police released a statement , simply saying that " Kara was not kidnapped . She has left of her own volition . All searches have been discontinued . " The news stations filled in the details . After I tweeted " help me theres someone in my house call 911 " , they said I called a cab from my cell phone and took the cab to the train station . They had footage of me hopping onto the train . The news lambasted me . After my tweet , I got 100 , 000 followers on twitter . I was national news . The populace was pissed that they were hoaxed . It wasn 't a hoax . Before that tweet , I had been eating breakfast cereal and mindlessly staring into the kitchen . There was a shimmering light , and then I saw a human shape , dark as if in shadow . I hollered , asking who the person was . When I received no response , I got scared . I ran and hid in a closet . Not wanting to make any noise , I tweeted instead of calling 911 . It didn 't take too long for it to find me . It pulled open the closet and yanked me out . It was a human form but it had no face , no clothes , no features . It was just black , black as shadow . It reached for me and I screamed as it put its hands into my head . Yes , into my head . The sensation was cold and it stung . After that , I don 't remember anything . I don 't remember calling a cab and I don 't remember getting onto a train . And I don 't know why I am sitting in this house covered in blood , watching news stories about myself . I see a remote next to me and I attempt to change the channel . My hands smear blood on the remote . The channel doesn 't change . The television changed and another news story about me is on , but its from a different station . " Stupid . It 's a recording , " I say to myself . I recliner . I know it is blood on my hands . There is enough light to see that . I can see an entrance hall and a mirror there . I walk over to the mirror and look at myself . It 's much brighter in here . I 'm in a white dress , very ethereal . The dress has red blood all down the front . My hands and arms have blood on them and my face and hair also have blood in them . " What did I do , sit in a bathtub of blood ? " There bathtub filling and I go to it . The bathtub hasn 't overflowed yet , but it 's close . The water coming from the tub is a light red . I take a second to prepare myself and walk into the bathroom . There is a woman in the tub . She 's dressed in white , too . But she 's dead . Clearly , very dead . Her eyes are vacant and the water is covering half of her face . I can see slashes all over her . Her dress is cut open at the stomach and blood is still gurgling out . I turn and run out of that bathroom . I look at my bloody dress again . I touch my stomach . I 'm not cut , I 'm not bleeding . This must be someone else 's blood . The woman in the tub , maybe ? If I run out of this house , I 'll be seen - and apparently , the world already hates me . Add to that murder . But if I stay , I 'll have to deal with the woman in the tub . I go back to the living room and sit back in the recliner to think . The TV is still on and there is a new news story . " Has Kara created a trend of copycats ? " a news anchor said . He then went on to say another girl had tweeted and then ran away . I hear the bathtub water turn off . I had forgotten to turn it off , but who was there to turn it off ? " Christ on a cracker , " I mutter . I jump out of the recliner and head for the sliding glass door to the side of the living room . I open the blinds and escape into the garden . I figure I can jump over a back fence and make my way to somewhere safe without getting arrested on sight . I 'm not prepared at all for what I see . Graves . Lots of little mounds of fresh dirt and makeshift crosses . Some of the crosses are made out of garden stakes , a few out of nails and screws , and one out of dried spaghetti of hear the sliding glass door open and close and turn around and look . The girl from the TV . It 's the girl from the TV and she 's wearing the same white dress I am . I run to the tall , wooden fence and start to climb it . The girl yanks at my hair , my grip falters and splinters shoot up into my hands . I scream . It doesn 't stop her . She pulls me by my hair back into the house and into the kitchen . There are knives laid out on the counter . She throws me to the ground and begins to slash at me . She doesn 't stab , just cuts me up . It hurts every time she does it until the endorphins kick in . I get weak and tired and stop feeling . When she slashes open my stomach , all I feel is the warmth of the blood as it seeps out onto my dress . She drops the knife then and heads over to the living room . I crawl out to the living room , leaving streaks of my blood on the linoleum floor . She out of her . The TV is showing her story now . The copycat 's story . The shadow figure comes towards me . I 'm about to pass out , I can feel it . I guess it is my turn for the bathtub . I just want to pass out before that " I don 't care what that symbiote says , Jackson should get his body back . " Bob overheard a woman at the bar saying . " But Jackson would have died if Jax hadn 't taken over - Jackson is pretty much already dead . " Bob sighed . Everyone thought they were a lawyer these days . It was a complicated case to be sure . When the first wave of symbiotes came to earth , they headed straight for hospitals . They found patients who were dying and inserted themselves into the patients ' brain stems . They used whatever chemical process they had at their disposal to heal those people . No human had been able to figure out or synthesize what the symbiotes did . When more of the symbiotes came , the terminally ill patients lined up in droves , wanting to be healed . Thousands of people who should have died were now walking around , controlled completely by the symbiote . There had been some talk of legislation - but it was shot down by those who believed that people should be free to make their own decisions . It was a big day when researchers found a way to lose the hold the symbiotes had over their hosts . None of the hosts volunteered to be injected with the chemical that would allow their hosts ' consciousness to come through . That 's when Jax came along . He was in prison and struck set down his beer . " Sorry , it took me a long time to get a beer - the bartender wouldn 't shut up about the Jackson / Jax case . " " Yeah , it 's like everything else in the world just stopped mattering . " " Isn 't your firm representing one of them ? " Craig asked . " Yeah , we 're representing Jax , " Bob responded . " Oooh , tough break , man , " Craig said . " What 's that supposed to mean ? " asked Bob . " Well , you have to represent the non - human . It 's like being a traitor to your species . " " Meh , I 'm not technically on the case anyways , " Bob said . " Besides , it seems to me to be a simple enough problem . Jackson wasn 't in the first wave . He knew he wouldn 't be in control anymore . He essentially signed his life away by asking a symbiote to heal him . " " Ugh , you 're one of those , " said Craig . " One of what ? " asked Bob . " Oh , nothing , " Craig responded . " Don 't tell me you 're a racist now , Craig . You are so much better than that . I know you are , " said Bob . " We 've been friends a long time so I 'll let that one slide , " said Craig . " Besides , I 'm on the case - my firm is representing Jackson and I am on the legal team . This could be a career maker . " " Do you actually believe Jackson should get the body ? " Bob asked . " Yeah , I do . He got stuck watching what that Jax did - he saw it as if he was doing it . " " That isn 't adequate legal reason , though , " said Bob . " What do we say ? If something traumatic enough happened , the host gets the body ? " " The human , Bob . The human gets the body . " " If you ask me , " said Bob , " this entire case is about xenophobia . Which will win the xenophobes or those who welcome immigrants ? " " Think what you will , Bob , I 'm going to rake it in after this case . Maybe I can get partner somewhere better . " Bob sighed . " I think I 'm gonna try and get on the team at my firm . It 's been a long time since we 've been in a courtroom together . " " Bring it , buddy , " said Craig . Posted at 05 : 05 PM in 100 in 100 | Permalink had a prime spot for the meteor shower near the lake . He showed up hours early to put down his blanket and get his spot . He didn 't need to . was the only one who saw it . A streak across the sky kept coming downwards . As it sped towards the earth , it got brighter and bigger . It splashed hard into the lake . Frank ran to the edge of the lake . The sound of splashes filled the quiet night . Frank saw a man swimming towards him . " Hello ? " Frank called out . " Hello ? Are you okay ? " The called out again as he got waist deep . The man had nearly reached Frank . Frank helped the man to his feet when the simmer got to him . With the swimmer standing , Frank saw the wings attached to his back . A thrill of shock went through him but he said nothing . Instead he put the man 's arm around his neck and helped him walk to his blanket . Whatever the swimmer was , he was someone in need and Frank believed you always helped people in need . Frank grabbed a second blanket he had brought with him and wrapped it around the man 's shoulders , covering the wings . " What 's your name , son ? " asked Frank . " Leo , " said the stranger , still panting from his efforts . " My name is Leo . " " Leo , what happened to you ? " Frank asked . " Mergers and acquisitions , " Leo said . Frank harrumphed . " It 's a long story , " said Leo . " Do you have anywhere to go tonight ? " asked Frank . Leo looked down . " No , " he said quietly . " You can sleep in my son 's old room tonight . He hasn 't been home to visit in a long while , " said Frank . They packed up the blankets and picnic . " I 'm an angel , by the way , " said Leo as they drove to Frank 's house . " That why you got those wings ? " Frank asked . Leo nodded . " So , why are you here on earth , angel ? " asked Frank . " Well , I 'm not really welcome in Heaven any more . " Frank seemed to grip the steering wheel a bit tighter . " Oh , it 's not what you think ! " Leo exclaimed . " See , Heaven and Hell , well , they 're businesses . Souls are the currency that keep the places thriving . Hell . . . Hell got a bit more currency than Heaven in the last century . Yahweh decided it would be best to sell the company and try a new startup afterlife , figuring he could buy back Heaven when the new afterlife got big enough . All of the angels and demons now work for Satan . And , let 's just say , I 'm not a team player with demons . Heck , I am the angel who thwarts demons . " I acceptance criteria . And , it isn 't quite the same paradise people expect anymore . I did try to just do the job . But I lost it when Balam started picking on Ghandi . I mean , who picks on Ghandi ? Even Yahweh gave pulled out my sword and picked a fight with Balam . Then I was brought to Lucifer for reprimanding and he just threw me out , blasting me down to earth . I guess it 's good , though , I won 't have to see his ugly face again . " " Well , now that you 're on earth , what do you wanna do ? " asked Frank . Leo furrowed his forehead . " I don 't know . I guess I could try to find Yahweh and see if he 's hiring yet . But tell me , old man , what does whiskey taste like ? " I want to leave here , " Molly said , throwing a sprig of herbs into the pot of stew over the fire . She stirred with more vigor than necessary . " Do you not like Paige 's kids ? " Caleb asked her in an attempt to understand why his wife was unhappy . " No , it 's not that ; it 's just . . . " Molly looked over her shoulder at their hut . She lowered her voice just in case her daughter was not napping like she was supposed to . " It 's just - I don 't want to die , Caleb . Not until Sissy is older at least . " Caleb 's you have to stop this , now . The last person to say these things was killed way before their nineteenth birthday . " He shook her arms up and down emphatically while he spoke . He was shaking . Caleb was having a hard time believing his wife was talking like this . " But , it 's just . . . . what if there are no monsters ? What if we left Haven and none of them came to eat us or eat up the others ? " Molly was avoiding his gaze , tears starting to form in her eyes . " I forget us , " Caleb said . He had stopped pumping her arms and instead pulled her in for an embrace . " It 's okay , " he said softly . " It 'll be okay . " Molly cried in his arms . Caleb couldn 't tell if the tears meant she had acquiesced or if they were tears of frustration . He didn 't know if he should trust her . The death tradition was the most important tradition in Haven . It kept the Narada , an evil race of beings , from coming in and devouring everyone . The only other thing protecting them for being noticed by the Narada was living in this wood they called Haven . It memory of Haven had giant holes in it . But Caleb knew - he just knew that what they were doing was protecting everyone . His daughter would have a meaningful , if short , life thanks to his and every other person 's sacrifice . Now his wife wanted to throw it all away because she was getting old at seventeen years and was scared of the impending death ahead of her in less than two years . He was the same age and he didn 't feel the need to fear his death so constantly . Caleb killed . He had no choice , he had to approach the elders . The elders , only a year older than Caleb , looked down at him as if he were an impertinent child . " So , you can 't keep your wife from running away , then ? " asked one of the male elders . A female elder spoke up , " He doesn 't control her - she 's her own person ! But , Caleb , have you tried talking to her ? " " Yes , yes I have , " Caleb said . " She just stopped talking to me about it . " " Has she indicated in any way that she would run away ? " asked the female . " Well , she 's been walking further and further away from the hut for foraging duties , " Caleb responded . " That isn 't a cause for alarm , " said another council member , giving a derisive snort . " We have no grounds for any disciplinary actions , " said the female who seemed to be leading the meeting . " But we 'll get a few of the best hunters to be on alert for an escape attempt . If you see her trying to leave , blow a horn and the other hunters will know to look for her specifically . Also , if you hear a horn , follow the sound . " Caleb lack of belief . He was hoping the council could help him convince his wife to do the right thing . That being the elders and thus being the wisest , they might have some advice for him on how to deal with this . That beliefs or lack thereof . She said she didn 't want to talk about it . Caleb grabbed her arm roughly , gribbing her intensley . " Molly ! " Caleb shouted . " Molly , you have to snap out of it ! " He shook her and she began to cry . Caleb felt a wash of guilt . He was hurting her . He didn 't know how to get through to her . He released his grip and she ran out of the hut into the night woods . He knew she wouldn 't go far . They 'd argued before and her usual response was to run away and then come back later with a quip , retort , or even an apology . He waited a long time for her to return . By the time she did , the fire outside the hut had died out and the air had the crisp chill it gets shortly before dawn . He had stayed awake the whole time , thinking about bypassed him and went for the bed . " It 's okay , Caleb . I understand . I know you mean well , I do . You don 't have to worry about me anymore , Caleb . " She got under the covers and rolled onto her side , her back facing Caleb . " I 'm not going anywhere , " she said , then promptly fell asleep . Caleb got into bed with her and wrapped his arm around her . He now wished he hadn 't brought it up with the council - turns out it was just a lover 's quarrel . He sighed . The next day , Caleb went out hunting , convinced he did not have to watch over his wife and daughter . Molly had just had an emotional episode and everything was okay now . He already had a rabbit hanging from his waist when he heard a horn blaring . Please don 't be Molly , he thought , knowing that it couldn 't be anyone else . Caleb ran towards the sound of the horn . He found Jimmy waiting for someone to come to him . " Why didn 't you start after her ? " Caleb asked , panting . " I thought we were supposed to wait , " Jimmy responded . Caleb rolled his eyes and sighed . " Which way did she go ? " he asked . Jimmy pointed and Caleb took off running in that direction . He found himself hoping it was a false alarm , hoping that she hadn 't actually run away and that Jimmy just misinterpreted it . Jimmy followed . As they ran , Jimmy blew the horn once more . It didn 't take long for other boys to be following along . Caleb , though , kept the lead . Caleb heard the sound of his daughter crying and sprinted towards it . The boys behind him were huffing deeply . One of them said , " That way ! I heard someone - go that way ! " Caleb could finally see her . " Molly ! " he shouted . " Molly , don 't do it ! " His heart was breaking . She had lied to him . Now she was running away . She was leaving him and all of Haven . And she was taking their daughter with him . Didn 't she know he loved her ? Molly But she stopped for him . He felt a surge of hope . She stopped running for him . " Caleb , she 'll have a mother - I 'll have a life ! " Molly yelled to him . Caleb He felt the anger rise in himself . " Don 't do it - they 'll come . They 'll come and kill the whole tribe , " Caleb said " They was she always this stubborn ? Caleb knew better . Caleb knew the monsters were to be feared . He feared them . He believed , strongly , in keeping the laws . They are what kept them away and he didn 't want to see the monsters , ever . The other boys caught up and stopped behind him . They were seeing all of this . Caleb could only guess what they were thinking . Sissy squirmed and cried . She wanted to be free of her mother . Even our child knows better , thought Caleb . " You don 't know that , " said Caleb . " How can you know they aren 't real ? They haven 't come because we 've followed the rules , Molly . We followed the rules . " He said the last sentence loud and slow , emphasising the rule following . " Come with me , Caleb , " Molly said . He couldn 't believe it . She still acted like she cared , like she loved him . One of the boys behind Caleb said , " We 've got to stop her now . " Caleb turned to the boys behind him . " Just give me a second , I can talk her out of it . " He had to talk her out of it . His only other option was unthinkable . " No , you can 't ! " shouted Molly . Sissy cried and squirmed more . " I won 't let you endanger the whole tribe , " said Caleb . " Put Sissy down . " One of the boys handed Caleb a bow and an arrow . He placed the arrow and drew the bow back , pointing at Molly . Molly clung tighter to Sissy , though she was now kicking and screaming . Caleb closed one eye , aiming for Molly . " Put her down , " said Caleb . " Why ? So you can kill me in front of my daughter ? " she asked . " Our daughter , " he said . " Put her down . " Sissy managed to squirm enough that Molly nearly dropped her and had to set her down on the ground . " Come to daddy , Sissy , " said Caleb . Sissy began to run to her father , crying with her arms outstretched . He didn 't put his bow down . Molly turned and ran . He had no choice . If he didn 't do it , the whole tribe was in danger . If he didn 't do it , one of the other boys would do it . He other choice . He dropped his bow and sat on the forest floor . Sissy scrambled up into his arms , tears streaming down her face . Sissy didn 't understand what was happening . But she had to know it was bad . Everyone had raised voices and her mommy had been angry at her for not moving fast enough . Caleb felt sorry for Sissy . He also felt sorry for himself . He had to do it - he didn 't want to , he had to . Caleb hand out and then started crying . He couldn 't go to her . He had Sissy in his arms , he couldn 't go to his wife . Molly stopped moving . No more shuddering movements from sobbing , no more crawling or reaching . She just stopped . Caleb couldn 't hold back the tears . He placed his head on little yellow house with white fences and a gorgeous flower garden . I had worked in the same job for the same company for the last ten years and could see myself there for another ten . I had retirement funds set up that looked like they would last through retirement . So , what happens at forty - five when you 've made it ? When you are no longer struggling to create a life for yourself and your family ? You get bored , same . Every Saturday was gardening and cooking . Every Sunday my children would call me . There was nothing new or exciting . My husband never brought me flowers just because . He never surprised me with new plans for the evening - never said , " Hey , let 's go out for pizza and beer like we 're college students . " There was nothing . It my eye . Perhaps the surprise was that the young intern was a young woman . She was the same age as my son . She could have been his girlfriend . It started the day she brought me flowers . " Is it boss 's day ? " I asked , worried that I forgot to get my boss something . " No , " said Sheila . " I just thought that you could use some color on your desk . " She looked a bit shy . " I didn 't overstep , did I ? " " No , no , of course not , " I said , dumbfounded . " They 're beautiful , and , uh . . it 's really nice of you . " Sheila stood by my desk for a few moments of awkward silence before saying , " I 'm glad you like them . I . . . uh , I 'll just get back to work now . " As she started to walk away , I said , " Hey , Sheila ? " She turned around and I said , " Do you have plans for lunch today ? " " No , " she said , " not yet . " " Join me ? " I asked . " Sure , " she said . I could swear I saw a blush across her face before she turned again to leave . I sat back and stared at the flowers . Pink roses , pink carnations , a few ferns and some baby 's breath in a pretty glass vase . I considered taking with Sheila was full of ' getting to know you ' questions and conversations . There was laughing and giggling at stories and intense stares as we both tried to memorize what we were told . I couldn 't believe how wonderful Sheila was . She was extremely talented , smart , and had expected my husband to be miffed when I called to tell him I would be home late . Instead , he sounded almost happy . I told him I 'd make him dinner when I got home but he said , " Don 't worry about it - there are some leftovers in the fridge . Go have some fun , make a new friend . " Sheila and I wound up at a happy hour . We had half - priced cheese sticks and nachos while guzzling drinks - her cosmos , me manhattans . The happy hour crowd started to filter out of the place after a few hours . Gone were the guys in the suits and in came the girls in the short skirts , dragging boyfriends with backwards baseball caps with them . " This place has a great DJ at night , " Sheila said , as the music started up . The music had a good beat that was very danceable . " Hey , was so nice to be dancing . My husband had never been into dancing . I hadn 't pushed the issue since I didn 't much care for how loud music was played at dancing venues anyhow . That night , though , the volume was a good thing . I didn 't have to talk , only look at Sheila . The drinks had lowered our inhibitions enough that our eyes openly showed how we were feeling . Sheila step towards me on the dance floor , and I step toward her . She wrapped her arms around my neck and I wrapped mine around her waist . We intertwined our legs and danced in grinding motions against each others hips . Looking over Sheila 's shoulder , I noticed a group of men pointing at us with smiles on their faces . When they saw me looking , they made crude motions at me . I sighed , close enough to Sheila for her to feel my me . Right there on the dance floor , we kissed . I put my forehead against hers and closed my eyes . This was the first person I had kissed that wasn 't my husband in the last twenty - five years . And she was the first girl I 'd ever kissed . I pulled away after a bit of guilt and reflection ran through my head . " I 'm . . . I 'm sorry , " Sheila stammered loud enough for me to hear over the music . " I think I need to call a cab , " I said . " Do you need a cab home , too ? " She nodded and then followed me as I left the dance floor . We shared a cab and headed to her place first . She kept apologizing during the cab ride while my gut wrenched over that stupid kiss . " It 's okay , " I said finally . " I . . . I wanted it , too . " " You 're very beautiful , " she said . I didn 't shy away from her touch when she ran a finger down my arm . The sensation sent a tingle through my arm that continued across my chest . I breathed very deeply , trying to steel myself against the excitement . I turned to her and put a hand on her neck , under her hair . I loved the feel of her long , soft curls over my knuckles . I moved in to kiss her again but stopped just short of it and placed my forehead against hers again . " God , " I said . " What am I doing ? " " We 're almost at my house , " she whispered , her warm breath reaching my lips . " Why don 't you come in ? We can . . . if you want , we can just talk about . . . " I knew if I went in with her , my life would change . My marriage would be ruined . My retirement funds split . My children would , well , I didn 't think they would forgive me . But this was so exciting . She was so young and energetic . She was excited about life in a way I was when I was her age . I wanted to drink in that old feeling . I wanted her to remind me what it was like to not know what was coming next . When I paid the driver and stepped out of the cab , I thought about Sheila and my life . Would I regret forever that I hadn 't gone inside with her ? My husband was asleep on the couch with an open beer on the floor , a dirty dish on the coffee table , and the TV still on . All of the lights were on and his clothes were littered on the floor . I sighed and wondered what Sheila 's living room looked like . that , evil doer ! " shouted Sally as she kicked the air in front of her . Someday , she was gonna get super powers , she just knew it . And she would be a hero , not a villain - and no one would make fun of her anymore . Because everyone knew people who got super powers also got prettier - it was , like , in the rules or something . " Sally , get in here , " her mother called . Sally Her stupid belly had been showing again . Ugh , when would it go away ? She plopped herself down at the dining room table . Her mom had already put out the Super Crunch Cookie cereal , milk , bowl and spoon . " Look at you , " her mother said . " You are a mess . " She looked over her daughter 's hair . " Is that grass in your hair ? God , what am I gonna do with you ? We have to be to church in twenty minutes . It isn 't enough time to get you into the shower . " Sally grabbed the cereal box . " I can stay home , mom . I have more practice today , anyhow . " As " You know only two boxes of that cereal are going to have the Super Hero Serum . And frankly , you 're not gonna get it . There are too many pimply , fat , nerds buying cases of that cereal . " And then , it happened . Sally couldn 't believe her eyes . A small blue plastic vial dropped into her cereal . She screamed and jumped up out of her chair , knocking it over and banging into the dining table . " Ha ! What happiest she had been in her entire life . Sally was surprised to find her mom rushing towards her , hands outstretched . Her mother yanked at the potion , trying to get it away from her . " Mooom ! " shouted Sally as she tugged back . " You can 't take that ! " her mother shouted . Sally managed to yank it free . " Like hell I can 't ! " She ran out of the room with the vial of potion in her hands , making the floor shake with her steps . " But we could be rich ! " her mother yelled after her . Sally locked herself into the bathroom . Her mom pounded on the door . " Sally , no ! Don 't ! We could be millionaires . Hell , billionaires ! You can buy whatever you want ! " " I 'll everything . " She uncorked the bottle and chugged it down . It burned on the way down and she could actually feel it hit her stomach . She wanted to barf but forced herself not to . Why would anyone barf up the Super Hero Serum ? ! Sally stared at herself in the mirror , sucking in her cheeks and stomach . " Come on , come on , " she said . Her mother was still banging on the door when the first hair showed up on her chin . In a matter of seconds , her face was covered in fur and the rest of her body was growing a dark brown fur . It pushed at her clothes , snapping buttons and tearing seams . teeth started to grow out and her nose shrunk back into a black little thing . It hurt , it hurt so bad . She curled up on the floor , crying . Her mother had stopped pounding on the door . " Honey , what 's going on ? " her mother said quietly at the door . Sally forced herself up onto her feet and opened the bathroom door . Her mother screamed . " I 'm a fucking squirrel , " Sally said . Her mother did not respond with her usual quip of " language ! " to Sally 's swear . Instead , she said " Fuck " in response . " Now , what ? How do I fight crime as a squirrel ? How do I go to school as a squirrel ? " Sally was crying . She wasn 't the glamourous superhero she wanted to be . She was supposed to get blond and superskinny and get a skin - tight black costume with a red sash . She was supposed to be able to clicked her giant teeth together . " I could totally do better than Brittany Spears ! " She wiggeld her bottom , shaking her tail and started to sing : Don 't you know that you 're toxic . " Sally smiled and bounced around the house . She may not look like anyone that a guy would want to date , but now , at least , she looked like someone who was going to have enough money to get any date she wanted . That 'd show stupid Billy . She wouldn 't buy him a car . . . well , maybe she would - she 'd had a crush on Billy since the third grade . Here come the big times for Squirrel Girl ! thought to herself . She pushed her fingers to the back of her throat and managed a gag . Tears ran down her eyes from it . She didn 't have the ability to keep going . She couldn 't make the chocolate come back up . She stood and looked at herself in the mirror . Her weight was starting to show . The leotard she wore while instructing the step class at her gym was stretching too tight . She wasn 't going to be able to get any new clients at this rate and she was worried she 'd lose her current clients . No one wanted to take weight loss advice from a fat woman . She had just lost all control . She couldn 't stop eating - and worse , she couldn 't stop eating crap . McDonald 's , candy , salty snacks . She had tried to replace it with carrots but she couldn 't stand the taste . " Maybe you 're pregnant , " her mother had said to her . She told her that Bob left two months ago . She would know by now if she were pregnant . After was negative . There was no excuse for herself . She cried herself to sleep at night the last month . She had already lost the love of her life , now she was going to lose her career . Maybe if Bob had just stayed , maybe she 'd be able to stop eating . She called him . She had to try . " What do you want , Rosalie ? " he asked , impatience in his voice . " Bob , I need you back , " she said . " I am a mess . I . . . I can 't stop eating . I 'm gaining so much weight - I 'm gonna lose all my clients . " " You really should have thought about that when you cheated on me , " he said . There was no kindness in his voice . " I know , I know . I wish I could take it back . I really do . I need you . I always needed you . I love you . " " You for a better degree , but , nooo , your vanity wouldn 't let you . " " I . . . I . . . " " Save it , " he said . " You need to stop calling me . Go call that douchebag - or does he not want you now that you 're fat ? " " I 'm not fat ! " she shouted . " I 'm not doing this anymore , " Bob said . " Goodbye , Rosalie . " He hung up on her . Rosalie ran to the bathroom again . This time her stomach would empty for her without her help . She was so distraught her stomach was flipping . I wish I was pregnant , she thought . At least there 'd be an excuse - and Bob , he 'd . . . he 'd come back . " Mayor Firth , a package came for you , " Connie said . " Who 's it from ? " asked the Mayor . " There is no return address , " she said , turning the parcel over , reexamining it . Jon Firth gave her an incredulous look . " Don 't worry , it 's been checked over for anthrax and stuff , " Connie said . He stood up and took the package from her . " Thanks , Connie , " he said , dismissively . Jon odd , gold - painted clay medallion . The medallion had strange symbols all over it and was hung by a black cord . He lifted it out of the box and held it in his hands . It was lightweight . Connie knocked on his door and entered again . He slipped the medallion into his pocket . " Mayor Firth , Mr . Krebs is here for your 3 o ' clock , " she said . " Send him in , " Jon said . He stood as Craig Krebs entered . Jon moved around his desk to shake his hand . " Thanks for taking the time to see me , " said Craig . Jon sat back at his seat with Craig across from him . Craig Krebs was the owner of the big local paper . He was also a major contributor to the Mayor 's campaign both before the election and for the upcoming re - election as well . Ostensibly , Craig had come to the Mayor 's office to discuss ' the business climate in Fair Valley . ' Jon knew , however , that he was coming to tell the Mayor which new policies he wanted in exchange for his contributions . These meetings were always boring but necessary - his campaign contributors needed to believe he was taking their side . He would throw them a bone every now and again , just enough to keep them paying but not enough to make the relationship obvious to the populace . Jon worried the medallion in his pocket while trying his best to stay alert and pay attention . These meetings always made him sleepy . " I hope no one finds out , " he heard Craig say . This made Jon alert . Had he missed something ? " No one finds out what ? " he asked . " What ? " asked Craig . " I was just saying the taxes we pay for our employees is high . Were you paying attention ? " " I . . . I was . I guess I just misheard you . Continue , please , " he said . Craig and fiddled with the medallion . Then he heard Craig again , this time saying , " Fuck , does he know ? " Jon looked at Craig . Craig was still talking . " We need to compete with the internet . . . " This job must be getting to me . I need more sleep . " We payed her good money to keep quiet , " Jon heard . He had been looking directly at Craig . Those were not the words Craig was saying . He was still whining about how hard the newspaper industry has it . " We 'll keep all of that in mind in the next budget cycle , " Jon interrupted Craig . " Thanks , thanks , " said Craig . He looked a tad miffed at being interrupted . Jon wrapped his hand tight around the medallion in his pocket and asked Craig , " So , how 's the missus ? " " Good , stood , " Well , say hi to her for me and Sally . " He walked around the desk to open the door for Craig . He shook his hand and then asked Connie to hold all of his calls . He sat at his desk and pulled out the medallion from his pocket . He flipped it over and over in his hands . What the flying fuck ? he thought . It seventeen at the time . They were only one year away from elder status and two years away from their deaths . She had only the one memory of her mother - running with her through the woods , attempting to escape Haven , and her mother being shot in the back as they tried to escape . Now Sissy was seventeen with a four year old daughter herself . She would be an elder at eighteen , and would join the elder council . After her mother 's escape attempt , the council had voted to have foot patrols along the edges of Haven in case anyone tried to escape again . She hoped looked over her shoulder and saw her husband walking towards them , bow in hand . Kayla ran to him and he lifted her in his arms and carried her back to her mother . He kissed Sissy 's forehead . " How were the patrols , Garrett ? " she asked him . " A lot of walking , " he said , setting Kayla down . " No one even tries to come near . There is no one to talk to . " He sighed heavily and sat next to Sissy . " Hand me a bowl , would you ? " he asked . Sissy handed him a bowl and he grabbed a handful of the soaked acorns . He peeled them , dropping them into his bowl . " No also didn 't have time to be a decent parent . Kayla didn 't get to join her father on patrols or on the rare hunts he went on . Sissy remembered , began to roughly mash his acorns , his hands clenched around the pestle so hard that the veins in his neck raised up . " I 'm so sick of this , " he said . " I don 't really believe in the Narada . " " Shh ! " said Sissy . " You don 't want Kayla to hear you saying that . " " Why the hell not ? Because we are told we have to pass down the superstition ? " Garrett 's frustration was showing . " Spurstishy , " intoned Kayla . " See , " said Sissy . " Kayla , honey , would you help mommy with something ? " " Okay , " said Kayla . " Would you go into the hut and play with dolly ? " she asked . " Okay ! " said Kayla . She ran into the hut . " Okay , now you can say what you want , " she said . " It 's just stupid , " said Garrett . " There are these mythical beings that will come and eat the adults in the village if any of us get older than nineteen . It doesn 't make sense . Everyone knows the young deer taste better than the old deer . If these monsters actually existed , they would prefer children over adults , wouldn 't they ? " Sissy continued to mash her acorns . She had heard this rant many times over from him . It always got her ire up - if the Narada didn 't exist , then her mother died for nothing . If the Narada didn 't exist , her father wasn 't noble , he was a murderer . " How do you know they eat our flesh . What if they eat our souls ? " asked Sissy . They 'd had this exact conversation many times over and this was how she always responded . " Have was eager to change the subject . " Garrett , I have something to tell you , " she said , putting down her pestle . Her expression turned strained and said . " What is it ? Is something wrong ? " Garrett asked , true concern in his voice . " My moon phase is late , " she said . " Fuck , " us , " he said . " Hell , it 'll still be a baby when we die . Fuck . " Sissy 's shoulders heaved as she sobbed . She held back her tears but the sobs wouldn 't be chased away by sheer will alone . " We have to escape , " he said firmly . " Are you insane ? " she asked . " If we do that , in two years , the Narada will come for us . They may even come to Haven , content with eighteen year olds . Our child will still have no parents , and who knows what will happen to Haven . " Garrett put a hand on Sissy 's thigh . " Your mother tried , " he said . " And she was wrong , " said Sissy . " She died for her stupid , wrong beliefs . Do you want Kayla to see us shot down , too ? " " I 'm on the patrol guard , I know when the walks overlap . I can find a time when we 're alone , " he said . Sissy spent the whole next week , trying to convince Sissy to flee Haven . He kept telling her there was zero evidence that the Narada even existed . Her arguments asking where the death tradition started didn 't phase him . she said one day . " You can 't browbeat me into this . If you get me to come just because I am tired of you nagging me , you will not only have a agreed . He was at the same time heartened that she was internalizing one of his arguments and also scared that she would push them aside without hearing them over and over again . It held her tight against him , running his hands down her hair . " No , he believed . He really believed he was saving all of Haven from her . " " How , how . . . how could we all be so stupid ? Why would anyone believe it ? " she cried . Her father was an idiot and a killer . " Because by the time we get old enough to question things , we die , " Garrett said . Sissy broke into such loud sobs that he worried she would wake Kayla . " I 'm sorry , Sissy , " he said . " That was a horrible thing to say . " " It was . . . true , " Kayla said between sobs . " Who would start this ? Who would terrorize and punish children like this ? " " I don 't know , " Garrett said . " If we get free , maybe we 'll find out . " Garrett would spend the next week counting how long between path crossings he had for each guard . Each guard walked at different speeds . The faster walkers would give them less time in which to work their way out . But the slowest walker of them all , Romeo , was the most vicious and violent of them all . Garrett would see him smacking the trees with his huge fighting staff with a smile on his face , occasionally hitting the squirrels that scurried to get away . " If thought about it . Romeo 's weaknesses may make up for his violence . He couldn 't shoot a bow worth a damn , he was fat , and by the end of his shift , he was breathless and sweaty . They could make it near the end of the shift . If it was dark when they ran out of the forest , they would be Sissy held her , teaching Kayla to wrap her arms and legs around Sissy . She would need Kayla to hang on the entire way out of the forest . Sissy even ran home with their foraged goods with Kayla hanging on to her . Kayla thought it a game , but Sissy took it as serious conditioning . Sissy and a few birds . Instead of gorging , they are one of the birds and Sissy prepared and preserved the rest . She made extra acorn bread . All of it was wrapped tight and tied up in the shade of the tree over their hut . " Tomorrow , " sunfall at the place your mother tried to run through . " " What if Romeo shows up ? " Sissy asked . " I 've been timing it . He 's never at that spot at sunfall . Are you ready ? " he asked . " I well behaved . If Kayla screamed or cried , they would be found . Sissy considered making a sleeping draught of the ceelie leaf . She needed Kayla awake to hold on to her . By the time they were far enough away that she could let Kayla sleep and rest , they would be far enough away that the patrol would probably not follow . " Mommy , are we going picking today ? " Kayla called foraging picking . " Later , " said Sissy . " Why don 't you grab dolly ? " Kayla 's doll was a dirty ragged mess . It had been Sissy 's when she was young . Kayla still loved it , though . Sissy hoped it would help keep Kayla happy on their journey . was an hour to sunfall when Sissy had finished loading the secret compartment of her pack . She looked to Kayla , " Picking time , sweetie , " she said . Kayla came running . " Where 's dolly ? " Sissy asked . " She 's sleeping , " said Kayla . " Go get her , " said Sissy . " She can sleep while you hold her . " Kayla got her doll , and held it in her arms , cradling it like she 'd seen the young mother cradling their babies . She walked alongside Sissy for a while , paying attention to her doll . When they had gotten away from the main huts and past where most of the girls forages , Sissy stopped and said , " Up " reaching for her daughter . Kayla reached up and held her dolly in her hands behind Sissy 's neck . As move . When she saw Garrett in the distance , she saw Romeo stopped , talking to him . She stopped and held as still as possible while watching . She saw the two boys ' shoulders heaving up and down as if in laughter . Romeo hit Garrett 's back with a hard pat and moved on , slapping trees with his club as he moved on . Garret had no choice but to walk away from the meeting spot . Sissy followed , paralleling him until she could not hear the crack of Romeo 's club any more . She moved forward to meet Garrett just as he was stopping to turn slow . Should mean we have a bit more time , " he said . Garrett ran his hand over Kayla 's head . Kayla was sleepy but awake . She had her head against Sissy 's shoulder and was alternating between closing her eyes and staring out at the scenery that went by . They made their way to the meeting point in silence . They looked around before heading forwards . They reached the spot where Sissy 's mother had been shot . Garrett walked forwards slowly . His arm hit the shimmering field before the rest of him . It stung . He pulled his hand back and stopped short . " Ouch , " he said . " What is it ? " whispered Sissy . " I don 't know , " Garrett said . " There is something here . " He put his hand forward and a shimmer went through the air and sting on his hand . He pulled his hand back again . Sissy encountered the same shimmer and sting . Instead of pulling her hand back , though , she pushed forward . The stinging left her hand and moved to a spot on her forearm . She pulled her arm back , involuntary tears falling down her face . " It hurts , " she said . " I think if we go through really quickly , it 'll hurt for just a second . " " My hand is still sore , " said Garrett . " If we 're caught here now , we 'll be killed , " said Sissy . " Let 's do it before we lose our nerve . " " Okay , I 'll go first , " said Garrett . Sissy watched as he backed up and crossed the invisible line at a full run . When he reached the other side , he had fallen to his knees . He bent over while , didn 't it ? But then it stopped , right ? " Kayla kept nodding . " Okay then , sweety . I need you to be brave . We 're gonna get bit and it 's gonna hurt for a little while . Can you be brave and not cry ? For mommy ? " " Yes , mommy . I am so brave , " Kayla said . " Hold tight , " she said to Kayla and took a few steps back . She went through the barrier at a hard run and felt a sting through her entire body that took away her breath . Her heart beat faster after breaching the barrier . " Fuck , " she said . She looked at Kayla 's face . It was scrunched up tight , her little nose wrinkled up . " Good girl , " Sissy said . But then Kayla started to cry and reach back . " Dolly , " she said . Sissy turned around and saw the doll on the other side of the barrier . " Fuck , " her and steeled his face into a tight expression . He barreled headlong through the field to grab the doll and instead of collapsing on the other side , he kept his face strong and his muscles tight running back through it . He was winded and sweaty when he got back to Sissy and Kayla . " Can I hold dolly ? " he asked Kayla . " No , " she pouted . " Honey , let daddy hold dolly . He never gets to hold her , " Sissy said . Kayla started to run and she ran alongside him . There were no trees above their head . The grasses they ran through were brown from the sun beating down on them . They didn 't hear any voices behind them . They looked back and saw nothing but continued to run . When they tired from running , they walked . They were scared to stop . Out She wondered if the Narada would come for them . Did they have a year and a half before the Narada would get them ? Who created that painful trap they ran through ? It could have been the Narada . They could get anyone who leaves . she named them old German names as a tribute to her long - dead mother . Her mother had been captured by her father in a raid and forced to be his third wife . Leila was born a year later . Three years after her birth , her mother had killed herself . As a child , she was told her mother died in a fight with the other wives . Leila refused to talk to the other wives . When a new one arrived , however , they became fast friends . The new wife was also German and told her the perils of being a out and about without a male escort , but with the invention of androids , women were allowed to go out escorted by the droids . The droids could drive for her , too . She missed the days when she could go to the market without a face covering and could play with both boys and girls . She had loved to play hide and seek in the marketplace , upsetting was while she was playing cards with the droids in her room , that her father came in to see her . He hadn 't been to see her in weeks . She jumped up out of her chair and stood at attention with her eyes demurely focused on the floor . Her father touched her cheek and walked in a circle around her . Leila held perfectly still . " Leila , " he said . " You have been a woman for an entire year now . It is time you married . " Leila had been dreading this day . She never wanted to be a wife to anyone . " I have found you a suitable husband , " her father continued . " You will be the first wife . " Being first wife was an honor . She would be head of all of the other wives the man chose to take . She would also be the first to bear child . For it wasn 't until the first child that new wives were taken . If she did not bear a child within the first two years , though , her survival would be uncertain . If he found a woman he wanted to take as wife after the first return her to her father instead , her father may take her life rather than support her . " What do you say , my child ? " asked her father . " Thank you , papa , " she said . He patted her head . " That 's my girl , " he said . " His men will arrive in a week to obtain you . " He paused and looked at her . Leila was holding in all of her emotion . She wanted to burst out crying . Her adulthood began and she didn 't want it . " There is one other thing , " her father said . " Your husband is a very traditional man . He does not believe that droids are a suitable replacement for male escorts , and he believes that his wife should do all of the chores and cooking . You will need to have these droids shut down . " " But , papa . . . " she began , looking up to his face . Her father gave her a stern look . " You will obey me , " he said , " and you will obey your husband or you will find yourself beaten . " " Yes , papa , " she responded and returned her gaze to the floor . " Samil will take you to the scrap yard today to have them deactivated . " He kissed her forehead and then left her room . Once he left , she broke down into tears . Gretel , the droid with the most updated software , came to her side . " It is okay , mistress Leila . We understand the need to deactivate us . We will be obedient . " Samil arrived later and escorted her and her droids to the hover car . They drove out of town , towards the scrapyard at the end of town . " Samil ? " Leila said to get his attention . " Yes , Leila ? " " Samil , do we have to go to the scrapyard ? I love Hansel and Gretel . I don 't want them turned to scrap . " " What but a child and loved her more than her own father did . " Can 't we just let them go ? Set them off to find their own way ? They won 't starve or anything , " Leila said . Samil assented to her wishes . How could he not ? They found a forested area and stopped the car . They opened the trunk and let the droids out . " Is this the scrapyard ? " asked Hansel . " Don 't be stupid , Hansel , " said Gretel . " We are in a forest . " Gretel turned to Leila , " Why are we in a forest ? Are we not meant to go to the scrapyard ? " Leila began to cry and she went to them and hugged them both in one embrace . " Yes , you are supposed to but I can 't stand the thought of you being little lumps of metal . " She let go of them and pointed into the forest . " Run and hide in there . You will be able to find a new family after enough time has passed , " she said . " As mistress wishes , " said Gretel . " Come along Hansel , we are going to walk in the forest . " Leila cried some more . " I 'll miss you , " she said . " We will miss you , too , " said Hansel . " Goodbye , mistress Leila , " said Gretel . The androids headed out into the forest . They heard the hover car leave the side of the forest . " We are all alone , now , " said Hansel . " Just for now , " said Gretel . " We only need to find shelter for a while before we go and take ourselves to market . " Hansel sighed a metallic sigh and continued to trudge through the forest . He did not know what type of shelter they needed to find and what kind would work for them . He knew they at least needed someplace dry . The rain would not destroy them but they didn 't want to rust . They completely of batteries , conduits , and had fountains of oil for yard decorations . Hansel did not even ask Gretel for permission or her opinion . He ran to the house . He slurped oil from the fountain , letting it go through his system to his joints . He picked at the batteries on the house and inserted them into various battery packs on himself . " Gretel , you 've got to try this , " he shouted . " This could be adequate shelter , " Gretel responded . Behind her came a voice . " This is my shelter , " it said . She turned to see an old woman walking down the path to the house . She had a cane that she was shaking in the air . She was clearly angry . " We are sorry , mistress , " said Gretel . " We did not know this house was occupied . " " And why wouldn 't it be ? " She looked at Hansel . " And why is that other droid eating my house ? " Hansel sheepishly dropped one of the batteries . " We 're lost , " said Gretel . " We are only looking for shelter until we can get ourselves to market to find a new home . " The old woman softened her expression . " Well come inside lost droids . " She opened a front door made entirely of circuits . They followed her and Hansel ran his hand along the circuits as they entered . " I have a comfy closet with power outlets that you two can rest and recharge in , " she said . " Oh , that is so kind , " said Gretel . She followed the little old lady to a closet door . Gretel looked into the closet before setting foot in it . She didn 't see a power outlet anywhere . She looked up at the ceiling and saw a crushing plate with spikes to better rip the metal off of an android into reusable pieces . The old woman tried to push Gretel in . " It 's a crusher , Hansel , " Gretel said . She stepped away from the old woman . " My , you are a heavy and strong droid , " said the old woman . " No droids that have come here have been able to get away from me . Still , I think I can was still breathing . " Oh Hansel , what do we do ? " she asked . " Kill her , " said Hansel . " It 's self defense . " Gretel looked at Hansel . " You 're right . It is self defense . " The coming from the closet and then all was silent . The two androids never took themselves to market . They had all the energy they needed in this old woman 's house . She had tried to trap them and now they were in an android 's paradise . Gretel thought often of Leila . Leila had been the only human who had ever shown them compassion . Gretel searched the wireless news reports for mention of Leila . Three years after moving into this house , she found an article . It was terrible . Leila had died in her father 's house . The obituary said it was an illness and said she was not succeeded by any children . Gretel knew what that meant . Leila had not borne children and was returned to her father 's house . If only her and Hansel had known , they would have gone to Leila . If only Leila knew the droids had a house she could run away to . She could have escaped - she would not have been killed by her father . At least we 're safe from him and the other humans , thought Gretel . Posted at 06 : 37 PM in 100 in 100 | Permalink