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Madeline.”
    “But
I—I don’t understand?” I ran my fingers over the picture of the girl I thought
so much about whenever I felt lonely growing up. I always wondered what it
would’ve been like to have a sister to talk to, but never actually thought she
existed. Knowing she didn’t exist. Because that’s what I was told.
    My
dad grabbed my shoulders and raised his voice, “Penelope, listen to me. They
are going to come take you tonight. I hoped this wouldn’t happen, but somehow
President Falcon figured out I was supplying medicine to children born without
vines. It was kept a secret so families wouldn’t have to be exiled or executed.
Falcon wouldn’t allow your mother and me to leave this Land, and said he would
kill Madeline if we ever tried. However, he couldn’t allow her to stay here either.
She had no vines. For years, I’ve been going about the research demanded of me
to keep her alive, hoping someday we’d be reunited. But I know now that’s not
going to happen. You need to take these vials and find your sister on the other
Land. If they catch you trying to leave, they will kill you… There must be
another outbreak…” He shook his head and paced back and forth.
    “But
why would they kill me?”
    Before
he could answer, a loud knock came from the direction of our front door. Immediately,
my dad put his hand over my mouth and said, “Quiet.” He left the kitchen, walked
into the living room, and then peaked out the window. He closed the blinds and
waited a few seconds before responding. “Be right there,” he yelled.
    He
motioned for me to come closer and he placed the vials into the backpack my mom
held.
    “Mr.
Evans,” a guy’s voice said from the other side of the door. “Please let us in.”
    The
voice was too familiar. I knew exactly who it was. I told my dad he was
ridiculous about the whole conspiracy theory thing, and then I walked over and
opened the door.
    “Hey,”
I said to James, a little weary.
    “Hi,
Penelope Evans,” the guard standing next to him answered. “I’m sorry, but you
failed the testing and I have orders to bring you to the Academy. Please. Come
with us.”
    How
was testing completed so fast?
    I
looked at James, but he didn’t acknowledge me, instead he kept his hands behind
his back and stared straight ahead. The vines wrapped around the guard’s biceps
and chest, leaving little room for doubt about his strength. I couldn’t resist
him even if I tried—even if my dad tried. He was much stronger than we were or even
both of us put together.
    “Okay,
of course. Would it be all right if I grabbed my bag?”
    The
guard nodded and I turned around to give my parents a hug, hoping they were
wrong and I could talk to President Falcon. Sort this whole misunderstanding
out. My dad squeezed my shoulders tight, gave me a look with his eyes,
undeniably shaken, then he placed the backpack over my shoulder. My mom was
next to him. She leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead before
saying I love you. Then I turned around and walked out the door, not looking
back. Not wanting to believe their goodbye was some sort of omen hinting at me
that I’d never see them again. This is all one big misunderstanding , I
thought as I passed the door.
     

Chapter Three
     
    James held my right arm firmly and the other guard
held my left. I was sandwiched in between the two of them for the short
distance to the car. A few neighbors peeked through their windows, other than
that, the streets were empty—everyone keeping clear from the diseased being
taken into holding. Nobody wanted near anyone who might transfer something that
could kill them. I so wanted to be amongst the people scrutinizing out the
window instead of the one being marched to the car. The feeling of being a prisoner
clenched my stomach, or was that the sickness I had? No. I felt fine. I wasn’t sick. And they would see that too. Until then, I’d do exactly what was asked of
me, without