Chapter 40, Sadie

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We were standing on front of a mansion, watching the windows. I had made the brilliant plan to sneak into the house at night, probably set off some alarms, push the parents with my mind, and get the kids. All the lights were on, but there was one window on the second story that some light was coming from. I hoped that was the boy I needed, Sully Hadrow. Libby rubbed her side where the monster had almost killed her, and I had to shove the memory aside. Jett was watching the house with sullen eyes, waiting for my plan.

“Okay, hopefully this will be quick. You guys stay out here, and if anything goes wrong, whistle and I’ll be right out. You can whistle right?’ Libby nodded. “No matter what, stay out here. I am about to break into someone’s house. Never try this at home, kids.” I joked. Libby smiled and pulled Jett deeper into the shadows as I darted across the neatly trimmed lawn and to the big French doors. I took a deep breath and kept my head down, in case there were cameras. I looked around and saw a big rock. This was going to have to be quick. I grabbed it and smashed the polished glass of the doors, shattering them. Immediately, alarms went off and there was a scuffling noise up stairs. Then, footsteps pounded down the stairs. I stepped into the house and hid around the corner, waiting for the poor home owners to come around the corner.

Sure enough, a fat man and a tall woman came around. I stepped out and looked them in the eyes. “You don’t remember me. I was never here. Some kid tossed a rock at the doors then ran. You can go back to sleep now.” They both looked at me with wide eyes, then nodded and slowly went back up the stairs. Silently, I followed them. It wasn’t hard to see the head of a boy sticking around the corner. Wait, two boys. I frowned as I walked towards them. I didn’t like the idea of pushing a child, but then again, I didn’t like the idea of taking him away from the nice home and parents he had here. They both stepped out into the hall, fists raised. It was so cute I smiled.

“You’d better quit smiling before I wipe that grin right off your pretty face.” The shorter one said, his voice shaking. I lowered myself to their level. “Which one of you is Sully?” I asked quietly. The taller one raised his hand, obviously trying to keep a cool façade for the younger one. “And what’s your name” I asked the younger one. He swallowed. “Ryder.” That name was on my list also. “You wouldn’t happen to be Ryder Finnegan, would you?” I asked, smiling. He nodded slowly. “What’d you want, lady?” the older one, Sully, asked.

“This may be hard to believe, but I’m here for you. My name is Sadie. Outside I have two more kids just like you. We all get followed by the monsters that bother you. I promise. In fact, we just fought one off the other night. A nice lady named Arianna sent me here for you two. Will you come?” I asked softly. Sully scowled at me and put one hand on Ryder’s shoulder. “How does we know that you aren’t tricking us?” he asked ungrammatically. I smiled. “Do you wanna come out side and meet the other two?” I asked. They both nodded and I led the way down the hall and out the shattered glass doors. As soon as I entered the foliage next to the house, Libby and Jett stepped out. Ryder and Sully’s eyes went wide. “This is Libby, and this is Jett.” I said gesturing to them. Libby smiled and waved, but Jett just stared. Sully nodded and turned to me.

“Okay, we believe you. I remember Arianna. I doubt if Ryder does, but I do. I was just checking. Why does she need us?” I shrugged. “I don’t really know. We’ll learn as soon as we get there. Are those your parents?” I asked, pointing to the house. Ryder made a face. “No, there are foster parents. We don’t like them.” He said. Ryder nodded. “They’re boring and mean.”

“Do you think they’ll call the cops on me for taking you two away?” Sully shook his head. “Probably not. They have a lot of illegal stuff going on there, and they don’t want the cops sniffing around.” He said. I nodded. ‘Great. We’d better get going before the cops do show up for the alarms.” We took off deeper into the woods, and I was glad that it had all gone off so smoothly.

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“I’m thirteen, and Ryder here is eight.” Sully explained as we sat around the fire. Jett and Ryder were sitting a little ways off, playing a game. Poor Ryder had quickly learned not to play tic tac toe with Jett.  Sully ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair and at the same time brushed dirt out of Ryder’s curly brown hair. “Is he your brother?” I asked, jerking my chin towards Ryder. Sully shook his head. “Naw, but we have been in the same foster care program for years, and he basically is. Just not by blood.” I let myself sink into thought for a while, while Sully and Libby talked, a conversation that consisted of nervous laughs from Sully, and silly giggles from Libby. Young love. So freaking adorable.

Suddenly, Libby squeaked. I looked up to find h just sitting there, by herself. Ryder glanced up, but didn’t find it odd that Sully had disappeared. Jett was looking around for Sully. Panicked, I stood up. God, I’d only had Sully for a few hours and already he was gone.

“Sully?” I called. To my relief, I heard a soft chuckle, and then he suddenly appeared, standing behind Libby. She popped up, startled. I put my head in my hands. “Great. I’ve got an invisible kid.” I moaned.  Sully laughed. “Not invisible, I just blend in with peoples blind spots. It can be great for pranks.” He said, chortling away. I sat back down and Ryder grunted. “It’s not good. Mine is better.” I looked up. I had forgotten that he was supposed to have one also. “What’s yours?” I asked. He drew a circle in the ground on the board for tic tac toe.

“Well, it’s sort of weird.” He said nervously. I looked at him expectantly. “I can make the wind and the water and stuff like that, do what I want. And I can make stuff grow or die.” He said, grinning proudly. Flowers sprouted in the ground around him. I gave a startled laugh and shook my head. Sully snorted. “He also talks to animals.” I nodded. Arianna was putting together a hell of an army. An army that involved little kids fighting. I frowned as I watched Libby and Sully talk, and Jett play with his new friend, Ryder. I didn’t like the idea of putting them in battle. I sighed and Libby looked at me, worried, but Sully claimed her attention again.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Rex sauntered into the ring of light we had and settled next to me. I frowned down at him. “Where’ve you been?” I murmured, stroking his head. Ryder came over and kneeled down in front of Rex. After a quick, moment, Rex started top purr and climbed onto Ryder’s back and up to his shoulder. Sully chuckled. “What’d you do to him?’ I asked as Ryder sat back down with Rex. “I told you he could talk to animals.” Sully said

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