“Soldier what is your designation?” a dangerous looking man screamed at a stone-faced young girl.

“Sir X5-458 Sir!” the young girl shouted back.

“That’s right! You are nothing but a number! These maggots standing beside you are nothing but numbers! You DO NOT have names!  Are we clear !?!” he shouted at all the kids now.

In unison the group replied “SIR YES SIR!”

A flash of light burst through, now there is that same stone-faced girl kneeling next to one of her sisters. Only this time her face was softened and her hand was rubbing circles on the other girl’s back.

“Max it’s going to be okay. Don’t worry no one has to know about your seizures. It’ll be alright, just drink your milk.”

The other small girl looked into her sister’s face appearing to be coming down from her convulsions. “Thanks Ash. The milk really helped. I’m feeling better now, but what if Colonel Lydecker finds out. They might send me away like they did Clay. I’m so scared Ashley!”

“No Max you’re not going anywhere I won’t let it happen. None of us will let it happen.” Their brothers and sisters surrounded them. “ Okay listen up, this is drastic but it has to be done for Max. Our sister. We are going to escape. Tonight! Is everyone in?” Ashley looked around to see all their faces nod in agreement. “Okay this is how it’s going to happen.”

A sudden flash ruptured the images again, but now it was the grown up Ashley standing in front of Spencer. Black was all around them. The only thing that existed was the two of them. Spencer raised her right hand to Ashley’s left cheek, and without thinking about it Ash nuzzled her head into Spencer’s soft hand. Spencer was leaning forward in slow motion with her breaths hard and uneven. Just as their lips were millimeters apart Ashley fell onto her bedroom floor making a loud thud.

“Fuck! Damn it that was getting good!” Ash continued grumbling till she was two feet from her alarm clock. By the loss of light in her room she knew it was still early, but when she read the time it just pissed her off even more.

“6 AM! Goddamn it. I don’t have to leave for another three hours!” she exclaimed.