“Georgie!”
My time reminiscing about the past was over the second my kid sister, Frankie waltzed through the door. I rolled over on my cot as she plopped down next to me, sitting Indian style on the concrete floor. “What’s up, Frankie?”
“Were you sleeping?” Frankie was short for Francesca. The name suited her. She was a short, petite brunette that made the word enthusiastic seem like an understatement.
I propped my head up. “No,” I commented. “I’m just thinking.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Thinking? About what?”
I let out a long winded sigh. “I don’t know, Frankie, just
things.” I didn’t feel like elaborating.
Suddenly, Frankie, shot up off the floor like a cannonball barreling out of a cannon. I flung myself backwards startled by her spontaneous gesture. “Did Mom let you have coffee today?” I inquired. She was hyper by nature. She didn’t need the added caffeine.
Frankie paced back and forth across the small room, then giddily clapped her hands. “No,” she squealed. “But I have the most exciting news!”
I waited for her to go on with the story. “Well, come on. Spit it out.”
She stopped pacing, faced me and giggled out in delight. “We’re all being invited to the council meeting tomorrow!” She went on. “Can you believe it? After all this time we are finally going to see what goes on inside of a council meeting!”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Four months after the apocalypse we banded together with the fourteen other families. The members helped my father expand our underground home into a colony, with tunnels that led to each family’s household. Shortly after that, they formed our colony council.
Once a week, the heads of each household met for a council meeting. Only the heads of each household attended the meetings. They never invited any family members. So I found it odd that were inviting everyone now.
There were a number of reasons why the families could be invited. They may have learned of some advancement on new earth. Maybe there were less toxins in the air now. Or they could be calling us in to give us some bad news. That maybe our food supply was running low or that they c
aught someone committing a crime. My gut told me, whatever the council was planning, wasn’t necessarily good. I sat up some. “Where did you hear about the families being invited?”
“I overheard Dad talking to Mr. Baker.”
My father’s involvement in the council worried me. He was so kind, trusting, and easily impressionable. I scowled at the idea of a weasel like Mr. Baker, a man who was always sneaking around, planting some stupid idea into his head. My father wasn’t a natural leader but, he did start this colony so he had to be included. I crossed my legs. “Well, what else did he say?”
Frankie cocked her head to the side. “That’s all I really got. Dad said and I quote, ‘we’ll have to invite all of the family members.’”
Seconds later my mother strolled into our room. “Dinner is in ten minutes.” She turned to leave.
Then I got up from the bed. “Mom, wait!”
My mother stopped, turned around and faced me and Frankie. “What is it, dear?”
I spoke up. “Frankie heard something about the families being invited to a council meeting.”
My mother turned away from me, looking sternly at Frankie. “Francesca, were you eavesdropping again?”
Spots of pink appeared on Frankie’s ivory cheeks. “Guilty.”
She stepped backwards, glancing between me and Frankie. “Well, as far as I know, the topic is all really hush-hush. But yes the families are being invited to the council meeting tomorrow.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And you swear, you have no idea what for?” Even though she said she didn’t know, I knew sometimes she lied about certain things. She said she did it to protect us.
She made an x across her heart. “Sweetheart, I swear. I have no idea.”
My mother turned to leave, giving Frankie another hard look. “Francesca, you better start minding your own business or I’m going to have to lock you in this room. You hear me!”
Frankie rolled her eyes. “Yes, mother.” Frankie glanced at me as my mother walked out of the room. “How is she going to lock me in? We don’t even have a door.”