Bright Months

The date was 2054, August 14th, when the first baby in Georgia was born with a power. Then in September another baby was born with power. Then again the next Month, and again after that, only in Georgia.

    Once every month a baby was born with power. Every Month has a different power. The American government rounded up all these babies and put them in camps scattered across the Nation, but one time something extraordinary happened.

    A mother gave birth to twins in January. One twin didn’t have any power and the other one had two. The baby with the power was taken away and put in a training camp in Texas.

    I sat down on my bed and groaned.  It was so hot I swore I was melting. If only I had been born in April. Her bunkmate and best friend Liv had been born in October, and she was currently training.

      Each day in order the kids from each month were taken to the yard and were given lessons. This camp in particular didn’t have any May’s. Those had powers related to animals and the desert wasn't the best place for their training.

    The alarm buzz made me jump. Liv was back. I looked out the glass and saw her being escorted back to her bunk. When they got to me they swiped a keycard and the door opened. “Hey there superhero” I teased. Training was really hard and no one wants to talk after they do it.

    She flops on her bed and pretends to sleep. The November kids were taken out to the yard. I look around the room. It’s basically The Pound for kids and teens but instead of bars there’s glass. So the scientists can look at us.

    Our room is shaped like a rectangle. A bed on either wall and the door in between them. There is a metal desk at the far wall across from the door. We get a plant because we aren't June’s.  A small dirty rug lies between the beds. I smile, this was home. 

     Once December finishes, the dinner bell rings. I shake Liv awake and two guards come down the hall for us. They open the door and lead us to the dining hall. We see Sarah and go sit next to her. The food is already in front of the chairs. Sarah and I were born in the same month so she is a year older than us.

      Tess joins us soon. She is an August and loves her ability to become invisible even though she is the most confident out of all of us. We eat our food and talk about our training. There are two different kinds of workers in the camps. The guards who train and watch us, and the scientists that give us medicine and checkups every week.

    We are being trained to eventually work for the government. Most kids tried to riot when they found out, I don’t really care as long as I can eventually meet my family. When dinner ends we all look at each other mournfully. The dining hall was the only room with air conditioning, and the fact that we won't see each other until tomorrow night.

    At least Tess and Sarah have each other, and Liv and I do too. We are guided back to our cells or “rooms”. I grab the book under my bed and start to read. I only have thirty minutes before lights out.

    When those minutes are up, another alarm sounds and the lights flicker off. Now the hallway comes alive. The walls that divide our rooms are thin so everyone whispers. Soon the air is filled with soft voices.

    I don’t normally listen to the gossip but something our neighbor said caught my attention. I had heard rumors about an escape but they never went past the planning stage. This time I heard code. “Liv is gonna help the eggs fly, and some June’s will distract the mother”.

    Liv.  She made me a promise not to get involved with these escape plans. I look over at her in the dark, I can tell she is watching me. 

   “ Ellie-”. 

   “No, You made me a promise”.

   “And I broke it, I wanna escape! I want to see the world. You’re so obedient, Look around...We are gonna be here forever if we don't do something”.

   “We will get caught! It's too risky”.

   “We have to try!” Liv raised her voice. “I'm going, if you want to stay here and through your life away for the government go ahead, but i'm not a coward, I am strong and I see the wrong while you are blind, you're so annoying!”.  

   “I'm just sorry you can't be realistic! We are in the middle of the desert, you have no food, no water, no money, no HOPE”. 

     My head clouded and I couldn't see anything. Liv was yelling some retort. Suddenly I heard a gunshot. The whole room became hot. I heard Liv scream and then everything went black. When I came to, I was in the infirmary. I had been here once before when I broke my leg.

    I sat up, ignoring the throbbing in my head. I spotted a scientist in the corner, and jumped. We didn’t trust scientists. I glared at him. When he didn’t move I got up and walked over to him. The scientist was asleep. 

    BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. I jumped. The alarms were going off but it wasn’t meal time, at least I didn't think it was. Even through the alarm the scientist was still. I walked over to the door, I wanted to find out what the alarm went off for. Luckily it was unlocked.

    I stepped out into the hallway. Scientists and Guards flooded the hallway. Everyone was so busy no one noticed me. I saw a door and ran over to it. The door swung open into an empty wing of the infirmary. Suddenly, someone whizzed past me. 

     Liv appeared next to me and grabbed my hand. “C'mon” She smiled. “We’re leaving this dump”.