Leaves on a Tree

“By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.” Burning buildings, children's screams and smoke filled my head. I saw terrible things and all I could do was stare, I was frozen. Paralyzed even, then everything went black. I awoke to the sound of cries and realized I was strapped to a table. “What happened?” “Where am I?” As these thoughts rushed through my head I tried remembering what happened and why I was here, but couldn't. I saw someone wander past my room, looking just as confused as I. They wandered in and asked if I knew where we were. I didn't so they left. 

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A couple of hours later I awoke again to the sound of a low rumbling and someone shaking me awake. They had long black hair and their face was covered by it like a veil, a veil of death perhaps. As they unstrapped me from the table they rushed me out of the room. I was seated at a boring table in a room with all white walls and a huge mirror. Then all my memories came flooding back. My name Margo Lee, I am 17 and was adopted when I was three. And I had just been in a bombing. I am from a small island off the coast of Australia, called Tsol. Which backward spells LOST. No one who came to this island ever left. 

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Someone entered my boring room with a steaming cup of coffee. They sat down across from me and pulled out a black notepad. They had a mask on and a little badge that read “Baldwin.” Officer Baldwin started asking questions such as my name and what happened I did my best to answer them without giving too much information. After we finished, he got up and came around the table and whispered into my ear, “Leaves on a tree.” He snatched me up out of the chair and threw me back into my room. After he was gone I started wondering about what he had said, “Leaves on a tree.” What’s that supposed to mean? 

He returned a few hours later with some soup and crackers. He looked around the halls worried and then slammed the door shut. He removed his mask and I saw someone I recognized, but couldn’t place. He whispered, “Look I don’t have much time before someone catches me, but Margo remember please remember.” He shoved his mask back on his face and ran out the door. I ate soup and fell asleep. “By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.” I woke up gasping for air and noticed that boy again. He was sitting in the corner rocking himself back and forth. Saying “Leaves on a tree.” Over and over again. I crept over to him and held out my hand. “Sam?” I whispered. He looked up terrified, that's when I knew he didn’t remember me. 

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I scooped him up and put him in my bed next to me and he soon fell asleep. Safe words or a safe phrase perhaps. “Leaves on a tree.” could be a signal for help. Or something worse. After a few days of living in this hostile environment, I was free to go. Where I wasn’t sure, but I knew I had to get out of there. Before I left I found Sam and kept him in my sight at all times, then I found Baldwin. He was sitting near the trash bins at the back of the building, smoking. He had a worried look in his eyes as I sat next to him. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. We sit in silence for 15 minutes, then he says “Leaves on a tree, ever figure out what it means?” I hung my head in shame because I did. Even though I knew what it meant I still didn’t understand why it meant what it did. Many questions arose at once in my head, I couldn’t sort them so I just asked the most reasonable one. Why? I knew Baldwin couldn’t help me or give me the answer I wanted to hear, so I didn’t give him the chance. 

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I found Sam sitting in the food room, with his bag already packed. He followed me into my room and helped me pack what little I had. Three shirts, one pair of jeans and a ratty hoodie. We started on foot and walked until dusk. We came upon a little abandoned gas station, we sought safety and comfort. We found it there. Sam fell fast asleep on a makeshift bed. I laid awake as I had many restless nights before. Sam was up with the sun. We found some stale cereal, but it was the best meal I had in days. After a few hours of walking, we found a bus station. We didn’t have much money, but we snuck on anyway. We ended up in the town of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. We found a rundown motel and only paid $.60 for a room. What came next was a very difficult decision. I had to leave Sam. He was 13 and the only brother I had ever known, but I was too dangerous. I watched him sleep that night, he looked so peaceful so undisturbed it broke my heart. Just before the crack of dawn I slipped out of the motel and left Sam with the little money I had.

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As I walked I had a lot of time to think and replay what happened. I started with the basics, I was in a secret society against my island. I was a wanted criminal under the name of Johnathan Quint. I had started a war, it started quiet and undetectable. As it advanced it went from peaceful arguing to bombing one another. My head started to buzz, from knowing what I had done. Except that I had no regrets. When I set my small town ablaze.