“Due to recent events, Border Patrol has been given the order to restrict any travel between Canada and the United States.” Prime Minister Grit sits at his usual desk with red and white draped behind him. His face is plastered with the same hollow expression accompanied by his colorless voice. I stare at my TV, although I hate the man on the screen. His speech continues, “...and former CIA agents of the United States are the suspected hijackers. Restrictions will begin Friday the 29 of May and end, at the earliest, on Friday June 19.”
For three weeks, no one leaves and no one comes. The reality hits me as if I’ve literally hit the ground running; I will be alone for three weeks unless my parents can somehow travel over 13 hours back home. Twelve of those hours would be in the United States alone, by vehicle. Because both my parents are involved with law enforcement, they are continually away nearly the entire week, every week. They’re officers, detectives, lawyers, and more whenever needed. I've grown accustomed to their insane work schedule that brings them all over our country and others, and have learned that being alone has its advantages. Friends are like a foreign concept to most of us, otherwise I might be with them. There are a few family friends I know that are in the same situation I am. It’s the consequence we get for trust being destroyed around the world thanks to the messed up governments.
Twenty seven years ago, World War Three ended only six months after it began in 2072. I don't fully understand the spark of the war, something to do with advanced weapons of war or some sort. And I never fully understood the reason for even inventing such deadly weapons. Nearly every country involved turned on the United States because they were always the biggest threat, always ahead, and the result was isolationism. It ended on an agreement that all countries and their allies would isolate themselves. It seemed to work just fine until that agreement began to fall apart as of today. Although Canada was not involved in the war, we were isolated from every other nation as well as a result of the United States being isolated. Travel across the border hadn't changed much, Border Patrol was only more cautious of who was entering and leaving.
And now, neither is happening. I doubt my parents will worry about me, they have taught me everything they know in self defense. For my family, teaching me new attacks was like our bonding time. It may not have been the greatest thing in the world sometimes, but it definitely taught me how to be dependent on myself.
I turn my TV off as the Prime Minister’s speech about something unrelated to the border close ends. I feel my wrist buzz in my lap; its my wrist-phone. Although high-tech cell phones are still in use, most people now have the ones we wear on our wrist. They’re much simpler to use as they have fewer buttons and controls to memorize. Multi-tasking is also possible with the wrist version. It’s like a speaker-phone when calling and your mouth doesn’t have to be right next to the microphone. They’re nearly indestructible to the every use of the average person, including being waterproof; those in jobs with heavy equipment are advised to not wear them. Improved cellular towers with increased signal range have minimized static and lost calls or service.
“Haven, we just wanted to let you know that we’ll be in New York, only two hours away, until this border restriction is over.” My mother always did have a soothing voice.
“I figured just as much. I’ll be fine.”
“We know. You always are.” And with that, the green light turned red signaling the call was over. It’s true, they do know I’ll always be fine. Everything they’ve taught me mentally and put my five foot six frame through physically has prepared me for just about anything they go through on a daily basis. There are few people that I know of who have been trained like I have. It’s not something that it necessary for other people, but my parents insist that it is for me because of their high-status profile in law enforcement.
I wasn’t too surprised that they called me. Whenever something was going to take longer than expected with their case or whatever it was, I got a message as soon as they found out. In this situation, it was obvious they wouldn’t be getting back any time soon. I didn’t mind being alone either.
I felt my stomach grumble in indication that I should eat. I walk the short distance from my living room to my kitchen which are joined by a double wide arch. My parents make more than enough money for the three of us, yet they don’t over-do all the home furniture expenses. As my mother puts it, “simple, yet elegant.” And I find that very true. All the walls in the house are shades of neutral colors with furnishing that pop with hues of blue, red, and purple.
My fridge contains the usual; it is stocked with close to none of foods that are considered unhealthy. We do have some, but it, along with meat, is eaten in moderation. Meat is still a popular food to eat, but not as often as it once was. Now, it is considered a delicacy and many of us only eat if once or twice a month. Fast food restaurants and restaurants that served inadequate food were closed down before World War Three even began. It’s probably one of the best things that could have happened in the daily lives of people as the obesity rates began to fall. Now, many people find that eating healthier is actually better even though other still refuse to do any physical activity. After searching the many compartments of the only oversized furnishing in my house, I manage to find leftover pasta from yesterday.
As I sit down at the oak table to eat, I realize that rain droplets are now pounding down on the roof. It’s been raining much more than usual. I can barely see the neighbors house only 50 feet away through the diagonal sheet of precipitation. That neighbor happens to be a family friend that I actually get along with. Many times the kids whose parents have jobs like mine do are arrogant and greedy. And it makes me glad that I was raised better than them. Storm and I usually walked around the city outskirts, which are only less than two miles from where we reside in Toronto. trying to avoid people as much as possible. It’s fair to say that we share the common hatred of nearly the entire city population and many surrounding.
Instead of engaging in the normal activities of everyday life, we choose to isolate ourselves in the forest a few miles down the road. The walk there is almost therapeutic because it’s much more calming being on a deserted old highway that’s not even in use anymore rather than a city bustling with more people that seem to think their opinion is always the right way. My wrist-phone suddenly alarms me with its piercing ring. I mentally remind myself to turn the volume down on it. Strolling towards the door, my face curves upwards as I see Storm outside on the steps. He didn’t even bother to grab a jacket or anything to shield himself from the rain. But then again, he likes to face mother nature with the minimal amount of shield even required.
I stare at him through the glass window and I can tell he’s yelling at me to hurry up and open the door. I quickly shake my head with a smirk on my face. The door handle rattles a bit before he gives up again, his figure appearing on the other side of the glass again. The doors in my house are almost always locked. After about a minute of his pleas, I allow him to enter my house.
“Must you always do that when it rains?” He questions, wiping his shoes on the rug and placing them aside with the rest of them.
Staring blankly at him, I responded, “Yes.”
I received the same blank stare back. “Stop imitating Grit. One of him is enough to look at.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. He knew I hated the Prime Minister just as much as he did and for him to compare me to him was quite the insult.
“Okay. Fine. I’m locking you out longer next time you try coming to my house in the rain.” I marched back to the living room knowing that Storm would stand by the door a moment longer contemplating whether or not I would do something worse to him the moment he followed me. I paused a moment before sitting down to listen for his footsteps. They were right behind me now. He sat in the chair adjacent to me.
“So, are your parents gonna make it back in time before the border closes?”
“Nope,” I reply. “They’re gonna be in New York it seemed like until the restrictions are lifted in three weeks.”
“Oh. Mine too. Somewhere else in the United States anyways as far as I know.” His face briefly turned away for a moment, long enough for me to notice.
“Really? I didn’t think your parents traveled that far.”
“Neither did I, until this morning when they called,” he sighed. “I wish they were better at telling me when they were gonna be gone.”
“You know, I don’t think they can really help it this time.” His parents seemed to barely even care that he existed. It was as if they didn’t even want a son.
“Yeah, but everything other time they leave me hanging. You know how your parents teach you unarmed combat and martial arts and stuff? They’re supposed to be doing the same thing with me. And that’s something I’m always looking forward to, but something else comes up everytime.” He was obviously frustrated, and I probably would be, too.
I stayed silent for a minute. Saying something even slightly comforting in this situation was pointless because he would immediately change the subject.
“So, we’re both stuck here for three weeks with no parents. I wonder how many others are stuck in the country that’s not their home.”
“I’m just glad I’m in my own house. I didn’t think that something like a plane hijacking would be enough to close the border. But I guess that’s just what’s wrong with this world now. Trust is no longer existent.” I slouched back into the couch.
“I want to know how they did it.”
Of course he does. Always curious. “Why? Do you want to go hijack a plane yourself?”
“No way, I couldn’t spend my life in prison. I just want to know how they do it. How do they manage to get past all the security or even learn how to fly a plane. They seem so complicated. And I wouldn’t trust myself flying something like a huge plane.”
“Neither would I.”
“Do you really think the border close could last longer than three weeks?” Storm moved towards the wall filled with old DVDs. Not too many had them anymore.
“Probably, but I guess we’ll find out.”
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Storm and I spend the next three days inside as the rain has not let up one bit. Watching DVDs passes time rather fast until something completely unexpected happens. In the middle of the most recent action film, my door is busted down and men who resemble a swat team barge into my living room. They have no visible weapons but they outnumber Storm and me. The men stop two feet from us; there must be about ten of them here. I cling to Storm’s arm like a safety net. Although my parents never told me why I had to learn martial arts stuff, I had the feeling that this was the exact reason why. Strange men enter my houses and I feel obligated to protect myself.
I attempt to kick the nearest one on the side of the head only to discover that I wasn't stealthy enough. In an instant I'm pinned to my hardwood floors with a body much heavier than mine on top. I strain my neck to find Storm. He is no longer in front of me where he should have been, but his voice somewhere behind me tells me he's fighting to get away from whoever has him. My head is bashed into the floor to stop my movements completely. As I cry out in pain, a set of black boots appear in my now blurry vision.
"Bring her with, her parents are no better than his." The deep voice spoke in monotone.
Next thing I know, I'm being carried out of my own house and I find it safer that I just cooperate for now. Once outside, I notice the sunshine in my face is much warmer than I remember for this time of year. I try to take in as much of the surrounding as possible. No one else is being dragged out of their house against their will and I can no longer hear Storm's cries for help. Fighting these men is obviously impossible for someone my size, much less a female. Storm may have sculpted muscles, but nowhere near what they had. I'm shoved into the back of a black, unmarked van with nothing but chains in it. I can only hope that they won’t be anywhere near me.
I sit silently in the van as the men in black talk up front. Their conversation doesn’t interest me, rather the words one of the spoke earlier did. My parents were apparently no better than Storm’s. I didn’t quite understand. With the given events, my first thought is they had something to do with this insane border close. But they’re the good people. I convince myself that it has something to do with their most recent case, but then why would I be kidnapped? I sigh and decide to occupy myself with something else for a minute or two.
The bench I sit on is stainless steel with the interior fabric shade of red and the floor is carpeted black with mud stains all over. There were clearly more people who were in the back of this van within the last few days.
Turning my attention up front again, I realize there are now three voices rather than two. The passenger must be in a call.
“Hutch, it’s happening sooner than we expected.” The man riding shotgun sounded concerned.
“We know, but the plane is still on our radar. We need solid evidence here, Finn.”
Solid evidence for what? What was happening sooner than expected?
“The vortices have a higher level of activity than normal, what more evidence do you need?” Finn said.
“As much as possible before we let the rest of the world know.”
The world. Whatever was happening with the hijacked plane involved the entire world. And our parents were somehow involved.
"They cooperated as expected I assume?"
"As expected. The girl is a bit on edge I think. I think she'll understand once we let her know what's going on." Finn's head turned in my direction to as if checking to see if I'm listening or not. They have to know I can hear every single word they're saying.
I take my chances and ask, "So what exactly am I in here for?"
I receive silence for a complete minute.
I realize that Hutch is still in the call when he's the first to respond. "You'll find out very soon. We're still waiting for a direct answer as well."
"Okay, then can you tell me what these vortices are?"
I received another minute of silence. "Your friend Storm should be able to tell you all about those in a few minutes.”
I attempted to piece together the string of information I got within the last hour. My parents as well as Storm’s parents knew something about the hijacked plane that caused the border to close. The hijacked plane was still out there somewhere, although I did not know where it was headed or who was the pilot. As far as I know, Storm’s parents were never CIA agents, nor were mine. They also have never had any flight school to know how to fly a plane. Whatever happens to the plane seems it will affect the entire world. There are things called vortices that also have to do with the entire world and Storm apparently knew, or does know now, of what they are. Even the weather seems unusual given that it rained in sheets the past four days and now its sunny and dry like it never happened.
The van stopped and the back doors were open and escorting me out much more gentle compared to earlier. My head throbbed in the light and I was sure it left a good mark on my skull. I noticed Storm was already being escorted inside, and I followed soon after with Finn and what I assumed to be Hutch, behind me.
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We were fed and slept in the building for about a week. Storm and I stayed together in what seemed like a large den area. In our short time of being here, I learned that I should have been more worried about my parents rather than the stupid border close. I learned that the vortices, the vile vortices, were like the Bermuda Triangle, only scattered around the planet. There were 12 vortices total, and they pulled on our atmosphere which caused it to break down further and much faster than it was supposed to, which could lead everything literally falling off the face of the earth. I learned that is what is suspected to have happened to Mars and Venus billions of years ago. And it seemed Earth was reaching it’s end also, that is if the hijacked plane disappeared into the Devil’s Triangle indicating that they were definitely more active than they were just 20 years ago.
I didn’t feel as terrified as I maybe should have been when I learned what could happen. I also learned that the need for violence earlier wasn’t necessary; it was merely a ploy to get us to cooperate. Our parents planned everything, and they planned on being back before the end was here. Both mine and Storm’s parents kept a lot of secrets and the reason for them being gone was because they helped to hijack the plane. Their goal was to crash the plane into one of the vortices, and many of them were over the ocean. They were hoping it would give them the evidence they needed, and it was only a matter of time before that evidence was received. The border close wasn’t even something that they were prepared for, it was just another obstacle they had to deal with.
“Did you think we would see the end?” Storm’s voice jolted me out of my thoughts.
“No,” I really didn’t think I would have to worry about it. “I just don’t understand how the government could keep such a secret. Much less our parents keeping such a secret.”
“Probably didn’t want us to worry,” He sounded cliche, but it was probably true.
“I wish they would tell us a little more though. I’d like to know when my end is.”
Later on that day while watching some new television show, I felt the ground beneath me shake. It gradually increased in intensity and I was able to hear Finn say from the other room, “It’s happening now.”
It was happening. The plane must have disappeared as planned, and the evidence suggested the rest of us would too in a matter of hours.
Storm grabbed me by the arm and pulled me towards an exit. We were better off outside rather under a collapsible roof. All the men we passed by seemed unaware that we were on our way out. We stumbled across the large room with tables and lights shattering and sliding around. We knew that the earthquake would only get stronger and that it was very possible that life on planet Earth would soon come to a halt. I didn’t feel sad, nor any negative emotion really. I had convinced myself that there was nothing to stop it and I accepted that fact.
Our parents weren’t back yet, otherwise they would have found us by now. We dodged falling beams and shelves and quickened our pace to the exit. They were supposed to be back so we could go together, that was the only reason we were even kidnapped. Yet, we’re still alone.
Storm and I finally reached the exit, barely missing falling debris from the ceiling in the process. It was still extremely hot outside and everything had been browned by the suns powerful rays. The ground beneath us continued to shake violently as if the world would split right open any minute. Looking around, I noticed that our buildings were unable to withstand the powerful force of mother nature. The vortices must be pulling harder now because the air around me seems to be diminishing and I struggle to catch my breath. I barely felt my wrist-phone vibrating, but I’m glad that I did. I noticed that Storm had an incoming call, too, probably his parents as well.
“Haven, we wish we could have been there with you,” My mother still sounds so calm with all the events happening at once. “but we had to let everyone else know, too.”
My hand was still latched around Storm’s, and I assumed his parents were giving him the same message.
I began to feel dizzy from lack of oxygen My vision started fading, but I fought to hear my mother’s voice as my body as turned upside down and pulled in a direction that is supposed to be up. “...love you. Experiment three is now complete.”
