"Will! Stop!" She shriek. 

"NO!" He giggled back, and continued to tickle his little sister. She was pinned to the dry dead grass in the backyard. Will was bigger and always stronger then she was. He held her down and tickled her relentlessly. She shrieked and giggled, kicking her little feet in the air, tears ran down her little face as she tried to wiggle free. He let her almost get away only to grab her and pull her back for more tickles. 

"Will!" She cried again. "Please! I give up! You win!" 

"Ha!" He grinned down at his little sister, and he flopped down beside her. 

"It's no fare." She pouted. "You're bigger then me, you're always gonna win!" 

"Yeah. Life isn't fare little princess." Will sighed. 

"Yeah...did Daddy call that Ava lady back?" She asked sitting up and turning to her brother. Will sat up as well, pulling on some grass. His happy smile was gone.

"I dunno. Mom doesn't want me to go. Dad says its a good deal." He said. "If I go, I'd be helping find a cure. Apparently."

But if you do go...what am I gonna do? I'd be all alone. Mommy wont let me go to kindergarten." 

"That's 'cause, Hope, you technically aren't alive." 

Hope folded her arms and pouted. "But I want friends. I want to go out side to the park. I wanna even go for a walk!" 

"It's not safe, you know that!" 

"But..." 

"Hope, if WICKED knows about you, they might come take you away too. I heard mom and dad talking to Uncle Gavin, in Canada, they might be shipping you up there."  

"What?" She gasped. She threw her little arms around her brother, "I don't want to go there, I don't even know them! I don't wanna go away from you!" 

Will pulled his baby sister closer and gave her a hug. The back door banged open and their mother was standing there yelling and waving franticly. 

"Hope! Will! Inside now! They are coming! We have three minutes to hid her!" 

Will scrambled to his feet, and pulled his sister to her feet and they ran inside. Dad was flying around trying to find the shot gun, Mom had grabbed Hope's stuffed animal and blanket and the emergency bag. They pushed the kitchen table out of the way. Will yanked the rug out of the way and with mom's help pulled the hidden trap door open. 

"Okay inside my darling." Mom said, she had a forced smile on her face. 

"I don't wanna, it's dark, and scary!" She whimpered, clutching the stuffed animal tightly.  "Momma I don't want to!" 

"It's to keep you safe." She petted Hope's hair, trying to sooth the frightened little girl. 

Hope turned to her brother. He was never scared of anything, he always kept her safe. Her big brother was her hero. 

"Will...I'm scared!" She hugged him tight. 

He hugged her back, "Hey, Hope, you gotta have hope! Princesses are brave, remember?" 

She nodded her big blue eyes filling with tears. He gave her another tight squeeze. 

"Hurry!" Dad called from the front window. 

With another whimper, she let go and mom helped her into the little dug out. 

"Remember, quite as a mouse and only come out when we tell you!" 

Hope nodded, and curled up in a tight little ball.  As the trap door closed she saw Will's matching blue eyes filled with worry and anxiety. Hope was left in the dark, only the sounds of muffled foot steps and thumps. She could hear the hum of voices, but nothing was distinct, she wouldn't make out any kind of words. 

Hope was left in the dark for a long time. There was loud voices, arguing, shouting. Maybe mama was crying. There was the sound of a gun, a loud crake that made her jump, and let a small gasp of surprise and fear. She clamped a hand over her mouth, curling tighter, her eyes closed tight. Tears formed behind her eye lids. There was more yelling and more gun shots. Lots of thumping and screaming more thumping.

And then there was silence. 

The silence was oppressive. It stretched on and on. She didn't dare move. She stayed curled in the pitch black. Mommy or Daddy would come get her. They always did. She didn't dare turn the flash light on either. She clung tightly to her stuffed animal, and blanket, the emergency bag was by her feet and the little hunting knife was held so tight in her little hand it was shaking. Tears kept leaking out from behind her eyelashes. Mommy or Daddy or Will would come get her. They always did. 

No one came. She stayed huddled in the little dug out under the floor boards for hors, too scared to move. Until finally, she couldn't anymore. She had no idea how long she was down there, but the cold had seeped into her little bones, she was shivering and couldn't stop. Her little teeth chattered uncontrollably.  Very slowly she pushed the trap door open. It was stuck. There was something heavy on top of the trap door. She tried pushing on it. The tears became faster and heavier. She was stuck and no one was coming to help her. She finally made a noise. She cried out. She cried and pushed on the door. 

Finally, after many hors of being stuck in the small dark space, the door above her creaked open. She threw her hand above her, shielding her eyes from the glow of the light. Hope looked up, it wasn't her mother or Father and it definitely wasn't Will. It was an older lady. Hope screamed in fear and held her little knife out. 

"What are you doing down there child?" 

"Where's my mama? And Daddy? Where's Will?" 

"Your ma and pa? Will, the little boy who lived here?" 

Hope nodded slowly. The woman frowned. 

"WICKED took the boy this morning. And his ma and pa are dead." 

"wh-what?" She squeaked. "Dead?" 

The woman frowned and realization dawned on her face. 

"No one knows about you, do they? They kept you a secret!"

Hope had scrambled out of the whole, her legs were numb and she was freezing. Hope stood in the middle of her house, and it was a disaster, furniture knocked over, the big wood kitchen table had been pushed over and on top of the trap door. And in the middle of the wreckage were two bodies laying in pools of blood. 

•°•

Hope lay panting hard, covered in cold sweat. Having just woken up from another night mare, Hope slowly sat up, her hands were shaking so bad she almost fell back. She pushed her wild blond hair out of her face and leaned against the wall. It was quiet and dark. She pulled her knees to her chest. Her heart was beating faster than it should be, it felt like she had just sprinted a mile.

There was movement beside her in the next bed.

"Go back to sleep, Lanna."

"How come you're awake?" The sleep laden voice asked.

"Another nightmare. And it's almost time for my watch. Go back to sleep."

"Same one?"

"Ya. Always the same."

"That sucks dude. Gotta change it up once in a while."

Hope snorted, and cracked a small smile. She threw a pillow at her best friend.

"Go back to sleep."

"Nah." There was a loud yawn and groan. "If you're on watch that means me too."

Hope shook her head. She loved that Lanna was always with her. Ride or die she always said. They were as close as sisters. They had been through a lot together. With her hands still shaking Hope pulled her jeans on and pulled a clean shirt on and slipped her boots on.

"Damn it's cold today!" Lanna whinned .

"Then put a sweater on! JEEZE, what am I your mother?"

"Aww moooooom I don't wanna! I'm too cool to be cold!" She whinned again, pretending to stop her feet like an over dramatic teenager.

"You're an idiot." Hope rolled her eyes.

"Aahh, but I'm your idiot."

Together the girls slipped out of their room and quietly walked down the little hall. The little warehouse their group occupied was full of sleeping people. The girls slipped out into the twilight, and headed for the head quarters. Hope pushed the door open, squinting in the light. 

"You girls are early." 

Papa Oden, the unofficial leader of their group looked up from the huge desk full of maps and other papers. He had a kind face hardened by many hard years living in the mountains trying to survive. Hope shrugged, running her hand through her hair again. Lanna yawned dramatically while she poured herself a cup of coffee. Hope rolled her eyes and came over to the table. 

"So...any news?" 

"Well as best we can guess, the new sweeps are going pushing closer this way. A community over here," He pointed on the map, "Was raided a few days ago." 

"Meaning, we need to move again." Lanna grumbled as she came over now, clutching the mug in both hands. 

Papa nodded, and ran a hand down his face. 

"We will have to pack up and move." He groaned. 

"So those rumors are true? They are trying to start up the Maze Trials again?" Hope asked, dreading the answer. 

"Looks like it, kid. I'm sorry. But that's why we keep moving. Keep you guys all safe. There's also..." He trailed off. His battle hardened eyes became distant, he chewed the inside of his check for a moment. 

Hope and Lanna glanced at each other. He did this when he was trying to decide if he wanted to share more information. 

"Uhh...GramPa?" Lanna poked him, and drawing out the pa part.

"Stop calling me that! I ain't that old!" 

"Sure you are! You got eye wrinkles and grey hair, you also grown when you stand up." 

"Shut up Lanna!" He rolled his eyes and have her head a playful shove, "Respect your elders." He chuckled. 

"You were saying? There's also...also what?" Hope cut in. 

He sighed and ran a hand down his face again. "There was also rumors floating around that there is this resistance group. They call themselves The Right Arm. They ain't big, but they're a thorn in WICKED's side.  Apparently they have been helping immunes, kids WICKED wants get to a safe zone, some place where WICKED can't get them and where there is no worry about the Flare." 

"Seems too good to be true." Hope muttered. 

She had heard these rumors too. But, it seemed too good. Where on this godforsaken earth could WICKED not get their poisons hands into. No, she didn't believe it. Or she didn't want to believe, get her hopes up only to have them crushed. Again. Her life had been too hard, too painful to believe in something that perfect. No Flare. No WICKED. No running for your life. No night watches. No raids. Peace was something Hope never experienced in her short 16 years of life. 

"Who knows Kid. Maybe. Maybe one day..." Oden trailed off. And they were all quiet for a while, all of them lost in thought again. "Well, if you girls are up, might as well switch off with the guys." 

Lanna saluted Papa Oden and looped her arm through Hope's and pulled her back outside. Together they walked through the tiny little mining town where their group had settled. They had moved here about four months ago, just missing a raid by WICKED's swat team, apparently. Hope had been with Oden for almost 10 years now, he had found her in a street market. Hope had been looking after herself for a few weeks before Papa Oden saved her. She had been surrounded in a back alley by some half cranks. Papa Oden swept in and saved her. She had loved him like a grandfather since then, she had lived with Papa Oden, or Papa Bear as she affectionately called him, or just Papa, longer than she had been with her parents. They had found Lanna with another group of survivors in the sandy scruffy hills a few months later. Lanna and Hope had been inseparable since. 

Lanna elbowed Hope, "Hey pay attention when I'm whining!" 

"Yeah, your cold, wanna go back to bed, need some god coffee and want a boyfriend." 

"How did you know?" She gasped. 

Hope rolled her eyes, "'Cause it's the same thing every time. Now come on, Harvey and Tim are waiting." 

They made it to the outskirts of the town and then up into the trees of the surrounding mountains. The girls started up the steep incline, following a trail only they knew. Hope whistled. A whistle came back in answer. The girls kept going  to a clump of tree and pushed the tree branches out of the way. The guys were just climbing down from the lookout. 

"You girls are early."

"You are welcome." Lanna huffed. 

"Hey Hope, how are ya?" the one boy nudged her arm.

Hope gave him a polite smile. "Fine Harvey, you?" She took the gun he was holding out for her.

The boy's eyes lit up when he smiled. "Oh can't complain." 

"Well...umm..." Hope started awkwardly, "we gotta get up there now." She turned and climbed up the rope ladder and into the look out. She plopped down with a huff. Lanna sat down beside her. And gave her a smirk. 

"Nope. Don't wanna hear it." Hope tipped her head back and groaned. 

"He likes you SO bad. Come on girl! Humor him and your self and flit back! He's quite fine on the eyes and is responsible. Papa Bear already approves!" 

Hope shook her head. "No...I just...it's not a good idea, not right now. We're constantly on the run, I already have Papa and you to look out for, what if something happens to someone else I start to care for? You heard the rumor!" 

"Fine." Lanna pouted. 

They were quiet for a wile, There wasn't much out here. The small town was abandoned, The odd time there was a Berg in the sky, and the watch tower had to warn the town. Papa Oden and a few others had a walkie-talkie on them at all times to flip the lights. If there were lights the sweeps would find them. They tried to live off the grid, as best as they could. They hunted, scavenged, bartered and traded with the nearby towns and cities, sometimes they had to resort to steeling what they needed. 

Hope was watching the sky. The stars were out, but were slowly fading away as the sun started to peek out. Hope pulled her knees up and watched the sky turn from dark blue to a light purple to pink. 

"Do you believe in this...safe zone?" Lanna asked quietly. She was twirling some hair around her finger. Her eyes were distant. Hope took a slow breath and then let it out slowly. 

"I dunno. I wanna believe its true. But...where would it be? Where would be a place WICKED couldn't find us? I find that hard to believe. I don't think this," She waved a hand in the general direction of the cluster of buildings, "Is gonna last much longer. The sweeps are becoming more frequent. It's like they are gathering more kids for another Trial." 

"Well...aren't you hopeless, Hope." Lanna teased. 

Hope rolled her eyes again. 

"But...you really think something is happening?" 

Hope nodded, "It's just like last time. From what I can remember." She said quietly. 

She didn't really talk about her past much. It hurt. No one really talked about their past and how they got there, it was live in the moment, the here and now, because in this world, tomorrow was never guaranteed, and the past was full of pain.