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"They can’t do this to you" Mitchell looks fro support She stares ahead, her features pale and drawn

I touch , Mitchell I’ve got to stay"

He steps back until he collides with the wall His face scrunches up and a choked cry breaks loose, rattles from his chest He slides down the wall until he hits the floor I watch as he buries his face into his hands I feel every one of his jagged sobs like a claipe to my heart

Part Two: Mount Haven

The situation of overcrowdingcarriers to this location Our present population de tide of disease that has befallen this cauard died, infected with the saued the camp since we opened

--Correspondence froht

TWENTY

WITHIN TWO MINUTES OF THE PRESIDENT’S address, we receive an auto us that ould be contacted soon with infornment and that I’m not to leave my residence for any reason under threat of arrest Funny, that doesn’t even strike a chord of fear in me Not when I’m about to be forced into some kind of camp for carriers

Days pass Mos on the counter If Mitchell’s around, he goes still, his eyes fixing on her as she answers Dad, if he’s even home, quickly flees into another roo I know they haven’t forgotten about me It’s only a matter of time before they come for me

Therounded up and forced onto buses Well,with it

There are a few instances of runners that make it on to the news One car chase outside Detroit replays every thirty minutes A carrier tried to escape with his fah school art teacher until he was identified as a carrier and dismissed from his job I shouldn’t watch It’s just a blatant ploy to sensationalize what’s happening, but I’ as the Mini Cooper drives off a bridge and crashes into a gravel pit, killing the entire family instantly A wife and two s car For a split second, you can even see the dark shadoithin the vehicle

All that night, I drea at et out The weird part isto reach me or put out the fire Mom, Dadthey make no move to help me Even Mitchell He weeps and pulls at his hair, but can do nothing

I can’t deny that I feel a bit like that in reality Thaton the sidelines as I go up in fla happen tothey can do I know this I said as ested we run away Still, I can’t help feeling abandoned

Walking into the kitchen, I find Mitchell watching TV All evidence of the one he broke is gone Souest room into the kitchen It’s sht on a bar stool in front of it

"Hey" He looks up, his spoon freezing frourt froaze drifts to the screen and the protestors congregating in front of the White House An anti-Agency group waves posters and shouts at the anti-carrier group The anti-carrier group outnuroup Police patrol on horseback, trying to prevent rioting in the clogged streets

I grab a soda fro else on television?"

He flips the channel to a local station Instead of its regular television show, a reporter stands outside Oak Run, a faith-based suside how to rock climb A few of my friends went there I never did Mohout the suovern for six hundred campers, staff not included, it’s an ideal setup for all carriers in South and Central Texas I assuet around to collecting me

I lean on the counter and study the fortified fences inding ropes of barbed wire at the top Guards with guns ate and roaround, nestled in the hills a thick trees

It is just one ofup across the country overnight, rushing toat the screen, I feelup

Mom strolls into the kitchen "What do ya’ll want for dinner tonight?" She looks at me "Davy, you couldhow she’s acting as though everything is fine Nor"

"Oh" She looks down at her hands, and I feel wretched I don’t knoalong I walk over and kiss her on the cheek

"Let’s order Chinese," I suggest, wrapping an arainst me

Her lips curve in a sood" I scan her face, trying to ain--after they taketo appear at her te her hair She’s usually so on top of stuff like that

"It will be okay, Mom"

She nods, and I realize this is as hter with HTS

And that’s okay

I don’t expect her to save me I don’t expect anyone to do that I’m alone in this Just like Sean said Whatever happens, I don’t have anyone I have to learn to live with that

The knock at the door finally arrives

Only it’s not Pollock It’s a woman Dressed in a sleek pantsuit, her dark hair pulled back into an equally sleek ponytail, she looks like what I ient would look like

With a flash of identification androoent Stiles," the woman corrects