I want to write more than I do right now. I should come up with something creative to do on my time off, some kind of story idea or maybe just freewrites that aren't connected to each other, just something. Probably not fantasy (that takes a looong time to build a world, and then you don't even use half of it when you're writing your actual story) and probably not more blog-like stuff....
Maybe I could write more backstory for my Dungeons & Dragons characters. I'm in two campaigns and I was just talking to Alex about writing 4 tenets of my paladin's oath of vengeance, as a way to guide the way I play the character, both to make it believable for her personality, and consistent through the choices she makes.
This is what I wrote.

The cool font I found earlier today matched it perfectly. ^_^ it didn't have any punctuation marks, though, but that's kinda okay. Still looks good, still readable without commas/semicolons/periods.

I should write more stuff like this.

Hey guys!

Dear Reader,

In the continuing process of improving the story, I'm looking into going in a new direction.
My brother was reading my story a while back, and he texted me about some continuity errors, inconsistencies, and plot holes (along with some typos) that he found while reading.  I totally understood, because to be honest, I didn't plan this story at all, and there are tons of problems with it on the big scale of the plotline.  I did write it when I was fifteen, and I'm nineteen now.  

I would love to revamp the whole thing and write it over again.  I'd be more consistent and, even though it would take a while, it would come out much better in the end.

I'd probably need to write it differently, though, maybe on a different platform.  I still want to provide access to the old versions, though, here on the blog, in case I lose my hard copy and the file on my computer is lost.  But I don't want people to get confused between the old and the new versions.  I also don't want to have to start a new blog, because most people who view this have the old link.  So how could I move the old blog posts to a new location, without making it impossible to find, and without getting them mixed up with the new ones?

I'll just start posting them with the date that I write them now, and categorize the old ones as archives.  I'll change the viewing options of the blog so that only the new episodes show up, and it'll be easier to follow what's going on.  I'll rewrite the episodes in groups, too.  I'll have 9 parts of the story that will function as long chapters.  The story spans 12 days, and most of the 9 chapters will be made up of one or two days each.
Episodes 1-11 will make up Part I.  Look for it in a few weeks, I'll see if I can have it done soon. :)

~Serial Story Author~

Episode 100

Connor took them the long way home, to Miah’s satisfaction. As they drove down Gulf Boulevard, Miah rolled down the window and leaned out. The sun was setting on the Gulf, and its dying light stretched across the sky, bending the blue into fantastic shades of yellow, pink, and brilliant red. She’d never realized what home really felt like—how good it felt to return to a place she’d known for so long.

I knew I was homesick, but I didn’t realize how much until now. I’m so glad I’m home. Miah felt a shiver of delight go up her spine as they crossed a bridge and had a panoramic view of the colored sky. A deep breath, albeit shaky, did more to calm her jittery nerves than anything else had done all day.

Too soon they arrived, and the sight of Miah’s little house made her heart leap up into her throat. It looked so small now; it reminded her of one seeing something one had thought was so big when one was younger, and having grown taller, seeing how small it really was. Miah knew she had not grown in her absence, not height-wise: she had grown in her knowledge of the world and how complicated it really was. Her whole world had been so small, but now it had grown larger than she ever would have anticipated. She did not feel bigger—she felt smaller in comparison with this vast world that had swallowed her whole—body, mind, and soul.

The walk up the steps of her porch felt heavy to her senses. She had become accustomed to the feeling when walking on unfamiliar ground, but walking up to her own house, with the accumulation of memories, made the feeling foreign to her once more.

With the screen door already tacked open, she faced the door and forced herself to turn the handle. Earlier, her head had been spinning with so much information to absorb at the police station, but now, her eyes hurt with the intense concentration she felt herself pulled into. She heard every creak as she turned the doorknob and pushed it open. She stepped in carefully, leaving the door open with Ben and Connor’s existence acknowledged, and not wanting to leave them awkwardly alone outside.

When Miah’s eyes had adjusted to the gloom inside, which was evidence of the intermediate stage between daylight and the need of artificial light, she strained for any sign of her family. The door was open, so they must either be home inside or outside playing in the yard. Since they hadn’t been in the front yard, and they did not seem to be inside, she walked down the hall to the back door. She purposefully placed her steps loud enough to alert anyone to her presence: she was by no means trying to sneak around. The back door was locked, and a peek out the small window showed no activity.

“Mom?” she called out, her voice sounding small in the suffocating largeness of the house. Strange how it seems so much bigger on the inside, when I’m all alone.

She cleared her throat and walked quickly around to the stairway, dashing upstairs. “Mom? Dad?” she called, leaning in the door to their bedroom. No one. “Thomas? Gerald?” They were not in their rooms, either. Miah jumped down the stairs. She walked through the living room, and no one was there, either. Where could they be?

Then, she heard the telltale sound of slamming doors and commotion outside.

“Mr. and Mrs. Randolph?” she heard Ben’s voice call.

“Ben?” her mother’s voice replied, hesitantly. Miah was already running to the door, sliding around corners and through the wide-open front door.

“Mom!!!” she cried, arms wide. Her mom met her mid-way and crushed her in an overwhelming embrace, with her dad joining a half-second later. Everyone was crying, everyone was laughing, talking, jumping and hugging.

“We came back as soon as the police called us,” her mother said as soon as they all had walked inside and sat down.

“Where were you guys, then?” Miah asked, taking a drink of water that her brother had run to get for her.

Her father looked from her to her mother, and then back. “We’ve been looking for you! When you didn’t come home that night after school, I went out to the school and looked around, and no one was there; I went to the park, to the library, any of the places I thought you might be, and I didn’t see you anywhere.”

Her mother butted in, “He tried calling you, but then you didn’t have your phone, because it hadn’t been fixed yet.”

He nodded. “Yes. It wasn’t responsible of me to not try to get your phone fixed right away—you didn’t have it to call me on.”

“I know…I never even had time to try to call you.”

“And I haven’t gotten my phone fixed up to work in the States yet,” Ben added.

Connor looked sideways at Miah. “Don’t look at me,” he laughed nervously. “My phone has been hacked by enemy intelligence too many times for me to count, and I had all but thrown it away by the time I met you. And, when we were captured, they took it from me anyway.”

Miah had watched her family lean in with widening eyes as he mentioned “enemy intelligence” and “captured”, and was only waiting for the question to be asked.

It was Gerald who put the question. “So what happened?”

Miah, Ben, and Connor looked at each other, and then Miah took a deep breath. “Well…”

Episode 99

Miah had caught her breath, and, despite her adrenaline turning her shaky with the overwhelming desire to flee, turned to run back to where the boys were.  She watched as she saw Ron running away, fleeing for his life.  Miah had known him as a senior when she was a freshman, and he had lived across the street from her since then.  He'd probably been forced to drive their car for the ambush.

She soon saw why he was running.  A man flew out of the alleyway, as if shoved, and ran into the side of the car.  Miah gasped and froze.  She knew it wasn't Ben or Connor, but the sight of someone being shoved backward into a car still scared her.  She ran as quickly as she could, and again, as it had been the first day with her new legs, her steps seemed too wide and too quick.  But she was almost flying.

Almost skidding to a stop, Miah had to flail her arms to grab a wall and steady herself.  She still wasn't sure what was going on.  "Guys?" she called.

Ben was picking himself off the ground.  His eyes were bloodshot, and the veins stood out on his neck.  He was shaking slightly, but a fiery look was in his eyes.  For a moment, Miah almost wondered if he had turned back, and she stepped back in terror.

Connor was breathing heavily, clutching his fists and tense, as if expecting another attack.  Miah glanced at the pile of unsuccessful assassinators, or ambushers, or whatever they had been trying to do when they'd collided with Connor.

"Miah!" Connor gasped out and ran over.  Miah looked wide-eyed at the scrapes and the bruises already showing on his arms and face.

"What—what happened?"

Ben was still glowering at the crumpled men, but much of the fire had gone out of his eyes.  Connor put a hand on his friend's shoulder, and Ben turned to him.  He nodded solemnly.

Connor took Miah's hand.  "We need to get away.  They might come around again."

"But how—"

"The taxi!  Come on!"

"Do you even have your driver's license?" she hissed.

"I haven't this whole trip!  Come on, do you think I pack an overnight bag in case I get captured and it takes a few days to get out?"

Miah shuddered as she got into the back seat.  "Take a bus on your way home," she muttered.  "You shouldn't drive illegally if you're not even running for your life."

He turned and smiled, "But I might be anyway," and started the car.

Episode 98

The rest of the day was a blur.  Ben returned, and after a mountain of paperwork, which seemed to take forever, and layers of security and protocol, Miah was finally able to go home.  Connor and Ben came with her, to her relief.

"Do you think we should take the car, or leave it to be found later?  It would probably just make things more complicated..." Ben looked around.  "We could take a taxi."

Connor sighed, exhausted.  "Yeah.  I don't know if I could even drive like this.  I haven't slept a full night in days."

"Yeah..."  Miah blinked to keep her eyes open.  "Let's get a taxi.  How far is it?"

"Just a few minutes, don't worry."

"Oh."  Miah looked down.  "I wanted to take a nap."

Connor smiled and put an arm around her shoulders.  "Soon, soon."

Miah gave a silly smile and took a deep breath.  "I can smell the ocean!!"

Ben coughed with something that sounded like Gulf, but then stopped and waved his arms.  "Taxi!"

Connor grinned.

Miah gasped.  "Hey, I know him!"

The taxi driver rolled down his window.  "Miah!  Is that you?"  He smiled a little.

Miah ran up to the door and leaned in.  "It's me!  Ron, I didn't know you were a taxi driver."

Suddenly, two men jumped out of the taxi and reached for Miah.  Gasping with fright, she jumped out of the way and ran as fast as she could.


Connor had his hands full with the man who attacked him.  He struggled with his opponent's quick movements and took a few punches and kicks before he stumbled backward, falling to the ground.  He picked himself up and blinked.  Ugh.  These guys are so much faster than me.  I can't even touch them.

Another round of attacks began, and his mind was drowned in his body's cries of pain.  Fear tugged at his nerves and his reason.

But then Ben stepped in.  He had been off on the sidelines, clutching his head in pain and seeming to be fighting something in his mind.  But soon, Connor saw that the other men were also distracted.  One of them seemed to be trying to swat a mosquito buzzing around his head, and the other was massaging his temples.  Connor stood gaping for a moment, and then realized what Ben was doing.

He aimed a punch at the first man, who was now cowering, holding his ears.  His punch went straight in the gut, knocking him to the ground.  The second man received a kick to the head, knocking him out instantly.  At that moment, Ben fell to the ground, breathing heavily, and still seeming to be in intense pain.  He wiped his eyes and then looked quickly to the first man, who was rising.  He was slower than before, but he still got to his feet before Connor could kick him in the head too.  The man reached behind him into his belt and drew forth a knife, long and sharp.  Connor gulped at the evil grin on his face and began to back up.


Miah stared.  She had just run three blocks and jumped over a wire fence to dart down an alley.  Her back to the dingy wall, she breathed hard and blinked.  What did I just do?  ...I'm officially creeped out now.


Connor knew he was cornered.  Good grief, he thought, this is almost next door to the police station, shouldn't they have cameras on this abandoned alley here?  Come on!  

The man's knife was held overhand, and he was going for it.  Last chance, Connor thought.  He yelled, "Ben!  Do that again!"

In the man's split-second hesitation, Connor brought his fist around, knocking him off his feet and sending him flying into the fake taxi.  He wasn't getting up anytime soon.

Episode 97

The interrogation began almost the moment they walked in the door.  If all the "Missing" posters hadn't been posted about Miah, they may have taken things at an easier pace, but the instant the secretary looked up from her desk, she knew, and began reacting at once. 

People were called, something went on over the loudspeakers, and Miah took a step back from the desk, almost wanting to run and hide.  I just want to go home.  I just want to be normal again.

She felt Ben take her hand and squeeze it tight, and she squeezed it back.  This was going to be a long ordeal.

The first round of questions were things like her home address, phone number, different things she knew by heart.  But after the initial, then came the difficult ones.  "Where were you?"  "How long were you held hostage?"  "Why were you taken?"  "Who held you captive?"  The questions were endless, and she would have broken down earlier if Ben hadn't been there.  Even through all he had put her through, the pain she had felt caused by him, he was still the one she knew best, and no one could take that away from her. 

It was when they took Ben aside for questioning by himself that her panic began to seep in.  It was a blur of movement, noises, voices, and someone holding her down as she first tried to run after him and then curled herself into a ball.  Tears ran down her face, and she wept for the confusion and misery of her situation.  All other policemen and personnel left her on her own.  She had a good cry, none of what was happening making any sense, all the while sitting alone in the room they had abandoned her in.  Every time she would stop crying, she could feel angry with herself for crying and acting like such a child, and start crying hopelessly again.

It was in the midst of one of these such great cries, which were steadily decreasing in magnitude as time wore on, that the door opened.

She immediately turned her face aside, ashamed of herself and afraid.  What do they want now?

Someone sat beside her, and she shuddered, the shivering of her weeping giving force to her instinctive response of fear.  The person began to reach to put an arm around her shoulders, and Miah burst into tears again, flinching at the touch, and turning in frustration at whoever would dare touch her in her moment of such an emotional breakdown.

Through the tears in her eyes, she saw the form of a man, and she blinked.  Realization broke loose like a floodgate of relief.

It was Connor who pulled her close, whispering, "Shh, it's alright, it's alright...it's me..."  He held her tight, not asking anything of her, not telling her what to do, not caring how she acted.  She took shuddering breaths and released the pent-up anxieties within her, finding more tears in her eyes as she did.

"I just--I just want to go home," Miah managed to get out before bursting into sobs once again.  Embarrassed by herself, she tried to catch her breath and stop herself, but she only cried even more.  Connor rocked her gently, holding her tight and safe.

Episode 96

As they drove around, Miah began to see signs to her hometown.  "We're close!  Just a few more miles!"

"Yes," Ben nodded.  "I know.  I'm planning on going south."

Connor agreed, "Good idea."

Taking a detour off the interstate, he drove through the downtown area.  Miah looked out the window, smiling at seeing her old familiar surroundings. 

But then she stopped. 

"MISSING" posters were stuck everywhere, on every streetlight, on every door, stuck in gates, and in bushes, blowing in the wind across the road.  They were getting trampled underfoot and sticking to billboards and cluttering the gutter.  It was almost unnerving.  For a short stretch of road, the town seemed deserted.  Miah shivered. 

They came to a busy part of town again, and she settled down into her seat.  At an intersection, she saw a woman walking across the crosswalk with two little boys behind her.  It reminded her of her mother and brothers.  Tears sprung unbidden to her eyes, and she looked away, biting her tongue.  The woman walked into a store and disappeared from sight, and they continued through the intersection.

When she found seh could talk without her voice getting away from her, she managed to call to Connor,  "I wish I could tell my parents where I've been...  Could I?"

"No," Connor replied.  "They have to think you haven't gone far.  If you show up at their house before the police station, it'll look like you're sneaking back.  They can't see you until the police calls them."

Miah sighed, not understanding him, but letting him be that way anyhow. 

Episode 95

After several hours of silence, Connor suggested that they make their way out of town. 

Ben was voicing his concerns to Connor, who was tired, but tried to take the criticism well.  "But what if they set up a road block?  They're still on the lookout for us, definitely.  I don't think we should go out yet."

"But when will we leave?  Why not leave now when we're under the cover of darkness?"  Miah rolled her eyes at his mimicry of poetry.  "We have a better chance of slipping past them if we go slow and easy before the sun comes up.  It's about three, anyway."

Miah stretched.  "It certainly feels like it.  I'm exhausted."

"It's too bad we can't just stop in at a hotel somewhere," Gail yawned.  "I wish we could.  I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in a bed since who knows when."

Ben turned to Connor.  "I don't know.  I'm just worried that we'll do something wihtout thinking it through, and end up getting caught and making a big mess out of everything."

Connor sighed.  "If it'd make you feel better, you can drive, but I do think we should leave soon."

"Well...alright."  Ben nodded and stepped outside, stretching his arms and legs. 

Connor did the same.  "You'd think we would have fallen asleep by now, with all this driving."

"Ha," Ben laughed, "Sleep?  I'm too nervous to sleep.  More likely I'll end up with insomniac tendencies for the rest of my anxious existence.  I just hope I live to be able to relax again."

"Tell me about it," Connor rolled his eyes as he slid into the passenger seat.  "Come on, let's get going."

Ben stopped stretching and got into the driver's seat.  Turning to the back, he asked, "Ready?"

Gail and Miah met his query with blank stares.  "Just get me home," Gail murmured.

"Yeah."  Miah rubbed her eyes.  "Get me back to my own bed."

"Alright.  Here we go!"  Ben buckled his seatbelt, turned his head, and backed gently out of the driveway, seamlessly and silently. 

The passengers definitely seemed more at-ease with his driving, and he smirked as he drove down the quiet neighborhood street.  This was driving.

Episode 94

Connor reached from the passenger seat and grabbed the wheel, shouting at Ben, "I need to drive!"  Ben jumped out and ran around to the passenger side as Connor pulled himself into the driver's position.  Backing up quickly out of the parking space, he shot out of the parking lot and into the street just as the police cars came into view, a hundred yards down the road behind them. 

"Amy's still in the store!" Miah shouted.

Connor grit his teeth.  "She'll be okay.  She probably stole this car, or took it from some guards who'd stolen it, and they've picked up on us."  He continued down the road, fastening his seatbelt while changing lanes.  "I'm going to put some distance between us and the police, and maybe if we don't draw attention to ourselves, and if they don't have a chopper, we can lose them."

Miah held onto the handle on the seat in front of her as hard as she could, not from fear of a car crash (again), but from fear of being caught.  She didn't even know what they would be caught for.  Stealing a car?  They didn't steal it.  It was what someone else had driven to save them, and what they were now driving with that person's permission.  It wouldn't make any sense to the police, though, especially since they didn't have Amy with them now to explain things. 

Connor careened around a 'Road In Progress' sign and floored it.

"What are you doing?" Ben cried.  "This isn't a jet, we can't just take off!"

Miah peered around Ben's seat and looked at all she could see--dark sky.

"Hold on!" Connor yelled, and Miah and Gail screamed.  The car soared off of an unfinished overpass and barely caught the other side of the ramp, going down this time.  They continued toward another section of unfinished, empty road.

"I can't believe you did that," Gail moaned. 

The next ramp came up and Connor leaned forward, as if it would increase his already maximum speed.  "C'mon, c'mon..."  Connor gripped the wheel tightly as they launched into the air again, feeling far too fast, far too out of control. 

Miah yelled as they hit the next ramp, their back wheels barely making the landing.  "This is crazy!  You can't keep doing this!  Just because it'll get us away from the police quicker doesn't mean we should do it if it might get us killed!"

Connor cracked his neck and whipped the wheel to the left, bringing them off of the overpass with a 4-foot drop onto a side road.  All of them bounced on impact, and Ben, the safe driver, was looking sick. 

"Find somewhere to hide," he cautioned, giving Connor a warning glance as he shot across three lanes of traffic and into another somewhat dark neighborhood street. 

Connor pulled into a driveway to a house that had a "For Sale" sign in the lawn and shut off the engine and lights. 

"Is this supposed to work?  They know the license plate number."

"They won't expect us to come this way.  They'd expect us down some dark alleyway, or still out there somewhere, breaking speed limits."

Ben looked around uneasily.  It was deathly quiet.  Clouds had rolled over the moon, and the wind had died down.  They all began to catch their breath, Miah feeling the beating of her heart louder than anything else. 

Miah shivered as she bit her lip.  Is this going to work?

Episdoe 93

Outer noises of engines and tires and brakes filled the air as Amy's door opened.  As it swung shut and silence returned to the inside of the vehicle, an ominous sense came over Miah.  She looked at the faces around her and wondered what would ever be the same after this was all finished.  She wondered if she even knew what she would want to be the same.  Their close quarters certainly gave them things to argue about but it was the security of knowing that at least they were all in the same boat.  Previous times of feeling all alone compelled this to pale in comparison with that fear.  There was no doubt that she would rather have someone to argue with than no one to laugh with at all.

Connor and Gail were murmuring something about whether they would drive through the night or find a place to stay, or pull off on the side of the road to sleep in the car.  Miah appreciated Gail and the fact that she wasn't stuck between two boys all the time because of her presence, but she still had only known her for several days.  She wished that she had gotten stuck with some of her close friends from school, or from the job she worked at.  Or even, as unlikely as it would have been, getting stuck with Gwen, her friend from camp and the instigator of her friendship with Ben, would have been comforting. 

It occupied her mind to think of how things could have been, and it passed the time, but it didn't make her current situation much better.  She felt like she was waiting for a death sentence, it was taking so long to get to the police station they were heading for.

Suddenly, a sound shook her from her thoughts and sliced panic into her veins.  Miah sat up straight and looked with terror toward Ben in the driver's seat.

Sirens.

Episode 92

As the day progressed, they made their way through the Appalachians and down into the pollen-laden forests of Georgia.  Ben, Connor, and Amy were miserable with itchy, red eyes and running noses.  Miah was still suffering from a cold, with bad drainage that hadn't been made any better with her cry.  Their suffering would have continued through the night if Connor hadn't suggested the only sensible thing to do.

As Amy pulled into the parking lot of a Walgreens pharmacy, she turned around.  "If we bought Sudafed for Miah, as well as allergy stuff, we'd have to show ID."

Ben frowned.  "That's not good."

"No.  It isn't.  I'm not sure I even exist to the US government," Amy murmured.  "But anyway, the rest of you are counted missing, so it'd allert the authorities to your whereabouts.  That's what we want to avoid.  I think I should go in, out of all of us."

"I don't even have my ID," Miah sighed, folding her arms.  Getting captured wasn't her favorite thing in the world to do, especially when she didn't have time to gather her belongings to bring with her.

"Did you say that the police had us all posted as missing?  I didn't think that Ben and I were really drawing that much attention.  Miah, sure, because she was actually still living at home with her parents."

Amy sighed.  "That's beside the point.  They could connect you to her, and if they find you here, well...you never know what they could conclude.  It'd be safest if I went.  Just trust me."

Miah was having a bit of a problem with that, but she didn't say anything.  Amy still hadn't earned her trust, and it didn't look like she was meaning to stick around to gain it, either. 

"Well, looks like you're the one."  Ben gestured toward the entrance to the pharmacy.  "Good luck."

Episode 91

The car was hot.  It wasn't the coolest spring, and summer was fast approaching.  As Ben pulled out of the parking lot, Connor turned to Miah.

"I'm hoping the police don't give us too much trouble," he said.
"Yeah."  She didn't want to care too much about it, but it was true.

He leaned forward in his seat.  "Ben, do you think we should try to hit a station back closer to Miah's hometown to make the story less complicated?  We'd have to explain why we ended up in Tennessee instead of Florida."

"True..."  Ben always focused hard on driving, and didn't like to carry on deep conversations at the same time.  "That's probably a good idea.  Pick a city on the map and I'll take you there.  It'll take awhile, though, and we'll have to avoid any police along the way."

"Just observe speed limits and pay your tolls, and we should be alright."

"Hey, this is Ben you're talking to, have I ever disobeyed traffic laws?"

"Just don't do it on purpose," Connor smirked.

Ben smiled.  "If you say so." 

Episode 90

Miah's world was a mess, and she figured that there wasn't any use in denying it.  She didn't know what to do, how to feel, where to go, or who she could trust.  It felt as if her life was being directed for her, pushing her in a direction that she certainly did not want to go. 

The police?  Are you kidding me?  That's the last thing I want to do.  They'll dissect me and whatever they find on me or in our car or on the others and come up with something that'll land us either in jail or in perpetual paperwork.  And I won't be able to stand the interrogation they'll put us through. 

Miah felt tears brimming in her eyes and lay her head on her arms, trying not to cry and seem just as utterly confused as she really felt.  It was hard enough just being around so many people she didn't feel comfortable with, but crying in their presence didn't sound appealing.  And if flipping Connor walks up and tries to 'console' me, I'll punch him.

A little steam bubbled over and she grit her teeth as the hot tears ran down her face and arms and onto the picnic bench, but she took deep breaths and felt a bit of peace seep into her.  A slight breeze blew across the rest area, and it took with it some of her frustration and annoyance.  It left her with the acceptance of whatever fate awaited her, and instilled a sense of reseolve within her.  I can't change what happens from now on.  I'm just going to have to go with whatever comes. 

Whatever happened would more than likely change her for the rest of her life, whether she cared or not.

Episode 89

While the others were waking up in the car, Amy sat in the front seat and thought.  The sun was coming up, it was a Monday in May, and she’d just found the people she’d been sent to find.

“Come on,” she said sharply to the back seat, and Ben and Gail straightened up.

“Where are we now?” Gail asked, blinking in the light of the morning sun, but Amy’s door had already closed.  She hurried to open her door and climb out.

Ben woke with red eyes and felt as if he’d been sleeping on cold hard ground.  He stumbled out of the car and put a hand out to steady himself, squinting at the bright light.

“Alright,” Amy said as she and the others reached the picnic table where Miah sat trying to ignore Connor, who was sitting in a ready-to-jump-in-an-instant stance on the table.  “The four of you, well, the three of you, have been missing for eleven days now.  The police are looking for you, to find out where you’ve been and if you’re even alive.  Especially you, Miah,” she pointed out.  Miah lifted her head.  “Your parents even have a reward out for you, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Is that the only reason you came and found us, just so you could get the reward money for it?” Miah spat.

“Let’s not be bitter, Miah Randolph.”  Miah settled down and watched her, silent.  Amy continued.  “I’m going to take you to the police, unless you’d like to turn yourselves in.”  She turned and looked at Miah again.  “You could also try to cover up those legs.  It’d make it less of a hassle if they knew as little as possible.  Act as if you’re in too much emotional trauma to answer any of your questions, and you’ll be fine.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Miah asked.

“You need to know.  Would you rather me not help you?” Amy frowned.

“I just…I want to know, that’s all.  You don’t seem too keen on letting us just go off on our own, as if you have some kind of interest in how we end up.  Why do you want to help us?”

Amy sighed, “I just do.  I wish I could have been in your position, and had your chances, and made the right decisions, knowing what I do now.  But I didn’t.  I can’t change what happened to me, but I can make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes I did.”

“You’re not my mother,” she muttered, but didn’t go any further.

“Well.” Amy headed back to the van and opened the driver’s door.  “Anyone up for driving?”

Ben raised a hand and headed over to the front seat.  Gail followed, looking relieved that no one had started a fight or broken down or tried to run away.

Connor put a hand on Miah’s shoulder and whispered, “We should go.”

“Yeah,” she replied, still looking down. “I’m coming.”

He nodded silently and got up from the bench, heading toward the rest area’s facilities. He figured that if he wasn’t the only one holding the group up, they wouldn’t suspect anything of Miah. He knew how much she just wanted to be alone, and didn’t blame her.

Episode 88

She was so tired.  She’d been running and afraid and desperate for far too long.  He had to help her.  He had to do something.

“What are we going to do?” Miah sighed.

Connor slowly let go and looked down into her teary eyes.  “I’ll figure out something...”

“Amy isn’t who she says she is,” she sniffed.  “I don’t trust her...”

“You’re not just letting your feelings for Ben get in the way?”

Miah frowned and a spark of anger flicked into her eyes.  “I’m not jealous of her, if that’s what you’re trying to say.”

“You wish Ben thought of you the way he does her, though.”

“Why are you analyzing me?  I like to keep my feelings to myself.”

“I’m sorry.”  Connor sighed and rubbed his forehead.

Miah swallowed and looked away.  “I made this mess.”

He sighed and shook his head.  “No, you didn’t.  You were dragged into it.  You shouldn't think like that, it's unhealthy.”

Miah shrugged, rubbing her arms. “If I hadn’t been here, you and Ben might have gone unnoticed.  You might have been able to live normal lives.”

“You know they would have found us anyway.  Don’t lie to yourself.  None of this is your fault; it’s our fault for bringing you into it.”  Connor lifted her chin.  “And I’ll get you out of it.”

She looked so afraid.  It tore at him to see her like this...and she didn’t even believe him yet.

Episode 87

Connor shut off the engine, opening his door and opening Miah’s.  Without bothering to wake the others, they walked wordlessly to a picnic table and watched the sun rise.

He let out a deep sigh, and Miah looked up, wondering if he was anywhere near as stressed as she was.  “So,” he began, but the word floated away on the wind and he never finished.

Miah pulled up her knees and scratched a crust of dirt from the metal plating, remembering again how she was scarred forever.  She bit her lip and rested her head on her arms, wishing she could let the wind blow all her miseries away.  Connor seemed a million miles away, and even if he did care about what happened to her, there was nothing he could do to change anything.

He put a hand on her shoulder, and she caught her breath.  “I’m here for you, Miah. Don’t push me away.”

No. she thought. Can’t you see that’s all I want to do?

He sighed. “Sometimes, you can be so stubborn.”

She gave him a sideways glance and sniffed. “So?”

“You won’t listen when it’s for your own good.”  She started to protest, but he went on.  “Miah, if you never let anyone help you, you’re never going to get anywhere.  You can’t run forever.  I’m not trying to hurt you.”

She looked away, finding it hard to swallow, but knowing, deep down. He’s right.

“You’re just saying that so I’ll believe you,” she said, pulling her knees closer.

He nodded. “Yeah...you won’t listen to me anyway.”

“So you think you can get away with lying?”

“Miah, I would never lie to you.”

She frowned. “What about all those promises you made?  You said you would get me home, and that you would get Ben back, and—and—”

“Just because they haven’t happened yet doesn’t mean I’ve broken them.”  He crossed his arms and looked out at the sunrise.  “I meant every word, and I won’t go back on them.”

She bit her lip. And then the nagging question, what if?  What if he really was everything he said?  What if he wasn’t just another disaster waiting to wreck her life?

“You can’t help me,” she countered, but with less conviction.

“Maybe not, but I’ll do everything I can to try.  At least I can be here for you when you need someone, can’t I?  You’re alone, Miah.”

Tears brimming in her eyes, she buried her head in her arms and refused to respond.  She was alone.  And she knew it.

“Miah…” He put his arm around her shoulders and sighed.  “It’s okay…”

“I’m just…afraid…”  She swallowed a sob and huffed at how vulnerable she let herself become.

“Don’t be afraid.  Fear can only hold you down.”

“Everything holds me down.”

“I won’t.”

“Why?  What could I ever do for you?” Miah turned.  “Why do you need me?”

“I don’t want anything from you.  I only want you to stop believing the lies that you tell yourself—you’re letting them hurt you.  I want to help you, Miah, because it hurts me to see you this way.”

“How do you know—” she sniffed— “I—Connor—”

“You can’t change my mind, and you know I’m right,” he said sternly.

Her mind had died on her, and she had nothing to say.  He was just sitting there, she was curled into a ball of fear and misery, and he was there, waiting.  He was there.  He’d always been there. She couldn’t push him away, not now, not ever.

She let go of her knees and straightened out, looking over at him.  The concern in his eyes sent her heart into her throat, and she couldn’t speak.  He sighed and put his arms around her, shutting out the world, shutting out the shadows and the dark.  She let out her breath, and with it came her tears.

But it was okay this time.  Because everything was going to be alright.

Episode 86

Later that night, they reached the interstate and Amy passed the wheel to Connor, who drove the rest of the night.  Ben took his seat beside Gail and Miah and continued sleeping, but after the rearrangement, Miah was wide awake.  Gail nodded back to sleep and rested her head on Miah’s shoulder, and Ben faced the window with hardly a snore to show for his sleep, and yet Miah could not help but stare out the window with the thoughts racing around in her mind.

What am I doing here?  I’m running, but can I ever find rest?  What will I do if they catch me?  If they leave me alone, I don’t think I’d sleep more peacefully than there.  She felt her stomach and swallowed. She was hungry again.  Hesitantly, she whispered, “Connor?”

He looked to the side and then looked back ahead. “Yes? I’m awake.”

She smiled, and at any other time might have laughed.  “Connor, I’m hungry…do you have anything to eat?” she asked, instead of joking back the way she felt like doing.

“Oh yes, granola bars right here—” he patted a backpack between his seat and Amy’s— “want one?”

Miah nodded, “That’d be good. Yeah.”

He pulled a granola bar out of the pocket and carefully turned to pass it back, and for a moment he glanced up into her eyes.  Something twisted in her chest and she almost dropped it, taking a deep breath.  Her heart racing, she looked down and blinked.

What was that? she questioned herself angrily.  You’re not falling in love with him, are you?   Stop that.   You know that will only get you into another mess.

But what if he did love her back?

No!  He can’t love me back!  No!

But what if he does?  He does care for you, in some way.  What if?

I don’t need anyone.  I’m fine on my own.

Yeah, right.  Look what it did to you when Ben turned on you.  Backstabber.  But look at him; he’s still trying to get you back.
The scene played back in her mind; Ben standing facing her and Connor, pleading them to take him along, looking into her eyes with the desperation she’d seen before.

“Please…Miah…”

Ben's words echoed in her head, repeating and repeating until she clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut.  No…no…

Ben doesn’t care about you.  All he cares about is himself.

That’s not true!

He left Connor lying there to die, don’t you remember?  Even when it tore your heart out to leave him alone, you wouldn’t leave Ben.

Stop…  Tears were starting, but she couldn’t let anyone see.  She couldn’t let them hear.  The rumble of the car seemed to be repeating in her mind again and again and again; lies, lies, lies.

“How are you doing?” Connor asked, and Miah almost sobbed out loud.

She didn’t know how to respond. How she should lie. “Okay.”

“Doing good?  Wasn’t sure if you were used to so much driving, I know some people get pretty carsick from driving all day and all night.”

“I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

Please, just don’t look back…  The tears were running down her cheeks, and she didn’t know if the shadows would be enough to hide them if he turned to see.  “Yeah, I’m okay.”

He looked at his watch and commented, “Five AM…the sun might be coming up soon.”

“Which way are we headed?” she asked, grateful for a change in topic.

“East…” He looked around at the mountains to their right and left.  “It’s gonna be shining right in my eyes.”

She choked a laugh, covering her mouth to keep the rest in.

Connor seemed to stiffen, and looked to the side.

Don’t. Leave me. Don’t.

“We should probably...stop when the sun comes up…have some breakfast or something...yeah.  Wake everyone up.  You’d probably like to get out and stretch.”

She nodded and managed, “Mhm.”

He was mercifully untalkative for the next thirty minutes, and Miah was able to take a few concealed deep breaths.  When the sun rose, Connor drove to the nearest rest stop and pulled into the parking lot.

Episode 85

“If we wait here too long, they’re going to catch up with us,” Ben stated uneasily, shifting his feet.

Miah looked to Connor, who was staring at the ground, clenching his jaw.  She grimaced and stepped toward the car, thinking, What a mess.  And I'm caught up in all of it too, even though I didn't have anything to do with it starting in the first place.  

As they all piled in again, Amy let out a frustrated sigh as she sat with her hands on the wheel.  Miah watched as Ben looked to her, and saw the confused compassion in his eyes; she wondered what it meant for a moment.  But they were soon flying down the road again, and his expression faded as he re-situated to looking out his window at the rain.

She looked to Connor.  He held his head in one hand, his messy blonde hair pulled off his forehead as he stared at the seat in front of him.  Gail beside him sat quietly and looked straight ahead, seeming to seek only a semblance of peace in this tense situation.  Miah sighed and looked down at her hands in her lap.  Lacing her fingers together, she thought of the times Ben had held those same hands… She shook the thought from her mind, looking out the window and sitting on her hands.  Don’t go there, Miah. Don’t.

She closed her eyes to try to stop her thoughts where they stood, but they chased her even into the solitude of her mind.  Eventually, fraught with doubts and fears, she gave in to sleep pulling down her eyelids and was overtaken in sleep.

Connor looked over to her from his contemplation and bit his lip, taking a deep breath.  He looked forward and set his eyes on the road ahead and let it out.  Gail glanced at him and looked down, wondering what conclusion he had reached.  They all needed a plan these days.

Episode 84

“Amy?” Connor stuttered, disbelief and shock painting his face.

“Connor.” The woman pulled off the black cap, and her red hair fell around her face.  “It’s good to see you again.”

Ben looked down at her shoes, and then up at her face.  “But—how?”

Connor brought a hand to his forehead.  “We thought you were—you were—”

“Dead?” Amy looked him full in the face, her jaw firm.  “Is this the welcoming you give your long-lost friend? That you wish I had stayed dead?  I’m not doing that again, not for you or anybody else.”

Connor shook his head, furrowed brow and frowned mouth. “No—no—I mean… What happened?”

Miah stared at him.

“I never did die.  Don’t you see?”

“But what happened?  How was it we thought you were dead?”

Amy crossed her arms, her eyes on Ben.  “When you tried to stop me from ending the whole scam with the Swiss government, I—”

“The Swiss government?” Gail gasped. “What in the world?  What do the Swiss have to do with this?”

Amy shot her a menacing look, and she shut her mouth.  “They did try to kill me, but it failed.  You left me for dead and ran back with that laptop carrying all their plans; I woke up in their laboratory.”  Her eyes shifted to Connor. “It was the same room where we’d stolen it from, only now, I knew what the machinery was for.

“They performed all of their more primitive experiments on me. They’d perfected most of their formulas and methods by the time you were experimented on,” she indicated Miah and Ben, “but before then, all was speculation, and they had no real knowledge before then.” She pulled the black glove off her hand and revealed a crude robotic reconstruction of a human hand, with mesh wires that resembled tendons and muscles.  Miah looked down at her own legs, metallic, smooth, and shock-absorbing, and realized how accustomed she had become to them.  Amy’s right hand, still gloved, moved with much more agility than the mechanic one, and Miah guessed that it had been constructed after the left.

“You think you have it bad, girl?” she scoffed.  “I could barely move for the first year after the legs they gave me turned out to be useless.  It wasn’t until they tested a new formula on you that they were able to apply the same system to me.”

“Gail, did you know about this?” Connor asked sharply, turning to her.

“I had no idea you were related—”

“Why, why did you not tell us?” Connor groaned, taking a step toward her.

Gail stepped back, horrified realization on her face.  “It wasn’t my fault she was taken!  I never had anything to with her!  She could have been there on her own accord for all I knew!”

Connor growled, “You lied.”

Miah couldn’t recall anything Gail had lied about, but she then sensed that there had been something more between the two of them: a talk in the middle of the night, conversations she’d never known about, knowledge kept from her for dark reasons… Gail turned pale and looked to Ben, who looked at Miah.  She dared not read into that knowing look that begged that she be thinking exactly what he was.  She longed for someone to speak plainly so that she could understand.  “Please, would someone please tell me what’s going on here?  I’m missing something huge.”

Episode 83

“So where are we going?” Miah woke to hear Gail ask.

She heard Connor reply, “It doesn’t matter, as long as it’s far away from them.”

Miah opened her eyes and looked around her.  The car slowed to a stop, pulling over to a rest stop on the side of the mountain road, and Connor opened his door.  Stepping out, he helped Gail out and then peered in at Miah, who looked back.  “Want to get out and stretch your legs?” he asked.  No pun intended, Miah thought, not rolling her eyes.

She nodded, scooting over and stepping out when Connor gave her his hand in support.  Ben got out of the car and took a deep breath, rubbing his stomach.  It was then Miah realized she was starving.  “Is there anything to eat?” she asked.

“Let’s see,” Connor muttered, digging through a backpack he pulled from the trunk.  “Ah, here’s some granola bars.” He tossed one to each of them, taking one himself.

Miah bit into the crispy, gooey, chocolate-and-oat goodness and felt like she’d never eaten anything more delicious.  He handed them another after they finished the first, and Miah ate that as well.  With a sigh, they leaned against the car and looked up at the mountain and around at the misty scenery.  For a moment, Miah felt at peace.

Then, their driver, still clad in black, opened the door and walked around from the driver’s side and stood beside them.  Miah looked up at the person’s face, and for the first time saw that it was a woman.  Her shoulders were broad, but she was barely taller than Miah herself.  Her hair was tucked into the black cap she wore, but a tuft of red or brown hair, Miah wasn’t sure, stuck out from beneath it.  She heard Connor gasp, and then saw Ben turn, startled, in a double-take.  Miah blinked.  She’d never seen either of them this surprised or horrified before.

She was afraid to ask, but the woman’s name suddenly came to her mind.

Amy.