opened his eyes. He was on a train. A gruff dirty man yelled at him. "Don't let me catch you with your eyes closed, again!" The man emphasized the last word with another shove that sent Robbie's head against the window. Robbie was about to tell the man off but decided not to when he saw the six guns in the man's belt. Also the guard by the door holding the automatic rifle hinted to Robbie that he wasn't in any position to be pushing the cards, yet. Robbie scanned the train. There were a more than a dozen other kids about his age, he recognized none of them. There were men in military uniform at the two exits. Robbie tried to think back on the day's events but his head hurt too much. He touched the back of it and blood stained his hands. He would have to try to ask someone without the rough man noticing.
Episode 2
Robbie turned around in his seat to the girl sitting behind him. Before he could open his mouth the girl hissed at him and made a grimacing face. She made a shape of a gun with her hand and slapped it against her hip. “Warden,” she mouthed. The “Warden” glared at him and Robbie sat straight in his chair. Robbie still didn’t have any answers to his questions, but he had collected two important pieces of information; the name of the man, and the fact that the girl behind him had cream eyes. Robbie’s eyes were sky blue. Robbie glanced around quickly. The majority of the children had brown, blue, or orange eyes. Robbie tried not to fall asleep with the low humming of the train on the magnetic track. The Warden came around and tossed hard biscuits to the children. The sun was dipping low but the train pressed on. The Warden ordered all the children to sleep. Then he left and new soldiers came to guard.
Robbie woke up in the middle of the night. He could feel the moonlight on his face. Tomorrow it would be a full moon. Robbie felt someone slide in next to him. It was the girl with the blond hair and cream eyes. He opened his mouth but she put a finger to her lips. She made motions with her hands. Robbie didn’t understand. He held up his hand and waved it slightly. She pushed him gently back into his seat and pressed her face to the window. “She could look out her own window.” Robbie thought to himself. The girl breathed on the glass. Robbie was confused. "Was she simple or something?” The girl pressed her finger on the fogged glass and made three quick movements. “K”, Robbie was grateful his mother had taught him letters, “A”, the fog was disappearing. The girl kept going and breathed on the glass again. Robbie read “Kara” as the girl pulled away. She pointed to herself and smiled. Robbie opened his mouth but the girl put her finger to her lips again. She breathed on the window again and grabbed his hand, pulling it up to the fogged glass. He wrote “Rob” but the fog faded out from under his hand. Kara’s breath was warm on his hand as she re-heated the glass. “Robbie”, Kara made a few quick gestures with her fingers and pointed at him, mouthing his name. Robbie realized that she was talking with her hands and probably spelling out his name. He looked helplessly at his palms. She put her hand gently onto his shoulder and smiled as if to say “It’s ok, I can still understand you.” She closed her eyes and leaned into Robbie’s shoulder. Robbie could feel her even, sleepy breathing on his neck. Her hands lazily made the shapes for his name again and she made a barely noticeable, humming sigh as she exhaled. It would have been drowned out by the hum of the rain on the rails but her face was so close to his ear. Her soft breathing put him to sleep.
The sun was dipping low but the train pressed on. The Warden ordered all the children to sleep. Then he left and new soldiers came to guard.
Robbie woke up in the middle of the night. He could feel the moonlight on his face. Tomorrow it would be a full moon. Robbie felt someone slide in next to him. It was the girl with the blond hair and cream eyes. He opened his mouth but she put a finger to her lips. She made motions with her hands. Robbie didn’t understand. He held up his hand and waved it slightly. She pushed him gently back into his seat and pressed her face to the window. “She could look out her own window.” Robbie thought to himself. The girl breathed on the glass. Robbie was confused. "Was she simple or something?” The girl pressed her finger on the fogged glass and made three quick movements. “K”, Robbie was grateful his mother had taught him letters, “A”, the fog was disappearing. The girl kept going and breathed on the glass again. Robbie read “Kara” as the girl pulled away. She pointed to herself and smiled. Robbie opened his mouth but the girl put her finger to her lips again. She breathed on the window again and grabbed his hand, pulling it up to the fogged glass. He wrote “Rob” but the fog faded out from under his hand. Kara’s breath was warm on his hand as she re-heated the glass. “Robbie”, Kara made a few quick gestures with her fingers and pointed at him, mouthing his name. Robbie realized that she was talking with her hands and probably spelling out his name. He looked helplessly at his palms. She put her hand gently onto his shoulder and smiled as if to say “It’s ok, I can still understand you.” She closed her eyes and leaned into Robbie’s shoulder. Robbie could feel her even, sleepy breathing on his neck. Her hands lazily made the shapes for his name again and she made a barely noticeable, humming sigh as she exhaled. It would have been