Jaanai

The road was everything but smooth as Luis and María Garcia sped towards the only gateway for their forbidden child's freedom.

The screams and cries of their three children were nothing compared to the gunfire and activated bombs creating massive explosions that destroys everything it touches right at their tail.

One barely missed the right side of the car as Luis swerved all around the road that was covered with dead kids and families that didn't make it in time. Blood and grime created the scariest aura the world was known for.

"2:28 LUIS WE AREN'T GOING TO MAKE IT" María sobbed. All of their lives including her two legal kids Cesia and Jacob would've been risked for nothing.

"We will make it." Luis assured her as he slammed the gas.

"MOMMY!!!" Cesia and Jacob were screeching while holding the three year old Jaanai.

"We are almost there babies, it will all be over soon."

"2:29 LUIS!"

"WE ARE HERE WE MADE IT!!!" Luis shouted as he jumped out of the moving car and unlocked the backseat.

"Stay in here, lock the doors, heads down!" He grabbed Jaanai while giving his family orders.

"NO SHE'S MY BABY!!!" María pleaded as she ran out of the car ducking and avoiding gunshots the best she could.

"No María back in the car." Luis demanded while rushing Jaanai out into the open.

Both parents sprinted towards the line of helicopters that were waiting for forbidden children to transport to Absconditum.

"Hurry it's almost 2:30! We have to leave before they can track us!!!" The captain of the mission shouted from one of the helicopters.

Luis and María ran as their life and their children's lives were put at stake to take care of their little girl that they would do anything for.

"Here give her to me." A guy who had the warmest smile put his arms out to catch her and bring her to the beautiful safe haven that's completely off the grid and still hasn't been found.

'NO WAIT PLEASE!" María shouted as she took Jaanai from Luis's grasp.

"María please, this can't be for nothing!" He yelled as Blade Briar's army started closing in.

"María the kids!!!"

"I know, I know give me a minute please, she's our little girl" She was sobbing.

"Jaanai baby you are going with this man...."

"Rick." He completed her questioned statement.

"Rick is going to keep you safe baby okay, we love you so much Jaanai Chavez always remember who you are. Baby we love you. You'll be okay baby, mommy loves you. Cesia and Jacob love you. Daddy loves you. We did this for you baby okay, you'll see animals. You'll go to school. You'll make friends baby. We love you." María shouted as Jaanai was ripped from her arms and put on the helicopter that will her change her life forever.

"Come on María we have to go! Cesia and Jacob!!!" Luis screamed as they ran back to their car.

The last thing Jaanai saw was her parents getting in the car without realizing the 50mm canon aiming right for them from the camouflage of the tall city buildings that were crumbling down. The last thing she heard was the sound of it firing. The last thing she felt was the fiery flames that were produced with the help of her families car.

She left the site that night, while her family stayed.

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Bzzp

The building's alarm sounded indicating it was time for all kids to wake up and start getting ready for a morning of classes, and an evening of jobs to keep Absconditum the beautiful village it is.

I sat up slowly in my bunk bed that I share with my roommate Hidai. My wavy black hair was as frizzy as it could be since I was lazy and didn't brush it after my shower.

"I call dibs on shower first!" Hidai squealed as she ran to their conjoined bathroom.

Hah, she feels so accomplished while I don't even need a shower this morning I took one last night.

I laughed silently to myself as I got dressed. 

The one major thing I love about myself is my sense of style. It's unlike any other girl here at Absconditum. For instance, today I decided to wear a green polo dress shirt with black leggings that could almost look like sweats. I slipped on a pair of white Adidas and headed towards the cafeteria building.

It's a warm inviting day, hopefully we'll have classes outside this time! I thought happily to myself.

"Hey Jaanai!" Jack yelled from his dorm room.

"Wait up, I heard they are serving pancakes, I'm actually attending breakfast."

"Of course its the pancakes, not just cause your girlfriend is going. Mhm I see how it is." I laughed.

"Come on you know what I mean." Jack sighed while jogging to catch up to me.

"Yeah and besides even If I didn't how could I be mad at you this early in the morning?" I questioned.

"I'm so handsome I honestly don't know how you could be mad at me at all." He smirked.

"Oh trust me, after I eat and gain energy you'll be sorry." I yawned.

"OOO I'm so scared!!!" He pretended to shriek and ran ahead of me.

"That little mmm..." I stomped towards the entrance of the biggest building in Absconditum.

When I entered Jack was already three people ahead of me in line.

He better get me pudding if they are almost out when he gets there.

I proceeded through the line receiving two pancakes, one pack of syrup and butter, and a carton of milk. Just as I suspected no pudding.

I scanned the room for Jack and saw him sitting with a couple of acquaintances that are in his classes. He is a year older than me after all.

I slid in next to him while they were discussing the products of pudding and how old it could be while still tasting fresh.

"Dude I don't know how you could like that stuff, it could literally be 8000 years old." One of Jack's friend's with glasses and braces exclaimed.

"Ah today we are sitting with food nerds I see." I remarked while grasping the two puddings Jack grabbed for me from his gross friends hand.

"Nah just smarter than you." His short red haired friend stated quietly.

I'm already done sitting here.

"Don't mind her, she's 14, she hasn't had health class yet." Jack laughed while chocking on milk.

"Aw the poor uneducated baby." Glasses stated again.

"Says the immature baboons seeing who can chug milk the fastest." I rolled my eyes.

"Hey milk has 103 calories." Tall boy with buck teeth and freckles spoke up.

"Well I'll burn all those healthy calories talking to you guys so if you excuse me I'm going to go sit with Hidai," I stated sarcastically while viewing Hidai finally entering the cafeteria. It takes her forever to get ready in the morning.

"Babe stop come back don't be mad." I heard his faint voice in the background.

I'm not actually mad but it's fun seeing him squirm.

"Hey girl, you didn't shower this morning?" Hidai questioned disgustingly.

"I took one last night remember silly." I giggled while cleaning off my tray.

"Oh yeahhh."

Hidai is 16 so she has the first class of the day off. Which means when the bell rings again, I go to survival class while Hidai has a whole hour to eat.

Bzzp

"That's your cue!" Hidai said excitedly. Apparently survival was her favorite class, she wants to be a scouter for Absconditum when she graduates the schooling program at 18. In the meantime I hate holding a fake gun.

"Yeah have fun eating alone for an hour." I said lamely while walking out into my routinely day.

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My chores and classes were done by three o' clock so I decided to go find Jack in the research classroom.

It was the one room in the whole Absconditum facility with technology. There were five computers in there and whoever held interests in engineering, programming, or coding got to spend most of their free time there. That was Jack. That's where he always was.

I slowly opened the creaking door and walked inside.

"Name and student I.D. please." The security on duty asked me.

"Jaanai Chavez. 100297. Here to pick up Jack Flinch." I replied confidently having to do this several times throughout the day.

"Proceed." He stated while backing up against the wall again.

"I entered the securely covered room in time to see Jack bolt up and exit out of his apps while shoving several pieces of paper in his pockets very quickly and very suspiciously.

"Hello?" I questioned.

"Hey, sorry you just startled me..." He replied while scratching his hair. Something he does when he's nervous.

"Ok ready to go see Rick?" I asked. Rick was basically my guardian angel. When you get to Absconditum at a young age one community leader is picked to raise you until 10. Then you get assigned a dorm, roommate, classes, and chores. That's your life until 18 and then you pick the role you choose to follow. I want to be a community leader. Mine was Rick.

He invited us to dinner which is pretty early here, at four o' clock.

"Yeah of course." He stated while walking over to kiss my cheek and grab my hand.

We walked hand in hand towards Rick's house.

**********************************************************************

"Dinner was so funny wasn't it!" I laughed while walking into my dorm with Jack.

He slammed the door and locked it suddenly.

"Jack!? Hidai will be here any minute, it's almost curfew!?" I squealed.

"Jaanai, the forbidden children are meeting up." He bluntly stated.

"What?" I asked with my mouth ajar.

"We meet up with each other everyday?"

"No, no. Not out there. Hidden in these walls and forests we do." He started speaking fast.

"Well yeah because that's our life, that's how we stay safe." I started speaking quietly. He knew this was a sensitive subject for me.

"Yeah but what kind of life is it? We have no idea what anything looks like out there, we don't know what it feels like, what it sounds like. We are so restricted here Jaanai." He tried to explain himself.

"That's exactly the point Jack! Why can't you be grateful for what all these people have done for us? There is a death penalty for families or anyone found in the process of hiding and taking care of forbidden children. If someone followed us back here thats over 100 of kids lives at our fault. We are happy here. We are safe here." I started getting angry.

"Are we?" He asked.

"Yes we are. Parents died to get their kids here. Siblings died. Everyone is risking something right here. Right now. Do you really want to risk throwing it away?!" I shouted.

"Stop, keep your voice down please. They are only in Utah Jaanai, we can borrow a car, one of their special made ones that is guarded and silent with the benefit of camouflage and be back in three days. No one will see us." He pleaded.

"No that's over a nine hour drive from Nevada to Utah." I simply stated.

"Jaanai-"

"Jack my parents died to get me here! I saw them! Thats the only thing I ever see! Why is this so important to you all of a sudden!?" I said getting emotional.

"It's the group chat Jaanai. It's my friends." He added quietly.

"You mean the group of potential imposters that you talk to illegally though the standard computers every forbidden child uses here." I said rudely.

"Please stop--"

"No, I am not stopping Jack. You hack into that computer every day and recode it to be able to text random people for a few hours. You could be spilling all types of information that government could see, decode, and find all of us and then that's it. No more friends ptf forget that, no more life!" I grabbed my hair frustrated.

"First of all, none of them have ever asked for any information about where we are located for safety reasons. No one knows where each other is we just know we are all alive and safe for now. Second of all, you were never on board with any of this so I don't know why I even bothered telling you." He said.

"Then why did you?" I snapped.

"Because I wanted my girlfriend with me! Sue me!!!" He raised his voice.

There was long awkward silence.

"...Where are they meeting?" I asked quietly after sitting next to him on my bed.

"A cabin in the middle of the woods, like this. It's Ralph's grandpas house in Utah."

"And Ralph is...?"

"The one who started it all." Jack helped me understand.

I sighed. I really didn't want to risk it but it honestly was a stable plan and Jack and his group of online friends have been talking for years. 

"If you don't go, I'm going anyway so good luck with those feelings." He stated while giving me a quick kiss and leaving the room rather suddenly.

I wish I could be annoyed or even a tiny bit angry at him, but he was right. Fear would eat me alive if he went alone and took longer than three days. If I went with him at least I would know he's alive.

I started packing that night.