I sit in the hospital waiting for my mother to walk through those double doors so we can get out of here. She began to feel sick this morning and we were sleeping in our car close by where we are now so I drove and people took her and told me I could not go back. So I sat and sat and tried to get information but they said they didn't know anything. Four or five hours later the doctors came to greet me. I stood up stringed my hair and rubbed my droopy eyes. The doctor walked up and removed his cap and said “I am sorry I really am. Your mother died in the process of the birth of your sister.’’ I tried to keep my cool I was happy I had never had a sibling before but I lost my best friend.

‘’Can I see her? My sister?’’ I barely managed to get out.

‘’Of course’’ One of the doctors walked me through and up an elevator and onto the childrens floor. Many people walked or jogged around beeping here and screaming there. Mothers and fathers leaning into each other and trying to smile to their ill child. I walked into her room. Peacefully asleep and nothing more than an oxygen tube in her noose. The room was a pale brown with animals painted on. I walk up to her, I want to pick her up but she is asleep. I might also be afraid to pick her up because that is the last piece of my mother I have and I don’t want to break it. I slide my hands under the feather that she is. The doctor stands in the doorway smiling.

‘’Did you even know she was pregnant?’’

‘’No. But I have a piece of her. Is she healthy?’’

‘’Yes. She can leave with you tomorrow.  This is if you are over eighteen?’’

‘’Yes I am.’’ I always lied about my age. Ever since the government told us to try to get to the country my mom told me to get a fake I.D so if something like this happened I would be able to survive without her. And that is what we will have to do.  

A tear drop falls down my face, then two, four, eight, and before I know it I am crying out of happiness and sadness. Sit in the rocking chair and rock the nameless responsibility in my arms.

Names.

I need a name.  My mothers name?

Hazel.

I put hazel back into her bed and try to sleep my self. Beeping and screaming fill the night. Hazel woke up and a nurse came in and changed her diaper change.

‘’You have a very beautiful child.’’ She said.

‘’Oh she’s not mine. She’s my mothers but... she...’’

‘’If you are the only person she has, then she’s yours.’’

She places Hazel back down and hugs me. ‘’Still try to get out of the city. The government is not telling us what will happen but to be ready.’’ She looks deep into my eyes. ‘’Are you really eighteen?’’My cheeks turned red. Nobody ever questioned me. ‘’Don’t lie to me. It’s been so hectic around here they have not even been discharging people.’’ She hands me Hazel. ‘’Come with me.’’ We walk down the hallway and into a stock room. She grabs a bag and puts formula and bottles in the bag and hands it to me, and starts stuffing a new bag with diapers and wipes and clothing. We go back out into the hallway and and she grabs a wagon and puts the bags in there, pulling the wagon in tow we walk down the hallway. ‘’We need to go to a different room for the medicine.’’ She looks back at me with a determined face. This time she needs her nurse I.D to get in this room it is stocked with any kind of medicine you’d need. She reads labels and throws them into the bag. ‘’Most of these are pain medicine for Hazel but there is an epipen and vitamins.’’ She walks out of the room and puts that into the wagon. The bags take up about half. We walk into the last room and she picks up a car seat and puts that into the other half. I put Hazel into her car seat and the nurse tuks in a thick fleece blanket in.

‘’What are you doing?’’

 ‘’Getting you out. If they found out you were seventeen, they’d take her. Come on. You still need food.’’ We walk into the elevator and I try to say thanks but she does not accept.

‘’I lost my child Three days after she was born. I want to make sure you and Hazel have a fighting chance.’’

I nod because I don’t know what to say. The elevator dings and we walk out. We are in the cafeteria, it’s dim and quiet because it’s two hours before it opens. We walk behind the counter and I grab snack food like Goldfish, Cheese it’s, fruit, and she grabs meal foods like beans and rice. By now the wagon is just light enough for me to pull.

‘’Come on I’ll take you out the back way.’’ We walk out and the night air is just on the cold side of comfortable. I hug her and say thanks.

‘’I never got you name.’’

‘’Darla.’’

‘’You better go.’’

We walk to the car and I take out the keys and grab everything we’d need. Picture of mom, my clothes, some of mom’s stuff. I was making a mental list so I would remember everything. I turn around and look at the small city we are in. In one blink of the eye the lights go out.

I now know what the government was talking about. We have to get out.

We are about one mile outside of the city. Hazel has been sleeping throughout the journey so far. I can see the sun on the horizon and I feel like I am a dead body. We walk out into one of the harvested corn fields and I dig around for the tent when I find it, it takes only a few minutes to set up. I loved camping with my  mom when I was little. We would spend a month out in some campground. Fishing, hunting. She taught me how to skin an animal. Some say that kids are at a loss without the other parent, but my mom was both.

I take hazel out of her car seat and throw a sleeping bag and a pillow in the tent. I crawl in and put hazel down and pull the wagon in and zip the tent. After I was done changing Hazel diaper and feeding her we snuggled in the sleeping bag for what only felt like minutes.

We wake up to yelling and screaming. Nobody was in there cars. The gas must have run out, that’s the only reason why nobody would be driving. It’s not like a fight is happening it’s just a large group of people. Men, women, children so I felt safe to go out. Me and hazel emerge from the tent and I pull out the wagon and took down the tent. A few people waved and I waved back and eventually I joined the large mass of people trying to get out of the city.

As we walked the sun rose and the group thinned out as we got further away from the city. Hazel was sleeping so I began to think about what is going to happen when we run out of food. It’s not an if, it’s a when because there are two of us and no way to get more food. We walk for what seems hours but the sun does not move.  

I hear a click behind me and I turn around.

‘’Put your hands up.’’ The man had Hazel.

I put the wagon handle down and put my hands up in the air.

‘’Where are you trying to go?’’ He said.

‘’North Dakota.’’ I said with a tear running down my face. I have been crying so much lately because I think about how good of a life it would have been with  my mom Hazel and me. But my mom always told me to treasure the people that you love and remember the people you lost. She always told me that when I would ask where dad was. SHe eventually told me that he left her when I was about four months.

‘’Keep walking. If you try anything, you will not be getting her back.’’ I walk forward and try to keep my cool. In that second I realized that in order for hazel to live and to not let this happen again I needed nerve and to stop crying about the little things. My mom taught me what to do if this ever happened so I began to walk myself through the steps that I needed to do. I needed to do it fast and swift. One motion if I hesitate this could end all now, or at least for Hazel. I waited until Hazel began to cry and I insisted that we stop so I could feed her.

‘’Don’t try to run child. Nobody to protect you.’’ I nod, and make Hazel’s formula. I stand and feed her. Swinging back and forth from one foot to another to calm her. Where is he taking me I wondered. If he wants my food he would have taken it.

Chapter Two

We walk for a while longer until I see a truck with a man standing next to it. The men correspond for a moment but all I hear is, ‘’If you hurt the kid you won’t get the girl to listen to you.’’ The man nods and they shake hand. They walk over to me and I try to distract myself from them with trying to make Hazel laugh.

‘’You are to address me by, Mr. Johnson.’’ He looks like he had been doing this awhile even before the power went out. But I still don’t know what he had been doing before the power went out, and why they were trading me off. ‘’Get in the back.’’ So I get in the back of the truck. Made sure not to hesitate because they have guns. They hoist the wagon next to me and Mr. Johnson gets in the truck and we bounce off and I watch the dust fly through the wake of the truck.

Why did she have to leave me and Hazel like that? We would not be in the situation if she were still here. She would have beaten their brains out and we would be safely sleeping somewhere and being a happy family. But I keep dwelling on the ,would and that won’t get me and Hazel very far especially in this world.

I remember driving until  sundown and curling up into a ball with Hazel in the middle to make sure that Mr. Johnson does not take the one thing left that I have the willpower to stay for. I was awoken by a punch to my left shoulder and I looked over the side of the truck and saw a large house. A women with soft eyes took Hazel from my arms just as two men held my arms behind my back.

‘’No! What the hell do you want?’’ The women walked passed me and whispered ‘’Trust me.’’

The men handcuffed me and dragged me in.

‘’Name.’’

‘’Darla’’

‘’Age.’’

‘’18.’’ The man looked behind him and said. ‘’She’s legal.’’ Right there I knew I should have told the truth.

‘’You know what to do then boys. Take her back.’’ I was walked back to a room with other women looking my age or a few years older. They looked at me with sorrow and remorse. The women only spoke in whispers in fear the men might hear. Most of them had bruises and black eyes. I make a motion that I am going to sit down and they make room for me.

‘’Where did they get you?’’

‘’A man picked me up on the side of the road. And I was traded or something and got into a truck and drove all night to get here.’’ The women noded like that made sense. I was thinking about asking them where Hazel might be but that felt like that could be a target on my back for some reason. A man walked in and all the women looked down. The man walked passed us thinking about which one to take. He picks one from the far left of me.

‘’What are they doing?’’ I asked.

‘’These men believe that women are unprivileged and should be owned and controlled.’’

‘’What did they do to you? Where did you get all of the bruises?’’    

‘’We fight back. When we disobey them they punish us.’’

‘’We need to get out of here.’’

‘’Believe me we've tried.’’ She said looking down.

‘’How long have you been here?’’

‘’Few months. Your the first new person we’d seen in weeks.’’

‘’So... So you don’t know about the blackout?’’

The women looked at each other. ‘’The blackout?’’

‘’The lights turned off.’’

‘’If the lights turned out... What about the government?’’

‘’Who knows.’’ Another woman said.

‘’They could do anything to us and get away with it.’’

‘’We have to get out.’’ Suddenly the room was alive with hope and fear yet still hushed and alert.

Chapter 3

I wish I knew where Hazel  was, I am still afraid  to  ask  the other women because they  might have something to hold on me. But then I decide  to ask because I owed it to Hazel to keep her save.

‘’Do any of you have any children?’’ They look at me with surprize like they were not expecting me to ask that question. ‘’I have a sister and she is no more than a few days old and our mother she... she died so it’s up to me to keep her safe.’’

‘’No need to explain.’’ The women assures me. ‘’There are a few children we need to free.’’

I breathe a sigh of relief, and join back into the planning to get out.

‘’Darla, you scream and one of the men will come to get you.  You have to work fast or you will be tied to a chair’’ The women explains. ‘’Hide this knife we made in  the back of your pants.’’ I nod and slip the knife in and pull my shirt over it.

‘’Once I got them down I’ll steal their keys and come and let you  out.’’ All the women smile at that thought. ‘’There are about 30-35 of us in here so we will have to be fast and quiet.

I stand up and scream. Within seconds two men rush in and take me by the elbows.  Once outside the door a man locks it. And at that opportunity I punch the left guy in the upper jaw and kick him in the stomach. Before the other man could grab me I elbow him the chest and kick him in the groin. seven years of Karate has finally found it’s purpose.  I didn't use the knife because I thought they’d be out for a while and I had never killed a person before. I unlock the door and all of the women rush out.  I hand  one of them the knife and she walks up behind the man sitting at the desk and slits his throat and she presses a finger to her lips as some gasp in fear.  We rush out with our quiet feet hitting the floor. I glanced through a window  the older women that took Hazel was in there and I glanced down to the floor and Hazel was sleeping peacefully in a swing. We  walk  into the room and the women looks up and she smiles. ‘’Word came around that said someone was going to try and break out and look here!’’  She practically yelled.  I walked over to Hazel and pick her up and look at her and see my mother in her and I can’t help but smile and think how proud she’d be of us.

Once outside I realized I learned none of the names of the people that helped save my life.

I walk up to the women that took great care of Hazel.

‘’Hello, I’m Darla, and thanks you for taking care of Hazel.’’

‘’I can promise you that those nasty men never touched your baby.’’

‘’She’s my mothers but... she....’’

‘’Yea, I understand.’’ She glanced down and looked up at me ‘’On a different note. My name is Clara.’’  She is soft spoken and the oldest out of the group but not by much. Red curly hair cut in a bob. We walk outside and we fell the free cool air. For the small tim that we were captive, I have never felt so free. My wagon is sitting by the building a few feet away. Everything untouched. I wonder if they didn't know what to do with it. I walk over to it and check the inventory.

Food. Check.

Diapers. Check.  

Clothing. Check.

I put Hazel in her carseat, and I pull away from the building.

‘’Wait.’’ Clara said stepping up to me.  ‘’Where are you going?’’

‘’North Dakota.’’ I said.

‘’Do you mind if I make that journey with you?’’It was a fast answer but I didn't answer fast enough. ‘’Please, I have nowhere else to go. It’s hard for me to connect with people but you just kind of clicked.’’ Right away it was a yes but I looked at Hazel, she liked her so we can both take care of her. But we would need to find more food. Over all I knew I wanted her to come.

‘’Yes.’’ I said. And a big grin grew on her face. We said our goodbyes to the others and made our trek out.

‘’One of the most important things we need is something to protect ourselves with.  We are not going to let anything like that happened again.’’ As I was saying that Clara was nodding in agreement. As we talked we were walking and my eyes glanced over the corn fields and saw the sun resting on the horizon. Should we go to bed late and wake up late? Or go to bed early and wake up early? Clara said we should set up camp before sun down and Hazel was beginning to get fussy. We picked a deep ditch so if anyone were to walk by they would not see us. Hazel drank formula and we had canned soup cooked over an open fire. We didn't put up the tent because it would not fit in the ditch. So we bundled Hazel up and put a sleeping bag under us and over us and Hazel slept in between us.

We woke as the sun woke and I think all of us slept fairly well. Hazel woke only one to want some food. We packed up and pulled the wagon up out of the ditch. We took turns pulling the wagon, it was quite heavy. I’d think the more food we use the lighter it would be true but my assumption is not true. We meet few on the road. We see no cars. People are saying that the lights shut off because we ran out of things to run the lights with. No more gas, nothing is working. Solar panels, electric cars, they all just stopped working. No one bothers to try to fix it because lots of people had seen it coming for years but nobody bothered to try and make a big enough effort to really do anything. There were always the Earth club that said recycle more it will save the planet. Or the electric cars because it’s over we were too late.  

‘’It’s a house.’’ Clara pointed. It’s the first one we have seen without other people on the road. ‘’We should stop. We are low on food. And they might give us some blankets.’’

I cast her a look. ‘’It’s not our house.’’

‘’I am just saying we should ask.’’ I look at her and sigh and veer towards the house. It takes us five more minutes to get to the driveway.

‘’What if nobody is home?’’

Just as I asked that Clara ran up to the house and looked through the window. She took a few steps back and went through the door. I followed.

‘’Clara! If no one answers you don’t just walk in!’’

‘’Oh my god! Darla!’’ I ran in. I took steps back too. And covered Hazels eyes. My mother always told me to run a list of things through your head to stop thinking about what you saw.

‘’I am Darla. Sixteen years old. Dark brown hair. Little sister named Hazel.’’ I kept repeating those words over and over again as I walked into the kitchen.

The kitchen has a pale yellow color to the walls and a table with a Halloween themed centerpiece. I look around everything untouched. I open the cabinets and there are canned foods and boxed foods and just as I was going to start reaching for the food it didn't seem right. An copple is dead in the living room and I am here taking their food. Just as I pulled my hand away and closed the cabinet Clara walked in.

‘’It’s okay. I bet they would have wanted two people with a baby to take their food if they were dead.’’ I nodded because I knew she was right.

‘’FIne, but we have say a prayer for them before we leave.’’

‘’Okay, we can do that.’’ She wrapped her arms around me and Hazel.

As clara looks though the food. I head upstairs. As I went up I counted the steps. twentythree. I turn into what must be the master because it’s big and has an adjoining bathroom. I grab blankets and pillows and throw them down the steps while I go and see what else there is. A big wardrobe stands in the corner of the room. I open it. Things fall off the top shelf. Something landed on my head and falls to the ground. I look down. They must have been grandparents because it was a bag of unopened diapers. I pick up my find and throw it down the stars. If there’s diapers there might be winter clothing or some kind, witch Hazel had nothing of. I look back to the top shelf and there it is a bag and pile of baby and children clothing. After that find I go back down stairs to review what I found. I fold and pile the blankets and head out to the garage. I don’t really know what I was looking for but we could fit all of our new findings in the wagon if one of us held Hazel. But all the way in the back corner is another red wagon. I pull it through the door to back out side and guide it into the house.

Clara looked up from her job of sorting the food.

‘’Darla, how’d you find that?’’

‘’It was in the garage. And I thought it might be nice to have two so we don't have to pile everything into one.’’ I walked the wagon to her side so she could begin to fill it. I pull the other wagon into the room to and began to organize it.

‘’Food in one. Blankets, pillows and Hazel in the other?’’ I said and she nodded. We were there for a while longer. Then we all walked into the other room and said a prayer to the two people that were killed in this house. We pulled the wagons through the back door so we would not have to walk through the living room again. We walk for nineteen more miles. I counted the mile markers. After nineteen miles we pull down into a deep ditch. The tall grass is like a mattress and we lay a blanket down then a sleeping bag and a blanket and sleeping bag on top. We each have a pillow nw after we found that house.

We got:

• Two blankets.

• Two pillows

• Canned food.

• Boxed food.

• Diapers.

• Clothing for Hazel.  

I am happy with what we got. I think it could sustain the three of us.  The next morning we wake. We do everything we usually do. Once on the road, we feed Hazel, clean ourselves up with a bottle of water. We don’t even walk five miles.  Until we see a  man in the distance and both of our reaction is hide but he’s crying. Clara looks at me.

‘’What do you want to do?’’ I ask.

‘’Go up there.’’

‘’What?’’ Just as I was saying that she slips me a gun.

‘’Just in case.’’

‘’Clara!’’ I say surprised.

‘’Go. I’ll cover you I have another one.’’

‘’Clara!’’

‘’Go.’’ I slip the gun into my pants and pull my shirt over it. I trot up to the man who is crying.

‘’I something the matter?’’

‘’My family.’’ He sobbed. ‘’My family!’’

‘’It’s okay.’’ I rubbed his back as he hiccuped. I looked at Clara she waved us over.

‘’What happened to your family?’’  Clara said in a gray voice like she knew what was coming.

‘’Their gone!’’ I nodded at Clara.

‘’Lets get you up on your feet.’’ We bought hoisted him up. ‘’Come on now.’’ Clara said in a stern but caring voice. We walked for ten and a half miles before we knew what really happened to his family. In the distance we saw a horse pulling a cart behind it. I walk up. Feeling the cold gun on my back. Please don’t make me use this I prayed. I don’t call myself a very religious person but in this world it’s the only thing I will be able to hold onto forever. The man riding the horse dismounts it and sh