It has been several days since my mother went behind my back and turned the application papers in without completing the necessary tests. I haven't spoken to her since that day and I'm not sure I can forgive her. Joy is only nine years old, and she doesn't understand any of this. She knows about the plague, but she doesn't understand why Mom would refuse to let us try and enter one.

Suddenly a knock sounded on the door. I open it slowly after peering through the peephole. There was an elitist with two of the king's soldiers. The soldiers were dressed in black except for a silver armband around their left arm with the royal crest on it. The elitist was a young female. She is tall like me. However where my hair is auburn brown, hers is honey blonde. On her right hand is a silver ring with an emerald. All elitists wore this ring; each emerald always has a coiled serpent on it. On her ring, the serpent is curled around a strand of DNA. This means she is a geneticist. The emerald on her ring has four small diamonds on each side of it. The number of diamonds on an elitist's ring represents their importance and power. With the amount of diamonds on her ring, she must be a very important advisor to the king. I momentarily forget my manners as I stare at them in complete shock.

"Is this the residence of Marylyn Raine and her two daughters Joy and Coral Raine?"

"Yes it is. I am Coral, her eldest daughter. How may I help you?"

"We need to speak to Marylyn about the incomplete applications she turned in for the isolation camps. It is important we know why she refused the tests. The tests are very important in learning more about the plague. Very few people would refuse the opportunity at a safe place for both them and their children, especially in these troubling times."

"My mother is resting right now. Perhaps, I could answer some of your questions." I need to try and prevent them from talking to my mother as much as possible. Lately, her paranoia has grown to borderline treason. She believes the king is unfit to rule, and that he may even be behind the plague which purposely targets traitors to the crown. I try to point out that Dad was not a traitor to the King, but she refuses to listen to reason.

"No, it is imperative we speak to your mother alone." I wonder why they want to speak to her alone. There is no way I can allow that to happen. With my mother's current mind set, she will likely charm her way straight into the King's holding center. In the Holding Center, criminals and suspected criminals are frozen until enough evidence is gathered to declare them either guilty or innocent. No one really understands how it works.

The person appears to be frozen in time. During this process, they don't age at all. When they are unfrozen, they believe no time has passed at all. However, occasionally the process doesn't completely work. The prisoner is frozen, but they are aware of everything going on around them. If they are left like this for too long, they will eventually go insane and in extreme cases, eventually die.

"If you stand there and continue to refuse to get your mother, we will be forced to do it ourselves and we will not be kind about it. Additionally, you will be detained on charges of interfering with royal business."

It appears I have no choice at this point. I can't risk being detained in the Holding Center, and leaving Joy alone with my mother for a potentially long period of time. After waking my mother up and explaining the situation to her, she began to appear agitated. As I see how weak my mother is, I can't help but compare the two of us. Unlike Joy and Lillian, I look nothing like my mother. They are all blonde with fair complexion, but due to the time I spend outdoors for work, I am tan with auburn brown hair. My mother has grown so weak since my father died and more suspicious. To her, everything is a government conspiracy.

"Please Mom, don't do anything to make them anymore upset then they already are. Think of Joy. If they take you to the Holding Center she will be without both her parents. That is, if she even lives that long because thanks to you we will never get into one of the isolation camps." I am panicking. Without her, they might take Joy away.

As soon as my mother entered the living room, the elitist stood up from the chair she had taken the liberty of claiming. The soldiers remained guarding the door.

"Please take a seat Marylyn; we just want to ask you a few questions about the paperwork you turned in for the isolation camps as well as a few questions about your late husband." My mother turned pale at the mention of my father like always although this time it almost looked like she was afraid instead of grieving. Turning to look at me the elitist continued speaking, "That will be all, you may leave now."

"I think I'd rather stay. I don't want to leave my mother alone." I know I am risking my freedom, but I don't trust my mother alone with them. As much as I hated her right now, I don't want to leave her alone. Also, I'm curious about why they care about my father. To an elitist, he was just a dead srat.

"Either you leave this room willingly, or these soldiers will forcibly escort you to the Holding Center where you will be held for interfering with royal business as well as disobeying a direct command from one the King's chosen advisors. By the time you get released from holding, your precious little sister Joy will have either succumbed to the plague or she will be a mother of her own children. Then you will be the little sister."

Well, this elitist clearly wasn't messing around. I couldn't abandon Joy which means I have to leave my mother. As I left the room, I sent my mother one last pleading look. I hope she doesn't mess this up.

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