of smoothly whipped potatoes. “I’m not fat,” she said quietly, sounding confused instead of angry.
Monica sighed and whispered to me. “Can you imagine living with that?” She stood up and moved to where her parents were sitting. Monica was the only one of us who wasn’t an
adult but who didn’t live with her family. The rest of us didn’t have families to go to, so we just made our own groups. But what could I say about Monica? She’s just always been
independent.
Andrew got up to go get seconds and Tanya followed. With the group so small, I felt even more nervous about being around Mackenzie, but she was very at ease.
She took a few more nibbles at her food, and then looked at me. “Thanks for not killing me,” she said almost comically.
I smiled. Maybe trying to win her over wouldn’t be so hard. “Any time.”
She ate everything on her plate and sat there quietly as people came and went. Sometimes she closed her eyes and just listened to the sound. I bet things never got this loud around her
before.
Then I realized that winning her over like this, with her being the way she was, wasn’t exactly fair. My hope fell too quickly to be caught.
• • •
I woke up refreshed, like usual, after sleeping soundly. It took me a moment to realize I wasn’t under my purple comforter in my purple room. I looked up at the dark
wooden slats of the roof and was suddenly stricken.
“Dad?” I breathed, my heart starting to race. “Dad?”
“Huh?” someone said. I could barely hear it over the sound of my shallow breaths coming in and out of my mouth.
“Oh, no!” someone yelled, coming to my bed. I couldn’t place the face. Who was this person? “She needs something! Quick!”
“Monica, go! We’ll watch her.”
I heard a door slam while two intruders hovered above me. They were going to take me. No! No, wait, I was already taken. Were they going to hurt me? Had they already?
My eyes were swimming, and I called out louder. “DAD!”
“What’s going on?” said someone else, a boy this time.
“She woke up like this. Monica’s getting her food,” a girl answered.
Food? I didn’t want any food. I wanted my dad. If I could just stop shaking and get away from these people I could go find him.
Two strong hands grabbed my face and made it still. “Mackenzie, can you hear me?”
I sucked in a jagged breath. Fingers went to my eyes and wiped away hot tears. I could finally make out the face. It was him. It was Dylan.
“Mackenzie, just nod your head. Do you hear me?”
I nodded.
“Everything’s fine. You’re scared and you don’t know why, right?”
“You kidnapped me! I want my dad!” I screamed.
“I know, I know,” he said, trying to calm me. “Shit, she’s bad.”
“I’ve got juice! And a muffin!” someone called entering the room.
“Thank God,” Dylan said. “Juice first.”
There was a moment of fumbling and then liquid splashed on to my face.
“Hold her still,” an angry voice instructed.
I tried to fight, but someone was holding my nose so I had to open my mouth. I coughed and gagged and swallowed juice I couldn’t taste and then . . . and then . . .
I dropped my hands, which were gripping Dylan’s wrists. I hadn’t realized I was doing that. My body was still shaking but it slowed and though I’d just woken up I felt
exhausted.
I looked around the room, and began to recognize the faces. Tanya and Alicia were standing there, disheveled and anxious. Monica held a plastic-wrapped muffin in her hand, and Gabe stood there
doing nothing. And Dylan. Dylan was sitting on my bed, his hands still on my face. Slowly, he released me.
“Sorry,” I said. “Did I hurt you?”
He held back a laugh. “No.” He looked at Monica. “From now on, juice in the room. Or something. I’ll have to get more, soon.”
He made it sound as if I were going to be here for an awfully long time. Maybe until I grew old or died. “What about my dad?” I
Monica sighed and whispered to me. “Can you imagine living with that?” She stood up and moved to where her parents were sitting. Monica was the only one of us who wasn’t an
adult but who didn’t live with her family. The rest of us didn’t have families to go to, so we just made our own groups. But what could I say about Monica? She’s just always been
independent.
Andrew got up to go get seconds and Tanya followed. With the group so small, I felt even more nervous about being around Mackenzie, but she was very at ease.
She took a few more nibbles at her food, and then looked at me. “Thanks for not killing me,” she said almost comically.
I smiled. Maybe trying to win her over wouldn’t be so hard. “Any time.”
She ate everything on her plate and sat there quietly as people came and went. Sometimes she closed her eyes and just listened to the sound. I bet things never got this loud around her
before.
Then I realized that winning her over like this, with her being the way she was, wasn’t exactly fair. My hope fell too quickly to be caught.
• • •
I woke up refreshed, like usual, after sleeping soundly. It took me a moment to realize I wasn’t under my purple comforter in my purple room. I looked up at the dark
wooden slats of the roof and was suddenly stricken.
“Dad?” I breathed, my heart starting to race. “Dad?”
“Huh?” someone said. I could barely hear it over the sound of my shallow breaths coming in and out of my mouth.
“Oh, no!” someone yelled, coming to my bed. I couldn’t place the face. Who was this person? “She needs something! Quick!”
“Monica, go! We’ll watch her.”
I heard a door slam while two intruders hovered above me. They were going to take me. No! No, wait, I was already taken. Were they going to hurt me? Had they already?
My eyes were swimming, and I called out louder. “DAD!”
“What’s going on?” said someone else, a boy this time.
“She woke up like this. Monica’s getting her food,” a girl answered.
Food? I didn’t want any food. I wanted my dad. If I could just stop shaking and get away from these people I could go find him.
Two strong hands grabbed my face and made it still. “Mackenzie, can you hear me?”
I sucked in a jagged breath. Fingers went to my eyes and wiped away hot tears. I could finally make out the face. It was him. It was Dylan.
“Mackenzie, just nod your head. Do you hear me?”
I nodded.
“Everything’s fine. You’re scared and you don’t know why, right?”
“You kidnapped me! I want my dad!” I screamed.
“I know, I know,” he said, trying to calm me. “Shit, she’s bad.”
“I’ve got juice! And a muffin!” someone called entering the room.
“Thank God,” Dylan said. “Juice first.”
There was a moment of fumbling and then liquid splashed on to my face.
“Hold her still,” an angry voice instructed.
I tried to fight, but someone was holding my nose so I had to open my mouth. I coughed and gagged and swallowed juice I couldn’t taste and then . . . and then . . .
I dropped my hands, which were gripping Dylan’s wrists. I hadn’t realized I was doing that. My body was still shaking but it slowed and though I’d just woken up I felt
exhausted.
I looked around the room, and began to recognize the faces. Tanya and Alicia were standing there, disheveled and anxious. Monica held a plastic-wrapped muffin in her hand, and Gabe stood there
doing nothing. And Dylan. Dylan was sitting on my bed, his hands still on my face. Slowly, he released me.
“Sorry,” I said. “Did I hurt you?”
He held back a laugh. “No.” He looked at Monica. “From now on, juice in the room. Or something. I’ll have to get more, soon.”
He made it sound as if I were going to be here for an awfully long time. Maybe until I grew old or died. “What about my dad?” I
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