Chapter 1
A few hours earlier
My alarm clock went off at 8:00 a.m. precisely, so I got up immediately and went to get ready. Today was a day of celebration and all the inhabitants had to gather in the village square. I put on a simple blue shirt with dark wash jeans for the occasion and ran down the stairs to the kitchen where I had breakfast.
"Oh!" my mother shouted in her sweet voice. "Be careful Chloe, or you'll break your face."
"A little danger never hurt anyone," I replied humorously.
Then I joined my sister, Kate, who was quietly drinking her tea. She didn't look as happy as I was about this beautiful day. Before, she was radiant to be at this party with her friends. Something was wrong and I wanted to right that wrong.
"Is everything okay?" I asked.
"Oh yes, I was just thinking," she said as if nothing had happened.
At her words, she stood up and I was dazzled by her outfit. It consisted of a soft creamy white T-shirt with black tailored pants with leather bands on the sides and gorgeous jewelry. My sister was the epitome of grace at that moment.
"Come on Chloe! Hurry up, we're going to be late!" my mother scolded me.
"Yes, sorry," I answered her by wolfing down my croissant.
Indeed, I had not seen the hour. It was almost 9:00 a.m., the time the party started. I was so focused on my sister's clothes that I had forgotten everything else.
We left the house in a hurry and arrived at the square five minutes late. The whole village was present for this event: the reunification of our town. In the past, it consisted of two large suburbs: the south side and the north side, which came together to form the municipality of Lether.
The mayor began his speech, telling the history of our homeland. Then came the fireworks that filled the sky with their sparkle and the multicolored confetti.
Then the atmosphere changed. The joyful laughter turned into anxiety and anguish. I couldn't make out anything, people blocking my view of what was going on up ahead. High-pitched screams rang out and my mother took my hand. I felt a protective and reassuring movement, but nothing helped. I was worried about what was happening. Then I saw them. The soldiers. They came out of nowhere to send rays of light into people's eyes. A strange feeling came over me. They were blinding our community. But why? I was missing details. Nothing made sense. Suddenly I understood. They were not blinding the people, they were controlling them with their strange light. Indeed, when people were touched, they remained passive, as if they had become perfect robots. Suddenly, my mother pulled me back, taking me away from the tumult.
"Go!" she exclaimed to my sister and me. "Go away from here and never come back!"
"But what about you?" I was stunned by her words.
I did not hear her answer. My sister was already dragging me along behind her, running away at a run. I froze, and only came to my senses when I fell to the ground. As I got up, I struggled to keep up with my sister's strides. Suddenly, she stopped and I nearly collided with her. Looking over her shoulder, I saw with horror that a soldier was facing us. Then everything happened in slow motion. He pointed his beam at us, or should I say at the person in front of me. And it was out of the question. I felt my legs move and carry me between them. Then a stabbing pain shot through my eyes. Darkness had invaded my vision. When I opened my eyelids, I noticed the surprise on the guard's face and drew the only conclusion. His toy had not worked on me. Taking advantage of his stupor, my sister and I continued our run. Unfortunately, he immediately followed us.
"What just happened?" my sister asked breathlessly.
"I don't know," I said.
"Then why do you have a golden glow in your eyes?"
I didn't immediately understand what my sister had just told me. Then I looked into a glass window and saw that she was right. A memory came back to me. The eyes of the villagers who had gathered around the soldiers a few moments earlier had also changed color. Only their complexion was more pronounced than mine. The weapon gave them that shade.
We turned a corner and found ourselves in an impasse. However, our pursuer was coming, his footsteps echoing behind us. Houses surrounded us, with windows as the only way out. Having no other solution, I broke with my elbow the one on the wall of an abandoned hut and removed the remaining pieces. I felt a little tingling followed by a trickle of blood through my shirt. I passed through the opening, ahead of my sister, and we made our way through the forest that bordered the walls. However, our enemy was gaining ground and my muscles were tiring relentlessly. It was then that my sister turned around and stopped.
"What are you doing, Kate?" I asked her, worried as I slowed down.
"I'm going to make a diversion," she explained calmly.
"What are you doing? But are you crazy?"
"No, you will have more chance to get out of it," she declared.
"It is out of question that I abandon you!" I exclaimed, the fear insinuating itself in me.
"You don't have a choice. Here, take it to remember me," she said, handing me her favorite bracelet: a Michael Kors that had cost her a lot of money.
"No, I can't," I whispered, my voice holding back a sob.
"Go!" she cried. "Now!"
As she pushed me to face our captor, I dashed through the thicket, letting the tears roll down my cheeks. Then I heard her ominous cry, a sign that she had lost her fight. A sign that she had just sacrificed herself.
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