cover design by Guinealove2005

It has been seven hours since I woke up this morning, kissing my parents lightly on the cheek, before heading out the door and making the daunting trip to highschool.

Typically my older sister, Meila, would drive me home, but she left for college less than a week ago, leaving me to walk the ten blocks it takes to get to our home by myself. Lily offered to accompany me, promising a sleepover with cheesy movies and popcorn, but I could barely find the energy to keep up with our conversation at lunch, let alone an entire night filled with her optimistic banter.

On days like today, I much preferred the comforting company of silence and the forest to my best friend who is too hyper for her and my own good.

I slowly approached the crowd of students, as a strange choking feeling filled my chest. It is fifteen minutes past three, which means by now a large portion of the student body should be cleared out.

But it isn't.

It can't be that bad, I comforted myself. If it was bad, the teachers would be outside. Besides, at worst, Charlie probably took another piece of moldy cheese and stuck it to the pavement to start the cheese touch all over again like sixth grade. My classmates were probably just gathering in a circle to debate who was going to touch it first.

But the circle of people seemed too wide, especially for a piece of moldy cheese.

Carefully sliding past my peers, I entered the circle. A choked sound slipped from my mouth, before my brain could process what I was seeing.

"Dad?" I whimpered at his and my mother's limp, bloodied forms.

"Dad?" I whispered in a pained voice, quiet and desperate.

My knees buckled without my permission, and before I knew it, I was kneeling over my dad, praying he was still breathing. I desperately pressed my trembling fingers against his neck, hoping for a pulse. It didn't need to be strong; it could be weak as a whisper; it just needed to be there.

"C'mon!" I cursed under my breath, tears beginning to well up in my eyes.

My fingers dug harder into his neck, scrambling to find a breath, a movement, anything that could convince me that my father is still alive.

"Dad? Dad, you're scaring me." I helplessly whimpered as my fingers lingered on his cold, stiff neck.

"Wake up." I pleaded against the cries of my classmates.

"Wake up!" I screamed against his chest as my hand shook his limp form.

"Elena." My best friend whispered into my ear.

I looked up into her wide grey eyes, filled with concern and sadness.

"They're gone."

She reached out towards my shaking body, now lying against the hot pavement, desperately trying to comfort me.

I pushed her away, and leaped to kneel over my father, tears streaming down my cheeks.

"He isn't gone," I cried to Lily, but we both know those words were aimed at myself to try to syphon away the growing pain in my chest.

A fragile hand clasped around my shoulder, comforting the small part of me that still existed.

"I know." Lily whispered comforting words into my ear. "I know."

I let Lily wrap her arms around me, holding together the broken pieces of my soul that I was sure would never be whole again.

I cried into her grey knit sweater, hoping and praying this was a nightmare. But I've had far too many experiences with nightmares to know this is real. My father and mother are dead, and my sister is gone at college. I am alone.

Or at least I was alone until I saw a giant form appear behind the crowd in front of me.

It was a curved body of silver metal, that twinkled against the sunlight beautifully, like diamonds. Upon closer inspection, I noticed there was a wide glass window stretching across the front of the elegant body, almost as if it was an ostentatious version of a typical aircraft.

Moving my eyes along the delicate form across from me, a door on the side of the vehicle opened and revealed a grouping of six soldiers dressed in formal black suits. Behind them stood a tall and regal figure, wearing black armor lined in silver. His gaze was cold and intimidating to say the least. When his eyes searched until they locked on mine I could feel a tangible shiver run down my spine.

The six men in black stayed frozen until the regal man filed past them. They didn't begin to move forward until he looked over his shoulder and gave a slight nod in their direction.

I didn't want to separate myself from my parents, but a gut instinct deep inside my heart told me it was best. So when Lily reached to grab my arm and drag me behind the crowd that was now gathering around the aircraft and the men in black, I didn't refuse.

The regal man paced back and forth in front of aircraft, scouring the crowd of students as if he was looking for a very specific object, but by the frown pulling at the corners of his lips, I could tell he wasn't satisfied.

He leaned into the figure behind him and whispered something in his ear. The figure nodded, and continued to whisper among the remaining men until they flanked both sides of the regal man, three on each side.

The regal man skimmed the crowd a final time, before forcibly stepping forward, causing the six men behind him to visibly tighten.

"My name is Conner and I am an officer working for the King and Queen of Geneia. I am looking for a girl, and your assistance and cooperation in finding her would be much appreciated by his and her majesty, he said in a calm voice, though the roughness and low tone of his voice made me feel otherwise.

"Any attempt to reveal her shall be rewarded greatly and properly by his and her majesty. But, any attempt to conceal her shall be punished as seen fit for the crime accordingly," he hissed.

"I promise you, as does the royal family, that no harm shall come to the girl," he said softly.

"The girl is valued greatly by the royal family, and therefore ensured under its protection." He paused briefly to give the chattering crowd of students an annoyed grimace.

"If anyone should choose to harm the girl before her retrieval they will be dealt with accordingly by his royal highness himself, rest assured," he commanded over the crowd.

After the mention of "his royal highness" I tuned the older man out. I couldn't help but wonder who they were looking for, which of my female classmates had gained the favor of some royal family that owned a fancy silver aircraft. Perhaps Avery with her soft face and light brown locks that were always neatly piled on top of her head. Even Emily with her short stature was sure to win over any family, definitely a royal one, with her kind smile and piercing blue eyes.

At the end of the list of names that filled my head, I placed myself. With dark brown hair that dangled past my shoulder and green eyes that were bright as grass, I appeared more alien than human.

Maybe it's the detachment from the world that I've felt since I realized my parents aren't coming back, leaving me with a fogged mind and a tear-stained shirt, but I couldn't stop the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, telling me something is wrong.

My thought was confirmed when Lily jostled my shoulder, pulling me out of my daze, and the crowd of students pulled away from us, once again forming a circle.

Lily yanked on my arm in a desperate attempt to hide us within the crowd, but my feet stood firm as I straightened my posture and looked up to a brooding officer, who stuck out their hand to me in a rough motion.

"Elena James?"

I peered up at the older man, who much to my surprise, sported a kind and gentle expression. It was almost unsettling how quickly he shifted from stern officer to the pleading gentleman standing before me.

My eyes shifted uneasily to the ground under the weight of Conner's stare, and I bit my lip as I debated whether I should acknowledge him or run away to safety. I released a quiet moan when I realized I no longer have a safe place I can run to and call home; it died with my parents.

Wiping my clammy palms on my jeans, I slowly reach out to awkwardly shake Conner's callused hand.

"Yes?" My voice strained, rising several octaves above my usual tone.

His soft blue eyes lingered on my surely red and tear-stained cheeks before quietly clearing his throat.

"I'm sorry about your parents," he mumbled, with obvious tension in his face that made him appear uncomfortable, and his voice strained.

My eyes shifted back towards the ground at the mention of my parents, while my heart was overtaken with a pit of mourning.

"But, in aid of your recent loss, his and her majesty would like to offer you a place to stay until things get settled."

I looked up to him curiously.

"You're offering me a place to stay?"

He released a small smirk and smiled.

"Technically his and her majesty are..." he teased, "but for all intents and purposes, yes, I am offering you a place to stay."

I silently frowned.

"But what about my sister? My parents..." I drifted when a gurgled noise came up my throat.

"All will be taken care of. I promise you," he assured me.

I hesitated and let out a low breath.

"No offense..." I sighed, hand sliding down my face, "but how do I know that you aren't some serial killer, who is secretly planning on killing me?"

Conner softly chuckled, and gave me a wide smile.

"Although, as I previously promised your classmates, I can one hundred percent assure you that no harm will come to you, not even a single hair on your head, I completely understand where you are coming from and why you wouldn't immediately trust me."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small black handgun, careful to hold it on its side by the front, in a display of peace, not a threat. Reaching the gun towards me, with a gentle expression, he raised an eyebrow, and I couldn't help but stare at the black weapon.

"You're giving it to me?!" I almost shrieked in a quiet whisper.

He quirked an eyebrow, and nodded his head.

"Of course. I wouldn't want you to feel unsafe. Since we have yet to gain your trust, I want you to feel protected at all times, which means giving you my only weapon. None of the other guards are armed, in case you were wondering."

From behind him a group of teachers ran towards him and the other men and began shouting harsh words.

Above all of the voices, I heard: "You can't give a weapon to a seventeen year-old girl! She'll kill herself by accident!"

The six guards behind Conner visibly tensed their muscles, and turned to face the angry teachers.

"If I take this gun..." I whispered. "Will you help me?"

The old man effortlessly smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Elena."

"And I will get to see my sister?"

He sighed.

"If that is what you wish, I will do what I can to make it happen."

Part of me screamed to run away from the strange people and find Meila before it's too late. But something about the gentle tenor of the older man's voice, that promised to protect me, almost in a loving manner, made the decision to follow him into the beautiful silver aircraft irresistable.

I braced my shoulders and nodded my head in compliance, before carefully taking the handgun in an awkward motion.

"Very well, Miss James, if you would follow me."

Conner placed his hand on my shoulder and led me briskly towards the silver vehicle, as if he were in a hurry.

When I looked over my shoulder I saw the six guards pushing back teachers and students, while they carefully backed towards the vehicle.

Beyond the familiar faces of classmates and teachers I spotted Lily, staring at me behind the shouting crowd.

I opened my mouth to shout something to her, I didn't know what, but it didn't feel right to leave without saying goodbye. But, before I could, Conner pulled me through the sliding doors, and the last thing I saw was six guards backing away from the now chaotic crowd, behind me and Conner.

The glass door slid shut once the last soldier entered, and I left Lily without saying goodbye.

Conner shouted something to one of the men, and my high school parking lot shrunk from view as we soared into the air.