I walk in the house and it’s strangely quiet. “Mom, I’m home. Where are you?” She comes down the creaky, wooden steps in front of the door. Her face was distraught and red (from crying maybe?). “Why were you crying? What’s wrong?” I asked running toward her. “You need to leave, now,” she says in a soft, stern voice. “Why? What’s going on?” I say again, hoping for an answer this time. She just looked down and a tear fell down her face. Her reddish- brown hair covering her face; me then realizing that it thinned out. Her eyes have turned gray, like a cement wall, like it always does when she was upset.

She lifts her head and looks me in the eyes. “You are in major dan-.” She was cut off by an explosion that sent half the house flying into sparks. We duck down on the steps and the next I know my mother is pulling me out the front door and into the safe house. I had never been in the before. The walls were covered with weapons of all shapes and sizes. My mother went to the back of the room and gave me a bag. Then she locked the door.

“What’s this? What’s going on?” I asked. “Shh, you need to whisper they’ll be looking for you.” She says in a rushed whisper. “Who? Why?” I managed to get out. She waited for a moment. She looked like she was listening but I couldn’t hear anything. “The Talum Guards. I knew they would come but I thought I hid you better.” She finally said. “What! Why would the Talum be looking for me.” I say.

The Talum is this group of people that took over the United States after WW2. The people were broken and helpless and need somebody to lead so a group of people came and said they would turn thing back to normal. Instead they took most cities and made it into urbanized places. Making the sky and clouds turn into a polluted mess. It may look nice but you would never want to visit. The people are skinny and worn out. The Talum makes people that need a job and are over 21 get a job as a factory worker or teacher. They work too long for the little pay they get to be able to feed a family but not pay the high rated bills. Nobody watches T.V anyways because the Talum makes up all the T.V that comes on. There’s only a few places that the Talum didn’t get because they didn’t think that it was worth it and that’s where I live. Caring hare, Oregon. You wouldn’t want the Talum to be looking for you. That could mean publicly killed or worst.

My mother finally turned and look at me. She looked like a wild animal. “Look, well… You’re special, honey. Really special.”
“But that what every parent says, right?” I say confused. “No, I mean- yes I guess but this is really different. Do you know how you father was killed.” She asked in a rush. “Isn’t because he was killed in a car wreck.” I say. She looked down then answered. “It was because he was different like you and me. We are all different.”
“How?” I ask.
“There’s a jet here”-she ran to a door, ignoring my question, and pull it up-“It will take you to your aunt’s house in Creta. It’s a city just off the side of France. She will tell you everything. If I’m still alive, I’ll call. If not…” It was the way she said if. Like she could die at any minute. Then she walked over to me. BANG! The safe house door. It was cracking. Then, like magic, there was 3 tons of lock on the door. “Whoa, how did you do that?” I asked. She just put me in the jet and closed the window. “You need to be safe. This jet flies itself. So you don’t have to worry. And don’t forget, Rain, I…”- she was trembled a little-“I love you.” Then the ceiling lifted and I went up slowly. The Talum guard tried to shoot but missed miserably. They barged inside the safe house and grabbed my mother’s arm and twisted it. She tried to fight, picking things up with her mind and shooting lasers out her hands but they got her tight. Then they took the gun and shot her in the head, her eyes locked on me.



I sit in the jet staring out the window. As the places zoom by I see people with their ribs sticking out from their body wishing to get more food. I wonder if I would feel more miserable if I was just like one of them, or was I the most miserable there could be. I started to cry. I had nobody, except for maybe my aunt that I’ve never met. So basically no one. I wanted to die; I wanted to go see my mother again. I wanted to be with her.
I think about the times that we had together. All our trips and the time that she held me when I had my dreams that were so scary that I had woken up in a sweat, but I was shivering from cold. I thought about the time that she went a long way just to make me happy. And I think about the last words she says to me. I love you. She knew she would die but she made me leave. But there is still one question. Why? Why were the Talum looking for me? I look down and on one of the big screens I saw my picture and under it Wanted: Dead or Alive Reward: $1000. Anybody would give me away. I wasn’t safe anywhere. I wished for my mother and I wished for my father. I wish for my life back. But I knew it different; it would never be the same again.
I finally was dropped off on a roof. I was on a row of buildings, like they look like in a movie from 2011. I think they’re called condos. I look at the view. There was a canopy of tree over the place so that you couldn’t see the city under. There was torches instead of street light so it had an orange tint everywhere. There were different section everywhere with different things in them. One section had a ton of weapons and another had big rocks, the biggest I’ve ever seen. It was like a camp or something but had condos instead of cabins.
I turn around and see a woman with a sword up to my neck. She whispered in a stern voice, “Who are you? Stat your presence.” She had an old, wispy voice. And look well built. “I’m Rain Brainare. I’m looking for my aunt.” The woman’s face loosened. Then she gave me a big bear hug. “Come inside.” She said after. I guessed she was my aunt from the hug so I went.
When we were in I looked around. The walls were tan and there was three items in the living room. A T.V, a coffee table and a three sit couch that is worn out. “Sit Down, Please.” My aunt said still in a hushed voice. We sat down. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m Linwhite, the leader of Creta. I know it’s been a long journey.” Her face turned pale. Then I knew that she knew about my mother.
“How do you know,” I asked.
“We made a… uh… agreement that if … something happened to her she would send you to me,” Linwhite said. She stiffened up a little.
“How did you know that the Talum would be looking for me?” I asked a little too passionately. I was about to cry again. Linwhite looked so much like my mother. She looked down. “She didn’t tell you.”
“Tell me what!? I’m tired of half answers. My mother is dead, my house is up in flames and the Talum is hunting me down. I need a straight answer.” I say, my voice rising as I stand up. Linwhite gave me a you-better-lower-your-voice look. “Just because you’re mad doesn’t mean you yell at me. This is not as easy as you think. Now sit down and lower your voice so I can try to tell you what’s going on here.” I sit down obediently, but only because I wanted to know.
Linwhite shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “Have you ever heard of Amitins.” She says calmly. I look at her weirdly. “Yes, my mother told me legends about them. Oh, please don’t tell me there real or something.” She stared into my eyes. Her icy blue ones make me shiver. “Not only are they real. You’re one of them,” Linwhite says.
No, I think. No this isn’t happening, I’m dreaming. “You are dreaming. You are a Amitins.” Linwhite says like she was reading my mind. Amitins are these supernatural people. They had all these weird powers that helped in WW3. A lot existed a then but and died in the war. The Talum blamed them for everything that happened and wanted all of the rest killed. After that they went into hiding. The legend says that they are still around 74 years after. I guess they are.
“How? What?” Is all I managed to say. “I read minds. And I know that you are cursing me out in your head. But I understand.” She stopped. I didn’t say anything so she kept going. “Your mother was a powerful Amitin. The best mastered her powers when she was two. She was able to control people’s mind, had the power to weaken or enhance people, or to take the power away from someone. Every Amitin admired her. I always looked up to her. Then she met your father. Another very power Amitin. They were hopelessly in love. They got married and had you. But then the Talum found out and tried to kill all of you but only made it to your father. You and your mother moved and was safe, until now. And… well… never mind. You will learn later. But we will need to tell everybody else what going on. What happened exactly?” I let the news sink in. She said it so calmingly that I wanted to believe it but I didn’t. Then next thing I knew I did. “Sorry, kid. I had to do that. You need to believe that you are a Amitin. Whether you like it or not. You need to believe it so you could tell me what happened.” I did believe it. I’m an Amitin. I think. Wow. Then I tell her everything.
When I was done, she signed. Linwhite listened intensely and never stopped me once. “Well… this is worse than I thought. We.. uh… need to get some rest now. Let me show you to your new room.” She said, stunned. Then I realized that I was extremely exhausted. We walked through a small hallway and Linwhite opened a door.
The room was beautiful. White everything. Dresser in the corner, mirror on the closet, the walls… I look at the bed. It was a queen-size bed and looked like it was made for a princess with silver columns sticking out of the corners. I walk to the bed, kick off my shoes and lay down falling to sleep instantly.









I had one of those dreams. I was in in my bed at home asleep. My mother comes and wakes me up. Her soft soothing voice getting me awake. When I open my eyes, she’s there smiling. “I love you,” she whispers then disappears into thin air. I scream for her but she never comes back. Then the Talum guards walk in and pick me up, reciting my right to nothing. I kick and scream and try to inch away but nothing happens. I close my eye really tight and all of a sudden, I’m floating with blue flame coming off of me, making the guard fly to the walls. I heard one say, “Look she a Amitin. Watch out!” I calm down and fall to the ground passed out. I open my eyes and I’m still in the dream, but now in front of a tall man. He’s laughing, it’s sounded light a screech mixed in with an evil laugh. He looks at me, then orders the other people out. “It’s nice to finally meet you. But looking for you for ages. I wish we had more time to talk, but let’s keep it straight. I know who you are. You can’t hide it. I will find you and I will kill you.” Then the man pulls up a laser gun and shot me.

I wake up sweaty and cold. Linwhite was on my bed trying to soothe me. “What happened?” she said. “I heard you screaming from the kitchen. What’s wrong?” I shrug her off and say that I had fallen off me bed and couldn’t get back up. I was the liar ever and she looked at me weirdly. I didn’t want to tell her my dream but who else did I have to tell. She waited patiently until I was done. Linwhite walked away with a blank expression. Then came back instantly with a big book. “What’s that?” I ask.
“A book of pictures. Look.” I look down at the pictures and see the man that was in my dream. “That’s him. Who is he?” I say. Linwhite looked at me again with a blank expression. “Nikide, leader of the Talum. He’s an Amitin, too. He can come in people’s dreams and make them horrible or beautiful. He’s very powerful.” I feel very confused at this point. Why was he an Amitin but killed millions of other ones? “I don’t know.” Linwhite said, thinking. She was reading my mind again. “Could you stop that please,” I huff. “I’m sorry. I’ve never mastered this and I’ll just you know…” I got up out of the bed and walked around the condo.
I didn’t accept her apology. I went into the kitchen and looked in the fridge. Nothing, I thought. It only had vegetables and fruits. Where’s the meat? Linwhite walked in sat at the breakfast bar. She looked depressed. “Is that my power,” I asked. “To spruce fire.” She walked over to me. “Well, I don’t know yet really. We can’t know until you do it. I know you have a lot of power through more than anyone else.” I go sit on the couch and star at the wall. “Why?” Linwhite didn’t answer, she just went into the fridge and took out a carrot. “I’m going to show you around Creta. But you have to eat something first.” You aren’t my mother, I think knowing that she could hear me.
Linwhite snapped. “Why do you hate me? I’m just trying to help you. You don’t know what you’re up against. Nikide will find and will kill if you don’t train and listen. I’m not your mother, I know I’m not but you can’t push me around all the time.” I start to cry, I’ve never acted this way before but I couldn’t help it. I felt alone and wanted her to comfort me but I kept blocking her out. Linwhite’s tone softened. “This is your new home. We’re going to need to get along. That mean I stop yelling and you not sassing. Okay?”
“Okay.” I say and she hugs me.


It was hot outside during the tour. The condos are in the back while everything else follows it. There’s a big dirt road in the middle that branches off to everything like a tree. On the water branch, there’s a pool and a pond. When I asked she said that some people are salt water and other are chlorine. I wanted to ask what she meant by salt and chlorine people but I didn’t want to sound dumb. Then we went to the harvest section. People were everywhere in the trees and bushes. Then I looked one way and saw a girl press a button on her watch to blend in with the trees. All I could do was stare.
Everywhere we went people stared but Linwhite didn’t seem to notice. Next we went to the warrior section. People walked around with sword in there hand and on the side of their belt. Then I see a guy more handsome than ever before. “Who is he?” I ask without thinking. Linwhite looks the way I’m looking. She starts to talk but is interrupted by an alarm. “What is it?’ I ask. “The government, you have to kill them now.” I star at her but suddenly I feel something and I know I can do this. I see the government hovercraft coming down and I run straight to it, leaving Linwhite to follow.