"C'mon sleepyheads, get up!"

I sit up and look around. Jay is the only one up, the rest of us are rubbing our eyes groggily.

"Seriously Jay?" Kendra asks. "It wouldn't have killed us to get some extra sleep."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. But we have to do something about our food situation. Right now each of us get half a protein bar, and then we have no food."

Thinking of food reminds me of the ache in my stomach. We've been rationing the food, but we didn't have that much to begin with.

"Crap," Mitch mutters.

"We might as well eat the last of our food then. I think I speak for all of us when I say that I'm hungry," Tristan says.

"Yeah. I guess it just makes the decision about going into the town," Greyson says, surprising us all, because he really didn't want to go.

Jay passes a protein bar to Kendra and me, and keeps one for him and Greyson.

"Don't even think about giving me a bigger piece cause I eat more," Tristan warns me.

"I would've, if I wasn't so hungry," I say, breaking the bar in half.

After eating the last of our food, we pack everything into our backpacks.

I can't believe it. We're going into a town. It's so exciting, but terrifying. What if they send us right back to the complex. Or worse, what if they kill us on the spot?

Just as we're about to leave the clearing, we hear a small voice say, "Who are you?"

Looking around, I see a small girl who can't be more than ten. She has brown hair tied up in pigtails and is wearing brown pants and a blue shirt. Her clothes look to be very worn out.

"Are you lost?" She asks.

Kendra bends down to talk to her. "Not exactly. Who are you?" She asks in a kind voice.

"I'm Elaina," she tells us. "I live over there," she says, gesturing to where the town is. "Daddy taught me that I have to bring lost people to him. Come on."

I'm skeptical to take orders from a little girl, but what else can we do? We were going to go into the town anyway.

It's about a five minute walk down a hill and into the town. I stumbled twice because of my ankle, and Tristan-my boyfriend, I think with a smile-caught me both times.

Elaina leads us into the town, and straight to a small house. The whole town seems to be pretty old looking, but it's really cute.

"Daddy!" She calls. "I found lost people!"

A man, who I assume to be her father, comes to the front door. He seems very surprised to see us.

"I'm going to take them to the centre square, Elaina. Please go get Mr Browley and Mr and Mrs Calder."

Elaina nods and runs off. Her father leads us to the centre square quietly.

"It's been a long time since we got visitors like y'all. We're gonna hafta decide what we're gonna do with y'all. Where are ya kids from?"

"We ran away sir," Greyson tells him, giving away as little information as possible.

The man doesn't seem happy with the minimal information, but he hasn't told us anything either.

Elaina returns with three adults. A man who looks to be about mid thirties, like Elaina's father, and an older man and woman.

As the four adults talk to Elaina, townspeople gather around the square.

The man who I assume is Mr Browley claps his hands and gets the attention of the crowd.

"As y'all can see, we have here six young people here in the centre of town. Little Elaina found these six camped out in the woods. We're gonna figure out where they came from, and decide what to do with them shortly. We need two other council members to come and help us."

A man and a woman step forward, and everyone else in the crowd disperses.

Elaina's father tells us that they are going to question each of us separately to see if we tell the truth. Then they'll decide what they're doing with us.

"If all of y'alls stories don't match up, there's gonna be trouble," he warns.

Tell the truth, Greyson mouths to us.

They take each of us different ways. I luck out, and am with the older lady. I'm very glad, because the men were a lot more intimidating.

"What's your name sugar?" The lady asks me as she leads me away from the square.

"I'm Amber," I tell her.

"Well Amber, I'm Mrs Calder," she tells me. "Oh dear! Did you injure yourself?" She asks, noticing my limp.

"Yes, awhile back," I tell her.

We reach a house, and she opens the door for me. "Take a seat honey," she says, motioning at the kitchen table.

"Would you like anything?" She asks. "Some tea? Or if you're hungry, I have fresh bannock and jam."

"Could I have some bannock please?"

"Jam too?"

"Yes please."

Mrs Calder places a plate of bannock and strawberry jam in front of me. The smell reminds me of cooking it over the fire with my neighbours.

"So Amber, what's your story?" Mrs Calder asks.

"The six of us were ADCCG kids. We escaped."

"Oh. Who are the others you are with?"

"Kendra is the other girl. Then there's Greyson, who is my brother, Mitch, who is also from my province, Jay and Tristan. There's not really much to the story. There were two others with us, but they didn't make it," I say sadly.

"Oh dear. Well, you stay here and eat. Feel free to take more bannock, I'm sure you're hungry. I have to report to the others. I'll be back soon Amber."

Mrs Calder heads back to the town square. After I finish my bannock, I look around. The kitchen is simple, and there are no modern appliances. There is a wood stove, and the jam is in a metal ice box. It's like stepping into the past.

I sit in the kitchen for a long time. I want to check out the rest of the house, but I don't want to be rude. Instead, I take another piece of bannock.

Mrs Calder returns and tells me that we are going back to the town square.

I clasp my hands worriedly. What if someone missed Greyson's message and tried to make up a cover story? What would they do to us?

"Don't worry, honey," Mrs Calder assures me.

Mrs Calder and I are the last to arrive at the town square.

After debriefing quickly, the adults turn to us.

"Your stories matched up," one of the men tells us. "We've decided that if you would like, we will allow you to stay in our little village, Johnston. Our village is special. We are all here, hiding from the government. No one has any idea that this village exists. We live a simple life, with out electricity. But we are safe here. It's a good life. Take some time to decide."

Kendra jumps into Mitch's arms, and Tristan picks me up and spins me around. I notice Jay and Greyson standing around awkwardly.

"One second," I tell Tristan.

I run to Greyson and jump on him, giving him a big hug.

"We did it! We're safe!" I exclaim.

After our celebration, we go back toning serious, and I ask the question we all have on our minds.

"Are we going to stay?"

"What do you guys think?" Jay asks.

"I think we should stay," I say. Mrs Calder was so nice and welcoming.

"Stay," Tristan agrees.

"Stay," says Kendra, looking expectantly at Mitch.

"As much as it surprises me to say it, I think we should stay."

"I'm all for staying," Jay says. "What about you, Greyson?"

"Let's stay."

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