Chapter 1
We are all made of stars. That’s what my mama would always say, but I didn’t know she actually meant it. I am different. I am special. She didn’t say those things just so that I would feel good about myself. Our entire community was special until it was wiped out within seconds and without a warning. Devastating natural disaster or not-so-divine intervention?
It all started on March 18, 2094, one day before my ninth birthday. At 6:04 PM PST an earthquake caused a mudslide that swept away the entire population of Estrella, Washington. 187 people reported dead. 17 bodies unaccounted for. The news people made sure to make it a point every year on the anniversary that there were still, to this day, 17 bodies that have never been recovered from the disaster site. It’s the only day we watch the news.
“You must never speak of this!” I remember Marvin screaming at us as we trampled through the mess of a forgotten trail. I could feel the mud thicken around my thin soled shoes. In the chaos of everything, shoe style wasn’t an urgent topic. Every time I would think about my mama and what was happening back home, I was brought back to reality by the smaller children running around me. I felt as though it was my obligation to make sure they didn’t fall behind even though I wasn’t entirely sure why.
After what felt like one hundred miles, a forest green passenger van appeared in the distance and was already waiting for us. The engine was barely audible above the sounds of the unaffected forest. It camouflaged so well against the trees it would have been easy to miss if it wasn’t already running. Rain seemed to pour down harder and heavier with each step we took. The dark verdant forest, cluttered with lofty moss covered trees canopied above did little to filter any of it. By the time we reached the van, we were drenched and covered completely in mud. It didn’t seem to phase us, as there was not one single complaint, not even from the youngest among us who were merely toddlers at the time.
“Hurry! Go! Hurry! Faster!” Marvin screamed again as the 13 of us scrambled to find seats, completely dumbfounded by what had just unfolded within the last 30 minutes. I thought at first this had to be a dream, but I had never felt so cold, wet or afraid before. I knew this was anything but a nightmare and I wanted my mama. I did my best to stay strong and wiped away a single tear before it even had a chance to leave my eye, sucked it up for the rest of the children and looked forward into the unknown.
***
An hour prior to the disaster, I was playing checkers and listening to an early 2000’s pop music station with my mama. My favorite song is ironically about a girl on fire, which the irony will make more sense very soon. Really old music was our favorite. She often referred to the two of us as old souls and for some reason that made me feel special and closer to her. I didn’t really know my papa well, he had left when I was a baby but nobody really talked about it much. My parents were married, but my mama said that papa had very important business to take care of. She even wore a wedding ring that she hardly ever took off. The strange part at the time was that she talked about him as if he were a superhero. I thought she had made up the stories for my benefit so that I didn’t miss having a papa so much. She loved telling me all kinds of stories about the world and our universe, and a far away land called Jades, so I always thought they were just that, stories.
Snickerdoodle cookies were baking in the oven and a fresh pot of beef stew was nearly finished cooking on the stovetop. I can close my eyes and imagine the smorgasbord of smells, as if they were wafting in front of me now. Oh how I wish we could have enjoyed one more meal together. We were getting ready to celebrate the birthday I almost shared with her. She would have been thirty-nine on the 20th.
“I love birthdays, mama, they are the best!” I squealed in delight. “King me!”
“I love sharing them with you too, baby girl. When did you get so good at this game?” she asked with a beaming smile.
Right as I was about to win and just before I could answer, Ted Versa, one of my mama’s closest friends, burst through the door in a state of sheer panic. Usually a very calm, quiet and collected man, he was hysterical and rambling.
“Arianna! The Diaphinoids have located us. Their attack is already in place and there isn’t anything we can do to stop it. Opal and Garnet are trying to hold it back to the best of their ability, but that may give us 10 extra minutes if we are lucky. We don’t have much time and we must get them out if it’s the last thing we do!” He was breathless by the time all of the coherent words finally spilled out of his mouth.
His son, Bull, who was about to turn eight that April, was hugging his father’s leg tightly with tears rolling down both of their faces. Bull and I had spent so much time together, because our parents and his aunt Mauve worked very closely with each other and when they weren’t working they were hanging out. We were never quite sure what they were doing but they always said they were taking care of official business. I had never seen Mr. Versa cry, so I was really starting to panic now. What could possibly be so important? Did I hear the word ‘attack’ correctly? Before I could say a word, my mama grabbed me and held me tighter than I could ever remember. It felt like both a split second and an eternity. As she pulled away, she looked deep into my eyes with tears and pure love dripping from hers.
“Mama,” I choked, tears finally starting to well up in my own.
“Goldie,” my mama started, blinking to gain her composure and once again making steady eye contact with me.
. “ I need you to take Bull and go to Mr. and Mrs. Jones’ house. They will be waiting for you there. They know what to do. Go with them. It’s ok. You are going to go out the backdoor and run along the houses so that nobody can see you, ok? Just listen to what I tell you and everything will be ok, Goldie, listen to what I say.“
“But mama, I don’t understand…” I started.
“Baby, I know. I know it’s scary, but this is so much bigger than us. There is something really bad coming and there is not going to be enough time to get everyone out of here, and I can’t go with you. You will know about all of this when it’s your time, but right now I need you to do what I say. I don’t have any more time to explain and you need to get to safety before it’s too late. Trust mama, I have never steered you in the wrong direction before...”
I wanted to fight her more, but I knew that I couldn’t because this had to be really serious. She was right, she had never lied to me or done anything to put me in harm’s way. She was the best mama ever. She was a fun loving, party hosting, outgoing type of person and if she was serious she meant business and I knew I had to do exactly what she was telling me to.
I looked over at Bull and his dad and they were crouched in a similar stance to ours. Their bright blonde hair practically blended together and they looked almost like the same man embracing his younger self. I was barely able to make out what they were saying but I heard every word. Ted’s words and that moment are forever tattooed inside of my brain and the ache in the heart that I feel that goes along with it.
“Be strong, my boy. I’m so proud of you. Daddy will always be proud of you, Bull. Be brave!”
They both burst into soft sobs and embraced.
“Ted, they need to go. Now.” My mama commanded.
I grabbed Bulls hand, looked back at the two of them for only a moment and we were gone. The Joneses’ home was only six houses down on the same row, so we were there quickly without any problems.
As soon as we stepped into his yard, Marvin Jones was at the gate, shoving us into the house.
“Okay, I got eleven of ya, we are only missing two.”
“What are you talking about?” I yelled out.
I was met with a quick, blank look and nothing more before Marvin was back out the door. I hated not knowing what was going on and I wanted my mama. I looked around the room for any sort of clues and there were nine other kids. The “eleven of ya” comment finally made sense. Since we were such a small community, our families were close. Everyone did everything together. We were so close that the adults would schedule monthly themed parties at the community rec center. None of us were strangers. I knew every single one of them and most on a very personal level.
The first kids I instantly recognized were my first cousins, twins Kastor and Polli Dioscuri. At the time they were five-years-old. My papa and their mama were twins. My Aunt Wednesday, their mama, was with my papa on the important business so they were raised by their papa, My uncle Victor. Kastor and Polli are very unique and look nothing like twins.
They are the human embodiment of the Yin and Yang symbol and practically looked like one huddled together on the Joneses couch. Neither were in tears but each were clearly terrified and trying their best not to make eye contact with anyone but themselves. It is true what they say about twins, they do share a secret language, especially in silence. Kastor, the boy, has pitch black skin, jet black hair, and silver eyes. Polli, on the other hand, has a complexion that is white as snow, long hair that looks as though it is made of fluffs of baby powder clouds, and she has the most mesmerizing violet black eyes. I wanted to comfort them, but at the same time I needed to see who else was brought here and why only a fraction of our community’s children were here. Overthinking is one of my many gifts and curses.
On the other side of the couch sat Adi Karkata, she was also five at the time. Her long black hair was fixed neatly in a braid that went all the way down her back. She sat with her hands in face, sobbing and asking where her mama and papa were. When her massive, mahogany eyes full of tears met mine, I looked away immediately. I didn’t know how to comfort her, especially when I didn’t know what I was feeling myself and the lack of knowing was starting to tear my stomach into tiny pieces. I was surprised to see her sitting alone. Usually, her big sister, Virgie Kanya, was hovering over her to make sure she was ok. I continued to scan the room, hoping she wasn’t one of the missing two or one of the children that wouldn’t be included.
I was still holding Bull’s hand tight as I continued to look around. Like I said, there were more than 13 kids in Estrella and I wanted to know who was here and why. I had an inkling to be strong for all of the other kids, as if it was my job to make sure they were all ok, yet I couldn’t find it inside myself to let go of Bull’s hand and talk to anyone.
Sweet Tula Justice, only four, sat crumpled in a corner. Her fiery red curly mop nearly covered her entire tiny body. I could only imagine what the cerulean color of her bloodshot, teary eyes must have looked like from the massive sobs that were coming out of her. She was usually such a calm and quiet little thing, seeming to lack the normal toddler age energy the rest of us exhibited. Phoenix Artemis, just 5, sat nearby, but not close enough to touch. He looked almost enraged, his gray eyes clearly brewing a storm and his messy blonde locks only adding to the angst. When his eyes met mine, he was the first to look away as he hid his head in his knees and started to shake.
I spotted two more of the last four kids on the other side of the room. Brother and sister, Gany Tapas and Aphrodite Meena. They were also the older cousins of Tula on their mama’s side. They didn’t seem to notice her across the room. Oftentimes, Gany and Aphrodite lived inside of their own little world. Gany had just turned seven and Aphrodite eight. The two of them were often mistaken for the twins over Kastor and Polli before the mudslide. Both looked as though they stepped out of a Greek Mythology epic; olive skin, thick, dark hair and piercing emerald green eyes. They were holding each other tight, Aphrodite was stroking Gany’s hair in a worried, yet protective way. They have always been very attached to each other.
As I continued to scan the room, I instantly recognized Leo Nemean, who is Gany and Aphrodite’s cousin on the other side of their family. An adorable red haired 4 year old who had a look of confusion on his face. My mama and his papa were first cousins, so we spent quite a lot of time together. I felt an overwhelming need to protect him growing inside of me, especially seeing how small and afraid he was. I needed to protect all of them, I thought. I started to lift my foot to walk his way when I noticed Bull was still clutching tightly to my hand. I gave him a tight squeeze and gave him my best attempt at a smile, still unable to find the right words. I scanned the room for the last person who was supposed to be there but didn’t see anyone.
“Hey,” I heard a very familiar voice whisper from behind.
There she was! My heart sank and the pent up anxiety settled just for a moment until I remembered what was going on again. I was so glad to see her. I practically threw myself into her arms and squeezed her tight. It was my best friend Virgie Kanya, one year younger than me. She has this thick, curly, gorgeous black hair, skin that looks as if it were poured straight from a warm pot of caramel and dark piercing eyes that glitter, especially when she is upset. They were practically made of glitter that day in a way that both allured and terrified me.
“Ah! You scared me, Virgie!” I thought I had nearly screamed, but realized my voice was barely above a whisper. I could see that the others had looked up and were watching us older kids closely, as if we somehow held some of the answers they too were looking for, yet none of them were brave enough to confront us or speak up. Not like we had any answers or were able to speak up anyway .
“What are you doing? I thought you were gone! Why aren’t you with your sister? Where…”
Before she could say anything else, Marvin was back in the house, rushing the last two kids in with each one riding either of his hips. The final kids were two three-year old’s, unrelated, but their mother and father had been best friends since childhood. The little girl, Cherri Archer, a sweet little cherub with dark brown skin, gorgeous dark brown eyes, and had her strawberry blonde curls done in pigtails. The little boy, Capri Enki, still had a chunky baby face. His brown hair was cut neatly and his honey eyes were constantly challenging as they darted around the room. The two clung to Marvin tightly as he tried to peel them off.
“Now, listen children. I only have a few rules for you right now and they have to be followed obediently. No talking. No crying. No screaming. Stay as quiet as possible, do you understand?” he demanded in a hushed yet very stern tone. It was clear that we all understood as we simultaneously shook our heads. Tula wiped the last of her tears as she stood up and took a deep breath.
If you were to ask anyone in Estrella, Washington, they would say that Marvin and his wife Carlita were the nicest people in town. Both were in their late forties at the time with no children of their own. They dedicated most of their time serving their community and throwing a monthly potluck the entire town was invited to. Marvin was practically everyone’s physician while Carlita tended more to the philanthropy end of things and was constantly volunteering her time. I am related to Marvin too, a distant cousin of some kind. My mama had mentioned it once before, but at such a young age it didn’t really strike my interest. To see Marvin so intense was unnerving. None of us chose to push it and I even found myself frightened by his behavior, although I would never admit it.
“Follow me,” he said a bit more calmly which eased my anxiety only slightly.
We quietly scurried and followed him out the backdoor. We ventured deep into his backyard that was up against a thick, forested area. Bull and I stayed at the end of the group, making sure the littles didn’t fall behind or get lost in the shuffle. As soon as we crossed the river, the Earth rumbled in a ferocious way as giant explosions boomed continuously. Marvin let out a giant sigh and told us to keep our heads forward and to never look back. “We must never look back,” he kept repeating. I wasn’t sure if he was telling himself, or us, maybe both. I instantly knew they were gone. All of them. We were the only survivors for some reason. The others didn’t seem to notice what had happened. Bull, possibly, but we tend to stay away from speaking of that day. It’s too painful. We all lost everything but our lives, and even then, there was a brokenness inside of each of us that seemed impossible to repair.
It felt like we had been walking for miles and hours, but in reality it had probably been less than a mile and well under a half hour. The littles did their best at not whining or complaining through the hike to the van, and we all did as we were told and kept our mouths shut. At one point Marvin had scooped up both Cherri and Capri in his arms and placed them on his hips again to try to move us along as fast as possible because as hard as they tried, it was a lot for them being so little. I was impressed they could do so much, but adrenaline, even in the youngest of people, does magnificent things to the body.
Cleverly hidden among trees and running with a slow roar disguised by the trickle of the rain through the trees, an evergreen colored passenger van was patiently waiting for us. It blended in perfectly with the surroundings and I was sure there was a reason for it. There had to be a reason for all of this and as much as I wanted to question I knew I had to do as I was told. We all piled into the van, making sure not to shove or yell. Once we all found a place in the van, the doors shut quietly with an automatic button and we were off. Carlita had moved over into the passenger seat and Marvin was driving stealthily down an old narrow logging road that did not appear to have any upkeep in possibly a century. The bumps were terrifying and the slap of branches against the window made us all jump in fear every time. I was sitting on the driver’s side window and swore that we would hit a tree at any moment. I remember ducking each time I saw one approaching, as if it could somehow save me if we crashed. Once we finally got to the real road, Marvin and Carlita seemed to calm down a bit as they both looked up into the sky like they were looking for something. Once they realized nobody was following us and nothing was in the air, Carlita turned around and gave us a sympathetic look.
“I know you are scared and unsure of what just happened but I want you to know that you are safe with us and everything is going to be ok. We can’t give you many details now, but your parents have entrusted us with keeping you safe and that is all that matters for now.”
She quickly turned back around as we continued to sit in silence to our destination. We could tell it still wasn’t the right time for questions, even though the most curious of us were dying for answers. It didn’t feel like anything was ever going to be ok again and all I wanted was to enjoy a snickerdoodle cookie with my mama to celebrate our birthdays.
