Sex: No Longer a Necessity [Mio / Charlmeister]

Tinkering with the ancient looking screwdriver, he was slowly putting the chassis back on to the equally Neanderthal looking radio. Once he attached his primitive static mod (a simple led display device that actually turned sound waves into mere static using specified codes from the master radio), he would have another communications device that could keep the camp interconnected as best as he could.

He was more like the techno-gopher of the group; having arrived only a few weeks before, the elders dubbed him with the ancient sounding 'IT guy' title that was used throughout the 21st century. He was the 'nano-bot' of the camp, so to speak. He had been running all of his life from his parents, his guardians, and his government. He would mess around here and there with equipment that was discarded or lying around and for a while, he had snuck into government warehouses to get the parts he needed.

Turning on the transmit button, he used the radio. "Foxhollow, this is Greg; Foxhollow, come in please." Suddenly, the radio lit up indicating it was receiving a signal, followed by a female voice. "This is Foxhollow, are you scrambling this signal?"

"Foxhollow, yes - I attached a static mod and the only thing the government hears now is static. I would recommend using a scrambler every day to change the access code at the master radio. Anyways, when the new arrival comes - we'll give her this. I say it will work for a good six months before I've got to repair it."

Silence for a moment; then another transmission. "Foxhollow to Greg ... Greg, thanks for all of this. You know the team loves you?"

Love? What was it exactly? The government said it was okay to have buddies and friends, okay to do some fun things together. But love? That was the stuff of fairy tales; to have affection for one another? "Foxhollow, I'm sorry to say that I don't even know what that means."

"You know the baby inside of me?" the mothering figure over the revised ham radio said. "Yes, Foxhollow." "Greg, that is the product of love. I need you to stay here in the camp to protect him or her and us. That is love too."

Greg guessed he understood what family meant. He transmitted one last time, "73s Foxhollow; just contact me when the new girl arrives."

"What are you doing?" Amelia stared at her sister, who moved frantically around the room with a duffel bag, stuffing as many clothes - for them both - as could fit inside. She was confused, to say the least, and the more she watched her sister was the tighter her chest became from the increasing build of panic that stacked itself up by heavy degrees, inside of her. Her sister, Pandora, glanced at her for a second to smile at her reassuringly.
"We're leaving."

Amelia frowned and got up, putting down her plate of unfinished food on the vanity by the bed. Leaving? Why would they leave? They were fine here in Ridge. The housing scheme was nice, the neighbors were sweet people. "Why are we leaving? Pandora, what's wrong?" Panic raised the decibels of her voice and Amelia walked over to her, removing clothes from the duffel bag as Pandora placed them in. "We're not leaving."

"We have to leave Amelia." Pandora didn't raise her voice too much but enough so that her sister would stop interfering with her packing. The rough undertone of her voice was enough to stop Amelia, who was now on the verge of tears. "Amelia..." Pandora sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, holding her sister's hand, pulling her to sit with her.

"I'm pregnant, ok?"
Amelia blinked at her, wiping her tears. "What? You're what? What is that?"
Pandora closed her eyes for a second then reopened them, using those precious milliseconds to calm herself enough and think through how she would explain this. But now, there was no time. The government spot checks would be happening in a couple hours and they needed to be at the camp before then.
"When we get to the place, I'll tell you about it. But right now, we have to leave. Because if we don't, if the soldiers take me in for a check, you won't see me again."

She wished she could have made it sound less dramatic, less serious but that was the situation. She wanted to cry, she felt the building weight of a lump at her throat. But weakness was something she couldn't afford right now. And it would only catapult Amelia into throes of sorrow, instead, she smiled and wiped Amelia's tears and kissed her. "Now help me pack."

Amelia nodded slowly. There wasn't much that she understood from what her sister just told her, but her dying? It was enough to help her understand that pregnant was wrong, something the government was against. She didn't want to leave, but her sister was in danger. She hurried to the bathroom to shower then followed her sister out as they walked along the side of the road.

Some neighbors were out walking their dogs, tending to their gardens - some just jogged by and waved in their direction when they caught a glimpse of them. Lovely people, Amelia thought. Living corpses, Pandora thought. Both smiled in return and Pandora held tightly to Amelia's hand, knowing she needed that reassuring squeeze.

She had the radio in her pocket to contact the other mates from the rebel group she was a member of. Pandora couldn't think of leaving her sister behind, though at times she thought it best. Amelia was already under the government's control. It had made her worry and she didn't want her to suffer the way their mother did. She wanted to save her.

As they neared the camp, out of sight from person's who could be around, she reached for the radio and pressed the button on the side. "Foxhollow to Greg?"
Behind her, she heard Amelia repeating what she said in a small voice. "Foxhollow to Greg. She's here with me." Pandora turned to her sister and smiled.
"Who's Greg?" Amelia asked, arching a brow.
"You'll see."

Greg hopped into the micro jeep; a military drone vehicle usually used to transport passengers quickly from one point to another. Normally, it transported prisoners. However, he modified the insides of this particular jeep to help him escape the correction camps. When he heard the screams of men and women in the other rooms, he knew whatever was going on - he was not going to let them do anything to them.

Explorer Intrepid; he had read of the schematics of primitive land rovers called 'cars' in old history books. One of the land rovers was called Explorer Intrepid [or maybe Intrepid Explorer, he couldn't remember]; perhaps that was what he was. An explorer, but was he really fearless? He drove the EI to the meeting point.

He recognized Pandora, though they had only known each other for a few days since he had only recently arrived at the camp. He looked at the new girl; she was scared, troubled, maybe even hassled. But pretty. Not that there weren't others in the camp who were beautiful; she seemed to be incredibly beautiful. The first thing he noticed on her were her freckles; the second thing he noticed was ... was her eyes. She had 'seen' things too; you could hardly look into a person's eyes and not notice that they had been affected by the feds.

"Hop in, we'll take you all to safety." But the moment the duffel bag entered the jeep, the jeep began making an alarm noise. Looking at the safety console, Greg turned to Amelia - "Amelia, did you check this bag before you left? The car doesn't like what's in it. I don't know when the patrols will come through; we can either find out what it is or ditch the bag all together. Sorry, security protocols."

Greg looked a little hesitant to mention abandoning the piece completely as he knew their only belongings were inside ...

Amelia was shifting her weight from one foot to the other, then when she became bored with that, she used the toe of her boot to push pebbles around; creating little colonies. She looked up at her sister. There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but her gut told her to let it wait until they were wherever they were supposed to be. There was the distant sputter and low steady rumble of an engine then it came closer and she saw the vehicle. She stared at it, having not seen anything like it. But it didn't awe her, it made her fearful - intimidated. Pandora reached for her hand and pulled her to come when Greg alighted from the vehicle.

But Amelia dug her heels into the ground, causing Pandora to turn and look at her, an almost irritated expression tracing her frown. "What's wrong, Amelia?"
She opened her mouth to speak but instead looked around her for a second. Amelia didn't feel threatened here. Where was that sense of omen - the sign of foreboding? Everything was quaint about here. She had grown comfortable. The sun was out, nature thrived - the people thrived. But her sister was afraid of something. This pregnant business and the government finding out.
She wanted to tell her she didn't want to leave, that she should go by herself and she'd stay behind. She wouldn't be selfish. She wouldn't be afraid either.

She looked up at Greg. Why was her sister willing to trust him and whoever else they were going to? What made them different from the people around them? What was she not understanding? She didn't like being confused; it unnerved her. Sighing, she shook her head and followed her sister up to the jeep, removing the duffel bag from its slung position across her shoulder as she handed it to Greg. She didn't say hello.

"Hop in, we'll take you all to safety." She frowned at that. She thought she had been living in safety. As she was about to climb in after Greg put the duffel bag inside, the jeep's alarm system went off. He turned to her and at first, she blinked - as if innocent - when he questioned her about the contents inside.

Pandora looked at her, "What did you put in the bag Amelia?"
"Nothing."
"Amelia, please. What did you put in the bag?"
After a moment, she shrugged and answered, "I brought along mom's bracelet I-"
"What?" Pandora went to the bag and opened it, searching through the clothes for the silver bracelet. There was a tracking device inside. All of them had one. She had destroyed theirs but Amelia had kept their mother's as a keepsake. She located it and took it out, throwing it into the high bushes behind the old house on the block.

Amelia stared at her, almost protested but the look on Pandora's face made her shake her head and get in the jeep. She sat, her body and head turned away from her sister as much as possible. She stared out the window. What was wrong with Pandora?

Greg's expression suddenly turned deeply interested; he took note of Amelia's distaste of throwing away something precious to her. But there was nothing he could do about it right now; turning back to the safety console, he pushed a few buttons to reset the alarm.

He began driving; while the camp was nestled alongside an abandoned warehouse, Greg could not take the chance that he was being followed anyway. He would take a long cut through the woods; the tiny jeep caused somewhat of a cramped discomfort and intimacy that he was unsure of whether it was or was not welcomed.

"Amelia, I was able to expand Pandora's room to put in another bed. You both have a private bathroom and I fixed the hot water on the shower. Fixed up an old dresser, its pretty big if I do say so myself." He continued driving forward. Suddenly, Greg exclaimed, "Damn! Damn!" Up ahead, a road block and a military guard was telling the vehicle to slow down. Was this local militia just keeping things tight in town, or were these the feds? The woods made the uniform look practically the same.

He slowed the vehicle. "Damn, girls. This wasn't the welcome I was hoping for you. These aren't our guys. Sorry, I'm gonna have to lie and hope they don't recognize me."

The guard approached the vehicle. "Who are you, what is this?"

Greg began acting. "Do I really have to explain it?" he smiled slyly. He looked around and determined there was only one guard; he may just be doing menial guard duty.

"Okay, are you saying these are impure humans?"

"Look, I don't know. I've got these papers; bring these ladies to Correction camp 154 it says. They're due in for arrival at 8:30 PM; the order was issued at 4:00. I'm told they don't care what happens to them between transport times, and I've got a whole hour before getting them there. Do you know what I mean?" He hated insinuating he was going to rape the two of them, but he had to get the guard "off his guard".

"Can I join in?" he said while he looked lustfully at Amelia. The stare was long; during this time, Greg slipped a gun to Pandora.

Turning back toward Greg, the guard got agitated. "Well then! Am I allowed to inspect the goods or what?"

Now was the time. Greg had practiced this with Pandora a million times for just such a scenario. While sex was illegal, Greg knew that some guards (he guessed like this one) loved it when transporting "unsterilized" men and women. They could do all sorts of things between the time of transport and arrival to the correction camps. And the correction camps just covered up the mess and made sure such stories didn't make it to the nightly news.

"Forgive me" Greg whispered to Pandora.

"Pandora wants you to look down her blouse, just over here. Yeah, look - let me show you" he said while he grasped her and pulled her shirt out. If all went according to plans, this guard was not going to be a problem anymore.

Amelia glanced at Greg's reflection through the rear view mirror as he spoke to her. She said nothing. Her intent was not to be rude, she wasn't like that but unlike her sister, she was suspicious of this entire situation and she couldn't help how heavy her stomach felt. She was worrying and it sent a ripple of shivers up and down her spine. All she could afford was a nod in response to what he said. There were a lot of trees, obscuring the view of the town - her civilization.

Pandora gave her hand a squeeze. Amelia didn't bother looking at her sister. But she looked around when she heard Greg's short curses then him saying that the man approaching wasn't their guy. Her brows furrowed in confusion and her chest heaved with each rapid breath as she glanced around.
"Act naturally Amelia. It's going to be okay." Pandora said to her, smiling quickly.

A uniformed official came to the jeep and Amelia listened to them, keeping her head down and glancing from time to time to her sister. A Correction Camp. Wasn't that where their mother had been sent to? She opened her mouth, her gaze almost frantic when she looked back at the official. Pandora shook her head at her. Amelia looked at her and calmed down when she mouthed that everything would be okay. It didn't seem like much reassurance, but it was enough to lift some of the burden she felt in her chest.

"Can I join in?"
Amelia looked up then and jumped slightly when she caught the official staring at her. And she didn't like his look, the way it made her feel - dirty and like a piece of meat. She didn't understand why he'd be looking at her like that.

Then Greg was saying that Pandora wanted the official to look down her blouse. Pandora gave a single nod to Greg, moving the gun to her side when the official opened the door around to her side. He was grabbing on to her breast without preamble, his face buried in her neck. Amelia's eyes were wide as she watched. What the hell was he doing?? Why wasn't Pandora doing anything??

But then there was a noise, and a strange surprised groan came from the guard. There were two more shots, muffled. Pandora kept the muzzle pressed against his clothes, right at his belly. She felt the warmth of the blood leaking over her fingers then she pushed the body away.
"Put it in the back Greg, we'll bury it when we get to the camp."

Amelia's eyes were glazed in shock. "Pan...a-" she struggled to speak. But "Oh my god." was the last thing she said before she lapsed into a shocked state of silence.
Pandora looked at Greg, "Hurry." She righted her top and didn't try to say anything to Amelia. She'd come around. Soon enough, she hoped.

After lifting the barricade, Greg hopped back in the vehicle and quickly stepped on the gas. He hadn't perfected the engine yet, and he hoped to eventually put a silencer on the 'rev'. Until then, he hoped speed would be on his side.

"Let's not use anymore communication devices until I have time to swap out frequencies; I'm not sure I believe it was a coincidence that he was stationed in our path." He looked over to Amelia, then Pandora in the passenger seat. "Look, tell Spark I didn't mean anything by ... you know what I mean ... I don't want to be kicked out so soon."

Greg looked out the window; he didn't feel he belonged anywhere; except here. Even though he had only been at the camp for a little less than a month, it was the first time he felt something. Belonging maybe was the right word; he hesitated to use the word love; he pondered his current situation. In the past, he was a rebel for his own cause. Fuck the government because it dared to tell him what to do. But now things changed; now he wanted to rebel because the government did not have the best interest of men or women in mind. He hoped Amelia would forgive him; I mean, he'd be mad too if some crazy person took him away from safety and security and seemingly brought him into danger. He had to earn Amelia's trust, especially if she continued with the group indefinitely.

Finally, scenery became quasi-recognizable; the large former picture frame factory and warehouse was approaching line of sight. A security check point was a normal process, but an inside job. Everyone got through the security check point the rebel camp set up. However, only true members were taken out of the jeep and "forced" to go the actual camp by escort. Non-members were simply directed through the barricade which led - that's right - back to the forest from whence they came. This "no-reject" farce had proven safe so far, but required oversight by a fed insider. Greg was not sure he liked a fed insider in charge of helping those that opposed the government, but for now - he figured they should make the best of a pretty bad situation.

Suddenly, it occurred to Greg that his work wasn't done. "I need to go back" he whispered to Pandora. "We need Amelia's trust if she is going to be saved; I have to go back and get her memento from your Mom. I think I can remove the tracking chip. I need you reset the radio frequency to the next one on my list. Okay? I'll deal with the body."

Amelia was still in shock, so much so that she wasn't paying attention to their path, nor had realized the slowing of the jeep and cut-off of engine power that left the jeep jerking to a sharp stop. Pandora had killed someone. She didn't even know her sister was capable of doing something like that. She fought back tears. She couldn't cry in front of Greg. It would embarrass her, and probably in turn, embarrass Pandora. Pandora hated to seem weak and Amelia felt as if she was her sister's reflection. And therefore had the job put upon her to carry off her sister as best as she could. But she'd made a mess of that already with the way she'd reacted to that official's death.

Pandora nodded at Greg and smiled, "Don't worry, he won't. I won't let him. You'll be okay here, with us Greg. I promise." Pandora really liked Greg and she was glad Spark had given him the chance to prove himself among them. He was very valuable, and in the short time, he was like a brother to her. He hadn't seemed okay the first time she'd met him but now, he seemed okay, as if he had found a place here with them. She wanted things to stay that way.

Amelia looked around them; the unfamiliar territory,the factory and worn down warehouse. Was this where their new home would be? She left the comfort of her life...for this? She frowned and wrapped her hands around her midriff, as though consoling herself. She glanced over at Pandora and Greg, he was saying something to her sister in a low tone; Pandora nodded and Amelia heard her telling Greg to be careful and hurry back.

Amelia watched Greg leave and looked at Pan'. "Where's he going?"
"To try and find mom's bracelet."
Amelia frowned and glanced beyond Pandora's shoulder to see him shifting the barricade again, blocking him from view. "Why would he do that?"
"He doesn't feel right about me throwing it away, it means something to you."
"Oh..."
Pandora nodded, "Come on. We'll have to walk the rest of the way."
Amelia followed her sister and thought about Greg, a small smile erasing the frown that had been on her face.

Digging wasn't exactly what Greg wanted to do right now; he had stopped by a make shift cemetery, however, to bury the soldier's body. Since the jeep did not object to the odd load, he was fairly certain he was small fish with no spy-wear on him. It was unfortunate that he handled death in such a cavalier manner and perhaps he should have been more comforting to Pandora or Amelia; yet, he would not have gotten as far as he had travelled if he got sick at every death scene he had seen. Nonetheless, he thought he would prefer death than watching the government take away people's rights to love one another and choose for themselves who they could love and how they could show it.

While nightfall was soon to broach the activity he was finishing, he stopped after he was done and took out the bracelet he recovered. It was easy to find the bracelet, the car helped to locate it. However, what was not so easy was removing the chip.

The bracelet was pretty; he looked at it closer. He could not see the memories the bracelet held, only Amelia could do that. He wondered ...

Instinct kicked in; he turned around and took a swing. But the man who was about to sneak up behind him got the better of him and twisted the arm before announcing, "Greg! I was wondering what happened to you!" Spark? What was he doing out of camp.

Spark gave his laugh and said, "You dropped off of radio communication, I wanted to make sure you were okay." But Greg didn't believe him; Spark had a wild side. Not wild as in irresponsible; wild as in he was an untamed horse or eagle. He couldn't be kept inside a camp forever; yet, he would go to all lengths to protect his people. Greg gave the whole truthful tale to Spark; it was then he looked in Greg's eyes with a hardened look. Okay, maybe he shouldn't have fessed about the down blouse thing. He was sure he was now in trouble.

Spark approached Greg closer. He peered into Greg's eyes. "You know what I like about you? Your a good soul." He gave a big hug; Greg seemed to be uncomfortable but like being accepted.

"Let's get back to the camp; Pandora will wonder what happened to us."

Greg just smiled, "You didn't come all the way out here just 'cuz you were worried about me, did you?"

"You'll have to ask Pandora my reasons."

Amelia felt as if she'd been walking for too long. The dirt road was rough, and she'd twisted her ankle - but not too badly - in the small ditches she hadn't been paying attention to. It had been awhile since she'd had this kind of walking exercise and her throat - her entire body - could do well with some cold water right now. The sun had disappeared behind thick clouds, it was getting dark. With the slow approach of dusk, came her own exhaustion. She wanted a bed. More so, a bath.

Pandora stopped. "We're here." Amelia didn't look her best, she was tired and exhausted. There were beads of sweat that broke out across her brow and her eyes seemed very tired. Pandora understood her lethargy, Amelia had experienced more than enough in one day: uprooted from her comfortable life, to witnessing a man die, to moving to unknown territory. But she'd be okay.

The place was moderately big, a bit worn. The paint was stripping on the walls, the grass was high; glancing scratchy kisses across their legs. There was a beaten down patch of earth and Amelia would have liked to think a garden had once been there. She followed her sister as they walked up to the door. Her sister knocked in a sequence, then the door was opened. Some guy came out, tall and handsome and grabbed up Pandora. Amelia was introduced to Spark and then shown inside.

There were two other people inside, Mike and Kendall. They were nice, smiling at her, welcoming Pandora with a hug and expressing concern over her bloody shirt. Amelia was left to Mike and Kendall to be shown around the interior while Pandora went off to talk with Spark.

Amelia looked inside the room she'd be sharing with her sister. Greg had said he'd done some work on the room to create more of a living space for her to share with her sister inside this room. He'd done a good job. She flopped down on the bed and stared at nothing in particular. She tried to think but her mind could no longer process coherent thoughts right now.

Pandora came in then and looked down at Amelia. "Ame', you okay?"
Amelia looked up at her and smiled. It was the first time she ever forced a smile. "Yeah. Yeah..."
"I can tell you about it now - about everything - if you want."
"No. No," Amelia shook her head. "I just want to shower."
Pandora looked at her and a heavy silence hung for a moment. "Ok. I'll bring you a towel."
Amelia nodded and went to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She stripped down and went in the shower then turned on the overhead spray. She allowed herself then, to cry.

The talk in the jeep was pretty mundane; things were quiet. It was a possibility this could be a permanent home for a while; chatter was pretty quiet on the net or radio frequencies, and currently, the government was producing propaganda on how human peace was now in sight thanks to their new family model vision.

Greg walked to what he believed was probably, at one time, some sort of meeting room. It was of course in shambles along with the building that pretended to house it. This was the area that he knew he would find the girls. Since arriving back in the camp, Spark had gone to the lake which was conveniently located behind the factory building. This he promptly reported to Pandora as he knocked on the non-existent door and entered their living quarters.

The noise of the shower running did not block out the sounds of Amelia crying; he had seen and heard many people crying. The guards at the correction camp cried when he turned a gun on them; the women in his life cried when he was leaving the family, but he refused to believe their family was the perfect model or that he really even belonged. But Amelia was different; when she cried, there was life in her weeping. A life that wasn't in anyone else's he had met thus far.

"Oh, sorry for intruding" he commented as if pretending he didn't hear Amelia. He had only met her once; for some reason, her cries resonated deep inside his soul. "Oh yeah" he muttered, not sure the right protocol. Since he didn't really know Amelia, he thought maybe it was not right for him to entertain any further contact with her. "Umm, I was able to get the tracking device out. Not that you did anything wrong, you didn't. I guess, I just…" He couldn't actually think to himself his motivation for going back to get the bracelet. Or maybe he knew in his heart why he went back to get it and just didn't want to admit to it.

"Anyway, maybe you should give her this bracelet; perhaps it will cheer her up." He turned it over to her. "Oh, how's the baby doing?" as if he had ever really seen or met a pregnant girl before. This would be a first, so he wasn't even sure what he was suppose to expect or what he was supposed to be sure about.

Amelia hiccuped on a sob when she heard Greg's voice on the outside, the sound of his voice penetrated by the splash and pattering of water against her skin and the base of the tub. For an odd reason, his all-over-the-place ramble filtrated the depression that hung around her. She stood there, the water running over her, listening to him and almost called out to him when she heard his footsteps departing. She pulled back the makeshift shower curtain enough so she could look around. Why hadn't he left the bracelet? Shifting the curtain back in place, she finished her shower. She thought to tell him thank you when she was done.

Pandora was talking with Mike when Greg came down, bracelet in hand. He'd actually found it. She shook her head when he opened his hand to give her the bracelet. "No, when she's done you can give it to her." She winked at him playfully. Maybe it would have been better to make the two socialize in their own time but Pandora felt that her sister and Greg had contrasting personalities; and if not put together, they wouldn't really talk, if hey didn't have to. Amelia was introverted, and could stay that way - she'd only say something if she absolutely had to. Pandora wanted to break her out of that shell; help her t remove that communicative barrier.

That was one major thing the government had seen to - communicative barriers. People didn't speak to each other unless they had to. Even in their own families - mundane and awkward conversations, without emotions or real interest. Everything about Ridge was a farce, eluding the citizens into believing that a perfect world had been built just for them. Pandora wanted to see the day it ended, but she guessed it was far from coming.

She smiled when Greg asked about the baby and touched her stomach. "He - well I hope it's a he, for Spark's sake," she joked, "is growing. I'm just three months." That had made it easy for her while she'd still been living in the Penbrook housing scheme because the pregnancy didn't show - more than just for a tiny bump that she hid well. There was a doctor who had liked her and had covered for her during the medical surveys, editing her reports. But he'd been caught during another woman's medical and had been brought to the Correction camp. Nothing was heard about him since then. She guessed he was dead now.
"When he gets bigger, I'll let you feel him. He'll be kicking and doing all sorts of stuff 'cause Spark's his dad."

Mike thought to raz Greg up: "Yes, Greg. If you want to feel the baby, you'll have to touch her stomach. Now, I'm jealous" he said with a beaming smile on his face.

Greg chucked a little, though he hoped she didn't take it the wrong way.

"Come now, I'm sure there are many other things to talk about other than groping Spark's girl" Greg laughed back. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time, though it did not escape Greg that the shower had stopped for a few moments now. His heart sort of fluttered and told him in a faint voice that he shouldn't be interested in the newbie. She probably was too young for him, even if just for a passing friendship.

This was the perfect escape clause for him. "Oh, hey Mike - I've gotta go back to the shop and check out the radios. You think you could just give this to Amelia, you know - let her know its safe."

Mike, however, wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily. "C'mon man; you’re the one who got the goods, you should give them to her yourself. Look, I tell you what. You give her the bracelet, and I promise I won't suggest we all play a round of spin the bottle when she gets out." Mike had a very serious look on his face. While the joke seemed to go over Greg's head (he never heard of that game), the way he said it seemed to him that the game would somehow trick him into interfacing with the girls [or even Mike] in some unusual way.

"Okay" Greg hesitated in his response. "Aww, c'mon man! You don't want to have a little fun?” Mike jabbed back.

Finally with a loud voice, Spark entered. "You guys are crazy!" He went over to give a kiss to his girl, Pandora. "The only person the bottle is going to point to is you and me, baby." Greg blushed at times like this; he thought to also use the situation to drop the bracelet on the coffee table. Then, he would just gently escape …

"Where you going Greg? The night is young; I think when Amelia is ready, we should all go out and do something."

"Umm, I hope it's not this spin the bottle thing." Greg half seriously remarked. Everyone was laughing with him, even if the joke didn't make sense. He couldn't help but smile; he had never encountered such a group of people before in his life.

Amelia pulled her faded jeans shorts up over her hips and buttoned the snap, then she pulled on an over-sized tee that seemed to swallow the upper half of her frame, and it hung down to mid-thigh. She usually wore big clothing, mainly because that's how she felt most comfortable and over-sized t-shirts secured the evidence of her breasts so she wouldn't have to wear a bra - a nuisance for her.

She lingered in the room a moment, hearing the laughter from outside the room. Everyone was comfortable with each other. She was new and ultimately felt gauche - out of place - and she'd continue to feel that way if she didn't mingle; as much as she didn't want to. But these were Pandora's friends. If she was okay wit them, then Amelia would have to be okay with them too. They didn't seem like bad people either, they were welcoming to her. It was hard though to strip herself of the habitual paranoia and anxiety.

She walked out the room, seeing everybody there and caught when Spark asked Greg where he was going. She glanced at him and Pandora perked up when she saw her sister come to them.
"Ame', I was wondering if you weren't going to come out there."
"The shower was really nice and you stuffed all my things at the bottom of the bag."
"Not everything."
"What I wanted though," she replied, stretching the hem of her blue shirt then smoothing her hands over the cotton material. "What are you guys doing?"
"Spark was just saying we could do something when you got out. Anything in mind?" Mike said.
As if on point, her stomach grumbled loudly and she pressed her hands to her stomach and covered her mouth, pretending she had burped - because that is what it had sounded like: a loud, long and embarrassing belch. Her cheeks flushed. "I'm hungry," she said demurely and Pandora laughed.
"That's obvious."

Pandora got up and came over to her, hugging her around the shoulders. "We'll get you something to eat. I'm hungry too." Amelia smiled at her.
"We should play that spin the bottle game too. It'd be good. Amelia could start it off, since she's new." Mike grinned.
Amelia looked at him, "What's that? Oh...Greg? Thank you for getting the bracelet back. You didn't have to, but I appreciate it." She smiled at him. She guessed being around these people wouldn't be too bad.

The smile made his heart melt; a tingling sensation that felt good erupted in his mind and travelled through his body. But he wouldn't allow himself to enjoy it; it was foreign to him. Exactly what was it that made him feel so good? He sheeplessly smile, but looked away as if avoiding eye contact. He slowly handed the bracelet to her. There was a pause when their hands met to make the exchange.

Greg felt a friendly punch on his arm. It was Spark. "You dawg you!" He looked at the two of them, but just as quickly moved on to another subject.

"I'm going to the supplies closet; we have tons of junk food in the freezer. Someone start a fire outside at 'the pit'! Follow by a cast circle! And Amelia, I dub you host of the spin the bottle game!" Greg just smiled as he threw a new coke bottle for Amelia to catch. "Sorry, no beer; its kinda of out of season right now. Greg, could you show Amelia where the pit is?" And just like that, Spark had left, anxious to get food from the supply closet.

Greg wasn't sure what to do next; should he approach her and take her by the hand, or just start walking and not say anything. Surely he couldn't leave her in the dark without saying something. Searching, he looked at Mike. "Don't look at me; he didn't ask me to escort her, dawg!" The friendly jab didn't make him any less queasy; he was not used to social gatherings and interaction. Last time Spark had one of these, he asked everyone to hug each other individually. He called that an 'easy' step; he said next time, he would make it harder. How much harder could it be snuggling with someone who wasn't your own?

In the same token, Spark was very sensitive to those who felt uncomfortable. He never forced anyone to do something they didn't like, but he challenged them to stop thinking like the establishment, like the government. The government, Spark said once, wants you to believe you are free while you are thinking like them. When was the last time you ever held another human being with no other expectations but to just know someone cares? Yes, Spark was wise; he was humble, yet extravagant in his love; Spark brought a spark in to everyone's life; yet, Spark was also shy when it came to his own personal story.

"Oh, uh … this way Amelia, If it is the first time you've walked, the terrain could be a bit disconcerting. I'll … um …" He wasn't sure what to do, so he gently grabbed her hand to lead her to the pit.

Mike whispered to Pandora. "Hey, maybe Greg will laugh a little more now."

Amelia's face brightened when she heard the mention of junk food. She and Pandora had been healthy eaters, leaning more towards a vegan diet back home. Home, she guessed now would be a good time for her to stop using that word when she thought back to where she had lived. This would be her home now. And these people would be her friends, family. She looked around at them and snapped out of her reverie in time to catch the bottle that Greg threw at her. She caught it against her chest, studied it for a second then held it at her side.
"That's okay. I don't really like beer." That was true, but not. She did like the crisp, strong and bitterish taste of it. But Amelia was lightheaded, the opposite of Pandora, who could hold her liquor a lot more than Amelia could ever try to.

As she followed Greg out, she noticed he didn't seem all too inclined to follow Spark's order to show her to the pit. She was about to tell him he didn't have to when he started talking, in that unsure tone he'd used like when he'd spoken to her while she'd been crying in the shower. He held her hand and she looked at him, feeling a bit odd. She and Pandora had held hands before. She'd held hands with her dad too but this felt different. It made her feel different. Shy or nervous? It was a mixture of both. She didn't pull her hand from his but held it.
"So what's a 'spin the bottle'? What do you guys do?" Her first idea of it made her think of singing, and somehow she felt that guess was off.

Pandora smiled as she watched the two head to the pit and looked up at Mike, her shoulders lifting in a heavy shrug. "I guess that's one of the reasons I decided to bring her here. He needs someone he can talk to, besides us. Now c'mon, I'm too hungry to give them anymore time alone," she said with a grin and went to Spark to help him carry out some of the food.

"I have to be honest Amelia, I'm not really sure what spin the bottle is." As they walked, her hair occasionally brushed up against his skin. It was light and mostly due to the unsteady terrain and cool breeze. He wasn't sure if she minded, but he said nothing about it. He had noticed her hair matched her eyes perfectly.

"But if I had to guess, the bottle spins and points to someone. Then you make them or ask them to do something or say something that they would not normally do. That's the best I can guess; you know, Spark is very well read. He probably got the game out of one of his books, though he doesn't always say. Its just that, he and Pandora apparently have the inside scoop. He has a whole library of books in his bunker; I should know, its a pain to relocate them if we have to move. "

He realized what he said could be unsettling. "But, you don't have to worry about that right now. The government seems to be relaxing, especially as we get into the holidays. Why, I've only been here a month and we moved when I first got here. We haven't moved since; we've put our digs in this place. No one seems to care about this building." He decided not to mention to her that if political circumstances don't force them, just sheer security on their part will mean they will make a scheduled move by the end of the season. She didn't need to hear that right now.

He looked around; people seemed to be staying in their spaces, but some of them did wander. There was an incredible freedom here to do anything you wanted, just so long as you weren't hurting someone else. There was no economy; people pulled their weight together. He wasn't sure if he would call it a commune; although everyone could gather for scheduled meals every day, it wasn't a requirement and people had their own private goods. Actually, privacy was a good thing. It was an unwritten rule that you respect people's privacy especially in the bathroom or when they asked you to. These people came from homes where the government said nothing was sacred, so giving people their space was probably a wise thing to do.

"So; I can't see the memories your bracelet holds. May I ask you about it?" he queried as they were the first at the pit. Drat! It was a trick; first one at the pit starts the fire. Greg went right to work.

At the mention of books, Amelia smiled and reflexively squeezed his hand. Most of her passions began and ended with books. She loved literature, even the boring ones she had to read while at boarding school. She liked the worlds authors created, how easily fantastical worlds were conjured by words only - and her broad imagination. She enjoyed writing too, short stories and poems. Some of them she didn't understand herself, abstract meanings that only Pandora seemed to understand. But she had stopped writing.
"I hope I'll get to read some of his books."

The holidays...
She'd almost forgotten about that. Not that the holidays meant anything to her anymore, though she and Pandora always made the most of it. But it had never really felt the same. Not without their mother. She wondered if Greg and the others celebrated it together. Did he even have a family before he came to this group? Was he here willingly - like Pandora - or just brought here - like she had been.

"So; I can't see the memories your bracelet holds. May I ask you about it?"
She nodded, watching him as he worked to get the fire going. She sat on the ground, drawing her knees up and wrapping her hands around them as she watched him.
"We all have one. When we go to boarding school we get the bracelets. My dad had gotten one for my mom. I was closer to my mom - both Pandora and I were. She made us celebrate the holidays, even though dad didn't care much for any of it. Then things started going wrong. She and dad started arguing - I'd never seen anything like it. Families don't argue, y'know," she paused. Maybe she was naive for thinking that but parents weren't supposed to be mad at each other. At least that's not what she had been taught. Parents were to set an example and portray nothing but love towards each other.Was she naive for actually believing that?
"Anyway, she started acting differently. Things started changing and then government officials came asking for her and we never saw her again. She had given me her bracelet the night before. And she'd been crying." Then Amelia remembered what her mother had told her that night, "She said-"

"Oh! Good, you guys got the fire started. I knew I could count on you Greg." Pandora walked up behind them, followed by Spark and Mike. "What were you guys talking about?" she asked.
"Nothing really," Amelia replied and watches as Pandora helped Spark get the food out the bag.

Why was this time more magical than any other time, he thought to himself. Maybe it was because he hadn't been part of a group for so long. Maybe it was because Amelia held his hand, not like that should mean anything to him.

It was primitive; it wasn't like sitting down at a restaurant. You didn't just put your order in; but it wasn't like going out to hunt for your own food either. Greg wasn't good at it, but if he had to, he would kill squirrel or whatever small animal was running around.

Normally, people at Camp Kendall (yes, the camp was named after one of the guys there) could get food however they wanted. Hunting, supply closet, camp meals. But when they got together like this, it was a festival atmosphere. Normally a few people would cook hot dogs, hamburgers, soup. Whatever they had gathered from smaller raids. Then they would get passed around. If you wanted it, you accepted it when it came to you. If you didn't, you just passed it on.

Greg looked around though; it was a social community event. Some people were feeding each other the food; others threw it at each other. Quite a number of people joined them. Everyone seemed happy, even if it was for a few fleeting moments. The ice cream got passed around quite early in the dinner, probably because it was still frozen. Occasionally, Greg would turn to Amelia to see how she was doing. Other times, he would look in Pandora's direction wondering what she was thinking. Spark normally mingled with a lot of people, though Greg seemed to remember be hit in the arm with an apple and looking up and seeing Greg sympathetically saying, "Dude, I thought you were going to catch that!" As humorous as it was, he was sure that was going to leave a mark.

Then he remembered a passage from a book Greg once had him read. It was a semi large book, and the words were written in a strange style. Since reading was definitely controlled by the government, it almost felt illegal for Greg to be reading it. In it, the main character, Adam, was said to have no 'help meet' for him. As he looked around, he noticed everyone having fun, enjoying themselves. He noticed they all seemed to have one or two people they had an affinity with. Whether they were lovers, best friends, "cuddle buddies" though the meaning escaped him. That is when it became real to him that he had no one; oh sure, Pandora would take walks with him and talk with him whenever he wanted. And Kendall and Mike always put a smile on his face; but he didn't go to bed wanting to snuggle with any of them. Turning to Amelia, he took her hand again. He laughed at himself, picturing putting grapes in her mouth. But then he said from the bottom of his heart to her, "I'm scared."

"Hear ye, hear ye" was the loud noise trumpeted over everyone. Greg, Amelia, Pandora, Mike, and Kendall all sat in the general round about vicinity. "We need a few people to help in the medics tent; and someone keeps stealing the twinkies, please. They're my favorite." Spark had a way with adding humor to seriousness and making people laugh; Greg supposed it was his way of avoiding being uncomfortable.

"Now, I want you to look at the person your sitting with; look deep into their eyes. Like this." He picked a random stranger from the crowd. He hunched down so he was eye level with them; he put his hands up and laid his head on them. "Well, you don't have to do it this way" he laughed. "Stare into their eyes; stare into their soul. And tell them one secret about yourself. Like this ... when I was younger, I read my Mom's diary 'cuz I missed her."

Spark also had a way about him; he opened his heart and became vulnerable and that was the reason he could lead so well; he also listened to other people.

Looking around, people began doing what Spark asked. It was their 'exercise'. He turned and looked at Amelia. First thing that came to mind: I'd sure love to kiss her.

Amelia saw more people that hadn't been at the camp, gathering at the fire at the pit. She wasn't here long enough to know about the general living arrangements of the people but she guessed the others lived off in the factory and warehouse. Spark and Pandora trusted Greg, Mike and Kendall so they were allowed to the real living headquarters. Were the others still swaying towards going back to the life at Ridge? Maybe it wasn't that, just that there wasn't enough space for everyone to live there. There were quite a few people, and she noticed most of them were in pairs. Why was that?

She didn't really eat much that morning and she was very hungry. She piled her plate of everything that got passed her way. By the time the ice cream came around, she was full but she took it because she loved it, even though they didn't have her favorite flavor (and she was lactose intolerant). She looked around at the people; they were doing strange things - at least she found it strange - and Pandora was doing it too with Spark; feeding each other, snuggling into each other. There was an affection behind it and Amelia was almost made uncomfortable by it, because she didn't understand it. It wasn't something she was used to seeing.

Feeling Greg's hand take hers, she looked down at their hands then looked at him. He said he was scared. Scared of what exactly? Of what was happening around him? Of the path they'd decided to take: against the laws of the government? If it was the latter, she was scared too. But everyone else seemed contented here, to be in each other's arms - to enjoy something that obviously she and Greg weren't familiar with. She squeezed his hand reassuringly, the way Pandora always did to her. It always soothed her. "You don't have to be." She was about to say, that he had her but that would be a ridiculous thing to say. At least she felt as if it would be. He'd find it strange. She just got here, was still adapting - both physically and mentally - to everything. It was stupid to say things she didn't understand the gravity of. So she just held his hand, hoping that was enough to keep him comforted.

"Hear ye, hear ye. We need a few people to help in the medics tent; and someone keeps stealing the twinkies, please. They're my favorite." Amelia joined in with the scattered laughter and Pandora looked at her and smiled. Amelia would like to help in the medics tent. It's what she'd focused on mostly while in boarding school, medicine and herbs necessary to make homemade remedies. Plus she'd carried her first aid kit with her, as a just in case precaution. She'd help out there, it'd give her something to do. She leaned over to tell Pandora.
"I knew you'd want to do that, I'll tell Spark."

"Now, I want you to look at the person your sitting with; look deep into their eyes. Like this. Well, you don't have to do it this way." Amelia laughed, an uneasy undertone to her voice, when Spark did. "Stare into their eyes; stare into their soul. And tell them one secret about yourself. Like this ... when I was younger, I read my Mom's diary 'cuz I missed her."
She looked around, seeing people doing exactly that, some burst out laughing at whatever their partner had told them. She thought about it for awhile and looked at Greg, lifting her shoulders in a shrug. "Well I've never done anything like this before, it's kinda strange," she said with a smile. "What about you? Any secret you wanna share? I mean you don't have to but I'd like to hear it, if you have any..." she trailed off, thinking she wasn't making any sense.

Pandora told Greg to be honest, with whatever your feelings. A secret? What could he give her. It almost didn't matter; their eyes were interconnected, locked onto one another's. Tears began forming in his eyes as he searched his memory for just the right thing to say.

"I've seen a lot of bad things; things that a nice lady like yourself shouldn't see. I've had a lot of sleepless nights here. Anyways, my secret is … well, I cuddle my pillow at night pretending its my mom. I haven't seen her in years; I hope she is okay." He frowned and looked away. He supposed he couldn't help but be morbid with his secret.

Looking around, though - his experience was not at all in the minority. Some people laughed and smiled; others stared at each other for a long time. Some looked real serious. Everyone was … well, everyone was everyone. They didn't try to fit into a category, they were just themselves. He smiled seeing Spark and Pandora with each other.

As he was looking down, he did notice the short shorts she was wearing. And the denim; it was cute. All he had on were some worn out work jeans and flannel shirt that went out of style like, last century.

"Do you want a quick hug or something?" Oops, he let the words escape his mouth. "I mean, you don’t have to, you know. Just sayin'."

"I've seen a lot of bad things; things that a nice lady like yourself shouldn't see. I've had a lot of sleepless nights here. Anyways, my secret is … well, I cuddle my pillow at night pretending its my mom. I haven't seen her in years; I hope she is okay."
Amelia looked at him and though her insides swelled with a deep sympathy for him, she didn't let it show on her face. Not many liked pity and she wasn't sure if Greg would appreciate if she showed that she felt sorry for him. Did he build himself up on pride to remain strong? Was it what he used to steel himself against possible depression and hurt? But she felt she had something in common with him. The love for their moms. She had been wondering if he'd had a family before coming here. Now she knew he had, but there were sad memories there.

He was worrying for his mother's safety, but she no longer had anything to worry about. Her mother was dead. Somehow, it was easier to bear that way. If she knew that her mother was still alive, somewhere, she wouldn't be able to rest. Her mother had died in the Corrections facility. They had gotten the news by letter. Their father hadn't thought it his responsibility to tell them, that or he must have been busy with his duties to the government. He hadn't shown up for the memorial service either. She thought to tell Greg about it, in an effort to comfort him by letting him know he wasn't alone but she said nothing.

What had he seen? Had he seen people die. Did the government take something from him? Amelia still didn't want to believe that the government was bad - corrupt. She wanted to ask him about what he'd seen. She wanted to know now why Pandora was pregnant and why the government would take her away if they got a hold of her. The questions came back and overwhelmed her mind. She didn't want to think about it all so hard. There was a time for everything. She'd find out in time.

"Do you want a quick hug or something?"
Her mother and Pandora had hugged her many times before. She liked hugs, there was a lot of warmth and comfort to be found. Especially in a tight embrace, she smiled and nodded at him. She didn't wait for him to open his arms, instead she pulled him close and hugged him tight and rubbed his back - the way she remembered her mom would. "Your mom will be okay.I'm sure she's okay." She wasn't sure and it was wrong to try to console someone with false optimism but Amelia believed that she would be okay.
She turned her head and pressed her lips to his cheek. It was an instinctive move. She hadn't been thinking and now that her action registered, she felt slightly awkward about it. She separated herself from him. Her cheeks were hot and she didn't know why.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that..."

"I can't accept your apology 'cuz I liked it" Greg said with smile, tears, and a face he suspected looked like it was on fire. But it didn't matter; here was where he belonged. His family went through the motions; once he tried sitting down with who the government termed was his 'sister' to have a heart to heart talk; but all she was interested in was the latest shopping fads or clothing. He had suspected a society that begins entangling itself in material things would eventually be easy to break apart. That's why he liked it at Camp Kendall; no one was better than another, and no one had anything worth much monetarily. It was okay; the things they had and the things they were looking for was much more valuable.

"I think my Mom is probably fine; but she works for the government now. She's one of them; and I just can't understand it." He reached out for Amelia's hand again hoping she would accept it. "I just know I feel safe here now", though he dared not tell her she felt safe with her. What if that sounded creepy or scared her off?

"Aww, isn't that sweet". Spark! Who knew exactly when he sat down among them; his hair had a wild glaze to it. But his presence was warm and inviting.

"Sister, I think you have the right idea. You know the motto of our camp, no? Hugs and kisses. And arguments too!" Spark said it as if he just discovered gold! He knew the nature of humans was to have disagreements. But he also knew there was a difference between fighting and fighting one another to the death. He knew these small exercises of solidarity at the community meetings didn't change the fact that everyone was different, everyone was unique and they had their own dreams and goals. Disagreements were bound to happen.

Umm." He looked at Pandora; he wasn't sure what she would think, but he would ask anyway. He turned back to Amelia and Greg and fired away: "Will you guys spend the night with us? It'd sure be nice to have a family again. Greg's given us plenty of room. Oh, and Mike and Kendall could come over too … you know, so you can play that game with us, Amelia?" Not sure if he was convincing her, Spark put on his best smile and put his hands together. "Please? You can look through my books if you want!"

His mother worked for the government? Just like her dad. It was almost strange how there were some similarities they shared. She frowned, if his mother worked for the government, then it couldn't be anything good. Her dad was always detached from them, indifferent. There were times when he'd come home to them and actually be a father but then there were those days when she couldn't recognize the man who should be her father. Sometimes he acted like a stranger, and as if he had no care to be around her and Pandora. Was it the government that influenced those transitions in his behavior? Maybe she was trying too hard to turn her mind against the government. She couldn't convince herself in just one night that something she'd grown up to know as the right way, was actually wrong.
She held his hand and nodded. She wasn't exactly sure if she felt safe yet, but she was happy to hear that he did.

Hearing Spark's comment, she smiled shyly and pretended to be busy studying the cuticles of her nails until he sat and spoke again. Hugs, kisses and arguments? He should have only said hugs and kisses. She didn't like arguments. She felt it was something that divided people, rather than bring them together. That's why the government didn't promote it; arguing was not projected as the right way. Things were always to be settled amicably, never with quarrels. Because arguments led to fights and fights would then lead to war. How then could arguing be thought of as good? She said nothing though but only nodded. Hugs and kisses. She would never argue with anyone. At least that much, she'd still hold on to from what she'd learnt in boarding school.

Pandora smiled over at Spark then to Amelia. She never doubted that he'd warm up to Amelia, but it made her a lot happier that he was now inviting them in - trying to bring them closer together. "It would be nice Ame', you should come. You too, Greg. You've got company now," she said with a wink, smiling at him.
Amelia didn't mind, especially since Pandora was also stressing that she take up the invitation. If she had any qualms, Spark's mention of allowing her to look through his books was enough to make her agree wholeheartedly.
"Sure, I'd love to. Will you come, Greg?"

"Hey, what'd you put in my drink?" Kendall looked toward Mike. Suddenly, Mike jumped up, tripped slightly and when he regained his footing, starting running and with a shout said, "You couldn't catch me in college, and you can't catch me now!" Mike started chasing after him, with his bottle in his hand. "Yo, I'm gonna make you drink every last drop of this shit!" Greg just looked at Amelia and nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll come for a little while." Spark corrected him. "You mean the whole night, right?"

"Well, maybe."

"Dude!" Spark made a royal gesture toward Amelia. "You'd leave the second most beautiful girl ... " [he turned to Amelia]. "Sorry 'bout that, your sister's right behind me you know." Then back to Greg. "You'd leave the second most beautiful girl alone? You wouldn't want to spend the whole night with her?"

Greg looked at Greg for a long time with those "why do you have to ask like that" stare; sometimes there was no reasoning with Spark, it had to be his way or you feel like you've let him down. Before saying yes with the nod of his head, Spark popped up. "Yes! Follow me to my humble abode!"

Greg stood up and then slowly helped Amelia to her feet. He didn't know why he had feelings for her; and the other thing. Yes, the other thing that he was supposed to ignore was happening to him.

Well, he knew what was happening to his body in theory. Having escaped correctional facilities and avoiding evaluations from high school administrators by simply skipping class all together, he did not deal with his own sexuality at all. On the other hand, he made a vow to himself he would not allow anybody to mess with his body; not the things he saw at the correctional facilities anyway. So he knew in theory what sex was, but was never told, encouraged, or informed about the systems working in his body. One day, a friend of his in class complained that his penis grew sometimes. The teacher responded, "Oh, Davy. So sorry to hear this, sometimes men are born with this condition. Don't worry, it's nothing terminal. We'll send you to the nurse right away." In front of EVERYONE! Except, it was the norm. Little Davy would go and visit the nurse and be out of school a few days. When he returned, the teacher would say, "All better! Class, you know we only use that thing underneath for going to the bathroom." Greg was surprised the government hadn't regulated that either!

Problem was, he knew that whole scene was not right. But that was the 'thing' he was struggling with right now. One of Spark's books called it 'aroused'; this was rare for Greg. Mostly, the scenes in his head were so disturbing that this was not an issue. But with this girl being with him, he had noticed his body seemed to physiologically react. He ignored it and he tried to ignore the comfortable feelings going on in his head; perhaps he would ask Pandora about what it all meant. It's not like it was out of his control, but he did notice sometimes his breathing was funny and sometimes he felt flush in the face.

Turning to Amelia, he continued a previous conversation. "Ahh, so was it just me or was boarding school pretty much a nightmare? I mean, a nightmare if you didn't follow the status quo."