It was raining hard against the window when I opened my eyes the next day. The sheets were tangled around me as I slowly sat up and looked at the clock. To my shock, it was around noon. After changing into some new clothes that I found in the dresser, I ran to the door and peeked out into the brightly lit hallway.

There wasn’t a single soul in sight.

I held my breath as I stepped out and quietly closed the door behind me, wincing at the familiar squeaking noise it made. The place seemed gray and dusky, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Fine crystal pieces from the giant chandelier hanging above slightly rocked back and forth as I made my way through the large lobby area. The double doors were almost taunting me, like a prize. My fingers were resting on the brass knob when I heard someone clear their throat.

“Good afternoon.”

I spun around quickly and clasped my hands behind my back. Mr. Karin held a cup of coffee in his hand; a folder of papers tucked undeneath his left arm. I was relieved that he looked just as tired as I was.

“Where are you off to, pitit?"

“Kite mwen pou kont mwen." My voice was shaky. “You have Mommy somewhere, and you’re not telling me where she is. I’ll find her myself, since you won’t help me.”

He chuckled. “You can try, but listen here. This is the house guards’ lunch break, but there are several ones outside the main gate, plus many in the streets. I’m sure that your chances of success are very slim, Adlai. They would snatch you and bring you right back here. Baldwin won’t be too happy that you disobeyed him and ran off like that, would you?”

I looked away. “I need to see her.”

Mr. Karin placed a hand on my shoulder and guided me away from the doors. “You will. But the more you refuse to cooperate, the more difficult things will turn out to be. You need to go to Baldwin’s office, now. He’s been waiting for you. Come along.”

As we walked down the hallway, I glanced at the doors one last time. To my surprise, in the shadows of the other empty room, I saw a glimpse of a figure standing in the corner, by a couch. When I rubbed my eyes and blinked twice, there was nothing there.

* * * * * *

Baldwin was staring out the window with his back facing us as we entered his office. The mess from the chicken and waffles fries on the carpet floor had long been cleaned up, but it made a lump grow in my throat. Nobody else in the room, except for a guard that looked as still as a statue, holding on tightly to his rifle, was with him. Mr. Karin nudged me forward.

Baldwin didn’t turn around. “Go. I’ll call you when I need you, Karin. You are dismissed.”

Mr. Karin took a quick sip of his coffee before quietly closing the door. Lightning flashed in the sky from the window outside, causing the lights above to flicker. For a moment, there was a long silence before Baldwin spoke.

“I wanted you to be here early in the morning, son. You slept till noon. Laziness is not to be tolerated around here; please go to bed on time. I know you had a rough first night, but orders are orders. Next time, there may be consequences. Have a seat for me, will you?”

My hands felt clammy as I pulled back one of the chairs and sat down at the table, which was so clean I could make out my reflection on the surface. The guard stared at the wall. I wondered what was going on behind his head, what he was thinking about.

Baldwin began to pace back and forth. “Your mother has granted the Red Mambas permission to keep custody over you until this whole thing blows over.”

“Can I see her, sir?” I whispered.

He glared at me. “Don’t interrupt.”

I swallowed hard and looked down at my tennis shoes. Baldwin sighed and continued his pacing. “You will reside here in this building in the meantime. Margaret will come and see you on the weekends, but if you decide to act up or hurt anymore of my staff like you did last night, it’ll be pushed back. Is that clear?”

I nodded slowly, even though I wanted to scream.

“Good,” he replied, sitting down across from me. “You’re only a child; you have much to learn. We are going to help you through this, Adlai. Plod is depending on you, and you bear its future on your shoulders. Starting next week, we are going to start basic training with you, before you become a recruit.”

“But...” I struggled to get the words out. “I don’t know how to fight. I don’t want to. I want to go home.”

”This is about the future of your country, son. You’re going to need to learn how to sacrifice, and to stop thinking about yourself so much. Think about the training you will soon do. ” Baldwin reached into the front breastpocket of his suit and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He lit one up between his fingers and exhaled, the smoke curling around his nose like a dragon. “Think about how proud your mother will be.”

I didn’t reply, even though I felt my face burn. His face was stone cold, emotionless as he turned his head towards the window. “Some of our scientists are fascinated by your gift. Twice a week, you will be going down to the laboratory to do some very basic tests. They simply want to see what you can do, that is all.”

“And...” I dug my fingernails against the seat cushion. “If I do all of these things, I’ll be able to go home soon? I want to see Jamie and his family...and I want to say sorry for what—“

Baldwin made a strange noise with his throat. “Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, shall we? One day at a time. We already agreed how you would cooperate to see your mother. But for everyone’s safety, it’s best for you to remain in Jova in the meantime and relax.”

I stood up, pushing back the chair so quickly the legs scratched against the floor. “I hate it here. What am I supposed to do, anyways? I can’t even go outside and see Mommy. What did you awful people do to her?! She needs me, you can’t take me away from her.”

He banged his fist against the table, causing everything on the surface to rattle. “You watch your tone when you’re speaking to me, boy. I will not be disrespected by you.”

The sweat on the back of my neck clung to my shirt as Baldwin’s angry words hung in the air. More smoke escaped from his mouth, the very thing that was slowly killing him in front of me. The guard took several steps forward towards me, suddenly active. I shook my head at him, trying to move away. He grabbed my left arm.

”Take him to his room,” Baldwin ordered.

I squirmed and kicked, but it was no use as the guard dragged me backwards from the office. My screams echoed in the building as the workers, who were just entering through the front door from their lunch breaks, stared at me. Baldwin was leaning against the door of his office, a smug, confident look on his face. I clenched my lower jaw, feeling a wave of energy course through my body as I mustered one word.

“No!”

A loud, cracking sound made everyone jump. Hundreds, if not thousands, of thick ice particles fell from the air, crashing into several pieces on the wooden floor. Some women cried out and shielded their arms to protect themselves. The look in Baldwin’s eyes was odd. With one swift motion, I yanked my hand away from the guard’s weakened grasp, my head really beginning to ache as I headed for the open double doors. The commotion and mixture of voices behind me sounded like music in my ears.

I didn’t even make it past the front yard.

* * * * * *

It was cold and dark in that suite. Even when I turned the light on, it struggled to overcome the ever present shadows that were slumped against the walls. I wasn’t sure where they had come from, but I wanted them to leave me alone.

The door leading to the hallway was locked, of course. I stayed underneath the blankets in bed, not caring how hot it eventually got. Not even the smell of the spaghetti and meatballs the maid left on a tray at the bottom of the door could entice me to get up after she locked me in again.

The soft sound of pattering rain against the glass was the only thing comforting to me. I began to tie the sheets into knots, forming a makeshift rope with my fingers, trying to see clearly through my tear stained vision. With one hand, I managed to twist one of the bed posts loose and pry open the windowsill. To my delight, it lifted up a little, allowing cool air to blow in.

For the first time in ages, I felt hopeful.

It took me a while to lift the glass window up more than halfway, big enough for a person to slide through. It was getting dark outside, although it was still raining steadily. After tying the bedsheets to the bottom of my dresser, I draped it out of the window. Unfortunately, it was hard to see how long of a drop it was, but I didn’t have a choice. With one leg, I hoisted myself outside, feeling the water beginning to drench me. The fabric in my hands felt more and more slippery as I clawed my way down, praying that nobody would see me.

When my feet touched the ground, I took a deep breath. Making my way through the bushes, I shivered, beginning to regret that I didn’t look for a rain coat or something. My legs felt stiff, but I started to run through the dark yard, moving as quietly as I could to avoid having the guards hear my movements.

I reached the gate, gasping for air. Going through the doors that led out into the quiet road was going to the problem, since there were about two men there. Quickly, I dove behind the bushes, the leaves scratching at my face as I crawled my way though to the corner of the gate. Beads of water dripped from the tip of my nose as I stuck my hands into the moist earth, digging my way through. My back and shoulders were killing me, but I had made a decent size hole when I felt a cold, wet hand clamp over my mouth.

I tried to scream, but a low voice filled my ears.

“Easy, easy.”

The guards at the gate were still standing there, huddled underneath their umbrellas and raincoats. The fluorescent lights from their cell phones illuminated their bored, unsuspecting faces. I swallowed hard as the person slowly held me back, dragging me to a small lit area right in front of the side door that lead to the basement of the building.

“I’m going to let go, but you need to promise not to make a sound. Okay?”

I nodded.

When they lifted their hand off my mouth, I turned around. A tall young man, wearing a black jacket and jeans, stood in front of me. He had the Red Mamba symbol stitched on both sleeves, and a gun was tucked in the waistband of his pants. To my surprise, he didn’t look much older than twenty. His blond hair clung to his forehead, which he pushed away with one hand.

I slowly took a step back, but he cautiously held his hand out towards me, a sad look on his face.

“I won’t hurt you. Please, don’t be scared,” he whispered. “I just want to help.”

My heart was beating like a drum.

”How old are you?”

”I...I’m eight.”

He muttered something I couldn't hear to himself and shook his head. Rain began to pour harder all around us, forming puddles in the mud. I folded my arms and started to shiver, and the man took off his jacket and wrapped it around me before kneeling down to my level.

“My name’s Rufus,” he said. “You don’t know who I am, but I drove you and your mother down here. I work at this place part time, and I’ve seen everything that’s been going on with you. I didn’t know they were planning to do this to you...I swear.”

A fork of lightning slashed the sky, causing me to jump. I sniffed and wiped my face.

“So...so you’re not going to tell anyone that I’m out here?”

Rufus shook his head. “No, no, no. I didn’t mean to frighten you like that, but I didn’t want you to go out into the streets all vulnerable. The guards...they will harm you. It’s not safe. It could take days to find your mother. I wished I had told you both the truth about where I was taking you. I’m hoping you can forgive me for that. They...they are opportunists.”

I suddenly felt tiny and weak. “I don’t know where Mommy is. I’ve been asking them all day, but they won’t tell me. Baldwin got really mad today. I’m...I’m scared. I was going to go find her, Rufus.”

For a moment, there was a deep sadness in his dark blue eyes. He placed a hand on my shoulder, which felt warm and heavy. A golden band rested on his index finger.

“I’ll help you find her,” he said softly. “I’ve been feeling so guilty about what happened that I can’t sleep at night. I’ve tried to get in contact with the police, child protective services, everything. For days. It hasn’t worked out, and I’ve been meaning to talk to you. The Red Mamba have power, especially in ways that you are too young to understand. I promise. I’ll help you.”

I ran into his arms, hugging him as tight as I could. It caught him off guard, but he finally returned the embrace before pulling away with a serious look in his eyes.

“Tomorrow, I want you to act normally,” he said. “Do everything that they ask of you, so that it will keep their guard down. Especially Baldwin and Karin. Meet me out here in two days’ time, at night. I’ll go through their archives and information to find the whereabouts of your mother. Your last name is Bueler, correct?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “Why...why are you helping me?”

Rufus got to his feet and stared out into the distance. “I have a baby girl and a wife waiting for me at home. I can’t partake in taking you away from your family for a paycheck.” He sighed. “I just can’t. I’m a coward.”

I wanted to tell him that I thought the opposite, that I was so happy with the possibility of going home, but he motioned at the makeshift bedsheet rope swinging from the window. The flickering lights in that room made my insides feel cold and empty. I didn’t want to go back.

“Hurry inside,” Rufus said. “Before they see you.”

“Can’t I go with you?”

A look of surprise crossed his face, and he shook his head. “I’m sorry. It’s too risky. Not yet, not yet. I’m planning to drive you and your mother out of this city when the time is right, but it’s too dangerous. I don’t want Baldwin to become suspicious.”

I felt tears well up in my eyes, but was relieved that he couldn’t see them in the rain. I was going to be alone again, and I was learning it was inevitable. Still, I managed to hold back the dam. It felt good to have someone to talk to. “Thank you. Thank you so, so much.”

Rufus gave me a small wave, and quickly disappeared into the night. I stood there for a moment, letting the water spill down my face, before stepping through the rain as I made my way in the mud.