I woke up to find myself looking at the top of a tent. How did I get here? Then it all came flooding back. Damn it why did I give up so easily! My mind was reeling, and I had a killer headache. I stood up quickly and immediately regretted it. I was dizzy and it looked like the ground was moving. Someone coughed from the other end of the large tent. I looked in that direction and saw a man sitting on an air mattress like the one I'd just woken up on. He was wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt and looked like an actor on some sort of hot guy tv show. He had short fluffy black hair that fell into his face a little, a narrow jawline, sunkissed tan skin, and gorgeous amber eyes that looked almost golden from the coming out of the open tent flap. I hastily stumbled out of the tent wanting to make a run for it, but still feeling disoriented. I tripped over a rock and closed my eyes waiting to hit the ground, but the impact never came. Looking up I saw another man holding me up, steadying me with his hands on my shoulders. He had strong dark eyebrows, and beautiful silver eyes that bore into me. His short hair that was so blond it was almost white was flipped back out of his face. He had a wide jawline, and pale skin. What is it with the beautiful guys that look like actors? I mean no one can look that good. He was wearing the same thing as the other guy except his shirt was blue. Both guys looked around nineteen or twenty only about a year or two older than me. Concern shone in his eyes. "You okay?" he asked. No, of course I'm not okay you drugged me. Instead of answering I threw a punch toward his face, but he caught my hand inches from his face. Turning me he twisted my arm around my back where I couldn't run or fight back. "Luka you were supposed to be keeping watch on her." he said to the guy coming out of the tent and stepping into my line of vision. "Sorry Shane." he shrugged apologetically. I struggled and strained to get away from this so-called Shane guy. "What do you want with me?" I yelled. "I don't have anything worth stealing. You've seen where I live." "I want you to calm down." Shane said behind me. I stopped struggling and fear replaced my anger. There was nowhere to run. Shane swore behind me and released my arm. I looked at it to see that it was glowing. No, no, no. having my light act out in fear is when it's the most out of control. One time it had started flaring up and blinded me for thirty minutes straight. I thought I had gone permanently blind but my vision had slowly come back to me. Instead of running when he let go of me I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply trying to calm myself. I opened my eyes to see it was just getting worse and I started lighting up like a star. All I could was white light. It was too bright. "Hurry, get the syringe!" I heard shane yell over the deafening in my eyes. I couldn't control myself. I felt Luka grab my arm and heard him hiss at the heat my skin was giving off, but he didn't let go. There was a sudden pain as a needle pricked my arm and my overpowering light dimmed until it was gone. I fell backwards, but Luka caught me putting an arm around my shoulders and under my knees. I tried to push him away but I felt too weak. "It's okay." Luka said as he held me close to him. I sank into the warmth of his body, and for the second time in two days I was out like a light.
When I opened my eyes I was again staring at the top of the tent. Shane put a hand on my shoulder and I flinched. He took note of my flinch and said, "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you." "Then what do you want?" I asked weakly. "If you'll stop trying to run away then I promise to explain everything." I nodded as I sat up and looked around the tent Luka was sitting not ten feet away watching us. I could immediately tell he was one of the guys with the cocky attitudes. "We-" Shane started but was cut off by Luka. "We want to offer you a job that pays three hundred an hour." he blurted out quickly. Shane shot him a sharp look. "I don't know it just came out." he whispered even though I could hear it. My brow furrowed in confusion. "NASA wants you to work on computers for them." Luka tried to explain. Shane stared at him with a look that said 'What the hell are you doing?'. Luka just shrugged. I burst out laughing. I couldn't help myself. "Yes I admit I've done some work on computers, but I'm pretty sure NASA wouldn't hire a street rat nobody like me. So really, what am I doing here?" They just stared at me without saying anything. I put on my serious face again all joking gone. "Okay," I said confused. "Say you're telling the truth, and NASA really does want to hire me. Why kidnap me, and drug me, twice might I add. Then bring me to the woods in god knows where?" "You're still in New Orleans." Luka replied. "And the answer to the question 'why you' is NASA wanted someone off the radar, someone that people wouldn't look for." it made sense I guess in a way. NASA was doing a top secret project and didn't want anyone finding out. Still there was something going on that I didn't know about, but that much money? I could buy myself a car, and new clothes. Hell I could buy a house if I worked long enough. I could buy Jake a house. Jake's parents dropped him off and left him when he was twelve, he was nineteen now. He found me right after I ran away from those guys who killed my mom. He taught me how to survive on my own. Jake didn't deserve this life. He was a good person who deserved more than living off the streets. For Jake, for my best friend I would do it. Luka and Shane watched me curiously waiting for my decision. "I'll take the job." Both looked relieved at my answer. Luka put that cocky smile on his face and said. "So you trust us?" "I don't trust anyone." I stated flatly silently adding except Jake. "Well," Shane clapped his hands together. "we better get packing then start walking." "Wait, what do you mean 'start walking'?" "The building is about thirty miles east, and there's no way to drive there. I think if we try we can make it there in three or four days" Well that's great.
The first day of walking we didn't have any conversations or speak except to ask for water or call for a break. While we were setting up camp Luka glanced at me. "So why are you living on the streets? What happened to your parents?" he asked curiously. "Well I never knew my dad, and I still don't know whether he just left or died. But my mom..." I stopped for a second. "My mom... she was killed by muggers when I was thirteen," Truth was I had no idea who killed my mom, but the most logical explanation was muggers. "and I don't have any other relatives, so I've been on my own ever since except… except for Jake." "Jake?" Luka said with a smile. "Yeah, just some idiot best friend who's always had my back. He let me follow him around when I was younger and showed me how to live on the streets. Only now he follows me around always getting into trouble and situations he shouldn't be in." "ah," He said with a cocky grin on his face. "And you help him out of these situations?" "Well yeah- Why I'm telling you this!" he let out a low laugh. "Because I'm a very likable person and people like to tell me things."
Once we finished setting the tent up we sat down to eat around a small fire Luka had made. I'd hardly ever had meat this good in a while. "Were you there?" Shane asked as he sat his empty plate down. "Were you there when your mother was killed?" I sat down the chicken bone I was holding in my hand on my plate. I nodded. "I wasn't there for all of it but I was there for most of it. She told me to run so I ran before I saw her get killed. I came back to the spot where it happened hoping that maybe she was still there waiting for me." I breathed in slowly. "Instead I found the street covered in blood. I didn't want to believe but I knew deep down that she was dead." Shane stared at me. Sympathy flickered in his silver eyes. "For what it's worth I'm sorry you had to go through that." I nodded standing up. "I think I'm gonna get some rest." Luka was looking at me and when he noticed I saw his gaze he quickly looked away. I sank down on one of the air mattresses and drifted to sleep.
In my dream I saw my mom again. We were walking down the same street we had walked down the night she was killed. I tried to scream and yell at her to get out of here, to run the opposite direction, but no sound came from my mouth. My mom just stopped walking and turned to face me smiling. "Now let me tell you something." she said in the same tone she used when she was trying to teach me something. "If you have to die to let someone else live, to save their life, you let them know that it's alright, that you're gonna be fine and they're gonna be fine, and it's not their fault you choose to give up your life to save theirs. You tell them not to throw away their life and to live at the fullest and always always look for happiness in a moment." she turned and started walking again. I tried to follow her, to stop her but my feet felt like they were stuck in cement. Tears clouded my eyes and spilled down my face. Mom I said but still no sound came out. Mom! Don't leave me! Come back! I pulled and pulled on my feet until there were red marks on my ankles. mom! I tried to yell. I dropped to the ground exhausted and cried. Suddenly I felt something release my ankles. Kind of like how you pull your feet out of mud. I stood up and started running in the direction my mom went. When I reached her she had several severe cuts all over her body, and blood pooled around her. I sank to my knees beside her. The red liquid soaking my jeans. I pulled her bruised body close to mine and breathed in her jasmine scent. I screamed as I realized she was dead, and there was nothing I could do to bring her back.
A sound pierced the roaring in my ears. Someone was calling my name. "Astrid! Astrid wake up!" I opened my eyes to find Shane sitting beside me restraining my wrists. My face was wet with tears. I wiped at my cheeks with my hands when he let them go. No, no no. I couldn't let them see me like this. "You were screaming." he explained, concern coating his voice. "And when I went to wake you up you started hitting me." "Oh" I said embarrassed. Usually nobody was around when I had nightmares about my mom. I hadn't even told Jake about them. "I need some fresh air." I stood up quickly, walking out of the tent. Luka was leaning against a tree sharping what looked like a knife. He looked up when I stepped out. "You okay?" I nodded and went to walk away, but he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. "You know, it's okay if you want somebody to comfort you every now and then. It's not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of being human." I nodded again afraid if I said anything I would start crying. Damn it, what was with me? I was never this openly emotional. I needed to be strong. "There's a small pond nearby if you want to wash up. We brought some clothes for you." I looked down at my filthy covered body then back up at him with a smile. "Are you implying that I stink?" "Well-" he scratched the back of his head. "Shut up and give me my clothes."