I waded my feet in the cool, clear water of the pond. I always came here when I had something to think about or when I needed to calm down. I sat on a rock with a sandwich in my hands and a water bottle sitting next to me. My parents were fighting about whether we should move to a safer place or stay here in Minnesota. Minnesota is one of the only states left that has some population other than the North Korean soldiers. North Korea has taken over the U.S, and our allies were wiped out by nuclear warfare.

My family and I live in a small community camp for all the refugees and survivors in the area. The only other states still enduring are Nebraska, Iowa, and some of the other central states. Hawaii was the first state to be invaded by the North Koreans, but not before South Korea was invaded.
I looked up at the orange, smeared sky. There was a shroud of fog on the horizon. It was beginning to get dark, so I started the hike home. It was unusually quiet not counting the cicadas that were chirping nervously, probably because there was a storm on the way. In the distance I could see the outline of the camp. Everything looked normal as far as I could tell, but in reality, something was about to go seriously wrong.
When I arrived at the camp, everyone looked worried and their walks were hastened. My little brother Gabe appeared next to me and tugged on the sleeve of my sweatshirt.
"Cecelia?"
"What is it Gabe?" I ask.
"Mom and Dad said they needed to talk to you right away. I think it's really important," he responded.
"Okay," I say, "Run back to our tent and tell them I'll be there in a second."
After watching Gabe run back to our family's tent, I look around and notice that the Petersons were packing their things into backpacks, duffel bags, and anything else they could find. I also notice my friend Josh's father filling their Jeep with gas. What? The only time Josh's family used their Jeep was for emergencies. This must be serious. I rush back to our tent to find my parents waiting with urgent looks on their faces.
My mother's eyes were red and puffy like she had been crying.
"Oh thank God you're back! Where were you, Cecelia? You know you're supposed to tell us before you run off!"
My mom’s voice was quivering and she was talking very fast.
"I'm sorry mom, but why is everyone in a hurry? What's going on?" I ask.
"The North Koreans captured one of our camp members," my dad says with a frown. "The man they were interrogating gave in and revealed our location. They're coming to take us back to their capital right now."
"Who was it? Who gave the North Korean soldiers that information?" I ask worriedly.
"It was Leroy," says Gabe. "The NKs found him taking food from a military base just a few miles from here."
Leroy was one of the first people to arrive at our camp. It was December 20, 2013. My 12th birthday. My parents had managed to scrape together some ingredients they had been saving to make a measly cake. I was so happy to finally eat food that tasted just like it did when I was little.The cake was dry, but I ate at least four pieces. After finishing off the cake, my parents handed me a small, rectangular box wrapped in newspaper.
"You know you didn't have to get me anything."
"We know," my mother grinned. "We just wanted you to have something of your own.”
I slowly took the ribbon off. I peeled the stiff, brown newspaper off in strips until it was gone. Gabe smiled as I unfolded the flaps of the box. I lifted it out of the box with two hands, being careful not to drop it. It was smooth and it glistened when I held it up to the sun. It was a telescope!
"How did you get this?!?" I ask, stunned.
"We did some trading around..." my dad replies as he put his hand on my shoulder.
"Do you like it?" my mother asks.
"Like it? Are you kidding? I love it! Thank you sooo much!"

I waited for the sun to go down so I could watch the stars, and as I adjusted my telescope I came across a figure of a man on top of a hill. He kneeled down to tie a shoe while his wife waited for him. We called them over and invited them into our tent for herbal tea and saltines. The couple explained to us that they had come from Kentucky after the whole state had to evacuate. We let them stay in a second tent across from ours and we grew to be good friends.
Now I knew Leroy was in trouble. Ever since Margaret died last year Leroy has been impatient and reckless. I wasn't surprised he was captured. He is always taking idiotic risks that could result in his end. I continue to pack my things into a suitcase when we see cars coming over the horizon. All of a sudden the cutting sound of a helicopter above us grows louder as the pilot tries to land. I quickly grab Gabe's hand and lead him outside.
There was a strong wind blowing dead leaves and grass into the air. I quickly looked around and saw people being grabbed and smacked by soldiers with goggles on. I squeezed Gabe’s hand.
“Don’t let go of my hand,” I shout over the chopper’s motor.
“I won’t!”
I could hear screaming, but just barely. My ears were ringing and I was fumbling for cover behind a pile of lumber. Almost there! Then, I felt a sharp pain in the side of my head, right above my left ear. My vision became blurry and things around me started to spin. I could hear Gabe yelling my name but I didn’t respond. Instead, I dropped to the ground with darkness surrounding me.
I woke up in a white room with a fluorescent light shining down on me. My head hurt so bad that I had to clench my teeth to keep myself from screaming. There was an IV in my arm, but I pulled it out. No one else was in the room, but I could hear footsteps above me on the next floor. The only sound in the room was the constant beeping of my heart moniter, it seemed that my heart was fine. Then, a door in the corner of my eye opens and a man in a lab coat and medical mask comes in and walks towards my hospital bed. He had an expression that suggested he was slightly annoyed. He was frowning and he had a scowl on his face.
“ Where am I?” I ask, “What happened to me?”
“You’re in a medical institute in Chicago,” the man says to me. “You were in a car accident last night. Do you remember anything?”
Where’s Chicago again? Is that in Europe? I can’t remember anything so I respond,
“ No. Who are you anyways?”
“That’s not important, the important thing is that you are okay.”
“Why can’t I remember anything?!?! Why won’t you answer my questions?” I ask in a panicked tone. The drone of the heart rate monitor was picking up pace. I had no idea why I was getting so worked up about this, all my feelings just came pouring out of me. The doctor looked behind him at a nearby nurse. He beckoned to her, and she came over carrying a syringe filled with a clear fluid. I struggle but she injects the fluid into my arm and I fall asleep again.
This time I wake up in a different room, more relaxed and calm. This time there aren’t any machines hooked up to me, no heart monitors or IVs. The same doctor that I saw before comes in the room.
“Let’s try this again, no outbursts this time. I hope. You were in a car crash, your mother was driving down the highway when a drunk driver collides with you right before you can take the exit to the street you live on. Do you remember that?”
“No, I don’t.” I reply.
The doctor goes on to tell me that both of my parents died in the crash, and when they found our car wrecked they pulled me out in critical condition. I had a brother too, but he was taken to a different medical clinic in Colorado. Wherever that is...
“Well Cecilia, it’s almost time for lunch. You’re healthy enough to interact with the others and you don’t have to stay in bed anymore. Your assigned room is down the left hall, fourth one on the right. We hope to see you there!” the doctor then walked out of the room without a chance for me to say anything more. Well, better go check my room out.
I walked down the left hall, following the exact directions my doctor gave me. Fourth door on the right, that was room 203. I opened the wooden door to find another girl sitting on the couch reading the rulebook. I assumed she had just arrived here, too. I say hello, but she doesn’t seem to notice me. Oh well, I wasn’t here to socialize. I went into the bathroom to wash my face and take off my hospital gown. There was prescribed clothing laying on my bed. I was about to walk out the door when the girl on the couch looked up at me. She smiled and made gestures with her hands. I didn’t really understand the odd hand signs she was making so I just smiled and waved.
Down at the cafeteria there were a lot of other kids and teens. Most of them were older than me, but some seemed either my age or really young. I slinked down and walked off to the side so no one would notice me. I grabbed a green plastic tray and stood in the line to get my serving of lunch, I thought about sitting alone, but in a place like this it would be good to have some friends to talk to. I decide to sit down at a circular table with five other people, one of which was the girl who I bunked with. The food was really good, but that was weird because usually food in cafeterias is bad. Not to mention school lunches. The main dish was chicken, with sides of apples and spinach. I opened my milk carton and took a sip while the people at my table introduced themselves. John fell out his apartment building window when he was four. Julia almost drowned in a river in her backyard. Renee broke her neck when she and her boyfriend got into a motorcycle accident. It turns out that the quiet girl’s name was Sarah, and she had her hearing blown out when a bomb exploded next door. The last person at my table was younger, and he looked vaguely familiar. He said his name was Gabe, and that he also was in a car accident. It sounded like almost the exact same situation I was in.
After spending a little bit less than a year in the medical clinic, I started to become suspicious. I started to question the physical training patients began when they turned 18. I started to question the reasons why we hadn’t been allowed to leave yet, and if we were really brought here for the reasons our doctors gave us. I started having suspicions on why all the doctors and maintenance workers in the building were of Asian descent, while none of the patients were.Why is everyone prescribed pills to take after breakfast? How come no one could remember anything about their past, even though some of the “accidents” people were injured in had no involvement with trauma to the head? I no longer took the pills, and sometimes I had dreams about my past. Bits and pieces. I remember in one dream I had I was in a camp with my family.
I told my plan to my friends the next day. Early the next morning, I was going to pull the fire alarm. My friends were to spread the word around that when the sprinklers went off it was a signal for everyone to run. Everyone was told to keep a backpack with supplies in it under their cots for when the time came to ditch this place. My friends looked at me shocked at first, but they agreed to help me. That’s what friends are for, right? The only one hesitant to go along with the plan was Gabe. He thought it was a bad idea to run from people that were taking care of us. I tried to convince him escaping was the best possible outcome for our futures, but he wouldn’t listen. Back then I didn’t know he was my brother. Maybe if I did, I wouldn’t have left him behind when the plan went into motion.

The plot to escape went smoothly. The staff was distracted with the sprinklers, just like we had hoped. Half of the patients ran, the other half just sat there stunned and not knowing if they should join the escape. Renee and I lead the crowd out the front door of the building, and we stumbled into the sweltering heat and hot sun. There was a part that we were not expecting. Guards outside spotted us, and I saw a few people near me get shot down by tranquilizer darts. It’s a good thing those don’t kill.
I veered a left towards the sandy mountain, but others took a right instead. I was running by myself now, no one was following. I kept running until midday when I stopped to take a drink from the canteen in my backpack. I was in the middle of a desert, I would rest now and continue on at night when it was cooler. I drifted off into a shallow sleep and woke up again early the next morning. There were mosquito bites on my arms and sand in my shoes. I stood up and dusted myself off. I slept way longer than expected, now I had to travel in the day. I wanted to get as far as possible from that horrible clinic. I climbed a nearby hill to get a look at the surroundings. Nothing but sand. I shielded my eyes from the sun and started trudging through the sand. My destination was unknown, but I did know one thing. My family was out there somewhere, and I intended on finding them no matter what.