Wherever I looked, the signs of disrepair were overwhelming. An empty pickup truck had been pushed off the road and the town sign had been vandalized. What kind of government quarantine is this?

I bet the escaped mayor couldn’t take back this lawless land, even with the help of everyone who escaped. We’d just be rustled up like cattle for prison again. Why was I doing this again? Grandma. I need an army to save her and the rest.

The prison camp housed about half of the people from our town. I always wondered what happened to the other half. Were they allowed to stay, or were they in another prison somewhere? The Allergan camp prisoners were the meeker half of the town. I was hoping the other half was here, still fighting, still resisting.

Or... all I need to do is gather all the kidnapped teenagers and start a youth riot. Yeah, it’s a desperate girl’s wish. So sue me.

My right hand had been gripping the staff too hard. I switched grips and trudged on.

I stayed on the pavement as much as I could. The distance was long, and my soles were already worn out. I had to rest frequently to ease the pain in my feet. Why couldn’t I have found a magical pair of shoes instead? One that would whisk me home magically. Although glittery red heels weren’t my style. I quite favored my hot pink shoelaces on my otherwise plain sneakers.

Once in town, I’d find myself some new shoes, something that’d fit better. The pair I had on now were too small for me. I knew I shouldn’t have been cheap. They were a bit snug when we were taken, which meant I could’ve and should’ve bought new shoes at that time when I had the chance. My right toe peeked through a hole.

You could forget about getting luxuries like shoes in Camp Allegan. Those idiots at the prison didn’t care much for us, they barely fed us. Giving prisoners new shoes never even crossed their minds.

I wondered how everybody was doing back there. I hoped that more escaped and no one was caught. Tracy was going to use another prisoner to set an example. Many times, the solitary confinement box in this summer heat killed our citizens, driving them and their family mad in the process. The gem on the staff pulsed for a second, responding to my anger. Is that how I’m supposed to use the staff? Send waves of hatred?

Finally, I made it to the town. I mean, to what used to be the town.