Addicus: It was a normal day when President Griffin was killed. I was doing my homework. My parents were watching the news. I assumed that it was just about stocks or something. All of a sudden I heard a loud BANG, coming from downstairs. I rushed down there and saw my parents. They both were just staring at the Television. Which had seemed to have malfunctioned because the screen was all fuzzy. Then, all in .5 seconds, they were off of the sofa and my mom was running into the basement and my dad was running upstairs. My dad came back down with worried eyes. I tried to ask what was happening but he just shook his head and started to rummage through our pantry. My mom came back up from the basement. She had three very large backpacks swaddled in her arms. Everything was happening so fast. Dad was putting food in the backpacks, mom was starting to rummage through the cabinets. She grabbed six packs of batteries and three flashlights. I didn’t know what to do. My mom had put the flashlights in the backpacks. She sat down and told me to come. I walked over to her cautiously. I didn’t know what was happening.

“Addicus, I know you are a strong-minded boy, so I will tell you now, President Griffin has been killed. Vice President Hill is now the President. I know you don’t see the problem but Hill is not who you think he is. He will go to great lengths to get what he wants. He doesn’t settle for what is best for our country. He settles for him, and right now the thing that settles best for him is you.”
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Why me? I kept asking myself. I am just an ordinary kid, I collect rocks and go to school. I am completely and utterly unextraordinary.

“Why me?” I asked when I finally regained my strength to speak.

“When I was pregnant with you, your father and I went camping. We were in the woods and we had just gone to sleep in the tent and all of a sudden we heard a loud pitched sound coming from deep in the forest. Your father came running out of the tent and told me to stay put. Twenty minutes went by and there was no sign of him. So, naturally, I went out looking for him. It was pitch black and I could not see a thing. I look over my shoulder and and saw a red light coming from the side of a bush. I made my way over and it was a stone. I heard something and whipped my head around only to find Dad walking around. I brought him over and he automatically picked up the rock. He studied geology in college. He handed me the rock and me told to go back to camp. I did. All of a sudden I heard a helicopter coming above me. I went to the car in case I needed to protect myself. A ladder came down and as did two officials and Hill. He had a gun in his hand and told me to give me the rock. He told me it was -- a special rock that could get him what he wanted.”
“ What did he want?” I asked in the midst of trying to process this, Dad was still rummaging in the kitchen looking something. Mom answered back with a dark expression.

“I asked what he wanted and since I still had the rock, he told me it was to become president and if he did he would kill my first born if I didn’t give him the rock right now. So I panicked and shoved it down my throat. He couldn’t kill you if you had the rock, but apparently I was wrong. I was about to get shot when your father ran from out of the woods. Hill put his gun down and I didn’t know why. I looked at your father and asked what was happening. He told me that him and Hill had some kind of history and he didn’t want to mess with us. I looked back at Hill and he was gone.” Mom was quiet and so was I. I finally was able to mumble out some sounds.

“Where is the rock now?” I asked trying to make my voice come out evenly.
“Well when you were born we had it taken out of you and now your Dad is unlocking the place it is in.” She answered back, her voice was different than he had ever heard it. She sounded almost determined, but she also sounded a little curious. Like she wanted to know if this scarred me for life or not.
I felt my hands get all clammy and my throat tightened up. I felt like a pawn in a little charade or something.
“How does this involve me now that the rock is out of my body.” I felt like I needed to dip my head into water or something.
“Well, your father emailed Hills. It was a lengthy email and he expressed himself in a way that you are not allowed to do. He told him that he was going to have the rock forever and love it forever because it was going to stay inside of you.” She paused to let my take it all in.Then she spoke once more.
“I know that this is a lot to take in but now that Hill is president he will not stop until he finds you, but don’t worry, We have a plan. Just know that we will be safe in sometimes and not very safe some other times. We are prepared and we need to leave as soon as possible, understand?”
“Yes” I answer back numbly.

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Ellison:...
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Walter: I don’t know what happened no one will tell me. All I know is, Dad was watching the news and all of a sudden he is grabbing me from the kitchen. We go out in the middle of the street and he lifted up the top of the sewage hole and makes tells me to jump in. I thought he was joking. I mean he had to be. He looked terrified. And finally he spoke to me.
“Son, you have to get in. I am going in right after you. I cannot explain everything right now, but you just have to trust me right now. Can you do that?” I thought about it. He couldn’t really expect me to trust him. I was in a hole with my Dad who was sweating bullets. He looked at me and all of a sudden he lifted me up and lowered me down into the small hole. I didn’t know what to say. I mean. I was knee deep in sewage water that smelled like a cow’s derriere. Dad lowered himself into the the hole next. He reached out of the hole and lifted the cover for it and put it on top as it was. I just stood there feeling limp as a noodle. We were in a sewage hole. I finally said something after some time.
“Why are we here?” I asked. He turned around and knelt down in front of me.
“Something has happened, Walt. We can’t go back to the apartment right now because we are not safe there anymore,” he was trying to look me in the eye, but I couldn’t open them. The one place we were safe isn’t safe anymore

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Lealynn: I know what happened. I was there. I saw Uncle Sam die. I saw who did it. I saw everything I didn’t want to see. I stood there like an idiot. Frozen. No one looked at me. No one ushered me away like they usually do. I just sat there. Staring at where he once stood. Proud, but still composed. Funny, but he doesn’t show it. I was afraid to move. I was afraid that I would cry. Then I ran. I didn’t know where I didn’t know how. I just ran. I stopped and saw a little boy being lowered into a sewage hole. I turned and saw the lights in shops disappear. I saw people running. I felt like the whole world was spinning. So I started running again. I ran until I collided with a girl in the woods. We both fell and when we stood up she started holding onto my leg. I had no idea who she was. I looked around. I saw no one. I knelt down to look at her face.

“What’s your name?” I asked as sweet as I could be. She didn’t respond. She kept her eyes shut and looked down.
“Do you know where your parent’s are?” I tried again. She pressed her eyelids harder together. I didn’t know what to do. I had never babysat kids before. I was never around them. I always had an official at my door and my only friend was Adeline, my cook. The girl grabbed onto my leg for the next five minutes. I finally took charge.
“Okay, how about you sit down and you can tell me something.” She slowly let go and sat down one centimeter from my body. I tried to stay calm. I did not know what to do. I guess talking is a start.
“What is your name?” I asked politely. She didn’t say anything. She just pointed at a stick. So I reached over and grabbed it. I laid it in front of her. Unsure of what would happen. After a seconds of awkward silence. She picked up the stick and started to trace the letters E-L-L-I-S-O-N into the dry dirt.
“Ellison huh, well Ellison, that is a very nice name.” She just stood there. Like I didn’t say anything. I thought of something to say that I thought might do the trick.
“Well my name is Lealynn, but you can call me Peelynn.” I waited. Finally the of the corners of her mouth started to very slowly come of to the tiniest of a smile. I had her trust at least a little bit and I knew it. I think she knew it too because she and came closer to me and leaned onto my leg and wrapped her little arms around it. Ugh, not this again.
“Do you know your address?” She pulled tighter around my leg. I took that as a no. So I slowly stood up. With Ellison still tethered to my leg. I made my way to a tree and leaned against it. I slowly slid down it again and bent knees so I was at eye level with Ellison.
“I am not going to leave you. I am right here.” I said looking into her eyes. She slowly loosened her grip and I was able to free my leg from her arms. We sat in silence for 3 minutes and then I said to her.
“Time to go”
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Addicus: “FOUND IT!” Dad finally yelped a few minutes after Mom talked to me. I was sitting on the sofa just trying to wrap my mind around the words my mom had said to me right now what settles best for him is you. I thought thirty minutes ago that I was normal. Now I didn't know what was normal. My father had his hand wrapped the stone. The shiny light seeped through the parts that my Father’s hand didn’t cover. My heart skipped a beat.
“We have to go now, then” Mom said. I could feel my stomach churn every way possible. I finally got up the nerve to say something.
“Where are we going?” I asked, willing my voice to stay even.
“We can’t say right now, but we will soon.” Father answered. My mom walked over and guided me over to the basement. Dad followed us as we went downstairs to the basement and my mom flipped the switch. Standing there was 3 officials and Vice President Hill.

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Ellison:

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Walter: The water had made everything up to our knees wet and smell of rotting fish. We took the tunnels in the sewers to another sewer hole about a mile and a half. I had a crick in my neck and my back will probably never fully recover. We had just climbed out and we took a minute to just recover. Finally we stood up and rounded a corner. Dad stopped short. Standing there, pressed and polished, with his two hitmen, was President Hill.

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Lealynn: We had started making progress. We had started a slow walk through the forest. I tried talking to Ellison, when started a game of yes or no.
“Did you run away from home?” A shake of her head left to right.
“Do you have a family” A shake of her head up and down.
“Do you think they are looking for you?” Her head goes left to right once again. This is getting ridiculous, I look out into the forest to the left there is trees, bushes, dirt. To the right is trees, bushes, dirt. No one in sight. All of a sudden, Ellison backs into me. I look at her and them I slowly look up. There, dapper, and as smug as ever. Was Mr. Hill, and Rick, along with Gale.
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Addicus: We just stood there, awestruck. It was Hill that finally said something.
“Well isn’t this lovely, I get to finally meet you Addicus. Last time I saw you, you were a little hard to see.” I said nothing. My father pushed me behind him. He stamped his foot as if it would trigger something.
“Long time no see Hill. I began to wonder if you would even remember us.” Dad said.
“Who could forget about the lovely man that married the woman that took everything away from me.“ Hill countered. Mom looked straight ahead, and stamped her foot too. All of a sudden I was being lowered. I looked down and saw the circle of space I was standing on slowly start to move downward. I don’t think Hill could see. I am a short person and my parents are really tall. I looked up and I saw Dad with the stone in his hand. His arm was around his back and he turned his head and nodded toward it. Signaling me to grab it. I grabbed it and tried to stay calm. What about mom and dad? Would they be ok? Aren’t they coming too? Finally I understood. They were not going. Only I was. They would probably be captured and I would go somewhere hidden. I could see their mouths move. I will never forget what they said. We love you Addicus, and we will come back for you when this is all over. We will find you, we will find you, we will find you. I was lowered all of the way down and my mom tossed down three big backpacks. They didn’t need them. They were going to be taken. If the left them Hill’s officials would have taken them, searched them, torn them to shreds. I kept being lowered. The top of the hole was sealing. Tears rolled down my cheeks.
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Walter: Dad stood there. I there too. I didn’t know what to do. Should I kneel? No, probably not with the Vice President. Maybe the President though. Dad stood in front of me. He thought he can protect me, but he couldn't. We had nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. We could only stare. I look up at Dad. He didn’t know what to say. I could tell. I knew him like that. VP Hill said something first.
“Well isn’t this perfect, this one should be easy, the first one got away but we got the parents in captivity and we still have your little brat to take.” I looked down. All of a sudden, I ring formed around the space I was standing on. I jumped a little. I started being lowered down. I don't think Hill could see, I'm only nine and Dad is about six feet tall. I saw my Dad turn his head to the side and say
“I love you son, I need you to know that. I love so much. I will come get you when this is all over. Stay strong son, I know you will be okay.” I didn't know what was happening. All I knew was that I kept going down, down, down. Away from my family, my best friend, my Dad. The hole was sealed up and I could finally cry.
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               Lealynn: I knew what was happening. Ellison was going to stay behind me and she would go to Safe Place. I knew I wasn’t going to go. I was the person in front of her. I knew I had to be. Hill decided to take some time to gloat before he got me, to us.
“Well isn’t this dandy, two at one time.” He had this smirk on his face that made you shudder. Almost as if he was happy for an entire different reason than he was happy for. I knew she was being lowered. I could feel her hands trying to take me with her. I shrugged them off.
“You are going someplace safe.” I said under my breath so Hill could not hear it. Then, I looked down, there was a ring under me too. Rick and Gale started to run, but there was a wall between us. My uncle knew this would happen one day, he wanted to be prepared so us special kids, the future of this country, could have a future. I started going down. I knew my uncle loved me. I loved him too. I now know he loved this country too. He sacrificed all of his fortune to protect me, Ellison, and every other special kid. I smirked at Hill and my hole was sealed. I knew I was safe, and so was Ellison. I made my way to Safe Place.
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Addicus: I didn’t know where I was. I was just pushed out of the hole and I saw four cots sprawled about. I looked left and I saw a two adults sitting down. One lady with short brown hair, and one man, with red hair and a little stubble. I stepped out of the hole and they looked up. All I could do was stare. We were like that for a few minutes. Finally, I said something.
           “Umm hi, I'm Addicus, where am I?” I asked. I hoped that they wouldn't think that what I said was too forward. The woman and man looked at each other. It was the man who spoke.
“We know this is a lot. You just left your family, and you just escaped from Hill, so we will start slow with this. This place is called ironically Safe Place. You and three other kids are going to be staying here until Hill is captured. I know this is a lot so we will just start with this information. We will fill you in on the rest. You are the first one, the others will be here shortly. By the way, my name is Nick, and this is Sharna. We will take care of you for the time being.” Sharna waved hello and I nodded in reception. I was about to sit down when another tube came down and when it stopped, I could hear the wails out of the tube. A little boy stumbled out.
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Walter: I couldn’t stop crying. My dad was going to be taken from me. My best friend was just taken away from me. I never got to say good-bye. I never got to tell him I loved him. I never got to tell him how much he meant to me. Hill will kill him, I just know it. I will never see him again. I won’t hear his laugh, see him smile, or see the glimmer in his eye when we play together. I couldn’t see straight. I almost tripped coming into the room. I was immediately greeted by a woman and a man who led me to a roll away bed. My back was rubbed and tissues were supplied. It wasn’t until I finally calmed down and my nose stopped running that I noticed another boy was here. He sat on another bed. He looked about fourteen, he stared at the floor. I think he felt my gaze because he looked up and I quickly looked away. The two people that calmed me down introduced themselves. Sharna told me about where I was and why I was here. I found out that two other people were coming. Then they said something I have not heard in a long time. You are safe. I was speechless, either that or I was too tired to talk. I was just about to lay down when another tube came down.
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Ellison:...
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Lealynn: I came down and stepped out. I immediately saw Ellison. She grabbed onto me and didn’t let go for a while. She let go when the Nick and Sharna said that we were safe from Hill. I don’t know her history right now, but she has one. I will never forget the first words she said to me. She said,
“I didn’t think I would ever hear that words in my life.” I don’t know why, but I started crying. I knew then, that she was my sister, and I was going to be with her forever. As for the other two boys. They are interesting to say the least, Addicus is especially interesting.
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Ellison: I know you don’t know me, and I haven’t been the most talkative person of this bunch, but let’s just say I have trust issues, I can’t tell you everything, but I can say that I have never been safe, until now.