and one boy stood in the hall in front of them. Will glanced back at the classroom that was around the corner from them now.

Natasha looked up at the four pale faces and wondered what would be the culturally appropriate thing to do. Clearly, 'weirdo' was an insult. She had heard that word used before in other tribes. Was it a challenge? Would they duel? Or was it a type of tribe initiation that she should overlook. Or some form of bizarre joking? This underground clan was too odd. Natasha waited for some cue as to what an appropriate response would be.

The girl screwed up her face and pointed at Natasha. "Why did you even come back?"

"I was hurt. I needed help."

"Oh. You got an owie, did you? Poor baby." The girl's voice had taken on that odd tone again. Was this to be some sort of verbal sparring? Natasha felt certain she would have little skill in that.

"Come on, let's just leave her alone," said the boy.

"No," said another one of the girls. "She doesn't even deserve to be here. My mom said it's true that she's not one of us. She's from out there."

Natasha shrugged. "You are not an elder of this group. You don't get to decide."

The girl who had spoken first spit on her. Natasha felt anger dangerously bubbling within her as she wiped the saliva from her face and neck.

"What are you going to do now?" said the girl. "Tell your mommy again?"

Natasha was silent, trying to calm her emotions. Physical aggression didn't appear to be the way with these people. _What would Ellie do?_ But Natasha had no idea. She had wanted to stay out of everyone's way. Just rest until she was fully healed. But these people were making it impossible.

"Aww...too scared to talk? Poor Ellie. Hope you're not getting more traumatized." The lilting voice told Natasha the girl's words were not genuine.

"Just let us pass," said Will. "Ellie's still healing and she has been though a lot."

"Shut up!" said the boy and he shoved Will. The other boy was stronger and Will stumbled back and fell, landing hard on the concrete floor.

"That's right," said one of the girls. "Shut up."

Will got up and flung himself at the taller boy. Again he landed on the ground. Will moaned. The boy was advancing on Will even before he had regained his feet.

"Stop it. Let us pass," said Natasha.

"I said, 'Shut up!'" said the lead girl. She stepped forward, put her hands on Natasha's shoulders and pushed her back. The boy was still moving toward Will.

Natasha stepped forward quickly. Placing one foot behind the girl's foot, she shoved forcefully. The girl sprawled backwards, hitting her head on the concrete. Then she turned to the boy who was bent down grabbing Will's shirt. Natasha kicked him as hard as she could in the ribs and she heard a satisfying crack at the impact. Another girl had Natasha by the hair. Natasha-the-Warrior swung around with her fist and felt it impact the girl's face. The girl released her grip and clutched her face as blood dripped and then gushed from her nose. She was crying hysterically. The girl that Natasha had knocked down was still lying on the floor. The boy was clutching his side with a grimace on his face. The third girl was nowhere to be seen. She must have run away. They were safe.

"Come on, Will. Let's go."

Will stood shakily and steadied himself against the wall before following her past those she had defeated.

"I think I _should_ tell my mother what has happened," Natasha said.

# Chapter 6 - Ellie

Ellie felt Lee touch her shoulder gently, and she forced her eyes open. The sky was still dark.

"We have to get going," he said softly. "River and the others need us."

She sat up quickly. "Of course." She knew that, if he had been alone, he wouldn't have stopped to rest at all. She had never had to help someone before, not when it really counted. Even though she was so much weaker than her new siblings, out here, she kind of mattered.

She followed Lee silently through the dark, ignoring the pain in her bloodied feet. She had watched the sliver of light from her home disappear with her sister days ago, and now she was trying to make Natasha's sacrifice worthwhile. Thinking about it again, Ellie felt a sharp pang of envy, mixed with guilt. _Now my family will care for her._ _Sister!_ She could still scarcely believe it. She pictured Paul's expression, imagined the warmth in her mother's embrace.

Ellie grabbed Lee's arm as she stumbled over a protruding root. He held her steady. "I'm sorry we couldn't stop for longer, Ellie. I know you're tired."

"No, I get it. We need to find them. I'm okay to keep going." She loved hearing Lee say her name in that easy, familiar way of his. It was as if her brother _knew_ her already, even though they'd been separated for so long.

She really was okay to continue on, too. A week ago, she could never have imagined that she would be able to walk such an incredible distance. Of course, a week ago she hadn't even known this world existed.

They were crossing a field now. The sky was beginning to lighten but the shadows around her had not yet disappeared. She still felt unnerved by the sounds of the wildlife, and she reached quickly for her brother's hand as she thought about her first night out here.

"Look. Day is breaking," he said, nodding up at the horizon. She looked up. Streaks of color lit the sky in the distance.

"It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Natasha has always loved it. Mostly, you get used to it. You had really never seen a sunrise before?"

"Never even seen the sun."

"And no flowers."

"No. No flowers. No trees. No grass."

"How does your tribe survive in such an ugly place?"

Ellie was silent for a moment, trying to figure out a way to explain how she saw her home. "It's not beautiful like it is up here," she said at last, "but it _is_ beautiful, in its own way." She pictured the even lines and shiny, smooth surfaces of the corridors. "Everything down there is clean, polished. It's peaceful, too. The air is still and the night is quiet. There's no physical fighting -" she thought of her brothers – "at least, not with death as the intended outcome." She smiled slightly as she pictured her apartment, suddenly feeling more than a little homesick. "The space is much smaller so everyone lives and eats and learns close together. Most of the time, it's a really good thing."

"You miss it." It wasn't a question.

"Sometimes. Right now, yes."

Lee stopped abruptly, bringing his fingers to his lips, signaling her. She looked around. There was a small cluster of trees and, off to the side, a large rock. But there was nobody there. She listened with him but heard nothing. He turned his head and whistled slowly, the crisp tune shattering the silence. Again, he repeated the whistle and waited. This time, an answering tune rang out across the field. He moved towards the trees, calling out as he neared, "River!"

A lean, dark haired boy emerged from the shadows of the boulder. "Natasha! I knew you'd find him. Lee, the children are so weak. I need to move them to the water, but I didn't want to risk it." His words poured out in a rush. "We've exhausted the berry supply in this area. And I can't build a fire – I could never move them quickly enough if we were found." He stopped as he looked at Ellie, his brows furrowing. "You're ill." He turned again to Lee. "What has happened? Is Natasha injured?"

"She is," Lee said, then added quickly, "but this is not Natasha."

The boy's frown deepened as he looked at her again. "Ellie," she said weakly, raising her hand. "Natasha's sister. I was – we were separated..." She trailed off, not sure how to explain what had happened. She was hardly sure she understood it herself.

"Her tribe stole her from us in her second year," Lee said briskly and then asked, "Where are the children?"

"They were with me, behind the boulder. They are resting now." River was still looking at Ellie. "What has happened to Natasha? And why don't I remember you?"

"I..."

"The Terrock found us in the ruins. Natasha was hurt. Ellie's tribe can heal that kind of wound so Natasha is with them." Lee rattled off the answers quickly, concisely. Then he answered River's second question. "You're only a year older than she is. Do you remember Natasha in her second year?"

"No," he admitted, shifting his gaze down now. She felt relieved. He had the most intense eyes she'd ever seen.

"Take us to the children," said Lee.

River wordlessly turned and led them behind the rock to where fifteen children, ranging from about four to about ten, lay sleeping on the ground. Sun-darkened, like Lee and River, their cheeks were sunken and a pallor clung to their skin. Ellie gasped. "They're so sick!"

"Not sick," River said, his voice still unsteady, "Hungry. Thirsty. I'm not sure how long they can make it without food and water."

Lee nodded, instantly taking the pack from his shoulders. "Our water bottle is empty but we have food. You and Ellie stay with the children. I'll travel to the brook in the glen. I will bring back as much water as I can. Give me your bottle too.

"I can go..." River protested weakly, but Lee didn't answer and River handed him his bottle.

"I will be back by the first light tomorrow." He turned to go.

"Lee, wait..." Ellie protested quickly. "I don't even know him."

Lee looked puzzled. "He is River. He is part of our tribe. He will keep you safe." Then, as an afterthought, he looked at River. "River, keep her safe."

River nodded seriously, and Lee disappeared into the trees. Ellie stood awkwardly beside the boy. _What do I do now?_

As if he were responding to her thoughts, River gestured to a spot on the ground beside the rock and, seating himself, waited. She sat beside him. He cocked his head at her. "You must tell me now, Ellie-the-Pale," he said, sounding less accusatory, "what tribe it was that took you, and how you found your way back to us."

***

They were well into the morning when the children finally began to stir, providing Ellie with a much-needed reprieve from answering River's countless questions about how her community survived and operated. A small voice from the group of waking children asked River quietly, "Is Natasha back yet? Has she brought us food?"

River's gentle, careful voice carried to the children but no farther. "Lee has gone to get us water. Natasha's sister came with him instead."

"Her sister?" another child echoed, and Ellie could tell all eyes were trained on her.

"Her name is Ellie," River said. "She and Natasha were born together. Ellie has been raised in another tribe."

"Will her other tribe be looking for her?" someone asked. River started slightly at the question.

"I don't know," he said. He looked at Ellie expectantly, frowning.

"They aren't looking for me," she said, both to River and to the group. Of course they wouldn't be looking for her – they thought she was already home. She would like to believe they had been looking for her when she first went missing, but... seeing what she had of the outside, she wasn't sure they would have risked a search party. Especially for her.

"Did she bring any water?" the first child asked again.

"Lee has gone to the creek. He'll bring water." There was a general groan at his words. Someone started to cry softly.

"I'm sorry, little ones, but they brought us food!" River said.

The children crowded around River as he opened Lee's pack. He pulled out a plastic container and took off the lid, revealing a variety of purple and red berries. River distributed the meager supply to the eager children.

"Lee is very fast. He'll be back with the water before you know it," said Ellie.

A little girl – she couldn't be more than five or six, Ellie decided - stood up and wandered over. The others were watching.

"You sound different," she finally said, sitting down beside Ellie and looking up at her with big, brown eyes. "Is your tribe from far away?"

"Kind of," Ellie answered, not sure how to explain that they were close, physically, but, at the same time, in a completely different world.

"Your skin is very light. Are you sick?"

Ellie smiled now. She'd heard that question so many times she was beginning to wish she had a mirror out here. Then again, everyone outside was so dark it was no wonder they thought she was sick. She looked at her hands. They were already several shades darker than she'd ever seen them before, although she suspected that some of the color was from dirt.

"No. My tribe..." she thought quickly. "We stay inside most of the time. We only come out at night."

"Why?" another voice chimed in.

"Because we're afraid," she answered truthfully.

"Of the Terrock?" the little girl beside her asked.

"Of everything, I guess." Ellie said. "Bugs." The children laughed as if she'd told a joke.

"But they're so small!" a little boy with hair like Paul's called up at her.

"Fine. Animals then."

"How can you be afraid of animals?" the girl asked seriously. "We eat them." The children laughed again.

"And we _are_ afraid of other tribes," Ellie said. Nobody laughed at that.

"Not all other tribes are bad," the little girl said, her voice quieter. The children were silent again. She heard someone sniff.

"Tell us a story," River said suddenly, "something funny, from your tribe."

Ellie glanced sidelong at him. _Distract them_ , his eyes said.

"Something funny, hey?" She looked at the eager faces around her. Sudden smiles and choruses of "Yes" and "Tell us" replaced the forlorn expressions. She pulled her home back up to the foreground of her thoughts.

"Well, our teacher, Mr. Adelson, came to class one day wearing..."

"What's a teacher?" a little voice called out, interrupting the narrative.

"What's a _class?"_ another one asked.

"School?" Ellie asked, looking at River now. River shook his head. "It's where we go to learn."

"We learn from our parents," the girl beside her said, "and our brothers and sisters. And the older ones in our tribe."

It made sense, of course. It was why they were able to do so well out in this world of theirs. They had been taught the things that mattered to their survival. "We learn some things from those people too," Ellie offered.

"Are you married?" the little girl changed the subject again.

Ellie would have been surprised if she hadn't met her sister. "No. We don't get married until we're older in my tribe. Eighteen, at least. My parents were in their late twenties before they were married."

"Why?" The question was from River. He sounded astonished.

She thought for a moment, trying to find the words to explain it to them. "Because you don't really know yourself until you're older.

He scoffed. "I know myself."

"You also can't get married until you can help provide..." she trailed off. It was different out here, she realized. They were already providing for their families – for their tribes – when they were old enough to hold a weapon or to care for little ones. She shrugged. "It's just different, where I'm from."

River stood now, stretching as he did. "Time to move to the trees," he said aloud. The children wordlessly stood in pairs, waiting for him to lead them.

"Why are we moving?" Ellie asked.

"The midday sun will be above us soon," he explained, moving towards the small group of oak trees. "It gets too hot when we lose the shade of the rock, especially when everyone's so thirsty." She matched his pace, glancing behind at the somber group of children following. "But it's harder to hide out here."

When they stopped beneath the cover of leaves, the children quietly lay down on their stomachs in the tall grass. She could hear some of them whispering to one another, resting their chins on their crossed arms. River sat against a tree, and she sat down beside him, her shoulder just touching his. "Do you think the Terrock are still looking for you?" she asked him after a moment.

"Yes."

She thought of the men who'd found them in the ruins and shuddered, remembering her fear. She looked at the children in front of them. "You and Natasha saved them."

He followed her line of sight, looking at the little bodies under the trees. "I wish..." He stopped. She glanced sidelong at him. His jaw was set, hard.

"What?"

"I wish another had taken the children." He looked down at his hands. "I wish I had fought with my brothers."

She tried to determine the expression on his face. _Is that... shame?_ "But you _saved_ them!" He didn't reply so she pressed, "You saved them!"

"Yes. I ran away with the children while the other men and women bled for the tribe." His voice trembled slightly, and she struggled to understand. She couldn't imagine having to shoulder such loss and guilt and responsibility. She watched him pull up a blade of grass, running it slowly through his fingers.

"The children are lucky you did," she offered softly, pressing her shoulder tighter against his.

***

They moved back to the cover of the boulder at sunset. Ellie lay down, arms behind her head, staring up at the stars. She didn't think she would ever get tired of seeing them, up there above her. River was keeping watch; she was supposed to be sleeping. Normally, sleeping was easy for her. It was one of the few things she was good at out here. But she'd already slept for the latter part of the day and now, she was wide-awake. She wondered if Natasha was sleeping right now. It would, no doubt, be well past lights-out down there. But people here seemed to function on so much less sleep than she was used to. The children, severely dehydrated and undernourished, were finally sleeping. She was surprised they slept as little as they did, considering how still they had to remain and how little they had to live on. They were extremely self-disciplined for ones so young. They hardly complained at all, they kept themselves quiet, and they obeyed River.

_River._ He, with Natasha and Lee, were responsible for what was left of their entire tribe. She thought again about her community – her _tribe_. She wondered if the Originals had felt the same way, especially when they thought the rest of the world was dying out.

Except the rest of the world didn't.

"Ellie, wake up." River's voice was hushed.

"I'm awake," she said, sitting up.

"Someone's coming."

She listened carefully. She could hear nothing, but the expression on River's face told her he wasn't imagining things. He had his large knife drawn. She remembered the hungry look in the Terrock's face again and got to her feet quickly. The last place she wanted to be was on the ground, if they were coming.

A low whistle, carried by the wind, muted her rising panic. _Lee_. River lowered his weapon, bringing his lips together and returning the tune. It was really quite beautiful.

Lee appeared cautiously around the corner, shadowed by the moonlight. Unable to stop herself, she ran towards him and he instantly caught her up in his arms. She pressed her head close to him. "I am safe, Sister," he said. Then, louder, he said to the rest, "I've brought eggs. There were nests by the creek."

"Water?"

"Yes, as much as I could carry. Wake the children."

River did, and Ellie watched as, one-by-one, their expressions changed from alarm to relief to what she could only describe as sheer joy when they realized Lee had returned. They surrounded him quickly, eagerly. Nobody had to ask if he'd been successful – they trusted him to provide for them just as they trusted River to keep them safe.

"Little ones," he said, "you can only drink one swallow each until the water has gone around the circle once. We must make sure everyone receives a share." He didn't wait for them to respond. Ellie watched thirstily as the water passed through the hands around the circle. The children followed his instructions and, when they had each had a drink, he offered it to her. Reluctantly, she shook her head. She was so thirsty, but how could she drink when the little ones needed it so much more? Lee nodded his approval and passed it around again. When it was dry, he said, "We have River's bottle left but we will eat first". He opened his pack and drew out two spotted eggs. Ellie looked closely as excited gasps and cries rose from the small group of children. She'd never seen a real egg before. They looked different than in the pictures. As Lee handed them to the two closest children, they whispered their thanks and carefully carried their treasure to sit on the grass. They cracked them open and slurped the contents into their mouths. Lee reached into his pack and distributed the rest of the eggs to the waiting children.

He handed Ellie an egg and, when she shook her head, placed it into her palm anyway. She took it then and sat down with River and Lee. They didn't eat, but she opened hers like she saw the children do and, not hesitating, titled her head back and swallowed the goop inside. She knew that, under normal circumstances, she'd find the texture unpleasant but all she could notice now was how little it did to alleviate her gnawing hunger. And, she thought guiltily, she'd eaten far more recently than these children had.

"What I brought isn't enough," Lee said quietly. "But there were people at the creek. We can't move the children there. And the people would have noticed a fire."

"Terrock?" River asked somberly.

"I couldn't tell. I kept myself hidden."

River nodded thoughtfully. Finally he said, "We'll have to move them anyway."

Ellie tried to get her thoughts to work. She thought of the ruins again, of the large paved road they'd crossed on their way here, of the expanse of fields. Something was bothering her. "The ruins – do you know what they used to be called?" The two boys looked at her blankly. "The city?"

"We don't know the name of the city, only that people used to live there before the fire from the sky," Lee said at last.

"Before the sickness," River added.

"You know about the sickness?" Ellie was distracted from her original line of questioning for a moment.

River nodded. "Only a little. What the Old Ones remember – which isn't much." He added, "They... aren't like those born after."

"How did you cure it?" Ellie had never met anyone who had had the sickness.

"We didn't," River said quietly. "As far as we know, there was no cure. It just – died out. With the Old Ones."

"Why were you asking about the city?" Lee asked.

"Because if it was Des Moines - and I think - if I remember right... it was... then..." she paused. What if she was wrong? "If it was, I think I can help you."

"How?"

"A few years before the sickness hit, a military base was built several miles east of Des Moines. It would have been fortified and stocked. Prepped for emergencies. Really heavy walls, solid roof. From what we were told in class..." She paused again, thinking of the half-truths and outright lies they had been given. She hoped this wasn't one of them. "When the sickness hit the hardest, they just shut it down. Completely. It's a long shot, but what if it's still standing? It could be a safe place to bring the kids. To protect them. If nobody's living in it already." She began to see problems with her idea, and she looked down, embarrassed to have suggested it. Of course it would be inhabited. Or destroyed.

"This base - what does it look like?" River's voice was excited, his eyes alight.

"I can't remember exactly," she said, thinking of the pictures they'd seen in class. "The walls are tall and made of concrete. There's a wide door in the front – darker gray, I think..."

"We've seen it!" River cut her off.

"All of the tribes in the area know about this structure," Lee added, more cautiously. "Do you know of a way inside? They have never been able to breech it. "

Ellie chewed her lip, thinking of the heist movies she'd seen growing up. "I might. There'd be a coded lock, probably. With numbers on it. I don't know the code, but I might be able to figure it out. Maybe."

"Maybe." Lee considered her for a moment. He looked at River. River shrugged.

"What else can we do? The children aren't safe here."

"Okay." Lee nodded. "Ellie and I will leave at once. It's less than a day's walk from here. We will see if it can be opened, if it's of any use to us. If it is, I'll come back for you and the children."

"Let me take her. Please," River said. Ellie's protest died on her lips as she saw the desperate expression on his face. "I can't just... wait here... anymore."

Lee looked to Ellie. "I trust River," she said.

"Be fast." Lee said to him. "Protect her."

River turned without another word. He was moving quickly, and Ellie had to hurry to keep up. She reached out and took his hand in the darkness, as she had done with Lee. He glanced down at her briefly but didn't slow his pace, his expression unreadable in the shadows. She wondered if he thought her childlike, like Natasha had. She wanted to pull her hand away, but she couldn't bear the thought of making her way so quickly through the night without the constant contact.

Traveling with River was so much different than it had been with her brother. River was faster, more certain of his steps and, although he was much less accommodating for her weakness, he also seemed to move instinctually with her. The sounds of the night were less unnerving now. River held her hand firmly in his, and she focused on keeping up. They walked quickly across the plains until the sky began to lighten.

The sun was rising but Ellie was almost too exhausted to notice. Her mouth was pasty and her stomach was empty. She was limping, and her scalp prickled with the start of a sweat. She glanced guiltily at River, his eyes scanning the length of the horizon. He'd had far less to eat and drink than she had, and he was half-pulling her now.

"Wait..." she finally whispered, in spite of herself.

"We're already moving too slow." He didn't even look at her.

"I need a second."

"We don't have a second. The children need this."

She knew he was right. _Keep going, Keep going_ , Ellie chanted silently. _Keep going._ The world began to spin. She pitched forward, barely catching herself. On her hands and knees, she wretched violently. Bile stung her throat but there was nothing inside to throw up. River crouched down beside her, waiting. "I'm sorry," she croaked when she finished.

"You are weaker than I realized," he said, matter-of-factly. "Rest." He stood up again, looking out into the distance.

"I'm so sorry," she said again, tears stinging her eyes.

"There is nothing wrong with _you_. Your tribe has not prepared you." He started to walk quickly away.

She struggled to stand, her head pounding, dizziness pinning her knees again to the grass. "Where are you going?" she called after his retreating figure.

He didn't even turn around. "To find you something to eat." She watched him disappear. Lying on her back, she forced herself to breath deeply. She didn't have a knife to defend herself - not that she'd know how to use it anyway.

_I really am useless,_ she thought, closing her eyes. She opened them again, looking up into the cloudless sky. She couldn't believe she'd lived her whole life never seeing the heavens. Soon, a small, round, purple fruit appeared in the space above her. She grasped it, sitting up and bringing it to her lips in one motion. River's serious expression changed slightly. _Is he grinning_?

"Plums," he said, holding three in his left hand and then holding out his bulging backpack with his right. "I recognized the trees when we passed them." She popped the pit into her mouth, chewing off the remaining fruit. "The children will have these, even if we don't get into your base." He threw her another one and she caught it. She was wiping her sticky fingers on the hem of her tunic when he grabbed her arm. "Yeah, I'm ready," she said.

"Quiet!" he hissed, cutting her off. She froze. His eyes were wide and his head cocked, listening. This time, she could hear it too. Voices.

Trembling, she reached out for his hand. He shook her off, sliding out his knife and grasping the handle tightly. The voices were almost upon them now. Suddenly, he stood, crying out as he did.

She could hear the others draw out their weapons, yelling. Making herself as small as possible, she buried her head in her hands and tucked her knees into her chest.

"What is your tribe?" River was shouting at them. They were shouting back. The noise was terrifying. Ellie knew she should run but she couldn't move. Soon, Ellie realized that she wasn't hearing weapons meeting weapons or flesh. Instead, the noise had quieted and River had returned his knife to his belt. He reached his hand down to her, and she took it, standing shakily. Three men stood there, neutral expressions on their weary faces. River was speaking casually to them as if they hadn't just almost killed one another.

"There is little game that way," the leader explained to River. "Our people have been hunting there all week."

"Thank you," River said. The strangers nodded briefly before continuing past. "Are you well enough to go on?" he said to her.

"Yes." He reached down and swung his bag up onto his back, taking her hand before he began walking. He was still moving quickly, but his firm grip was reassuring.

When she finally saw the large gray building looming in the distance, she wondered at first if she were seeing things. As they neared it though, and River's gait slowed, she realized she was really there. A few burnt-out fires were scattered around the front and sides of the building, although nobody was nearby. She imagined it would make a good shelter from the wind at night. On the front of the building were two steel doors, one of regular size and the other much larger, perhaps designed for vehicle use. Both appeared to be sealed firmly in place.

She loosened her grip on River's hand and he hung back as she approached the building. She could feel his eyes on her as she leaned in close to examine the panel. She felt along the thin box until she reached the latch. The air-tight unit hissed softly as the panel was unsealed, revealing nine numbered buttons. She heard River's intake of breath.

"It opens!" River said from over her shoulder.

She stared at the smooth, clean numbers. _Could it actually work?_

"Can you understand the symbols?" he asked.

"Yes." _But the real question is – will it help?_ Taking a deep breath, she turned to River. "I need..." she looked around her. "Dust." She spotted the burned out fire. "Soot might work." She ran over to the dead fire and scooped up a small handful, carrying it back carefully. "The dust should cling more heavily to the oil left by the last people who touched the buttons." It was a long shot, but the panel had probably been hermetically sealed since the base had been shut down. Holding her cupped hands out in front of her, she gently blew the black powder over the keypad. Most of it disappeared in the air, carried away by the invisible wind. The little dust left clung delicately to the keys. She searched, almost frantically, for the darker numbers.

"What are you looking for?" River asked.

"Four numbers," she said. She squinted again at the numbers and sighed deeply. None stood out. She had failed. "It didn't work. Maybe the oil's all worn off already. There's nothing." She felt tears blur her vision, and she looked down at the ground. She was a failure.

"Nobody else even figured out how to open the panel," River said.

She looked up at him, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. His dark eyes were focused on her face. She realized he must not understand what had happened. "It didn't work," she explained again.

"I know. But to be brave enough to come all this way." He lifted his hand slightly, as if he were going to touch her cheek. Catching himself, he lowered it to touch her shoulder instead. "I know you aren't strong yet, like Natasha is. But inside, you are. I can see it."

She regarded him for a moment more. He meant it. And, in a way, he was right, she realized. She was _smart_. And this pad had been sealed, and the soot was fine; it should have worked.

"Can you bring me more?" she asked River. He instantly turned to do her bidding. She ran through the list of combinations in her head. If they used any number more than once, there would be over 5000 combinations. But if they used four different numbers, her options would be less than 70. When she'd tried the first time, she hadn't thought about wind or about the density of the soot.

"Is this what you need?" he asked her, his large hands full of beautiful black dust.

"Yes. Can you hold your hands out, really close to the keypad?" He did so, and she leaned down, her lips level with the edge of his palm. She blew gently and, this time, her breath picked up the powder and spread it evenly over the keys. She grinned as she saw the four dark numbers clearly.

She began to cycle methodically through the combinations she'd prepared in her head. He stood silently beside her, watching her fingers. On the thirty-fifth try, she heard a grinding, then a slight click. She turned and met River's wide eyes. "We're in."

# Chapter 7 - Ellie

The door was obviously heavier than River had expected, and he visibly struggled with the oversized handle for a moment. He managed to pull the door open wide enough for he and Ellie to reach their fingers in and pry it more fully open. Ellie brushed the soot off the keys and closed the keypad. They stepped into the space quickly. River pulled the door shut and they heard it click, locking behind them. Then they turned and River gasped as the some lights on the walls flicked on, revealing their surrounding.

Ellie was more prepared for the sight that greeted them. "The emergency lights must be motion activated." The smooth, gray walls and pristinely manufactured surroundings were somewhat similar to her own underground home, but the vast expanse of space inside was unlike any interior she'd ever seen. They were standing in a large, high-ceilinged room. She looked along the wall near the entrance until she found a switch. She flipped it turning on the overhead lighting. There was a faint hum, and then lights above them blinked twice and flickered on.

"Did you do that?" River asked, looking up with his mouth slightly ajar. "Make the ceiling glow?"

"Kind of." She smiled slightly at him. She hadn't thought about the fact that he wouldn't have seen electricity before. "Light bulbs. My tribe uses them to see underground. This base is wired into the same hydro power source as we are."

"Huh." He stared for a moment, shaking his head slightly. Then he turned his focus again to Ellie. The information was, ultimately, irrelevant to him. "So where should we start?" Ellie was surprised to hear him defer to her, but her knowledge of the base and her success at getting the two of them inside seemed to have won her credibility. She didn't mind it. She looked around. A little farther along the wall, she could see a large, flat, paneled door. It was designed for, she imagined, the three large, shiny, black vehicles that were parked in a row in the center of the room, facing the large door. She thought of the movies and photographs they'd seen. These vehicles looked a little different than any of the old images. They were large, like SUVs or utility vans, but they were sharper angled, smoother bodied, sharper nosed. They looked, to Ellie, meaner and faster. Now, nobody could use them anymore; the people up here had no power, and the people below had no need.

"Well," she said, tearing her eyes from the useless technology, "maybe we should split up and see what we can find. See if there's anything we can use in here. Supplies, maybe, or food." She already knew that anything that had been refrigerated would be unusable to them, but she wondered if there would be cans in storage that they could bring to the children and maybe a medical kit as well. "Look for something we can bring back to carry more water in, too."

"I'll go this way," he said. She watched him move quickly across the room and disappear through one of the doorways. She stood for a moment and then ran after him. She knew nobody could be in here with them but, even with her newfound confidence, she couldn't make herself explore this huge place alone.

She bumped softly into his back as he stood in the doorway of the cramped office. Raising his eyebrows at her, he moved aside slightly to make room for her. The lights weren't on in here yet but this room, too, had small slats at the top, letting threadlike beams of light through. The shadows created an eerie atmosphere in the dim space. As she clutched his arm tightly, she wondered if she heard him laugh. She looked up at his face; his mouth was twitching slightly. Forcing herself to let go, she pretended not to notice his amusement. He cleared his throat and turned to look at the small utility bookshelf. He picked up a thick volume and began to thumb through it. Ellie flipped the switch on the wall. He started slightly at the sudden light but then continued looking at the book in his hand. She read the spine. " _Tactical Advantage"._ The pages of print obviously held no meaning for him, but he paused, looking closely at a diagram of a tank. _A lot of good that will do us now,_ she thought.

Ellie turned to look at the contents of the desk. She ran her fingers along the smooth metal edge, allowing herself to think of home for a moment. A small photo sat framed beside the monitor, a family smiling out at her. A tall man in his soldier's uniform stood with his brown-haired wife, lines around her eyes. Two laughing children stood in front of them. Ellie was suddenly struck by a profound sense of sadness. To lose everything... his whole family would have been lost in one way or another.

Tearing her eyes away, she scanned the surface of the desk. A few sheets of notepaper, pencils, another book on training, and a leather-bound notebook. She picked it up gently and turned it over in her hands.

"What is it?" He'd put his book away now and was looking over her shoulder at the thin black journal in her hand.

"It's his logbook, I think." she said.

"You can understand it?" he asked tentatively.

She nodded, carefully opening it.

"What is it about?"

"Most of this is just day to day stuff." She read the neat, detailed writing. "What drills they did, how long, who's on what duty, that kind of stuff." She flipped the pages, thinking regretfully how she would have liked to spend time reading this journal, hearing the soldier's voice over the span of time.

But the children – and her brother – were waiting for them. Half way through the book, she stopped. The words jumped out at her. _"Teams deployed to site of the Amber."_

"You found something." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. This is when it happened." She scanned the page quickly. "At first, they think it's just an asteroid, but they go to contain the area anyway. Some of them even handled the amber."

She read aloud from a few entries later, "Many of the men are sick." She turned the page. "I have the sickness. It's hard to think clearly. Can't remember how to do the simplest of things." His writing was less legible now. The last entry was only a few pages later. She read it, the page swimming before her eyes. She told River, "The sickness struck so quickly – nobody had time to prepare for it. They couldn't run this place anymore. They shut it down and went home to their families." They were quiet for a moment and then Ellie said, softly, "Most of them died, you know. The few that made it – they were so sick and damaged, they could barely survive."

"And our parents were born to people who could barely function," River finished. He'd heard some of the stories too. She'd realized, after she'd met Natasha, why nobody had fixed things up here after the sickness was gone, why their world had never really recovered. Nobody knew how to use what little technology there was left, and what importance did reading have when they had to fight for their very survival? The two were quiet for a moment more, and then River cleared his throat. "We should look for food. They're waiting for us."

Ellie nodded. "You go on to the next room. I'll finish going through the drawers here." He disappeared through the doorway, and she stared at the journal for a moment more, before lying it down on the desk. She knelt beside the desk and opened the bottom drawer. There were two small glasses and a bottle of rum. _This could be useful for disinfecting._ She picked it up. _The medic station!_ she thought suddenly. She slammed the door shut. As she turned to go, she heard River call to her.

"Ellie! Come quickly!" He stood outside one of the rooms, waving frantically to her. He disappeared back inside, and she ran to where he was waiting. It was a large storeroom of some sort, with rows and rows of thin gray blankets stacked on the utility shelves. Wonderingly, Ellie reached out and pulled one down off the shelf. It wasn't soft, exactly, but it felt as if it would be warm.

"These will be good for the cold nights, and when the winter comes," said Ellie.

"The room just before this one had small boxes in it. I didn't look inside, but there were many of them. They had symbols on them, like the ones in the book you found."

"Okay." She nodded. "I'll go there next." She wanted to see what was in those boxes.

"Ellie, we need to find water and something to carry it in, and then we need to go. Lee and the children... We've been here too long. Now that we know how to get here and that it's safe, we need to bring the children right away."

"I'll go look at the boxes. Maybe it's food. You look for something to carry water in. Then we'll go." He grunted reluctant assent and disappeared again through the doorway. While he went forward to the next room, she backtracked into the space before. Looking inside, she almost laughed aloud. She walked into the long room, shaking her head in wonder. She reached out, turning the rectangular box over in her hands. _Thank you,_ she thought. The thick black printing on the outside of the box read, "M.R.E." She knew what this was. Of course she knew what this was. Rations for the military, in time of war or emergency, before the people moved underground. Military Meals Ready to Eat. There were no dates printed on them. Their shelf life was virtually endless.

She looked around. There must be thousands of them. "River!" she called, going farther into the room. "River! It's food! It's food!"

River appeared at the doorway, a look in his eyes that spoke of more than relief or curiosity. She recognized it instantly because it mirrored her own. Hunger. She tossed him a box and grabbed one for herself. They tore them open. Her packet had a little bundle of some sort of crackers and – peanut butter. It was peanut butter. They ate with their fingers, bringing the contents quickly to their mouths. Chew, swallow, chew, swallow. There was a small thin bag of liquid in the box; with her teeth, she tore it open at the top and drank. Some kind of grape drink. She barely even tasted it. Then they ripped open their second box. Chicken, this time. Half way through, Ellie's sanity slowly returned, as she pictured the sallow cheeks of the little girl who had asked her about her home.

"The children," River said, coming to his senses at the same time. He shoved the rest of his food into his mouth, and Ellie did the same. Swallowing, he cleared his throat and told her hoarsely, "I'll search for a bag to pack some of this up in. Keep looking for anything else we can use." He looked as guilty as she felt. "I'll call to you if I find something."

Ellie left first this time, quickly. As she did, she looked again at the strange black vehicles in the center of the room. River hurried past her, running by the vehicles without even acknowledging their presence there. He darted into a room across from her. Of course, they would be useless. She shouldn't waste her time. But River was fast enough for both of them. Making up her mind, she turned and jogged to the line of vehicles. Standing at the driver's door, she looked up at the small, flat plate where the handle should be. She reached out and laid her palm on it. There was an electronic pop, and Ellie withdrew her hand quickly. The door latch released with a quiet hiss. Heart pounding, she pulled herself up into the oversized seat and sat for a moment behind the dash. She'd seen many of the Original's movies and read much about the world before the amber but she had _never_ learned anything about these military vehicles. She had heard, though, that the military kept secrets. She was struck again by the sadness of the truth. _Even with their hidden advantages, the sickness hit them just like everyone else. And all the technology in the world couldn't save them._

She looked at the ignition. No key. No space for a key, either. Bending over in her seat, she searched the console for some kind of start knob or another touch pad. There was a small push button, to the left of the wheel, and she pressed it. Nothing happened. There wasn't even a click. She felt with her fingers, below the wheel, until she found a small switch, protruding from the lower dashboard. She flipped it up. Nothing. Of course, nothing. Cocking her head, she looked at the button at her fingertips. She pushed it, holding it in. A loud coughing noise rose up around her, then a grinding. The engine sputtered and then Ellie heard it catch. It was running. The van was running. She thought of the implications. If her tribe could figure out what the government had developed here, they could use it to create a lasting source of energy: batteries that didn't run down with the passage of time, a sustainable future underground. Or up here. She pushed the ideas away. Those thoughts would keep for later. What mattered was now. And now, she had a running vehicle. She let go of the button and then, leaning back against the headrest, laughed aloud.

"ELLIE!" River was standing at the open door, hands over his ears, shouting over the roar of the engine.

"ELLIE! WHAT IS HAPPENING?"

"It works, River!"

"TOO LOUD!" he shouted again. His eyes were wide. He took one hand off his head and reached towards her. "MAKE IT STOP!"

She was reluctant to do it, but he was right. It was too loud. Nobody could know they had this. She reached forward and flipped the kill switch. The vehicle's engine faded.

"What was it doing?" he asked, loudly.

"It was working," she said, smiling down at him.

He peered into the vehicle at her. "What can we do with it?"

"Drive it." He stepped back slightly, and she jumped down, landing directly in front of him. He looked surprised to see her suddenly standing so close, her body almost touching his, but he didn't move. She gazed up at him. He met her eyes evenly. She hadn't noticed how tall he was before.

"How?" Was she imagining things or was his voice softer than usual?

"Um..." She tried to gather her thoughts. "I don't know, exactly. I've only seen it done in the movies." His forehead furrowed. "They're like pictures," she added. "If we can figure it out, we can get to Lee and the kids in a fraction of the time it took us to get here. They don't have to walk. We can all ride in this." She gestured towards the vehicle.

He blinked, nodding slightly, stepping back. "Good. Good. Do you think you can do it?"

The spell was broken, and she looked back at the vehicle behind her. "I think so. I get the idea, anyway. But, River? If we're going to try to drive this thing, we can't leave until nightfall."

"Why?"

"Because everyone will see us. It will cause attention. We don't even want them to know about this place, right? In the dark, all they'll see is headlights."

"And they wouldn't even know what they were looking at," he finished for her. "But what if it doesn't work? What if you can't drive it? We will have wasted all that time when we could have been going back for them."

They were quiet for a moment. "You could go now. I could leave at night," she finally suggested. He immediately shook his head.

"What if you can't drive it?"

"Then I'll go back inside and wait for you."

"How will you know where you are going?"

"I think I can figure it out."

He shook his head again. "You will get lost. Someone will find you. We can't risk it."

"But, River – think how quickly we can make it to them if this works! Those kids are weak and hungry. How fast do you think they'll be able to travel here on their own?"

"Then we wait for night. Together. I'm not leaving you alone, Ellie."

Ellie was quiet for a moment. Part of her wanted to argue. When she thought of Lee out there, hungry and in danger, she wanted to send River back immediately and take her chances alone in the dark afterwards. But when she thought of the blackness of the night and the steady warmth of River's eyes, she couldn't make herself disagree with him.

"Help me look for bags to carry our supplies back," he said, holding out his hand to her. She took it. "We will be ready to go when the sun goes down."

***

By the time darkness had fallen outside, the big black duffle bags they'd found in the storeroom were packed with some of the M.R.Es and blankets. They'd also found a number of gray hydration packs that they'd filled with water from the mess hall taps. The plumbing had been left on but the pipes had rusted slightly. At first the water was yellowed but, after a few minutes, it ran clear and tasted like the water she had at home. _Home._ She wondered if Natasha was missing home like she was.

River was standing with her beside the large vehicle. He looked up at the darkening windows above them. "So, how will we know if it is safe to leave?" he asked.

"I was thinking about that," Ellie said. "You need to go out and check. I bet there's a coded lock on the building's garage door too and all the locks probably have the same code. You could open it from the outside if there's nobody out there."

"I don't know that code."

"I'll give it to you."

He looked a little embarrassed. "I don't understand those symbols like you do."

"Come with me," she said. She took his hand again, this time leading. Walking into the first office, she slid open the top drawer and grabbed a pencil. Tearing an empty page from the back of the journal, she wrote the four-digit code on it. "It looks like this," she said. "Just push those numbers in and then press this button." She wrote down "Enter".

Ellie handed River the paper. He looked down the numbers, frowning. "Go out," she said. "Make sure you close the door tightly behind you. If it's safe, use the code to open the larger door so we can drive the vehicle out."

"Okay." He looked up again at the darkness outside. "We should turn the lights off now so no one sees when we open this door." He reached over and flipped the switch on the wall, enveloping them in the night. She felt her pulse quicken, although she wasn't sure if it were because she was afraid or because she was alone in a dark room with River. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Let's go," Ellie said, turning quickly so he wouldn't catch the fear in her voice. She was trying to seem confident and calm. She jogged across the room, steadying herself as she reached the door to the military vehicle. Sliding behind the wheel, she felt for the switches. With her fingers poised, she waited for him to open the door. After a while, she heard the handle of the main door turn. As he eased it open to go out, she could see stars in the distance. It was beautiful. She was startled to find she ached to be outside.

The door clicked firmly behind him. She only heard the silence of the room. _Calm. Just be calm._ She jumped at the loud, electronic tone and then the hiss of the large door in front of her as it slid along its rails, up and over her head. She could just make out River's shadow standing in the doorway, gesturing to her to come out. _This is it._ She turned on the lower switch and then pressed and held the ignition component. The SUV struggled to life, flooding River with light. He squinted, throwing his hands over his eyes, and moved aside. She pressed down on the floor pedal with her right foot. Nothing happened. She tried again. Still nothing. She felt a sense of panic rising. River jogged up to her. She leaned over and opened the passenger side door for him. He swung his body in beside her.

"It's not working?" he asked.

She shook her head. "They always press down on the pedal to make it go."

He looked at the floor under the wheel, dimly lit by the console light.

"What about the other pedal?"

She felt with her foot again. There _was_ another pedal. Of course there was another pedal. One to make it stop; the other to make it go. She pressed it tentatively. The engine revved loudly, echoing off the trees outside, but the van didn't move anywhere. She looked down at the dashboard, focusing on the images she'd seen countless times. The lever by the steering wheel. She pulled it down. The lights moved from P to D, and the vehicle lurched forward, pulling them out of the building and onto the paved road. She lifted her foot off the pedal and stomped on the other one. They jerked to a stop. River's head almost hit the dashboard.

Wordlessly, he opened the door and slid out of the vehicle. She could hear the heavy door closing behind them. "Go this way," he directed, gesturing, as he slid back in the seat beside her. She pushed down with her foot again, and again the vehicle lurched and accelerated. She let her foot off and it slowed. She pressed the gas again, turning the wheel slightly. The SUV jolted in the direction she turned, throwing River into her. She let her foot off and slammed on the brakes. They came to a sudden stop.

She could feel River's eyes on her. "This does not seem like a good way to travel," he said quietly.

"It will get better. Give me a second," she said, not looking at him. Ellie took a deep breath, held the steering wheel firmly with both hands, and then pushed down on the gas again, keeping the pressure even. The van started to move, and she increased the pressure gradually until they were driving more quickly in the direction River had indicated. She fought the urge to pull her foot off and instead pushed harder, holding her breath as the shadowed trees flew by.

"That way," he said, pointing across her. She turned the wheel, and the vehicle responded, turning sharply, its back wheels sliding across the ground. She felt herself losing control, and she screamed as the van fishtailed. She pushed down the brakes and again the van slammed to a stop.

"Maybe not quite so fast," he suggested, his voice catching slightly.

"Thanks," she said dryly. Then, carefully, she pressed on the gas again, gently. The vehicle began to roll. She turned the wheel only slightly this time and, again, the van responded. She noticed that every motion did more in real life than in the movies.

"You're doing great, Ellie," River said, even though she knew he must be feeling a little sick from the rocking motion of her uneven pace. She was in better control now, but she couldn't quite get the hang of keeping the right amount of pressure on the pedal to make it go the speed she wanted. Still, she was driving. _Driving!_

"I can't believe how fast we're going!" she said. She was being careful but, even at the slower pace, she was astounded at how much ground they were covering.

"I know."

They lapsed into silence, and she focused on keeping the course and watching for objects. She ignored her cramping hands as she gripped the wheel. _We're coming, Lee._

It was still night when River grabbed her arm. "There – that way!" With his other arm, he pointed out his window, and she turned the wheel, slowing slightly as she straightened out. It was as if the boulder rose up from the ground in front of her. She screamed, slamming on the brakes as she grabbed the wheel, hard. She was weightless for a moment as her body flew upwards out of her seat and then bounced back down. River's palms slammed against the dash.

Hands shaking, Ellie moved the lever back into the parked position. "Ellie." River's voice was on her left, and she realized with astonishment that he was already outside of the vehicle and had opened her door. She carefully lowered herself down, and he reached out to steady her, holding her forearm gently. On the solid ground, she again found herself standing too close to him.

He brushed a strand of hair from her eyes, looking at her closely.

"Are you hurt?" he asked. He tilted her chin up, examining her eyes and cheeks.

"No." She felt her face flush slightly under his careful scrutiny. "No, I'm fine." She pulled her face away from his gentle touch. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." His warm hand was still resting on her arm, and she felt her own pulse in his fingertips. She wondered what it would feel like to kiss him. She'd never kissed a boy before. Then again, she'd never met anyone like River. As she met his eyes again, she realized he'd just seen her staring at his mouth.

"River..." she started to stammer, embarrassed. He leaned forward and pressed his lips on hers, softly. Time stood still for a moment. She closed her eyes. _Breathtaking._

He pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. She sighed deeply. Then he frowned, turning his head to one side. She recognized his expression; he had heard something he didn't like. Instantly alert, he straightened up. She looked around the shadowy space illuminated by the SUV's headlights. He whistled softly. The wind carried his tune over the rock, through the trees. Again, he repeated the sound. There was no answer.

"Turn off the vehicle and stay here," he whispered.

She climbed back in and switched it off, shivering as the yellow light disappeared around her. Her eyes, unused to the dark, could see nothing but the stars. She couldn't even hear his footsteps. Something was wrong. Where was Lee? She pictured him fighting again, blood dripping from his knife. _What if they came here? What if River found Lee and the children –_ she couldn't even finish the thought. _Come back, River. Please come back. Bring my brother back to me._ She looked around again. Her eyes were beginning to adjust. The trees were still, the grass moving slightly with the breeze. From her vantage point in the vehicle, she could see the plains. There were no animals there and, as she looked at the skyline, no smoke. She wrapped her arms around her frame, thinking suddenly about Natasha. Was she worrying about them right now?

She heard a slight rustle, coming towards her through the grass. She pulled her door shut, the loud bang echoing across the silent night. She peered out through the glass. River.

She opened the door quickly, hopping down to him. He was visibly upset. "They're not here, Ellie. I can't find them. Lee and the children are gone."

# Chapter 8 - Natasha

So now they wanted 'Ellie' to stay home. Well, that was just fine with Natasha. That's what she had wanted the whole time anyway. She just wanted to rest, get well and then leave to find Lee, River, Ellie and the children. She prayed they were safe and had found food for the children.

Natasha stayed in her room while the doctor and her mother sat in the living room speaking in hushed tones. But, sitting on the floor next to the open door, Natasha could just pick out what they were saying.

"But how could this have happened?" The woman was crying again. "My Ellie hurt those children so badly..."

"The teens will be fine, Mrs. Lauder. Lisa has a mild concussion, Ryan has several cracked ribs and Christy has a broken nose. All the injuries were minor. Ellie hasn't caused any lasting harm to them. They are all recovering well. And, to be fair, they did start it. Ellie's been through a lot. She hasn't spoken about it but, obviously, she was attacked out on the surface. When Lisa and the others were bullying her, she perceived it as another attack and her instincts kicked in. The same instincts that saved her when she was outside. So Ellie's response was perfectly understandable. It's a shame those kids were picking on her, though. That was unfortunate."

The woman sniffed and then asked with a quavering voice, "But, is my Ellie ever going to be okay?"

There was a silence and then the doctor's voice replied, "She might never be the same innocent young girl who went outside alone. But I have to believe that, in time, she's going to adjust. She'll overcome what has happened to her."

"Okay, thank you, Doctor... I just wish her father were home."

"I'm sure Steven is okay. He knows what he's doing out there."

"I just need him home. I can't handle this alone."

"It's going to be okay," said the doctor. "Try to be strong for your children. Everything's going to work out just fine."

Ellie's mother sniffed loudly. She was crying. "Okay, Doctor. Thank you."

"So I strongly recommend that you keep her home for a while to recuperate in a calm environment. Will you agree to that, Mrs. Lauder?"

"Yes, I'll keep her home and make sure she stays away from anything that could trigger another episode."

"Ok. I'll speak to the other parents again to let them know and to help smooth things over. And you should make sure she keeps up with her schoolwork, if possible. Perhaps her brothers or a friend from school could help her."

"I'll be in touch with her teacher and we'll see what we can do," Ellie's mother said.

Then Natasha heard muted conversation in the hall beyond the front door but she couldn't make out what they were saying. It didn't matter. Soon she would be strong enough to leave. As soon as the pain was gone completely, she would search the labyrinth of tunnels until she found her way out.

That evening, after supper, Will came over to her place. He told her mother that he would help her with her schoolwork. They sat in Ellie's room - Natasha on the edge of the bed and Will on the single chair.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come see you yesterday. My parents wouldn't let me. Are you okay?"

Natasha stared at him. "Yes. I was not injured in the fight."

"But my mom said you had a break down. And that's why you went crazy like that. Oh, sorry. Mr. Adelson said we shouldn't talk about it...that it would upset you."

"Does it seem like I'm 'broken down'?" asked Natasha.

"Well...umm...no. I guess not. But they said it was the PTSD that made you...you know...act like that. Mr. Adelson said you had an episode."

"Did it seem like I was having 'an episode' to you?"

"Umm...not really."

"What did you see then?" asked Natasha.

"I saw you kick their butts, that's what," said Will. He laughed. "I'm glad they're okay, though. I was pretty freaked out. You were like the Terminator or something."

Natasha smiled at his laughter and obvious approval, although she didn't get the reference.

Then Will tried to explain their assignment for that day. Natasha didn't understand much of what he was saying.

"I like how this part glows and shows pictures and other things," said Natasha, pointing to the rectangular panel on the laptop.

"The screen?" asked Will.

"Yes. And those, too," said Natasha pointing up to the lights in the ceiling. "How do they glow like that? There is no fire, yet they glow."

Will looked surprised and concerned but then he just shrugged and seemed to accept the question as part of her 'PTSD'. "It's electricity."

"What's that?"

"Electricity is used to power things. It's a form of energy...like fire, I guess, only it goes through wires inside the devices."

"Where does electricity come from? How do you get it?"

"The electricity here, underground, comes from a hydro dam on the river outside. My dad said the hydro dam was a joint venture between the Originals and the military. The dam used to also power a military outpost near here."

"A hydro dam?" Natasha could not make sense of his words.

"I've seen a photo. It's made of concrete and it spans the river. Water flows through it and there's a small building on one side of the dam."

A light of understanding clicked on in Natasha's mind. "Oh! I think I know the place of which you speak. You gather the electricity from there?"

"Umm...no. It comes here through wires under the ground."

"Hmmm...I wish..." She was going to say, _I wish Lee were here. He would have loved learning about these things._ Natasha missed him.

"You wish what?" prompted Will.

"Never mind." Natasha needed to get back to Lee and River and the children. She prayed that they were safe.

That night, after everyone else in the home was asleep, Natasha got up to search the tunnels for the way out. The pain in her gut had almost faded away now and she needed to get back to her real family. When she got out into the corridor, she found that the lights were dimmed at night but that she could still easily see where she was going. Tentatively, she explored, making sure to stay away from areas where she thought other people might be. After exploring, for what seemed to be a long while, Natasha was frustrated. The way out was not easy to find. She never knew what time of day it was in these tunnels. The sun, moon and stars were hidden from her. Natasha sighed. Perhaps she could ask Will how to get to the surface the next time he came to help her.

Reluctantly, Natasha returned to her room and to her bed. She lay awake for a long time, though. Would she really leave without saying goodbye to Ellie's mother and brothers? She had formed some kind of familiar connection to them...but really, what were they to her? Mixed feelings tumbled through her heart and mind. She was still angry that the woman had kidnapped her sister. But she could not confront her so... Natasha thought of Lee instead. Soon she would see her brother again.

The next evening after dinner, Will came to visit her again.

"Do you know how to get outside?" she asked.

He looked at her, stunned. "Ellie...you're the one who discovered the exit." They just stared at each other. Then Will sighed. "Everyone knows now - it's through the door labeled 'Night Manufacturing'."

"And what does that door look like?" she asked. "Where is it?"

"You...don't remember how to read?"

Natasha shook her head.

"I could try to teach you," Will suggested.

"Or you could just show me the door," Natasha countered.

"I guess I could.... Why do you want to find the exit?"

Natasha didn't know what to say. Could she tell him the truth? No. Ellie had said they wouldn't help her if they knew she was an outsider. Natasha pursed her lips.

"You're not thinking of going back outside, are you?

Natasha looked up at Will, his blue eyes so filled with concern. She wanted to tell him who she was and that she'd be okay.

"Ellie, you can't go back out! That would be crazy! Just look at what happened to you! What if you wind up dead next time? Anyway, don't think you're going to have to worry about anyone giving you a hard time anymore. I'm sure they'll leave you alone now."

"I'm not worried. Will, could you please just show me the exit?"

Will crossed his arms in front of him. "No way."

Natasha crossed her arms too and they exchanged fierce glances. Will cracked a grin first and then started to laugh. Natasha laughed too. It felt good.

"Perhaps you could teach me to read then, for now."

"Sure." Will, still smiling, pulled his laptop out of his backpack.

Then, all of a sudden, Natasha was missing Nathan. They would have been married by now. Her smile faded. Who was this strange boy making eyes at her? She needed to get back to her own people.

That night, Natasha tried to find the exit again. She walked silently up and down all the hallways. She found many doors with symbols on them. But Natasha didn't want anyone to see her. Certainly, in some of the areas, there were people behind the doors. If they found her out at night, would they try to lock her up? Would they be angry? Natasha guessed, from Will's reaction, that they wouldn't just allow her to leave. She couldn't risk getting caught. Natasha returned to Ellie's home after a fruitless search. At least she now understood and would be able to remember the layout of the tunnels. But she still had no idea which door was labeled 'Night Manufacturing'.

Will was starting to teach her to read. So far, they had practiced a song called the ABC's. She knew the tune. Natasha thought perhaps she had heard others singing it before. Will said the song was important for reading so she had tried her best. He had been very encouraging and had said that she had done a good job.

As she slipped under the covers that night, she thought about Will. He was a good friend. She would be sorry to never see him again. What would he think when Ellie returned? Would Ellie return to her clan or would she stay with her real family?

There was an ache in her heart. She was living an easy life but Lee and the children could be facing danger and hardship out there. How could so few make a tribe? Only Lee, River, she and the children...they would be an easy target for thieves and others who would harm them. Could they join with some other tribe? Perhaps they would have to. But which tribe would be friendly to them and welcome them into their group as equals? Where would they be safe? Natasha didn't have the answers. And she couldn't help Lee and River figure out what to do while she was trapped down here. _Perhaps tomorrow, I will be able to convince Will to show me the door._

The next day, when the boys came home from school, they all ate a meal together as a family. Natasha was used to eating in her room because she had been recuperating. Mother thought it would be better if they ate together now.

They sat around a square, metal table. Potatoes and lentils steamed in bowls and the boys eagerly dished the food onto their plates. Natasha wasn't fond of lentils and the food here was bland. But she took a large helping too and made herself eat. She needed to be as strong as possible for the day when she finally got out.

"Ellie, that was so awesome!" said Jakob.

"What?" she asked.

"What you did to those bullies."

"Yup," said Scott. "They totally had that coming."

"Hush," said their mother. "Let's not talk about it."

But the boys didn't listen to her. "I agree," said Paul. "You did the right thing, Ellie. After all, they got physical first. You know...you should have fought back earlier. It would have saved you years of torment. I never understood why you were such a pacifist."

"Paul, that's enough!" said their mother.

Natasha shrugged.

Paul put down his fork and crossed his arms over his chest. "You could at least say something, Ellie. I'm trying to say...you did good."

Natasha didn't know what to say. Of course she had done well. She saved Will and herself. Of course she was strong and brave. She was Natasha-the-Warrior. But what would be the right response to Paul? Natasha shrugged again and went back to eating her food.

"It's rude to ignore people, you know..." Paul looked like he would have said more but his mother leaned over and put her hand on his arm.

Why did the boy keep swinging back and forth between acting in a kind way and then acting angry? Why was Paul so mad?

After supper, Mother passed her an empty serving bowl. "Take this to the dishwasher." She pointed to what looked like a metal cupboard. The door was open, parallel to the floor.

Natasha walked over and thought about what to do. The dish was still dirty. Would they not wash it first before putting it in there? The ways of these people still confused her.

"Why are you just standing there!?" shouted Paul, his face red with anger. "I'm sick of you acting like you don't know what to do all the time! Just drop it already!"

Natasha released the bowl in her hands. It glanced off the open door and hit the concrete floor, shattering into more than a dozen pieces.

Mother gasped. From the look on her face, Natasha knew she had done wrong.

"I'm sorry," said Natasha. "Paul said that I should drop it..."

"Paul!" fumed her mother. "Go to your room! You know we don't have dishes to replace these! Why did you say that?!"

"Ellie, you know I didn't mean for you to do _that_!" he yelled. "Why are you being so stupid!?" Paul stormed into the boys' room and slammed the door.

Natasha helped Mother clean up, wishing she were already home. She missed Lee's level-headedness and she missed feeling competent. She was glad when she could slink away to her room.

When Will arrived that evening, he greeted Ellie's mother but he didn't immediately come find Natasha. They were talking quietly in the kitchen where Mrs. Lauder was still cleaning up. Natasha stood by her door and strained to listen but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Silently, she walked from her room and into the open area.

"I'm telling you, that girl's not Ellie. Maybe it's like a movie I saw - maybe an alien has taken over her body."

"Will," the woman chided. "That's fictional. There are no aliens. That couldn't actually happen."

Although Natasha was standing out in the open, they hadn't seen her yet. Will had his back to her and Ellie's mother was looking at him.

"But how could that be Ellie? Have you heard the weird things she says? I don't think it's PTSD. It's like... she never lived here before. She doesn't even know how to read!"

The woman's face showed concern. "She has been so odd...and distant. But how could it possibly not be Ellie..." Just then, she looked up and saw Natasha standing there.

Will swiveled around and stared at Natasha too. "So, you heard what I was saying?"

Natasha nodded. Her thoughts were swirling. Should she try to insist that she was Ellie? Or should she tell them the truth? Maybe all they would do if the knew the truth would be to throw her out of their tribe. And that's just what she wanted.

Just then Paul, Scott and Jakob also came out of their rooms. "Heard what?" asked Scott.

Will ignored the boys. "I'm sorry, Ellie," said Will, looking down. "Please don't be mad. Your friendship has meant a lot to me recently. It's just...I don't get it. You're not the same girl that left."

Natasha just looked down, trying to decide what she should say. "No, I'm not," she said finally.

"Ellie's been through a lot," said Mrs. Lauder. "It's dreadful out there."

"No, it's not that," said Will. "She even wants to find the exit so she can go back outside."

"Is that true?" Paul demanded.

Natasha nodded. "I want to go home."

"Home?" Ellie's mother echoed in bewilderment.

"I'm not Ellie. I'm Natasha. Her twin sister. Ellie told me to pretend to be her so your doctor would help me."

Ellie's mother's hand flew to her mouth, in shock. Her blue eyes became watery with tears.

"So you're _not_ Ellie." Will crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't get what's going on here. Ellie has a sister?"

"Where's Ellie?" Paul demanded.

But Natasha didn't have time to answer before Will spoke again. "But how come you were living outside? Why would Ellie's sister be living outside?"

"That's where Ellie was from," said Mrs. Lauder with a shaky voice. "Where's Ellie? Is she alright?" Tears were streaming down her cheeks now.

"She was fine when I left her with our brother. Lee will take care of her. I have to go back to my tribe. The children need me."

"Ellie's from outside?" asked Will.

"Yes," said her mother, her face downcast as she wiped away the tears.

"I had heard rumors but..." Will turned to stare at Mrs. Lauder.

"And what about us?" Jakob demanded. "Are we from outside, too?"

Their mother nodded. "People were becoming concerned with the potential lack of genetic diversity amongst the families. The five original families never planned to stay underground forever. But when they saw what had happened outside...The people have regressed. It's chaos out there. So we all agreed we would stay down here permanently. But, very soon, all the families would be intermarried. And then we would be left with cousins marrying cousins. Some people suggested widening the gene pool by bringing in outsiders. But the majority felt it would be too dangerous. What if we couldn't trust the people we brought down? Not long afterwards, my husband and I found out we couldn't have children. I was devastated. All my life I had wanted to be a mother. Then, one night, my husband came home with two babies. And the next night he brought home a baby and a toddler. We kept the children a secret from everyone for almost a year. By then, Ellie was calling me Mama. Everyone agreed that we could keep the children, though some reluctantly. It would solve the genetic diversity problem...and I was so happy."

"How could you take our sister from us?" Natasha shouted. "She was our kin! You stole her, just like you steal our clothing!"

The older woman looked down in shame, tears coming to her eyes again. "There were just so many children out there...and half of them die. There's such a high infant mortality rate. It's like we were saving them."

"My brother did not die. I am not dead. You robbed us of our sister. Lee says our mother was sad for many days. She never knew what had happened to her child."

The woman covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry."

"How could you do such a thing?"

"I wanted a baby so much...I'm sorry."

"It's okay," said Paul, embracing his mother. "I forgive you. I know you thought you were doing the right thing." The other boys joined in the group hug but Natasha crossed her arms over her chest.

"I want to go home," said Natasha.

The boys let go of the woman and she came closer to Natasha. "I'm sorry for hurting your mother. Was she surprised to see Ellie?"

"She's dead."

Tears sprang to the woman's eyes again. "Oh...I'm so sorry, Natasha."

Natasha nodded. "My brother and the children from our tribe need me. I want you to show me the exit."

The woman nodded. "I'll show you...but it's almost dark out now. Wait until morning and I will pack some food to send with you."

"I will wait until the morning," agreed Natasha. The food they ate underground wasn't great but it didn't have to be cooked. If the Terrock were still searching for her tribe, it would be better if she didn't have to make a fire. Natasha turned and walked to Ellie's room. She was tired of seeing the woman cry.

Will followed her and hesitated at her doorway. "Can I talk to you?" he asked.

Natasha nodded and sat down on the bed. Will sat down on her chair. Just then, Ellie's brothers peeked their heads in through her doorway.

"What was it like, living outside?" asked Scott.

Natasha motioned for them to come in and sit down on the floor. She spent several hours telling the boys about living under the sun and stars. Then, when they finally left, Will tried to teach Natasha to read again. She was frustrated because the symbols still meant nothing to her, even after hours of work. She was beginning to feel that perhaps reading was a skill she didn't need.

When her mother told Will that it was time for him to go, he lingered in Natasha's doorway for a moment. There would be no school the next day so he would come and say goodbye in the morning. "Goodnight," Natasha."

"Goodnight," she said from where she still sat on the bed.

He stared at her and looked as if he might say more. But, then, he turned and walked away.

Natasha felt something squeeze a little inside. She would miss him. Maybe they would meet again one day. _Probably not._ She was restless that night. Eager to be on her way back to her family. Natasha considered exploring the tunnels again. But, no. That didn't make sense. They would show her the way out in the morning. She should rest now. Natasha would begin the search for her family in the morning. Finally sleep found her.

# Chapter 9 - Ellie

"Careful, now," Lee said, passing a little girl up into River's arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her into the back of the vehicle. He set her down gently on the metal floor, her back against the wall, and turned back for the next one. Ellie opened another M.R.E. and, crouching down beside the child, placed the food into her palm.

It hadn't taken long to find them, although they had searched on foot. River realized they must have gone for water. Ellie hadn't wanted to leave the vehicle, but River had told her that the creek would be more populated and it would be impossible to go by vehicle unseen, even at night. It was the reason he hadn't taken the children there in the first place. "I wouldn't have taken them there," he'd told her. "Too dangerous." She knew, though, that Lee wouldn't have taken them there unless he felt he needed to. Which meant they needed to get to them as fast as possible. River and Ellie had left immediately, parking the vehicle as close to the shadows of the trees as they could.

River kept them low in the long grass for as long as he could. By dawn, they could hear the rush of water in the creek bed. There were other people there, and it was impossible to remain invisible. The small groups only glanced briefly at them, though. They were no threat. As they followed the flow of water, the small group of children slowly came into view. Their pale, thin bodies were huddled together around a small fire. Ellie could smell something cooking. She didn't wait for River to whistle. "Lee!" she called. She saw him stand instantly. The children looked up at her, and Lee's eyes met hers. He broke into a wide smile.

"Ellie!" He ran to meet her, pulling her close against him for a moment.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Lee."

"I knew you would be safe with River," he said, turning his attention to River now. "Were you successful?"

"Yes, but we left the stuff in the vehicle."

"Vehicle"? He looked at Ellie again.

"You'll see."

He didn't press her. Instead, he worked at gathering the children and putting out the fire. Lee pulled off a small piece of remaining meat. He handed it to a little boy on his left. "They needed drink and food. I had to hunt. We had to come. No sign of the Terrock yet. I've asked around. They were here days ago but are gone now.

"They'll circle back if they're still looking." River said.

"I know. We will go now." The children, revitalized by the food and water, stood quickly.

Lee, River and Ellie led the children back to the boulder and the vehicle as quickly as was possible with frequent stops for the weakest ones. By the time the strange black van came into sight their strength was beginning to wane, but their reactions were audible.

"Where did it come from?"

"What does it do?"

"Why is it here?"

"There is food inside." River offered them the simplest explanation, and it was enough.

Now, as they loaded the children quickly into the vehicle, they felt the familiar sense of urgency.

"This is the last one," Lee said, handing her up. Then he crawled in himself, and River reached past him and pulled the door shut. "What now?"

"Now we wait until night again. And then..." He hesitated. They hadn't really explained to Lee what the vehicle actually did. He shrugged and said simply, "And then, we return to the base."

"By foot?" Lee raised his eyebrows expectantly. Ellie smiled at her brother. He knew there was more to this plan than hiding out in the big metal box and then walking in the dark to the shelter.

"We drive this thing," Ellie said. "I'm not very good at it, but I can get us back."

"How?"

He listened carefully as she stumbled through an explanation of what she knew about engines and motors and fuel and about this one being different somehow because it was made by the military. He nodded, concentrating on her description. "And these were driven before the sickness?" he asked when she finished.

"Yes. Well, not these, exactly. More basic versions of these."

"Maybe you can teach us all how to use them."

"Definitely. I mean, if I ever get the hang of it myself."

River gently interrupted, "You did fine, Ellie."

She laughed quietly. "If you don't count almost smashing us into the rock."

"But you didn't," he said and then brought his gaze to hers, "and it turned out well in the end." She blushed, looking away quickly.

"You almost smashed into a rock?" Lee interjected, missing, of course, the subtext.

"Almost," River answered him. "Driving is dangerous."

"I'm not afraid!" A little voice piped up, and they were quickly reminded of their young audience.

"Me neither!" another chimed in, followed by a chorus of young bravado.

"Good," River said in an animated voice, "because with Ellie-the-Brave at the wheel, there is nothing to fear!"

_From Ellie-the-Pale to Ellie-the-Brave._ She looked at the trusting children around them and then at her brother, who, sitting next to her on the floor of the van, had closed his eyes and leaned his head back. She glanced at River, who was launching into an animated tale of their driving adventure. Where was the terrified, lonely girl who had fled up here? She looked down at her tanned hands, still not as dark as Lee's or River's. She had always thought that nobody really knew her. But, as she looked at her hands, she wondered if she had really known herself. She'd always seen herself as someone who didn't belong anywhere. But here she was, with a tribe that had been nearly destroyed, with an uncertain future and in immediate danger, and she felt more at home than she ever had.

***

The dark had fallen quickly, and she was thankful for the cover offered by both their surroundings and the fact that the area was so void of value. People avoided it so they hadn't had to deal with any curious tribes passing by or asking questions. Now, covered by the darkness, they were ready to travel back. She sat in the driver's seat, Lee beside her this time. He watched her hands as she first found the switch and flipped it up. She pushed and held the starter and, as the engine rumbled and then caught, she heard the quiet cries of alarm from the children in the cab. River was hushing them softly. Lee's eyes were wild with excitement. "It's so loud!" he said, sounding thrilled. "Is it the engine?" He'd been paying attention. The rock and grass were lit up around them. She nodded, moving it from park to drive. The vehicle jerked forward and then slammed to a stop.

"That's how it always starts," River called from the back.

She shot River a look and then took a deep breath. Easing off the brake, she pressed the gas down gently. The van moved forward and she nodded to herself. "Here we go," she said.

She was surprised how quickly it came back to her. She steered through the dark carefully. She wasn't smooth yet, but she was getting the hang of consistent pressure.

"This is incredible!" Lee cried out, his face pressed against the passenger window.

"I know, right?"

She followed River's calm directions, and the children, jostled in the back, whispered excitedly about the sensation. _They think it's an adventure._ She looked ahead of her into the shadowed darkness. She was gripping the steering wheel tightly, concentrating on the small area lit by the headlights. Night out here, as beautiful as it was, was still absolutely terrifying. The vehicle made her feel a little safer, but she was cognizant of the noise the engine created and the attention it must be garnering. She just wanted to get everybody to safety.

She pressed her foot down a little. The vehicle didn't respond. She realized uneasily that it was, in fact, slowing slightly. She pressed harder, and the vehicle rocked forward but then slowed again. She tried the gas again. It had no effect at all this time. _No. No, no, no!_

"Why are you slowing?" River touched her shoulder, concern etched in his voice.

The vehicle crawled to a stop. Ellie looked at the dashboard. A small symbol was lit. She looked at Lee, wide-eyed.

"I think..." Her voice came out in a whisper. "I think we're going to have to walk."

Everyone was still for a moment. Then River turned back to the silent children. "Okay, we've got to go the rest of the way on foot."

Lee touched her hand and then hopped out of the vehicle. He landed, cat-like, on the ground. She looked out of her window. It was so dark out there. And people must have heard them and seen their lights. How long would it be until they were found? She turned off the van, and they were suddenly enveloped in darkness.

Groping her way to the back of the vehicle, she could just make out Lee and River, standing at the back of the vehicle, helping the children out. The kids huddled together, silently, waiting. They left the blankets – they would take only themselves and try to make it to the military base before daybreak.

"Let's go," River said quietly, and the children, holding hands in pairs and threes, followed him noiselessly. Their footsteps were almost silent as they treaded through the long grass. Ellie felt one of the little boys take her hand, and she was grateful for the contact and the warmth. It was so dark. The cloud-cover hid the stars almost completely from view, and Ellie wondered if River was also walking blind. She could see him out in front. Lee walked behind her.

One foot in front of the other. She was trying not to stumble. They were moving quickly, but the children were keeping up. The food and water had helped. She heard the call of an animal, not far off. Scanning the area, she could see nothing but the outlines of trees and hills. River wasn't slowing. She thought she heard a slight rustle of movement in the bush to her right. It had to be her imagination. Maybe the wind. River would have stopped them, said something.

She heard it again. Moving along with them. She shivered slightly. Someone was definitely following them. River's back was to her – she couldn't get his attention without calling out. She slowed her pace slightly, letting some of the children walk past her. Finally, she was beside Lee. She touched his arm with her free hand. He glanced at her, and she motioned to the bush with her chin. "Someone's over there," she whispered. He responded instantly, stopping and drawing out his knife in one movement. He squinted in the direction of the noise. They fell back slightly, as he waited, looking closely at the edge of their entourage. Suddenly, there was a blur of movement as a shadow snarled and lunged out towards their group. River spun around but Lee was already there, charging towards the attacker and thrusting out with his knife. He connected and then threw his body at the shape. The children moved, almost as one, into a low crouch. A few whimpered but most were silent. Ellie joined them on the ground, still holding the little hand. She could feel his pulse racing and his hand trembling. It was completely black under the cover of the tall grass. She listened to the sounds of the struggle, and she held her hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. Finally, it was silent.

"Let's go," Lee said stoically, and the children stood quickly.

"What was it?" Ellie asked.

"An animal," Lee said, gesturing to a large creature lying still on the ground. She shuddered. It was some beast, at least three times the size of the last predator, and it had approached much more silently. In fact, she realized, it had been stalking them.

River had already moved to lead them out again.

"Is it always like this?" she whispered to Lee as they walked.

"No. We usually don't leave meat lying here," he explained. "Wasteful. But we want as much space between us and the noise as possible. The children aren't prepared to defend themselves out here.

_Neither am I._ "I meant – is it always dangerous like this?"

He considered her question for a moment. "At night, it is. Their vision is better than ours, and they're more active after dark. But fewer people travel at night, too." She understood immediately. People, she'd found, could be so much more frightening than animals.

She felt Lee fall back a little. He wanted her in the middle of the group.

They neared the base. She could see its shape looming up under the muted light of the cloud-covered moon. She watched carefully for fires that would signal someone else's presence, but the area surrounding it was dark. River slowed his pace, scanning the area. Suddenly, he stopped. He tilted his head slightly. He was listening. _He doesn't want to miss another animal._

"Be still," Lee whispered to her.

She could hardly make out River's shape in the dark, but he was moving slowly towards something - stalking it. He disappeared into the grass. An animal howled. No. Not an animal this time. Someone was screaming.

In the dark, she caught a glimpse of the moon reflecting off the blade of River's knife, held down low against the throat of a faceless man.

"Please, don't..." The man on the ground cried out. Real terror was in his voice. She remembered the cry of the Terrock.

"River!" she called softly, moving carefully through the row of children towards him. "Who is it?"

"He was waiting in the dark here, beside the door." He tossed something at her feet. "He had this with him. What is it?"

She picked it up. It was a small, silver handgun. She recognized it. "Dad?" she asked softly.

River's head snapped up, meeting her eyes. He let the pressure off his knife slightly. She knelt down beside River, her shoulder touching his, and looked into the thin, terrified face of her father.

"Let him go!" she cried. River blinked in surprise at her. He lowered his knife, and she reached forward and took her father's hand, pulling him up to sitting. He touched her face in wonder.

"Ellie? Is that you?" She couldn't form any words but, instead, burst into tears. He reached out and gathered her into his arms.

"I'm here now, Ellie. I've been praying..." There were tears in his voice, and he held her closer. "I knew I'd find you, Ellie. I saw the car tracks, and I knew it had to be my girl."

"How long have you been out here?" She pulled back, looking into his haggard face. His chin was covered with a graying beard, and his face was bruised.

"Since the night you came up. They wouldn't send a search party..."

"Nobody from her tribe would look for her?" River broke in, his voice horrified.

"Because they're not her tribe." Lee's angry voice was beside them now, and he reached down and yanked her up. "They're not her family. They're thieves and liars." Pulling her back beside him, he tugged her towards the base.

"Lee." She struggled against his grasp. River's knife was up again, holding her father, who had sprung to his feet, at arm's length. "Lee, you're hurting me." He let go but pushed her, more gently, towards the door. "Get us into the base," he said quietly, "River will keep him outside, and let him go when we are safely in."

"No!" she shouted, pushing him back. He barely moved. "He's my dad!" I'm not going anywhere without him."

"Ellie..."

"I mean it, Lee. You leave him out here, then you leave me too." He sighed deeply, crossing his arms. "You don't need me anymore." She tried again, more calmly. "River knows the code to get in."

"You're my sister," he whispered. "I will always need you."

She had won. "Then my father comes in with us."

He sighed again, uncrossing his arms and gesturing to River. "Let him in with us," he said finally. Then he added quietly, to Ellie, "But don't let him see how to get in."

River didn't reply but he lowered his knife again. The man moved instantly towards his daughter. Lee moved aside slightly, letting his shoulder hit him as he passed. The older man didn't even flinch as he reached out for Ellie again. She turned before he reached her and punched in the code. Her fingers were shaking.

River reached past her to pry the heavy door open. "Come in, Dad. We'll talk when we get inside." Ellie closed the keypad.

He followed her and then stood beside her as they watched the children file in. "What are you doing with all these children?" he whispered.

"They're the last of my tribe," she said simply. His brow furrowed but he didn't respond.

River and Lee slammed the door behind them and Ellie found the light switch again. The lights hummed for a moment and then flickered on. Lee's mouth gaped as he looked at the vast, shiny interior, and the children began to talk all at once.

"You got us in here, Ellie," Lee said. _Was that admiration?_

"Lee, let River take you and the children for a tour. There must be barracks around here – rooms with beds. Can you get the children settled?"

River and Lee didn't move for a moment; they were looking over her shoulder warily at her father, who stood uncomfortably behind her.

"Please. I need to talk to him. And the children must be tired." She knew drawing attention to the children's needs would convince them. They were good at caring. "You could show them where the water is," she added.

"River can take them," Lee said finally.

"No." She shook her head. She didn't trust Lee with her father. He was angry. Even now, as he feigned calm, she could see the flash of hatred in his eyes when he glanced over at her father. She couldn't blame him. Her father had taken her from them, had hurt everyone by stealing her away from her family. She'd hate him too, if she didn't love him so much. "I want to talk to him alone." When he started to shake his head again, she added, "He's my father. He would never hurt me."

"He is not your father..." Lee tried again.

"He's the only one I have." She cut him off, and he fell silent. He knew she was right.

"Okay," he finally said, "but you call if anything happens."

"I will. I promise."

With a final glance behind him, Lee motioned for River to lead the way. River frowned but whispered something to the children. Ellie stood, her shoulder against her father's, as they watched the two men gather the children. With a few curious glances at her father, the children followed River down the hall. She smiled slightly as she saw one of the little boys reach up and take River's hand.

When they were out of sight, her father whispered suddenly, "Let's go." He took her arm. She pulled away quickly.

"What are you doing?"

"We need to get out of here, before they get back."

"Dad – I'm not going anywhere."

"What are you talking about?" He was visibly upset. "Your family is worried sick."

"These people are my family too. You _know_ they are."

"You don't know what you're saying." He wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Dad!" She suddenly exploded. She was so tired of being lied to. "You took me when I was a baby!" She pointed in the direction Lee had gone in, "Over there – _that's_ my brother. That's my _real_ brother. Who are _you_?"

"Ellie..." he reached out to touch her. "I'm your father. I'll always be your father."

"Then tell me why," she said softly. "Why did you take me?"

His shoulders sagged. "We wanted kids so much. What choice did we have? And you were out here, so small – being raised in darkness with savages. We thought it all for the best."

"Savages?" She could barely choke out the word. "And my brothers?"

"They're from the same area. Four, perfect children." She felt sick. Her parents had stolen the four of them from their parents. No wonder they looked so different from one another. And no wonder they had never really belonged.

"We weren't yours to take," she said softly.

"We _loved_ you." Tears pooled in his eyes. She'd never seen him cry. "Ellie, I loved you since the moment I saw you. Nobody can tell you you're not my child." He reached out towards her. She took a step back, and he dropped his hands to his side again. "Please, El."

She looked at her father. He seemed so old now. So broken. The other children had always made her feel different, but he never had. She could see his face, alight with laughter as he lifted her high above his head. She could hear his deep voice creating the characters as he read her to sleep at night. Of course, he'd come looking for her, despite the danger to himself, despite the fact he had needed to come alone. Of course he had.

"I just wish you'd told me before."

"I know. I'm so sorry.

She was quiet for a moment, then gently reached out and rested her fingers against his wrist. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. She hugged him back now, resting her head against his chest. It felt safe and familiar.

"Let me take you home now, Ellie," he whispered into her hair. She closed her eyes for a moment, as comfort washed over her.

She pulled back slightly to meet his eyes. "I _am_ home." As she said it, she knew she meant it, with everything in her. This _was_ her home. As frightening and uncertain as it was, she belonged here. And yet, her family below _was_ her family; her father was right about that. Even as she thought of them, she felt her resolve wavering. Paul, who she loved so much, who protected her and defended her, who really _knew_ her – how would he feel when he realized she wasn't coming back?

But none of that mattered, not really. Not if it meant leaving Lee or the children. Not if it meant leaving River.

"Ellie, you've been up here too long – you're not thinking clearly..."

"Stop."

"Listen! These savages..."

"Savages!" The word was ugly in her mouth, especially when she knew whom he meant. "Am I a savage too?"

"Ellie, don't..."

"You don't know anything about what life is like up here, how _smart_ people have to be to survive, how strong..."

"It's not safe! You're not safe."

"I am with my brother."

Her father was quiet for a moment, and then he responded more slowly, trying again to reason with her. "And what if something happens to him? Or to that other boy? Who will protect you then?"

"And what should I do, Dad? Should I go back with you and just forget about them? The community will _never_ allow them down there."

He grasped onto her words – "They might. I would talk to them, convince them."

She shook her head, "No. They barely tolerated me. And besides, how could anyone who's lived in this world ever be satisfied with the one below?"

"Ellie..."

"No." She spoke loudly now, more forcefully. "I'm staying."

"Did you hear her?" Lee's voice echoed as he walked quickly towards them, River following close behind. "She's not going with you."

Her father glared at him and stood his ground as the taller, broader man stepped up to him.

"She doesn't belong here," he said, unflinching.

Lee's voice was cold. "Yes, she does." River stood tensely, watching them.

She saw her father's fist balled up, and she said again, more gently, "Go home."

He shifted his gaze to her, and finally his shoulders sagged and his hands relaxed. "I'm coming back for you," he said. She knew he'd try to convince the community to come and force her back, or he'd bring her brothers to try to change her mind. It wouldn't work.

"Goodbye, Father," she said stiffly. She didn't want to have him leave this way, but he just wouldn't let her go. "Do you want to stay until the morning? It's dangerous out there."

"I'm used to traveling at night out here, and I have the gun. I have to let your mother know that we're okay. But I'm coming back," he said again, before turning quickly towards the door. Lee pulled the door open.

"Be careful!" she called, before Lee slammed the door behind him. She stared at the closed door, letting the tears roll down her cheeks now. Wordlessly, Lee drew her into his arms, letting her sob against him. He didn't like her father, but she could tell he understood her grief. They heard River open the door and follow her father outside.

She leaned against her brother until River returned. "I gave him the paper with the symbols," he said softly, "in case he is ever out there and in danger. He's your father." She looked at River, blinking back fresh tears. She knew Lee wouldn't be happy about what he'd just done, but she was grateful. Leaning back, she wiped her eyes on the hem of her tunic and looked up at River.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Maybe he'll bring Natasha with him, if he comes back again," said Lee. Then he looked again towards the closed door. "Do you think Natasha will return to us?"

Ellie pictured her sister's face, so similar to her own. "I can't imagine her staying away."

"Do you think she'll be able to find us if she's already left your tribe?" asked Lee.

"If my Dad found us, Natasha-the-Warrior will too. Without a doubt."

"You are more like her than I thought at first," he said. She hoped he was right.

"I settled the children in the barracks," River said. "They've never slept in anything like that. They seem happy." His voice was warm. "There's so much space in here." He was talking partially to himself now. "This is a good place."

# Chapter 10 - Natasha

Early the next morning Natasha awoke to the sound of voices in the living room. Sitting up, she swung her feet to the floor. The red numbers on the clock read 5:00. Will had taught her numbers and explained how they were used in telling the passage of time. She was to get up at 7:00. So...it was too early. Who was talking in the living room? Natasha got out of bed and stood beside her door but she couldn't hear through the thick metal. When she pulled open the door, the lights blinded her for a moment. Then she saw Ellie's mother talking with a man. She didn't recognize him.

"Ellie!" the man cried. "Ellie! I'm so glad you've changed your mind! How did you get back before me?"

The woman took his hand. "This isn't Ellie. This is her twin sister, Natasha."

"Not Ellie?" The man stared at her.

Natasha shook her head.

"We thought she was Ellie too. She was wounded and we brought her inside and took care of her. But now she wants to leave to go back to her family."

The man nodded in understanding. "I know where they are. I found Ellie."

The woman gasped. "You found Ellie? But where is she? Why didn't she come back with you?"

The man's eyes watered and he blinked. "She insisted on staying with her 'real' family. Ellie says they need her help out there."

Ellie's mother burst into tears. "No...my Ellie. I'll never see her again."

"We'll figure something out," said the man.

"Where are they now?" asked Natasha.

"They're at the military base. Do you know where that is?"

Natasha shook her head. "What is a military base?"

"It's a large building with thick concrete walls, heavy metal doors and a metal roof."

"I know the place. Were they able to get inside?"

"Yes. And I think they'll be safe there. I think Ellie will be okay." He took the woman's hands and then they embraced. "I need to sleep, now." The woman led him into their room and the lights flicked off.

Natasha looked impatiently at the clock. It was only 5:20. She was fully awake now but it wasn't time to go. She sighed and returned to her bed to wait for 7:00.

When she awoke again, the clock read 7:05. It was time. Natasha got up and dressed. When she came out of her room, Will was there with Ellie's brothers.

"Why isn't Mom up yet?" asked Scott.

"Your father came home last night," said Natasha.

"Dad!" cried Jakob, bursting into his parent's bedroom. They were still in bed. The other two boys also rushed in to greet their father.

Natasha stood impatiently in the living room. She was glad their father was home and that he was all right. But she needed to get back to her own family.

"I want to come with you," said Will.

She turned to meet his intense gaze. "It's not safe outside."

"I don't care. I want adventure – to see the sun and stars and to feel the wind...I want to be with you."

"That is my world. This is your world."

The boys and their parents joined them in the living room. The boys were grinning. It was clear they had a strong bond with the man.

"I'm ready to go," said Natasha.

"I'll get the food I packed for you," said Mother.

She returned carrying a full leather satchel. "It should be enough for three days."

"Thank you," said Natasha, taking the bag from her. "That will be more than enough. I believe the base is only a day from here."

The man nodded. "Be careful. There are a lot of hostiles out there."

"I will," said Natasha.

"Here," her mother held out the knife, sheath and belt that she had been wearing when Lee had brought her to this place.

"Thank you, Mother! I thought my knife had been lost or stolen."

Ellie's mother hugged her. "Be safe."

Then she led the way out of their home and down the corridor. Will walked close to Natasha while her brothers and their father trailed behind. When they reached a door that Natasha had seen many times, her mother turned the handle and pushed inward. Inside, there was an empty room with a ladder leading upwards.

"You just climb up there and then turn the lever," said Mother.

Natasha felt a twisting in her gut now that it was really time to leave. Although they weren't her real family, Natasha had come to care about Ellie's mother and the boys. They had been kind and had treated her like she was part of the tribe. Even after they had found out the truth, they didn't reject her or act harshly towards her.

Paul stepped up and wrapped his arms around her fiercely. "I'm sorry I called you stupid," he said, still gripping her in a bear hug. "Now that I know you're not Ellie, I understand why you were acting so different." He released her and she saw tears in his eyes. "Come back one day, Natasha...and tell Ellie that I miss her."

"I will tell her," said Natasha, "and maybe we will come visit one day. One young boy from my tribe has hair just like yours. Perhaps he is your brother."

Paul's eyes opened wide in surprise. "I really would like to meet him. Can you bring him with you?"

"I will try."

Then Scott and Jakob hugged her and they exchanged farewells. Natasha looked at the woman who had raised Ellie. Natasha had no mother now. Tentatively, she held out her arms to the woman. Mother rushed forward to hug her, tears flowing down her cheeks again.

"I love you, Natasha. I'm sorry for everything. Please know that you are always welcome in our home."

Ellie's father shook hands with her in a more formal farewell. Then she stuck her hand out towards Will. But he pulled her into a hug instead. When they parted, she could see that intense look in his blue eyes again.

"I want to come with you."

"No!" said Mother.

"I'm sorry," said Natasha. "You cannot come. I am quick and strong. I have my knife and know how to use it. You would be a burden to me. It is a risk I cannot afford to take."

Will looked down, disappointment and frustration written on his face.

"But I do hope to see you again," said Natasha. He looked up and they gazed at each other for a long moment.

"You're like no other girl I've ever met. I...care about you. I will wait for you, Natasha."

She didn't know what to say. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Did he mean that he wanted to marry her? Natasha pushed those thoughts away. She did care about him but she would need to talk with Lee about the matter since her father was no more.

"I will try to come back, Will. But I give you no promise."

"I understand." He tried to smile.

Natasha grabbed hold of the ladder and put her foot on the bottom rung. She would come back if she could. Natasha climbed up and away from her new family. Reaching the top, she took hold of the lever. She had to push hard to turn it. Once the lever was all the way around, she pushed upwards on the hatch. The golden light of day poured into the room. Natasha smiled. She was going home.

Then there was a face in the open hatchway above her, silhouetted by the light shining behind him. For one fleeting moment, she though it was Lee. Then she recognized the facial markings. _No! Terrock!_

Natasha released her hold on the ladder and dropped to the cement floor below. "Enemy!" she cried out to the others. She didn't spare them a look. A spear zipped through the air and clattered to the ground beside her.

"Get back!" Natasha cried.

"Who's that?!" asked Will.

Mother started crying.

Natasha tried to block the others from her mind and focus. She grabbed the warrior's spear. There was no one in the hatchway now. How many of them were out there? Was it simply a small scouting party or was it their main force? Natasha stood at the bottom of the ladder and looked up. She had to try to close the hatch or these people would be slaughtered as hers had been.

"No!" Ellie's father grabbed her free arm and tried to pull her from the ladder. "Get away from there."

She twisted her arm in his grasp and broke free, while keeping her eyes locked on the open hole above her. "We have to try to stop them. Warn your people. If you have any warriors, it is time to fight."

"Stephanie, go warn everyone. Then bring me my gun. Boys, go with her." The sounds indicated the group was leaving. But could she fight all these warriors herself?

"I need to stay with Natasha," Will protested.

Natasha started climbing the ladder, while still holding the spear and keeping her eyes upward. She had to be ready. They would attack again soon.

"I have seen them fight, Lad. They are savages. You will be no help to Natasha dead."

There was the sound of a scuffle below her and then silence. The older man must have pushed Will out the door. Natasha was glad. She could afford no distraction this time. She was more than halfway up the ladder now.

A man looked down through the hatchway again. Natasha thrust the spear upwards and struck a glancing blow. The man cried out in pain, put his hand to his chin and darted away from the opening.

A large rock flew threw the opening, hurtled downwards, missing her by inches before crashing to the concrete.

"Get down from there, Natasha!" cried Ellie's father.

She looked down and jumped from the ladder, backing away as more rocks fell onto the place where she had just landed.

"This way! Let's get out of here!"

Natasha backed away from the ladder. "Will that door lock? Is there another way to get outside?"

"The door does not lock but perhaps we can barricade it. There is another way out but we are not abandoning our home!"

She crouched in the open doorway, spear in hand, as the stones continued to fall. "Go get something to barricade the door with, then."

The man nodded and ran down the hall.

The rock shower ceased and a warrior began descending the ladder. Natasha sprang forward and flung the spear up towards him. The weapon struck his torso and then clattered to the ground. Clutching his side, the man looked down at her with narrowed eyes. He wasn't badly injured. Natasha voiced her war cry as she pulled her knife from the sheath at her right hip. Flinging herself forward, she closed the distance between them. Before he could reach the ground, she slashed at his leg. The warrior cried out and slipped from the ladder and fell heavily onto the rocks. Natasha backed away as two more, large, well-muscled men descended. The man on the ground was trying to get up.

"Natasha, I'm back," cried Father. "Come this way!"

She backed away from the enemy warriors and out into the hallway. Father flung the heavy metal door shut with a clang. He held in his hand a metal rod which he wedged between the door and the opposite wall. But the rod was not quite level. It was too long and slanted upwards.

"We will have to hold it in place," said Natasha. The door pushed inwards violently but they held the rod in place so the door could not open.

"Go pull down on the fire alarm," said Father, pointing to a red toggle on the wall in the corridor. Natasha left him to hold the bar alone as she sprinted down the hall. She grasped the switch and flipped it downwards. A ringing sound filled the hallway. Natasha rushed back to Ellie's father, who was struggling to hold the rod in place.

She skidded to a stop as the bar slid up a little and the door lurched ajar a crack. Natasha pulled her knife and slashed at the hands that reached through. She nicked one of them and the hands withdrew with a curse. Father slammed his weight against the door and it closed again. The metal bar, which had been knocked out of place, clanged to the floor. He held the doorknob while Natasha picked up the rod and jammed it back between the wall and door. The alarm continued to ring.

"We can't hold this forever," said Natasha.

Just then, a mother with several young children came rushing down the hall. "Is there a fire?"

"Not this way," shouted Father. "We're under attack! It's the savages! You have to go out the other exit. Send some of the night manufacturing crews back this way with guns and something to block this door. We may be able to keep them out."

The woman gasped, turned around and hurried her children away.

Father continued to hold the doorknob, his face showing obvious strain. "I think they've almost got this turned all the way. Have you got a hold on the bar, Natasha?"

"Yes, Father." This man was brave. He would protect his people. They would fight together against the Terrock.

Two men from the underground tribe ran down the corridor towards them. The men carried weapons like Father's. The weight of the door slammed into the metal rod. Father released the doorknob and grabbed hold of the rod to keep it in place. The door stayed closed.

"Get something to barricade this door with!" Father shouted to his tribesmen.

The men turned and ran back the way they had come. For a moment, all was silence. The pressure from the door was gone.

"Do you think they've left?" asked Father.

Natasha shook her head. "They have not given up." Fear rose within her. _Better a fight than waiting for a fight. What are they up to?_

The men returned, pushing metal cabinets on wheels. "I don't think those will be enough," Father called to them.

"We'll put these down and go back for more," said one of the men.

"Are the people getting out the emergency exit, just in case?" asked Father.

"Yes," said the man as he pushed the cabinet onto its side and slid it up against the door.

"It's not heavy enough," said the other man. "Let's try this way." He put the cabinet on its back and then laid the other one down beside it the same way. "It almost reaches the wall this way. If we can find something to shove into there, that will be a good start to keeping the door shut."

"Right," said the other man. They ran down the hall again.

Natasha looked at the cabinets the men had brought. "They are made of metal but will they be strong enough?"

"I don't know," said Father. He didn't look confident. Still the door did not move. What were they doing in there? Surely the attack would resume at any moment and they would try something different. The Terrock weren't stupid. What were they planning? The waiting was making her crazy.

The men returned, carrying another matching cabinet and a metal toolbox. "See, the cabinet won't fit into the space left. But I think this will," said one of the men. He shoved the toolbox in, lengthwise, between the cabinet and the wall. There was still a small gap.

"Not quite said the other man. Let's go see if we can find anything else."

"Right," said the first man. "And once we erect a temporary barricade, we can get the welding torches and seal this door for good."

"Good idea," said Father. "But for now, just pile that cabinet you brought right on top of this one, beside the door," said Father. "It's better than nothing, in case this bar gives."

The man nodded and heaved the cabinet on top of the other one. The two metal boxes only came up to Natasha's waist.

"Welding torches can seal the door?" asked Natasha.

"Yes. The doorframe is also metal so, yes, if they melted the metal all the way around the door and also welded on some metal braces, then yes. Nothing would be able to get through that door."

"How long would it take to do this?"

"Half a day, maybe. But the door needs to stay closed while they work."

Still the Terrock did not push against the door. The men came down the hall towards them. Each was carrying four metal toolboxes of various sizes. They tried each toolbox in the space between the cabinet and the wall. A large red box was almost a perfect fit. One of the men had to jump on it to wedge it down into the space. "There!" The fire alarm stopped sounding and all was quiet.

"Now, let's get the welding equipment," said the other man. "I think the barricade and the bar should hold the door for now."

"Hurry!" said Father.

The doorknob turned. Natasha tensed, holding the rod. A loud bang sounded as the door shoved inward several inches. The rod slipped from its position but the cabinets and toolbox on the floor only gave a little. Father kicked the door closed again and then he repositioned the rod.

"They are ramming something heavy against the door. Maybe a tree trunk," he said. The doorknob started to turn again but this time Father held it with both hands.

Natasha nodded. The Terrock were resourceful, using many tools and weapons to bring destruction.

Another bang sounded against the door. This time, it remained closed. "The knob's slipping," said Father.

There was another fruitless bang against the door and an answering thump against the concrete wall beside the door. The thumping against the wall continued in a rhythmic pattern.

"Are they pushing a tree into the wall too?" asked Natasha.

Father's face was strained as he held the knob. "I don't think so. It sounds more like...a sledge hammer. A heavy hammer that can be used for breaking cement." The doorknob turned under his fingers and Father lurched for the rod to help steady it as the next impact sounded. The rod held but the door opened a crack and a metal bar was shoved into the small space.

"I don't think we'll be able to hold them off indefinitely," said Father. "Even if they didn't have a crowbar in the door, they will be able to come through the concrete wall with the sledge hammer, eventually."

The Terrock were using the metal bar as a lever, trying to force the door open. The small cabinet barricade and the metal rod that Natasha and Father held in place did not give way. The two men came running down the hall with what must be the welding equipment.

"It's not going to work," said Father. "They've already got the door part way open. We will hold them here as long as we can. Jon, you run to see how the evacuation is proceeding and make sure there is someone to guard those outside the emergency exit. And make sure all our guns and ammo get outside. Stephen, stay with us and be ready to use your gun if any of them get through."

The men nodded and one of them ran back down the hall. Stephen pulled his weapon out and held it pointed at the entranceway.

"Should I fire now?" asked Stephen. "It might scare them off at least, even if I don't hit anyone."

"I think we should wait," said her father. "We're standing too close to the door. The bullet might ricochet off the metal or concrete. And we don't want to waste our ammo."

Stephen nodded his assent. The rhythmic thud against the wall continued, as did the loud banging against the door. It would only be a matter of time until they were through. They waited, not speaking as the minutes ticked by.

Jon came running back towards them. "Almost everyone is out," he reported. "But they haven't been able to take much with them but we got the guns and ammo. How will we find shelter out there?"

"I know somewhere we can go," said Father.

The next bang against metal brought the door flinging inwards a foot. The rod was wrenched from Natasha's grip and fell to the floor. The metal cabinets on the ground were compressed as the door was shoved inwards. A spear came hurtling through the now partly-open door. Stephen held his weapon out and there was a deafening bang. Jon and her Father did the same. Natasha pulled her knife from the sheath at her hip. There was silence for a moment at the door.

"Let's go," said Father. "Run for the emergency exit, Jon. Natasha, you go with him. We'll be right behind you. Jon took off at a sprint down the corridor. Natasha followed, still holding her knife. They rounded a corner. She prayed that they would all be safe.

"What's going on?" Lisa screeched, emerging from one of the doorways just behind them.

"Run!" shouted Jon, not even slowing down. But Lisa just stood there.

Natasha stopped. "Come on," she called.

Stephen barreled past them. "Run! They're just behind us!" he shouted.

Father tried to grab her arm and pull Lisa along with him but Lisa pulled away from him.

"No! My mom's still inside! She's not feeling well...the pregnancy." Lisa pointed to the open door. Father went in to find the woman.

Natasha walked back to where Lisa stood. The girl's eyes were wide and focused on the knife.

"An enemy tribe is attacking," Natasha explained. "Stay behind me." She heard the sound of running footfalls. They were just around the corner. She glanced toward the open door. Father was still inside. Natasha took up a fighting stance. She would repel the Terrock to give the others time to escape.

Warriors ran at full speed around the corner. Natasha issued a war cry and sprang at them, her knife slashing past two of them before the men could even slow down.

"Run, Natasha," shouted her father from behind her. There was an explosion of sound and another of the Terrock warriors fell to the ground. The men who were still standing retreated back around the corner, leaving two injured men, bleeding on the ground. Natasha backed away and pelted down the corridor, following the retreating figures of Lisa and her mother. Father ran behind Natasha. She looked back but could not see the Terrock. The enemy would be more cautious now. Father and Natasha caught up to the women.

Father took the woman's elbow. "We have to hurry." He pulled her more quickly down the corridor and into a room. Natasha and Lisa followed them in. Quietly, Father closed the door. The large storage room was empty save for a ladder Natasha had never noticed before. "You climb first," he said to the pregnant woman. She took hold of the ladder and slowly climbed to the ceiling where a hatch was open, letting in the warm light of day. "Follow her," Father told Lisa. She climbed after her mother. "Now you, Natasha." She listened but heard no sound from the hall. Natasha nodded and swiftly climbed the metal rungs.

It was mid-morning when Natasha climbed out from the emergency exit, back into her own world. There was fear on the faces of those from Ellie's tribe. Most people carried very little and some people had only what they wore, but everyone had made it out. Parents hugged their little ones as their eyes darted about in suspicion. Even the bugs seemed to frighten these people. But there was much more than wind and bugs and the open sky to worry about.

Father was the last out of the hatch and he lowered the it down behind him and then covered it with loose vegetation. "I've cut the power and left them in the dark and I've piled the boxes back up so it will be hard for them to find the ladder. Hopefully, they won't find this exit for a long while."

"We must go quickly. The Terrock will be looking for us," said Natasha. "They won't give up."

"How would you know, Ellie?" asked Lisa. But fear flitted across her face when Natasha turned to answer her. "I mean no disrespect by my question, Ellie."

"I'm not Ellie. I'm her sister, Natasha. I've lived out here all my life and I've fought the Terrock before. We must go now."

"Well, that makes more sense," muttered Lisa.

"We have guns," said one of the men. "We should take back our home. Now."

"We only just made it out alive," said Mother. "There could be hundreds of them down there now."

"We should make for the military base," said Father. "Ellie's there with some friendlies. We could regroup there and come back and fight, when our children are safe, or we could establish the base as our new home."

There was some discussion but Natasha set out for the base. It didn't matter what the others said. She was going to find Lee. If they made good time, they could reach the base before nightfall.

Will kept pace with her, grinning as he walked. "It's beautiful out here. Just like you said."

"Beautiful..." Natasha looked up into the cloudless blue sky. "Sometimes dangerous but always beautiful." Soon she would see Lee again. She was going home to her family. Natasha glanced at Will. His bright blue eyes met hers. He looked very happy. She looked to the other side and saw Father, Mother and her brothers. She was bringing her new family with her. They would be one tribe.

Lisa and some of her friends hurried up to walk near Natasha. Lisa fell into step with Will and talked across him to Natasha. "I'm sorry for...you know...before. We wouldn't have gotten out if it weren't for you. Thanks for saving me and my mom."

"I accept your apology and your thanks," said Natasha. "And I expect that you will not be unkind to Ellie once we join her. She is my sister."

"Of course not. I don't know why I was such an idiot."

"I'm glad to be outside again," Natasha said to Will. "The smells in the air and the light of the sun fill me with energy and joy. This is life!"

"But we've lost everything!" Lisa burst into tears.

Will shook his head. "Not everything. We didn't lose what matters." He looked at Natasha and smiled.

Natasha smiled back. "We have each other."

# Epilogue

"There it is!" Father strode ahead of the group. The building was as Natasha remembered it from many years ago. It was amazing that Ellie had managed to get inside. Father walked up to the building and opened a small box beside the door. Natasha had never seen it open before. He pressed some of the glowing symbols. A faint click came from the door and Father pulled on the handle. It opened. The group went inside and Father closed the door behind them. Natasha could see that Ellie's tribe was grateful to get inside.

Ellie looked up in alarm, dropping the cloth she was using to wipe down the mess hall table. She could hear the front door scraping open. River, working beside her, grabbed her arm. "Shhh." They knew it couldn't be Lee – he was in another room with the children. River moved out in front of her, his bare feet silent on the floor. He stopped cold at the doorway. "Ellie, come here," he said. The first thing she saw as she stepped beside him was Lee, standing still in the middle of the room, staring wide-eyed at the entrance. She followed his gaze.

"Natasha!" cried Lee. He moved forward to hug his sister. Natasha returned the embrace enthusiastically.

"Lee! I'm so glad to see you, Brother!" Then Natasha saw Ellie and River come around the corner behind Lee. "River!" She released her brother and walked past him to embrace River. Then she smiled at Ellie. "I like your father very much. He is a brave man."

Ellie looked over at the group of people with Natasha. Her father stood, two feet away, watching the reunion. "Dad!" she said, running past Natasha into her father's arms. "You're here!" He held her tight, lifting her and swinging her around in his arms. When he set her down, she looked up at his tear-streaked face. " _Why_ are you here?"

"It was the savages." He felt her stiffen and he shook his head. "The real savages. They followed me home." He hesitated, then looked away from her at the floor. She took his hand. He went on, "When we opened the hatch, they flooded the community. We had to evacuate."

"I'm sorry, Dad," she said simply.

"Ellie, you look terrible!" Paul's playful voice broke through the conversations surrounding them, and Ellie turned just in time to be embraced by her brother.

"Paul!" she said, laughing through her tears. "I've missed you, little brother."

He drew back to look at her again. "I've missed you, too. I was so relieved when I found out Natasha wasn't you."

She laughed again and was swept into another bear hug. It was Jakob. "Missed you, Ellie!" he yelled, even though he was right by her ear.

"Nice place you've got," Scott said from beside him. She reached out and took his hand.

"I'm so glad you're here." She looked past him and saw her mother standing alone, shoulders sagging, eyes red-rimmed from crying. "Mom!" Ellie called out, letting go of her brothers and running towards her mother. She stopped short, seeing her mother tense up as she approached. "Are you okay?"

"I should have noticed..." she choked out and then burst into tears. "What kind of mother doesn't know her own daughter!"

Ellie gathered her into her arms. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is that you're here, that we're together." She felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she wept with her mother.

Sleepy-eyed children shuffled out into the hallway. Natasha ran to greet them. She hugged each of them. "I'm so glad to be back with my family!" Then she turned back to Paul, while pointing to an orange-haired boy. "See, this one looks like you." He laughed uncomfortably but the little boy beamed.

"Is he my brother?"

"I think so," said Natasha. The boy walked over to Paul.

"I've always wanted to be an older brother," Paul said, and the little boy took his hand.

"Let's sit down for a while and talk," said Lee, loudly. Everyone gave him their attention. "This way. We can sit in the Mess Hall." The little group followed him down the corridor and into a large room filled with metal tables and chairs. Natasha noticed that Will had fallen into step beside her. They sat down together. When all of Ellie's tribe was seated, there were still many seats left empty. This was a good place to live. A safe place with room to grow... to have families. Will was sitting so close that his shoulder was touching hers. But it was nice.

"I think we should stay here," said Lisa's mother. "We're safe here. This is a modern facility with electricity. Why risk going back? We'll have everything we need here."

"I agree," said Father. Everyone was nodding or murmuring agreement, even Jon, who initially had wanted to go back.

Ellie and River sat down beside Will and Natasha. The two sisters, side by side, smiled at each other.

"I'm glad you came outside, Ellie. I'm glad to have a sister like you."

"Me, too!" Ellie glanced shyly at River and then held out her arms to Natasha. They hugged.

"We will be one tribe, then," said Lee.

Ellie nodded. "Together."

# About the Authors

Celesta Thiessen has written short stories and novels for adults and teens, chapter books for children, and leveled books for beginning readers. She also generates ideas and writes content for Visions Encoded, a company specializing in apps for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Celesta lives in Steinbach, Manitoba with her husband and two young daughters.

Alyssa Thiessen is a writer and a teacher hailing from the vibrant center of Canada – Winnipeg, Manitoba. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from the University of Manitoba. Although she loves the beauty of the written word and the thrill of engaging learners, her greatest joy is found in her family. Life with her husband, Zig, and her two children, Rachel and Joshua, make every day a beautiful adventure.

# Other Books by Celesta Thiessen

Prince Jade

Jade, the fourteen-year-old, second-born prince of Kedrin, is full of unnatural powers and an uncontrollable darkness. He is ready to seize the throne. But when Jade's life takes an unexpected turn, he meets Marigold, a simple farm girl who embodies everything that he is not. Gradually, for the first time, he begins to want the light.

Like a Shakespearian fairy tale, this romantic fantasy adventure chronicles Jade's journey as he finds love...and love finds him.

Surviving the Apocalypse in Steinbach, MB

June Westcott has her life planned out. Graduate high school, get married and become a successful author. She feels that she's going to be able to live the dream. Her books are actually starting to sell and she's dating Caleb, the best guy ever. There's just one problem. It looks like it might be the end of the world.

A Christian science fiction adventure that takes place in the near future, Surviving the Apocalypse in Steinbach, MB, is unique among Christian fiction novels. This story, based on the theme of hearing God, is set in motion by a continent-wide apocalyptic event and propelled towards a dramatic conclusion as June and Caleb listen to God and learn to follow His leading.

If you liked **Amber Rain** please write a short review wherever you bought this ebook. Thanks for reading!

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