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water.
    “Thanks, Robert,” Madison said.
    “Thank you,” I said.
    We used a rock to pop the cans open, then poured the beans
in our hands and ate them quickly. To wash it down, I opened the bottle of
water and took a big gulp.
    “How long have you been down here?” I asked Robert.
    “A day. Maybe two. We found an opening in the ground right
after they took the women—I’d seen enough.”
    I took a deep breath. “I can’t believe it’s come to this.”
    Robert nodded. “It’s unimaginable.”
    I glanced at the wall and checked the small pile of food
they'd found. “We won’t last long down here. At some point—we’ll have to go
back to the surface.”
    Robert looked around, somberly. “I know.”

 
     
    Chapter 16
     
    Afterward, we all tried to get some rest. But I couldn’t
sleep. I sat up and saw Robert sitting by the wall. He was staring at the fire,
twirling a rock in his hand. I got up and walked over to him.
    “Can’t sleep?”
    Robert slowly shook his head. “I haven’t gotten much sleep
since the invasion. It’s been no different down here.”
    “Mind if I join you?”
    “Not at all.”
    I sat down and crossed my arms. We stayed quiet for a
moment, staring at the fire.
    “Did you meet their leader?” I asked.
    Robert chuckled. “No. I didn’t know they had a leader.”
    “They call him the Champion . He had a red cloak and
everything.”
    Robert exhaled. “I bet that was a sight to see.”
    “Yeah, it was terrifying. Not knowing what to expect—lying
on the ground like a helpless animal.”
    “I felt the same way with just the soldiers. It was very demeaning.”
    I paused and thought about Emily. “I’m still trying to
figure out why they took the women.”
    “I’ve been thinking about that, too. I met a really nice lady
on the night of the invasion. When they took her, it was like losing a lifelong
friend.”
    I couldn’t help but wonder. “What was her name?”
    “Emily.”
    My heart thumped and my eyes grew wide as I quickly faced
Robert. “What did she look like?”
    “ Uh —she had brown hair, sky-blue eyes, a slim build—a
beautiful young woman.”
    I shed a few tears as I looked up at the ceiling. “Thank
God.”
    “I can see that she’s someone special to you.”
    “Yes. She’s my girlfriend.” Now all I could do was hope
Emily survived whatever the Mamluks had planned.

 
     
    Chapter 17
     
    I lay on my bed, staring out the window. It was like being
frozen in time, without memories to look back on, and no future to look forward
to. All my life I had been taught to make the best of a bad situation. But how
could anyone prepare for an alien invasion? I was lost—and there was nowhere to
turn for help.
    I heard a knock at the entrance. I turned my head to check,
thinking it was Katie. Surprisingly, it was a young girl holding a tray of
food, wearing a plain white dress. I got up and walked to the entrance.
    “Hello. My name’s Emily. You can come inside.”
    The young girl had the saddest look on her face. “They told
me to bring this to you.”
    I stepped aside. “Please, come in.”
    The girl hurried to the table by my bed and set the tray
down. She spun around and tried to leave just as fast.
    “Wait,” I begged, grabbing her arm. “Tell me what happened.”
    She pulled her arm away and tried to run away again.
    I quickly, and desperately, reached out to her. “Please,
come back.”
    The girl stopped and turned around. I walked up to her
slowly. She looked away and put her head down. I opened my arms and gave her a
hug.
    “It’s OK. I won’t harm you.” Gently, I rubbed her back.
“Please, tell me what happened.”
    She wept terribly, and it made me fear what she might say.
“They brought us to a room and made us put these white dresses on.”
    “What’s your name, Sweetheart?”
    “Audrey.”
    “How old are you, Dear?”
    “Eleven.”
    I cringed after hearing her age. “Come on. Sit down with me
and have something to eat.”
    “I