The List (Chapter One)

The Outing

The door opened and we all went out into the long awaited sunlight. I breathed in deeply the scent of the outdoors as I felt a nice breeze that I had almost forgotten existed. We had ridden in the van for a long time. I glanced around at the other kids and spotted Emma, the little ten year old was looking around with her eyes as big as quarters with wonder and the biggest smile I had ever seen. 

Right, I reminded myself, She was taken young – she’s never been out here. 

I stared up at the sun not caring that it burned my eyes; it had been a very long time since I had seen sunlight. I thought back and tried to remember the last time I had seen the sun.

The day I was taken. I thought remembering the last time I was outside the compound. I had been walking home on field day when a van drove up men in black had jumped out, grabbed me, and taken me to the Compound. 

“All right listen up” said the large muscular guard in front of us interrupting my thoughts. “You all know the rules, and remember we have people from the county jail coming here too. Remember the consequences for breaking any rules. Your name will be put on the List.” 

I winced hearing the consequence for breaking a rule and reminded myself of them. 

(1) Don’t use your power. 

(2) Don’t mention the compound or what goes on there. 

(3) Don’t tell anyone how you got there. 

I looked over and the man gave all of us trash sticks and bags I can’t believe that I am actually happy to be picking up trash. 

I walked to the other side of the street and started picking up trash. I started to get it down to an exact science, pick up on stick, wrap the bag around the trash, pull it off, repeat. I was so concentrated on my rhythm, I didn’t realise when someone came up next to me. 

“Hi” they said making me jump and instinctively send out a small heatwave to protect myself my head shot up and I saw it was a girl, a teenager that I hadn’t seen before. 

“Sorry if I scared you,” she said and I noticed her fan herself to cool down. If people didn’t know that heat came from me they usually didn’t question it, just passing it off as a hot wind. “I’m Caroline what’s your name?” 

I instinctively reached for my ID tag around my neck that had my information my name,age,power but then I reminded myself that this person wasn’t from the compound so I just said my name keeping my tag hidden in my shirt.

“Elise,” I said, taking in her appearance. She was wearing jeans and carried a trash spike and bag. I went back to picking up trash. 

“So…why are you here?” I asked thinking she probably robbed a bank or something. 

“Vandalism,” she said stabbing another piece of trash “me and some friends TPed one of our friends’ houses and we got caught by the police. So I have to do community service. How about you?” she asked. But then I heard someone saying my name. 

“Elise!” I heard a small voice whisper. I turned and saw Emma standing next to me. I waved to Caroline and walked down the road a bit so we could talk in private.

“What is it Emma?”

“What’s that thing in the tree? No one will tell me they just keep saying to get back to work! ” she said pointing at a bird in a nearby tree. 

“Oh!” I said smiling at her enthusiasm “that’s a bird Emma”. She looked as happy to be outside as a dog that just got a new toy. 

“Bird?” she said. 

“Yep” I said. I took a quick glance around and spotted a guard walking toward us. 

“Quick get back to work Emma! You don’t want to go on the List do you!?” 

Emma’s smile vanished and I saw a flash of terror cross her face. 

“No!” she said. 

“Then go! hurry!” 

I gave her a little push and she went off on her way, but the guard had spotted me. I turned back to start picking up trash, but the guard stepped up behind me and grabbed my ID tag from behind pulling it tight around my neck. 

“What were you telling her?” he inquired roughly. 

I glanced up the road and saw that Caroline wasn’t looking at me. She hadn’t seen the guard come up. “It was nothing”

In response, he wrapped my ID tag tighter with a twist. 

“Tell Me!” he said. 

“I was just telling her what a bird was!”I said loudly so he would hear.

“This is a time for work not chit chat!” he said harshly and he tightened the ID tag and then released it making me fall to the ground gasping for air as he turned and walked away. 

“Jeez are you alright?!” 

I glanced up and saw Caroline standing over me. She must have heard me fall I thought.

“Yes, yes I’m alright,” I said between gasps I took her hand and stood up and looked at her. 

“What happened to your arm?” she asked staring at my shoulder.

“It’s nothing,” I said trying to hide it but she pushed my arm aside and moved my sleeve to look at my shoulder. 

She gasped staring at the two inch scar on my shoulder. 

“How did you get this?” 

I looked away closing my eyes to fight back memories flashing through my mind and trying to control my anger at what had happened. 

“I didn’t do anything,” I whispered. 

“What?”

“I didn’t break any law!” I said louder and looked back at her tears rolling down my face. “I was taken. kidnapped. I got the scar as punishment for hacking a computer!” 

I stared down at my feet so I wouldn’t have to see her shocked face. I could never get looks like that out of my head. I heard her gasp and I knew that I had made a good choice in staring at my shoes

“Why did you hack a computer?” she asked hesitantly. 

“I was trying to send a message to my family to tell them to keep looking for me to say I was still alive.” I said sobbing. I’ll get put on the List for this. I thought. 

“They did that to you?” she asked. 

“I said too much already. I’ll get put on the List for sure!” 

“What List?” she asked. I shuddered. 

“The List is a list of all our names in the compound if you break a rule or get in trouble or if it’s just your time you get your name put on it. Then you get taken down to the lower levels where they do their tests,” I said, pale faced and shaking. “And trust me! What that guard just did was nothing!” 

“This way,” she said grabbing my arm and pulling me towards a police officer. 

“What seems to be the trouble?” he asked. He saw my tearstained face he put his arm on my shoulder kneeling to look at me “Are you alright?“ he asked me. 

“Officer” Caroline said to him “This girl said she was kidnapped! And the people holding her captive hurt her!” to prove her point she moved my sleeve up and showed him the scar on my shoulder. 

“What?!, who did this to you?” he asked kindly 

I said nothing. Instead I nodded toward the guards.

”They did it?” he asked me 

I nodded. 

“What’s your name?” he asked. 

Again, I reached for my ID tag then stopped myself.

“Elise Rainwood,” I said instead. His eyes widened.

“Let me look at something!” He stood and got out a small laptop from his police car and logged into it. He pulled something up and turned it towards me. “Is this you?”

I stared at the computer. My picture was on it from before I was taken. I glanced underneath it and saw my name, age, and birthday. And above my picture was a caption saying I had gone missing four months ago and there was an ongoing investigation on my kidnapping.

I covered my mouth fighting back sobs and tears that threatened to overwhelm me relief and hope leaping in my heart. They’re still looking! The guards lied about them giving up!

I nodded to the officer. “That’s me.”

The officer looked at the rest of the kids. 

“Were they kidnapped too?” he asked me. 

“Yes,” I said quietly. 

The officer called over another officer.

“Call in reinforcements and round up all the prisoners that are from the other jail this girl and the others were kidnapped!” 

“Yes sir!” said the man and he got out his radio and started filing a report. 

But then I heard a demanding voice shout something I knew all too well. 

“Hey, Freaks! Get back to work!” 

I turned quickly at the sound as if it were my own name. 

“What are you doing!” shouted a guard even though he was only ten feet away. 

I took a defiant step forward shoving down my fear. They had told me that my family had forgotten me. They had stolen everything I had and now they would try and take it all away again. I would not let that happen again.

“What should have happened a long time ago,” I said boldly. I saw the guard reaching for the stun gun at his side and I shouted the code word that every one of the kids from the compound knew by heart. 

“For Max!” 

Every head turned my way as the guard pulled out the stun gun, pointed it at me, and fired.

***

Caroline grabbed Elise to stop her from hitting her head on the road as she fell to the ground. 

What Elise had said must have been a codeword of sorts because all the kids with tags threw down their bags and sticks and started moving. One boy grabbed one of the guards and literally threw him into the side of a van. Another of the kids dropped their stick and bag and ran forty miles an hour down the road passing speeding cars. 

A girl with brown hair and bright green eyes ran toward Caroline and Elise and fell to her knees next to them. 

“Did she hit her head on the ground?” she asked. For a moment Caroline was too shocked to answer then she spoke. 

“No I caught her before she hit the ground” The girl nodded 

“good” she said. 

Then expertly checked for a pulse on her neck; she looked like she had done this before.

“her heart’s still beating so she’ll be fine” she looked up at her and held out her ID tag for her to read apparently this was as good as an introduction. 

Caroline read the girl’s name Kate Weaver.

“Elise and I are cellmates” she said she then looked down at Elise whose eyes were scrunched shut Kate rubbed Elise’s arm and spoke one word.

“safety” 

Elise’s eyes opened in an instant she slowly sat up and looked around 

“where are we?” she said looking at Kate 

“outside” was all she had time to say. 

“Quick let’s get away from here!” said the policeman picking up Elise and moving toward a police car they followed Caroline got in along with Kate and they sat in the back of the police car. 

“Weird, there’s only a seatbelt” said Elise as the officer put her in the back of the car. 

They all got in and put on their seat belts the officer got in the front “buckle up!” he said then he started the car and they shot down the road.

***

Officer Greg Holton looked to the side and spotted one of the vans from the other jail one of the ones with the kids in it, and saw guards loading full of sad looking kids. He walked over and hit one of the guards on the head that was standing guard at the door to the van and the man fell unconscious and told his deputy Walter to secure the driver. 

Greg opened the doors to the van and stepped in. 

The van was a terrible sight he looked in and saw all the kids strapped to the two sides of the van with multiple cuffs and belts he shut the doors behind him and stepped toured a boy strapped to his seat with a gag on his mouth Greg took it off him 

“whats going on?” the boy asked and Greg answered 

“your being rescued” as he undid the boy’s restraints 

“what’s your name?” Greg asked, the boy held out his tag and Greg read his name Will Atkins 

“you’re not kidding me are you?” Will asked suspiciously.

“no”  

He saw a glimmer of light come to the boy’s sad eyes. 

“we need to free the others will you help me?” 

Will nodded vigorously.

“wait!” he said as Greg stepped forward to free the child next to him “We have a special code that tells us that it’s safe to open our eyes” 

He moved over to the child next to him and gently rubbed her shoulder and spoke. 

“safety” 

The girl’s eyes opened and she looked up at them both Will undid the girls restraints 

“free the others” he said to her and she nodded they all got to work freeing and waking up all the kids and soon everyone was free. 

“Alright” Greg said speaking to them all but before he could say anything else the doors to the van burst open revealing a very shocked guard at the sight of seeing the kids free. He got his taser out and pointed it at Greg. Will stood next to him. 

“you mess with him you mess with us ” he said boldly the man’s eyes widened with fear and he dropped his taser. 

“Get in” Will said.

The man promptly obeyed they took the weapons and gave them to some of the children.Then strapped the man to one of the chairs and put a gag on him. 

“All right ” said Greg “here’s what’s going to happen ” he said after the kids had settled down “we are going to bring you all to the county police headquarters and we will find out what to do from there”  

The children nodded as if by speaking they might wake up from a wonderful dream. 

“hey!” said one of the kids once the van had started moving and they were back in their seats “let’s sing a song while we wait” 

“legend of Max!” one of the smaller ones said 

“sure” they said and they all started singing.

Once long ago there was a boy 

His name was Max

His talent was like no other

But the people were afraid

So they put him in chains

And tried to take his power

But doing so destroyed him

The power lost forever

Greg thought about the girl that had told another officer that the kids were kidnapped before she had been shocked she had shouted the words ‘for Max’ could the boy in the song and this other Max be the same? He turned his attention back to the kid’s who were still singing.

-someday soon the sun will shine again

The door’s will never lock us in again

And their chains will rust to dust

Oh someday soon the sun will shine again

And chains we’ll never wear again!

And the List will burn to ashes 

Never to say our names again

Oh someday soon the sun will shine again!

And the children will finally see the light

And so we fight until we can see the light

Because someday soon the sun will shine again!

The song ended grand and loud as the van stopped and the door swung open revealing Walter and some more officers awaiting orders. Greg spoke to the man in charge after all the kids got taken into the office. Greg shut the door so the kids wouldn’t hear the conversation. 

“So what is happening here Greg?” said his boss “it looks like a daycare out there” 

“sir, we have a code 237” Greg answered 

The old man’s eyes widened “a mass kidnapping!?” the man rubbed his chin in thought “I will have to send this to the state” he said 

Greg looked down and then spoke what was on his mind. “I think that the people that kidnapped them were the government” 

The man gave him a quizzical look 

“you been watching too many movies again Greg?” he said with a small chuckle. 

“Sir, I asked them how many kids had been kidnapped and do you know what they said?” 

“what?” 

“Four hundred”. 

The man’s eyes widened. 

“tell me sir, who would be able to kidnap that many kids and not get found out!” 

***

I sat in the back of the police car as it zoomed along Caroline sat next to me and Kate on the other side. The car kept going faster and faster the lights flashing. I looked back and saw that one of the vans from the compound was following at breakneck speed. 

“we’re in a car chase” I said getting a little worried as the van started gaining 

“what?” Kate said looking back at the van. 

“step on it!” said Caroline and the car went faster. 

“they’re going to catch us” I said. 

Kate looked over at me. “not if I can help it” 

She scowled at the van and suddenly it started swerving and flipped in a u-turn and had to turn in a circle to get back on our trail. 

“Nice” I said impressed at how far she could reach with her telepathy power. 

“hey you didn’t think we practice so much just because it’s fun, did you?”. 

I sat back “this is one of the best days I have had in a long time.” I said 

Caroline looked at me like I was nuts. 

“Seriously?, you had to pick up trash on the side of the road, got threatened by a guard,got shocked by a taser, and now you are in a car chase with people trying to possibly kill you. What is good about this!?” 

I sat up straighter and looked her in the eye. 

“when you think of freedom you think of driving to the mall with friends, you think of skipping class to see a movie.” 

I took a deep breath. 

“but when I think of freedom I think of finally seeing the sun and the sky again, I think of looking on the List after breakfast and not finding my name on it, I think of spending hours in the library hacking through the firewalls on a computer to send an Email to my family, even though I know that if I get caught I will get punished for it.” 

She was silent and the car continued in a fast speed. The officer in front spoke for the first time. 

“why exactly do these people want you kids so badly?” 

Kate and I looked at each other. 

“We’re not quite sure” Kate said, “but we know it has something to do with power”  

“yes” I said then I changed my voice to sound like the guards. 

“when an individual has control of a strong advantage they can use it to their interests and if someone gets in your way they can easily be persuaded or eliminated” I said quoting the propaganda that I had heard so many times I had it memorized,and because I myself had been persuaded. 

“So you’re of political importance or something?” Caroline said 

“or something” I said staring at my hands and thinking of the power they held. 

“Look!” shouted Kate her hand grabbing mine and I looked up and my heart sank to my shoes. 

In front of us was a barricade of vans with guards from the compound stood outside armed with taser guns the police car swerved to the side trying to flip around and go the other way but there were vans blocking the way there too. The car was quickly surrounded by guards I looked at Kate her face was pale like mine her eyes wide. 

“We’re dead” I said 

“No” Kate said “remember they won’t kill us” 

“I think I like that option better than the alternative” I said my voice shaking. I turned to Caroline whose face was pale and she looked at me terrified. 

“contact my family” I said to her “tell them to keep looking, tell them I’m alive” tears in my eyes as I looked out the window through the bars. 

“If you run now they might leave you alone. We’ll distract them!” I said to her and the officer. Kate swung their doors open with her power.

“Run! Both of you now!”

The officer started to protest but Kate shoved them both out the doors and they started running to the trees on the side of the highway. We both got out me making heat flare melting some of the guns and drawing attention away from the fleeing civilians. They deserve freedom more than someone like me.

We were quickly surrounded. I tried not to think about what would happen when I got back to the compound. I looked at the sky wondering if this would be the last time I saw it.

“Goodbye sunlight” was the last thing I said before I was shocked by a taser into unconsciousness.