The Luminosity Series (Book 1): Luminosity (25 page)

As I cried, the tears blinded me from the sights in
front of us. After turning off the engine, we sat in the driveway. And as he
placed one hand on my back for comfort, we both fell apart, together. This was
the end for Golden. The end for us.

Several brush fires now burned out of control in the
distance, their flames spiraling in the wind. The banging and swinging of doors
gave the howling gusts a frightening touch, but the silence between was worse
as the popping of gun shots and disorder persisted from the town below. The massive
red X loomed against his father’s rustic home, demanding we turn around. I
stood by his side, the two of us fighting to let go of a past we had only just
discovered.

As we crept inside the house, we kept our guard up
while scanning the main level. I trailed behind him, cautious of the potential
danger we were in. The large bay window had been blown out. Dust blanketed the
hard floors, imprinted with footsteps from guards during the raids.

After clearing the downstairs level, Evan signaled me.

“Look for anything we may have left behind. I’ll check
upstairs,” he whispered. I nodded, giving him a gloomy glimpse before turning
around.

After he made it halfway up the stairs, a loud thud
came from the bedroom, forcing him to stop mid-flight. Whipping back to face me
like a deer in headlights, my eyes widened as he pushed forward. Striving for
silence, my heart banged, drumming at a pulse-like beat inside me, and after
only a few seconds of its torturous thumps, I sprang after him.

Standing beside the door to the closet, Evan remained
motionless. The drapes blew in the wind behind us, creating phantom-like shadows
against the walls. Anticipation filled us as he approached the doors. But
before I could stop him, they flew open.

A man with a baseball bat swung violently against
Evan’s shoulder. He fell against the floor, gripping in pain, blindsided by the
sudden attack. But before I decided on a course of action, a girl sprang up
from the floor. Relief hit me at the sight of her golden hair and familiar face.
And to my surprise and relief, Kylie and Nick appeared before us. Nick towered
over Evan before letting out a deep sigh, Kylie’s cries escaping through her
panicked breathing.

“Oh my god! Evan!” She dove out of the closet. Nick
froze as he helped Evan up, a sudden remorse overtaking him.

“Nice to see you too,” Evan groaned, nodding at him as
he brushed the dirt off himself. Only then did Kylie’s scraped up face and Nick’s
swollen black eye hint at their struggle.

“What are you guys doing here? What happened to you?”
I asked as she backed up. She glanced back at Nick before swallowing.

“We got caught up in the mess downtown when it
happened. We had nowhere else to go, so we figured we’d come up here where it
was less… chaotic...” Nick said between breaths, shaking his head in defeat.

“Where were you guys? We looked for you two
everywhere...” Kylie asked, her voice jittery with worry.

“We drove out to Aubrey’s house,” Evan explained,
still looking annoyed at Nick.

“You’re lucky you got here when you did. They’re
blocking off the streets with barricades. They’ve only just started seizing
vehicles. Rescue helicopters have been swarming around ever since... The entire
town’s on lockdown,” Nick said. I swallowed.

“The guards mentioned an evacuation… Shouldn’t you two
be at the auditorium?” Evan asked.

“That was the plan, but they’re still waiting for more
transports to arrive. I guess communication is still down. Emergency responders
are everywhere trying to help the injured. And the military is too busy
controlling the riots and scouting the town for rebels. We thought it’d be
smart to hide out for a while, until things calmed down,” Kylie said.

“Did they say anything about the other towns that were
hit?” I asked, breathing heavily.

“No. Why?” Kylie asked. Evan gave me an intense
grimace. I clenched my jaw as tears streamed down my cheek, and within a matter
of seconds, Kylie’s face went from curious to terrified.

“Wait a second, so other places were hit too?” Nick
asked in confusion. I couldn’t speak, nor could I shake the anxiety.

“This attack came from the east with the obvious
intent of wiping out a decent amount of the territories.” Evan stared off into
space with a tense jaw. I closed my eyes as I cried silently.

“Then—then who do you think did this? As far as they
say, there aren’t enough people left out there who could get their hands on
such weapons unless they came from within,” Nick said, looking confused.

“I don’t know, okay? All I know is that Grand Junction
was hit head-on according to the guards at the barricades. They didn’t tell us
how many survived... but Aubrey’s mom and sister may have been there when it was
hit. Boulder was hit too, but luckily they were evacuated first,” Evan
explained.

“What?” Kylie exhausted. Evan stared at me in pity as
Nick looked down in utter shock.

“This is worse than I thought...” said Nick. Evan’s
face hardened as he grew more impatient with the situation.

“The sooner we leave, the faster we’ll get to safety.
Nick, go grab your bags,” Evan demanded. Nick complied.

As Nick flew down the stairs, Kylie glared at Evan in
a scowl.

“Hold on a minute, think about this for a second! If
her old identity shows up on their system, we could all be questioned,” Kylie
whispered. He sighed.

“She’s right...” I said, wiping away the tears with
sweaty, trembling hands.

“They already ran our information through the database
before we came into town. If it was there, they would’ve stopped us then.
Besides, we either risk it, or we stay behind. Now grab what you can and let’s
go,” he snapped, glaring at Kylie and I in frustration. The determination in
his voice rendered me speechless, his struggle obvious, but I had never seen
him take charge like this before. With his words, he pulled our bags over his
shoulder. And that was all it took for me to understand how serious our
situation really was.

Swarms of military helicopters hovered above, landing
in rows along the highway leading north. Preparation for our departure was
already in progress when we showed up at the auditorium. The entire town stood
in line on the sidewalks. The National Guard occupied the streets, waiting
beside the university grounds as a provision. FEMA and the Red Cross
accompanied the area, supporting the wounded and in need.

With no mercy to spare, the sun struck down on the
tarps hanging above. With shade as our only protection from its threatening
rays, the temperatures soared above average, typical for a May afternoon.

My head pounded as soldiers passed out bottles of
water, Evan’s gaze following me as I chugged one back in a matter of seconds.
As the line inched closer, my nerves took hold. Ahead, the security search line
divided between men and women.

Without warning, footsteps interrupted the tension as
they smacked against the heated pavement. Before I could turn around, a
familiar voice chimed above the chatter.

“Evan! Aubrey! Hey!” Janelle yelled from behind. I
whipped my head back, grateful for the flash of her vivid red hair and eager
tone.

“Janelle!” I gasped, waving my hands in the air, Kylie
rolling her eyes at the attention I was inviting.

Janelle gave us a long, relieved hug.

“Thank god! I was worried I wouldn’t find you guys!
Evan… your mom is being evaluated right now at the hospital,” she said in a
breathy grimace.

“What? Why?” Kylie asked.

“They said she suffered a heart attack...” said
Janelle. Within seconds, Evan’s jaw tensed as the guilt filled his vision. I
squinted at him in horror.

“Is she—is she going to be okay?” he asked, his voice
weakening.

“She’s okay for now, but the emergency crew didn’t say
when she’d be discharged. They’re monitoring her there as long as possible
before the transports show up. But they recommended the civilian workers get down
here right away,” Janelle said with a sigh.

Evan looked sick. My focus proceeded downward, keeping
my emotional outbursts to myself.

“There’s not a lot we can do...” Janelle said. Evan
swallowed back guilt. “Aubrey, where’s your mom?” My eyes fluttered as Evan rested
a hand on my back in secret.

“She’s um—she’s around here somewhere.” I winced,
choking on my lie. “Where’s Aaron?” I asked, keen on changing the subject.
Janelle wrinkled her forehead.

“No clue. I was expecting to see him down here, but
it’s hard to tell who’s who underneath those uniforms,” she said, nodding at
the soldiers at the front of the line. The people behind us glared at the five
of us, yelling hostile comments as the line inched forward. “Well, I guess I’ll
see you guys inside. My family’s waiting at the back of the line. They’re
probably getting worried,” she said, looking frightened by the looks given to
her.

“Stay safe,” I said quietly. She winced.

“You too,” she said, giving Evan and I a final hug for
comfort.

At the entry point, a guard tore through my bag
unapologetically, searching it on a thorough hunt for anything prohibited. That’s
when I realized I had tucked the qualification letter and my mother’s diary carelessly
underneath the stacks of clothing. Leaving them behind wasn’t part of my
agenda. Then again, neither was evacuating. I gulped back the shame, putting my
arms out as two more guards patted me down. Evan looked over at me from the
other line, nodding with a tense expression on his face. I held my breath as
they ran my citizen identification card through the system, mentally crossing
my fingers they wouldn’t find the items suspicious.

“Okay Ms. Adams, you’re clear. Good luck,” the female
guard said, glaring at me. That was when I recognized her—the same woman I
confronted in the bathroom at City Hall months ago. I nodded before taking my
bag, giving her a smile of relief. Kylie winced as she waited behind me. Evan
rushed toward me after being cleared, my panic obvious. As we strode to the
doors, my eyes widened with relief.

“What happened?” he asked in a frantic whisper as he
glanced back at Kylie.

“I forgot to take the stupid qualification letter out
of my bag...” I whispered in a snap of shame as crowds of people filled the
space between the doors. He studied my reaction.

“Did they see it?”

“No…”

“Well, then you’re fine. We can still get rid of it.”

“If they ever find out who I am...” I breathed a
panicked whisper as I forced myself to keep it together.

“They won’t find out, alright?” he said. I pushed the
anxious tears away as quickly as possible.

Civilians flooded through the doors, chatter filling
the auditorium as we made our way through the crowds. Hugs were exchanged as
people came in contact with loved ones. Others scouted over the masses for lost
family and friends. A few even wore gas masks as the paranoia of chemical
warfare had shaken the town. Evan kept himself distracted by scanning the
crowd. Every once in a while, I’d notice him nodding to someone he recognized,
my focus glued on him as he put on a calming smile for each set of worried eyes
he witnessed. Evan would have been a great leader—a mentor like his father.

After an hour, people rested on the floor as we
awaited instruction. Above thousands of heads, we scouted for Janelle, but
finding her in the crowd was proving impossible. The four of us crammed up
against the wall with our bags on our laps, the exhaustion overshadowing my
anxiety.

A middle-aged couple sat ahead of us with their young
daughter. Now and then, I’d catch the girl peering back at us, her confused,
oblivious face keeping me awake. Everyone’s lives were impacted by this event. But
I had lived in a time better, safer, and happier than this. Young children
weren’t lucky enough to have such a memory. And that was the moment I could no
longer pity myself.

After only a few moments of sleep, I snapped my eyes
open to the little girl in front of us, the weight of the stuffy air hinting we
had delayed there for hours. A trickle of sweat ran down the back of my neck as
I struggled to sit up without disturbing Evan. The girl squeezed her way
between her parents and skipped toward me in amusement, both inattentive to her
wandering as monotone voices flooded the auditorium like a hypnotic lullaby.

“Hayley! Damn it! Get over here right now! I told you
to stay put!” the mother yelled. I looked at the young girl’s troubled
expression, a frightened display of guilt as she meandered back to her ruthless
mother. Shocked by her unfiltered words, memories of my own mother came to mind
as the girl burst into tears, her sad brown eyes desperate for an escape from
misery, like mine. Then, the thought of whether she would be chosen for a
colony or not struck my brain, and with it, panic enslaved me again. I turned
my head as I leaned forward, struggling to breathe normally. Evan shot upright as
I exhaled forcibly, expelling the pain.

“You okay?” he whispered, pulling me back.

“I need to get out of here...” My eyes darted left and
right as my claustrophobia set in. As I sprung upward, he yanked me back before
my feet could grip the floor, sending me falling back to him.

“Is everything okay over there, or do we need to
babysit her too?” Kylie asked, leaning over. I winced in annoyance. When I
faced her, the urge to flee consumed me once again.

“She’s fine. She just gets these episodes...” Evan
said, breathing harder as he kept his fluttering eyes on me in worry. But it
was worse than just an episode. This was a nightmare—an ongoing hell I’d
continue to suffer with. “It shouldn’t be much longer,” he reassured me.

Just as Evan predicted, it wasn’t long before numerous
guards shoved their way through the crowd of civilians. Upon seeing them, my
heart stopped, the noise intensifying as more people stood up from the floor,
peering over heads frantically. Anxiety slithered through my veins like a
venomous chill, waves of acid turning in my stomach, making me nauseous over
and over again. Sick with tension, I put one hand against my sweaty forehead,
the stubborn strands pasting to me.

A piercing voice blasted through the walls, jolting
everyone’s sight in the same direction.

“Listen up! Attention citizens!” the guard yelled
through a megaphone, his words ricocheting in every direction. “In the past
twenty-four hours, a wide range of bordered cities have been hit by a series of
missile strikes. We believe we were targeted by a well-organized group of
rebels deriving from the east. I regret to announce that half the cities inside
this territory were destroyed in the attacks.”

Screams, cries, and shouts of panic pierced through
the auditorium within seconds. I cried out, my knees nearly buckling to the floor,
Evan’s hold on me weakened by shock as we all jumped from the warning shot of a
gun.

“The President has ordered a mandatory evacuation for
the remaining territories. Let me remind you, it is imperative you stay calm!”

The severity of the guard’s words was undeniable as
the shrieking continued. Before long, fights erupted in various areas of the
crowd as gunfire pierced above the commotion in an attempt to regain order.

“At seventeen hundred hours, all citizens are to
report to our military base in the north section of the supply fields. From
there, if you have not yet received your colony qualification results, you will
receive them upon boarding the transport choppers. Regardless of colony selection,
you will all be assigned a camp until evacuation day. Since the camps are of
limited capacity, you will be divided by qualification ranking. Starting
tomorrow, this city will be pronounced unregulated. Therefore, supplies and aid
will end for the town. The need for your cooperation is imperative to our
survival. We will not tolerate panic or rebellion.”

Terror unleashed. My shallow breathing continued as
the sweat trickled down the back of my spine.

Slurs of profanity and the pitter-patter of gunshots penetrated
my eardrums, the force of everyone’s bodies squeezing us tighter together in a
suffocating swallow. Amidst the worried glances surrounding me, Evan had
disappeared. Caught between a blackout and a will to escape, my eyes shot in
every direction, blinking to focus. People climbed the walls leading up to the
above seating area. Some made it. Others were trampled by the desperate thousands
below. Gunshots rocked the stuffy air behind me, their popping sounds only
worsening the hysteria.

I gasped for air, striving to break free from the mad rush
outside. Most didn’t get far before guards barricaded them in. I darted blindly
in the opposite direction everyone else was going in. I had to find him, but it
was too dangerous to turn back.

The shouts and rage faded as I ducked beside an
abandoned vehicle, cringing as I tended to my sore ribcage. Footsteps slammed
against the roadway as I rested my head against the door handle. Someone was
following me. In that instant, the desire to escape overwhelmed me. I crawled
to the back of the car. As if by instinct, I beelined toward the trees
bordering the parking lot, rejecting the urge to look back. And just when I
thought I had escaped, my body tumbled to the ground.

I screamed, thrashed, and struggled as my attacker
tugged the bag from my grasp. It was a woman, not much older than I. After
clutching my bag, she clenched her fingers around my neck in a choke hold. I
coughed as I lifted my knee from under her, plowing it into her stomach with just
enough force to push her off of me. She lost her balance within the agony,
falling backward across the cement as I regained my breath, recovering my
supplies. Ready to get even, the woman rose from the street, grabbing me by the
arm to stop me. I couldn’t take much more. Using the rage to my advantage, I
spun around, snapping my fist into the air, impacting her disgruntled face. And
in the seconds it took for my fury to fade, she scampered off, allowing me a
clear path to the trees.

Ducking under the thick branches to hide was my only
choice. That’s when I spotted Evan, sprinting in my direction. Grateful to see
he still had his belongings, my vision made a full circle before I revealed
myself. When his focus met mine, the determination to see me accelerated him
forward, his momentum plunging us into a nearby pine.

“What happened? Where did you go?” I panicked,
brushing off the fallen needles.

“Shh... It’s okay. Just stay quiet,” he said, shaking.
I sighed in relief as he closed his eyes, taking a minute to regain his breath
against the tree. “I—I don’t know how I lost you. One minute you were there and
the next, people were shoving so hard I couldn’t reach you,” he said, pulling
me down with him in exhaustion, sweat trickling against his cheek, the shame in
his eyes abundant.

“Where are your cousins?”

“I’m not sure.” He swallowed.

“What are we going to do? I can’t be evacuated, Evan.
I have to know if my mom and sister are alive!” I lost control. He gazed at me
in pity before looking forward.

“Look, I promise we’ll figure this out. But until
then, we should get away from here,” he said, still gasping on air. I studied
his face. Something about the way he avoided my eyes left me uneasy.