Name Generator: Avery Daloni

It was dark, cold, and at least half the children on the train were sick from the constant rocking of the train car. None of us knew where we were going except me. I know, I have read about this day in books for years. Our parents sent us away due to global warming. They will most likely all die. But us? We are going to a new place called MARS. We will be the only living species left. Right now though we are on our way to NASA. To fly to MARS. 

“I'm tired”. My little sister Emma moaned. 

“Lay down on my lap and close your eyes, we will be there soon”. I replied. But I knew what was really happening. Two rocket ships are going to take off, one is going to MARS and the other is going to test a new space station. I have been doing the research and the one that goes to the space station most likely won't make it back. I knew Emma was put in the group for the space station. But I was going to disguise her as a different child and say that Emma died on the train here from Malaria. She knows what she has to do. 

My real name is Avery Dalona. I am 14 years old and my sister Emma Dalona is 7. Soon we pull up to what seems like a train station. I hear all the kids moan and groan as they shift into a position to get out of the dreadful train car. When the doors slid open with a loud screeeeeeeech all the kids tumbled out to see a giant building almost as high as the clouds, with windows covering the whole building, I knew we were there and now was my sister and I’s chance to get on the ship together and fly to the new planet called MARS. 

Emma and I stumbled up to the check in desk. They asked our names and then took some blood and we were on our way on the same ship, thank God. But when I glanced back I could see the children who were going to the space station. All of them looked so proud and happy. I couldn't help but I felt a tear stream down my face and I sniffled a little. Emma looked up to me and said

 “Why are you crying”? 

“Oh it's just some dust in my eye lets go”. We walked into the building, It was bright and everything sparkled. I have never been in a fancier building. I saw my sister's face light up, her smile spread from ear to ear. I couldn't help cracking a little smile as well, after all we might as well enjoy our time before we have to eat space ice cream and dried milk. We had two days before they were going to be shipped off to MARS. The people showed us our rooms, and the closet was like the size of our entire house! 

There were two beds, With Velvet comforters, and blush pink bed skirts. In the closet there were clothes of all sorts, Dresses, shirts, skirts, anything you could possibly think of. The pillows and sheets were made of silk. It was like I had died and gone to heaven. When I looked at my sister she was grinning as if someone said we were going to Disneyland. Then she started to cry. 

“What's wrong”? I asked and her reply was 

“ I have never been this rich,” she sobed.  

“ Oh Emma, you are so funny,” I laughed. 

“ Dinner is served, come down to the first floor immediately” crackled the voice on the speaker. Emma started to get up and made her way to the closet. She put on a white ruffle dress and white strap shoes. I pulled her hair back in a braid then I got myself dressed while she waited on her bed. I put on a silver and gold dress that fell to my knees. With fringe. Then Emma and I walked down to the dining room and that was where I saw him. The most gorgeous boy I have ever seen! He had light brown hair and tan skin and was in a tuxedo. He was talking to another girl I didn't see until Emma practically screamed when she saw her.

 “ Oh Mia you made it your with us!” Wait, Mia is the younger sister to the most annoying boy in the whole wide WORLD! As the girls ran away I was stuck talking to Jack he gave me his stupid smile and then he suprised me by saying I looked nice, not knowing what to say I bowed my head and responded 

“ you look very nice as well” oh boy what am I doing am I seriously falling for Jack (bleck). I gotta get out of here before I start falling for pasty Zac, Who eats glue. 

“Emma, Emma!” I shouted. But she was nowhere to be seen. 

“Mmmmmmfffffffhhhhh!” I heard.

 “ Jack,” I screamed. Then he saw it too. two men were taking Emma and Mia away. Jack and I started to speed walk to not cause too much attention. When we got over there Emma and Mia were being taken into a different room when we followed them and they told us what was going on. These were the group of kids who were going to the space station. They figured it out they know that Emma is Emma! Shock ran through me like I was electrocuted. Jack saw it too, we were both panicking but he found his voice before me. 

“ Excuse me sir, where are you taking my little sister and her friend”? Jack asked the old man who looked like he just got out of bed. 

“ We know you two lied about your little sisters. These girls are going to the space station. There is no more room on the ship to Mars you can come to if you like but hurry up we are leaving at dawn”. He said. My blood turned ice cold, I had to do somthing there was only one thing to do

“ I am going”. I surprised myself by saying.

“ I am too”. Jack said. 

“Well hurry up then I ain't getting any younger”! The old man barked. We grabbed our sisters' hands and walked into the other room for the kids who were going to the space station. 

When we walked in I could tell I made a mistake by letting the little girls out of our eye range. The whole place smelled of scrambled eggs and sweat. I tried to breathe through my mouth but I got the taste of B.O! What is going on here? All the kids were sleeping on the ground or crying. These poor kids were being treated so differently. We were by far the nicest looking people there, there was a bucket in the corner, one filled with food and one filled with stuff that came out the opposite end. No wonder It smells so bad. I felt Jack grab my hand. He whispered in my ear and said. 

“We are in this together, so you can stop pretending like I am the worst person in the world. I couldn't respond so I just kept walking clutching tight to Emma's hand. We found a small space on the floor in one of the corners where we sat down, and immediately kids started asking questions about what it was like outside this room. There were kids of all shapes and sizes and they all looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks. I smiled at them gingerly and told them that they were not missing out on anything. I knew I shouldn't have lied but I didn't want to tell all the kids about the delicious smell of the food that they would never get to eat. 

The next morning I woke up with a pounding headache. I turned over to find Emma clutching to my arm. I turn to my left and see Jack and Mia huddled together. I stirred, waking Jack. He sat up and looked around, Mia still asleep in Jack's jacket. Jack’s suit slightly wrinkled from sleeping in it. 

“We should get different clothes,” he said.

 “Yeah I agree I will go gather some for Emma and I, then I will come back and you can go for you and Mia.” I replied,

”Okay,” he said. I slowly got up, careful not to wake Emma. I had to hurry and the ship was supposed to leave in 30 minutes. When I got up the stairs I ran into Marie, my best friend. 

“ Avery! Why do you look like you slept on the ground oh and that smell!” I told her everything and she decided she was coming. I told her not to but it was no use when Marie makes up her mind there is no point in arguing. From there I was running the ship leaves in 15 mins and Jack still has to come up and get his clothes. I unlocked my door with my room key and grabbed a pair of black leggings for me and Emma's favorite pink sweatpants. I grabbed a white shirt for me and a shall to go over the top. Emma got a white shirt and the matching pink jacket for her sweatpants. I decided to run over to Jack's room and get his stuff and Mia's. We only had 10 mins left. By now I was in full panic mode. The ship left in 5 minutes and I was racing down the stairs. I was going so fast all of a sudden my foot slipped on the end of Emma's pants and I fell straight into the staircase railing then all was black. 

Jack

She should be back by now. I thought 

“ It is time to start boarding the ship!” said the man who was guarding the door last night. Something is wrong, I am going to get her. 

“ Board the ship girls, I will be right back.” I told them I watched them get on then ran to the stairs. That is where I found Avery. Her body was lying on the floor at the bottom of the staircase. She was unconscious. She had a large gash on her head and the clothes were sprawled out all around her. Without wasting any time I gingerly picked her up and carried her to the ship. The doors were closing. But there was still a crack in the door. I ran at it and threw Avery underneath it then I slid under. My shirt was stuck in the door and I couldn't get it out. Finally with a lot of pulling my blazer ripped up the side, and just like that I was free. Avery, still laying there, had come back to consciousness. She was breathing. I sighed in relief. But the gash on her head was bleeding a lot with no end in sight. I wrapped my ripped blazer around it and went into the main area of the ship. Marie raced up to me.

 “ Oh my gosh what happened??” she cried.

 “ Don't make such a big deal or the girls will cry. She slipped on the stairs and banged her head pretty bad. Do you know where the first aid kit is?” I replied.

“ Yes I do, I will go grab it and lay her down on the couch”. As Marie ran off I set Avery down and removed my blazer. Her gash was about 3 inches long right above her eyebrow, and needed stitches. The skin around the cut was swollen and colored black, purple, and blue .She still looks as pretty as the day I met her in 4th grade. Marie came rushing back with the first aid kit under her arm and a look of consideration but still business on her face. 

“Where are the little girls?” I asked. 

“They are playing with dolls in Avery's room.” 

“ We get our own rooms?” I asked. 

“ Yes but siblings share.” she replied.

 “She needs stitching,'' she said as she pulled out a needle and doctor thread. 

“It is a good thing she is still out because this is going to hurt.”

Avery

I awoke at first to a terrible ache above my left eyebrow. But the pain didn't matter. Where was I? Where is Emma? Am I still on the stairs? Then the door creaked open to reveal a shadow.

 “Jack?”

 “Yeah it is me,” he replied. 

“ What happened?” I asked. 

“You fell on the stairs but don’t worry, the girls are safe, and we are all on the ship.” he replied.

“Jack this ship isn't going to make it to the space station it is going to blow up it is a trap.” I yelled and sat up. He pushed me back down and said

“I know Avery but for now rest we will deal with this when you are better.” The pain in my head yearning for my body to rest made me not sit up again and lay down.

I woke up and I don't know how many days later. Could have been months, hours, minutes. I was still in the dark room. There were hospital beds lining the walls. This must be the infirmary I thought. Then I heard breathing and I turned over to find my face only 3 inches away from Emmas. 

“I thought you were dead!” she said as she climbed into the bed with me.

 “ Don't worry I could never leave you in the hands of Jack.” I explained.  

“ Jack isnt that bad, he actually helped me into my pajamas and put me to bed but when he sang our special lullaby my ears heard this ringing sound.” she replied. I laughed so hard I cried. We were both laughing when Jack came in.

 “ What's so funny?” he asked. 

“Nothing,” I replied. 

“ Hey Emma, Mia is waiting to play with you dolls in our room!” he said. Emma looked back at me to make sure that it was okay to leave me and I wasn't going to die.

“ Go ahead,” I encouraged. Once she skipped out of the room Jack turned on the light and shut the door. It took my eyes a bit to adjust before I could see his face. There was a black and blue around his eye and his hands had welts on them. 

“Oh my gosh Jack, what the heck?” 

“ I am not going to lie, It has been rough here the kids don't see it but I do. They carry around whipping sticks and any time someone steps out of line they get whipped. I have tried to be strong and hide it from the girls but I can't, last night the guards came into my room and beat me with a club in front of the girls. I read them two stories so they would hopefully forget but  I don't know anymore.” 

“ Oh Jack,  I am so grateful for you, you don't even know how much I appreciate you, help me up, I am done sitting in this dark room feeling sorry for myself.” Jack helped me up and together with my arm draped over his shoulder we left the room and slowly made our way to our room. 

Jack 

Once I showed Avery her room, and helped her to the sofa, I left. I went to my room. The girls were playing in the bedroom. I went and sat in the little chair by the sofa. I am only fourteen years old. How do I handle all of this and two little girls? I thought. It was a selfish thought so I pushed it away. I need to focus, we all live somehow or we all die. The ship is scheduled to get to the space station in 2 weeks. I desperately needed to talk to Avery but I don't think now would be the right time. Moments after the thought accrued to me there was a knock on the door.

 “Who is it!” I called. 

“It's Marie, um can I come in.” she fumbled for her words as if they were trapped in her throat. 

“Yeah sure, come in.” she crossed over to the couch right in front of the chair I was sitting in. 

“ I was helping a little girl with her bruises from the shackles on her arms, when I overheard the pilot talking he said that there is a smaller 6 person ship connected to the side of the ship that they are going to take when they drop us at the space station.” she said 

“ Oh wow do you think we could maybe get to it first? But what about all the other kids on the ship we are just going to let them die?” 

“ I don't know yet, but I do know that we are going to be there in 4 weeks now because of mechanical difficulties.” she replied 

“Is everything okay?” I asked

“Yeah I am sure it is fine, I got to go and help the medical staff the bruises get worse everyday.'' She said she looked like she had more to say, but right before she left she gave me a light kiss on the cheek. 

“You are brave Jack, very brave.'' Then she leaned in for a kiss, and I couldn't resist, I kissed her but then suddenly realizing what I was doing pushed her away, a look of betrayal etched all over her face then she left. My face is still tingling from the kiss. Also a shred of guilt, I like Avery and if she saw that I don't know what she would have done. All of a sudden there was a loud forceful knock on the door. All I remember is those horrible guards coming in taking the girls away and leaving me on my bed. All went black.