Chapter 3

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"Wake up," someone commanded, shoving me. "Wake up, girl, we haven't got the time for this."

My eyes fluttered open. Surveying the room, a million questions popped into my head. This wasn't my room. Where was I? What happened? Why was I here?

And then I remembered. It all came rushing back in a wave of fury, and it took all my willpower not to break into tears again. I was at a new place. I would stay strong until I was sure I trusted the people around me.

"The princess awakens." The man who towered over my bed was middle-aged, dressed up in a suit and tie.

"Where am I?" I yawned groggily, stretching.

"The infirmary," he replied, crossing his arms. "We must hurry. Get dressed."

"Why?"

"Did you hear me? We've got to go! Put on some clothes, and let's leave!"

He turned around to give me privacy, and I pulled on the clothes that were set at the bottom of my bed.

"Let's go," I urged, walking out the door, the man on my heels.

He caught up to me quickly, making sharp turns here and there, walking in and out of rooms, as if he didn't want to be caught.

Abruptly, he came to a stop, almost causing a collision between the two of us. "I'm sorry you had to come on a day like this," he said quietly.

"Why? What's wrong with today?"

"Yesterday, Solis fired an attack on Luna's main base. Seventy of our best soldiers were killed—hundreds were injured. The base is in ruins. And some of us...we aren't coping well."

I cast my eyes downwards. "Did you know anybody? Anybody who was hurt or"—I stuttered in both fear and pity—"or killed?"

"Fortunately, no. But I was one of the few of us that was that lucky."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm sorry that you won't get the attention that you deserve." He opened the door to a room that stood right next us, politely gesturing for me to go inside. "After you."

There was a chair in the middle of the room, but it was otherwise empty. "Sit down, Miss."

Then he scrunched his eyebrows in thought. "I never asked," he breathed, sitting me down into the chair. "What is your name?"

"Margaret Yancey," I told him. "But everybody calls me Marge."

"Marge, huh? Have you ever gone by Madge?"

I shook my head no.

"Then that's what I'll be calling you. My mother-in-law's name is Marge, and let me tell you, I don't assort a feeling of love with that name in particular."

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