OUTSIDE IN

Josh shot to full consciousness. Two figures staggered across the floor, dimly outlined in the light of the guttering candles. They were thin, covered in rags, and their skin looked greenish white. The creatures pawed the books and toys from the shelves, knocked over chairs, and bent low over the cots, silent except for harsh, ragged breathing. Josh tried to jump toward them, but found to his horror that he couldn’t move his legs and arms. He could feel Zoe struggling next to him, crying out for Sam.

The kidlets were all awake, huddled shrieking in their beds. The monsters lurched over to them and bent down, picking curiously at their hair and clothes with long, talonlike nails. Devon jumped from his cot and swung a fist at one of them, but the thing caught the boy’s hand in its claw, shoving him hard into the wall. Devon collapsed and lay still.

“Josh!” shrieked Maddie.

“Get away from them,” Josh yelled furiously, still struggling against whatever was binding him. “Get the hell away from them!”

One of the creatures paused, then limped over and bent close to him. Its face was covered with open sores, and half of its nose looked eaten away. It laughed dully.

Josh gaped. The thing was human. And, more horribly … it was young.

An air horn sounded in the distance. Then another, and another.

The Protectors had spotted the invaders.

The creature in front of Josh froze, cocking its head. It lurched away, joining its companion. They poked their claws into the screaming cluster of children, and then a gust of wind came in and blew out the candle. Swearing, weeping in frustration, Josh could only watch the silhouettes of their hunched, misshapen forms limping toward the door.

A moment later they were gone.

“Maddie!” Josh yelled hoarsely. “Maddie, you still there?”

There was no answer, and his stomach dropped and heaved. Then he heard a shaky voice.

“I’m here,” she said between sobs. “But, Josh …” She gasped, and started crying again. Next to him, Josh felt Zoe stiffen.

“Maddie,” she called, “where’s Sam? Sam, where are you?”

Josh strained to hear, and saw something crawling toward him on all fours. He jerked backward, then realized it was Maddie, too terrified to walk.

“The monsters took him,” she moaned. “They took Sammie and Giz!”

Josh shot a look at Zoe, who raised her head and screamed Sam’s name. At the sound, Shana and Maddie cried even louder, choking on snot and tears.

“Everybody shut up,” Josh said. “Just shut up!” Zoe froze, and the sobs of the younger ones lessened. Josh realized that what happened next was all up to him. “Maddie, light some more of the candles and bring them over here. We’ve gotta figure out why Zoe and I can’t move.”

A minute later, candlelight flickered across his body. All that was binding him were a few strips of something that looked like duct tape, wrapped around his ankles and wrists. But when he struggled, they felt like iron bands.

“Mad, go get something sharp. We’ve got to cut this stuff off.”

The girl was still trembling.

“Maddie! NOW!”

She jumped to her feet and darted across the room, returning seconds later with the bucket of scissors they used for crafts. She grabbed the largest pair and began sawing at the tape. Minutes later, Josh scraped the last remnants from his own legs. Zoe tried to do the same, but her hands were shaking too badly.

“Help Zoe,” Josh said to his sister. He stumbled across the room on deadened legs, vaguely aware of an orange glow bleeding through the windows from outside. Devon lay in the corner, stretched out on the floor but beginning to move. Josh pulled him to a sitting position and leaned him against the wall.

“You all right?”

“My head hurts.”

Josh felt along his scalp, walking his fingers through Devon’s hair. He found a lump on the back of his skull, but no blood.

“I think you’re okay. Just sit still for a while.”

Devon nodded, and Josh returned to where Maddie was pulling the last shreds of tape from Zoe’s ankles.

“Come on, Zoe,” he said. “We’ve got to go after them.”

She nodded vaguely, but her eyes were dead. Josh wasn’t even sure she’d heard him. So he did what he’d always seen people do in movies: he slapped her.

“What the hell!” she said, gasping. But her eyes snapped back into focus.

“We’ve got to go after them. Now!”

Zoe clambered to her feet, and together they raced outside, yelling at Maddie and Devon to close the door behind them and shove the heaviest furniture up against it. A handful of other kids were in the street as well, shouting out names and looking frantically up and down Starlight Lane. Small fires struggled to life in waste bins, and glowing ashes floated toward the cottages.

“Come on,” Josh yelled. “They have to be heading toward the monorail tracks. It’s the only way in or out!”

“What about the fires?”

“Let someone else put ’em out! We’ve got to go!”

They ran, followed by other frenzied parents. Doors and windows opened as they raced by, the startled occupants pulled from sleep by the blasts of the air horns and the screams of their neighbors.

“We’ve been attacked!” Josh yelled as he and Zoe tore past. “Check the other families. See who needs help!”

They sped through the village, terror taking root behind them, then pounded across the connecting bridge into Atlantis. The bridge from Inspiration Island was also spewing out a stream of kids, all with the same crazed look.

The two groups swirled together in the Palace courtyard. Josh turned toward the monorail station, but Zoe grabbed his arm, dragging him toward the other bridge. He started to pull back, then saw Latisha pushing her way toward them. The three threw their arms around one another.

“They got Jesse,” said Latisha, naming one of her favorite sixes, a little boy she had adopted along with two of her other students. “I heard screaming and I woke up and saw him being dragged out the door by these sick goblin things with claws.” She shuddered. Then she pulled back slightly, looking at Zoe.

“Sam,” whispered Zoe. “And little Giz.”

“Oh, God.” Latisha’s face went ashen.

Around them, the crowd was growing, ready to explode with panic and fear. Josh looked at the two girls grimly.

“So are we just going to moan about it?” He raised his voice, calling to the others. “Why are we standing here? Everyone! Let’s go!”

The crowd roared, and they all surged through the darkness toward the monorail station.

The speakers rumbled, and hot flames exploded from the reflecting pool, forcing everyone back.

“STOP!”

Josh looked up. Milo stood on the balcony of the Palace, and it was his voice, not Neptune’s, roaring through the speakers.

“I SAID STOP! THE PROTECTORS ARE ALREADY AFTER THEM!”

“I’m not staying here while they’ve got my brother!” someone yelled. The entire crowd pushed forward again.

“WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WHEN YOU FIND THEM? IF YOU FIND THEM? DID YOU BRING LIGHTS? WEAPONS? ANYTHING?”

The crowd slowed, and Josh was suddenly aware of his empty hands. Everyone stopped running, confused, and looked up again at Milo. Josh noticed a flicker of movement just behind him, in the shadows. Moira.

Milo’s voice dropped.

“I know we’re all scared. But we’re going to get the kidlets back, I promise. We just don’t want any more people lost or hurt. Look out there.”

Everyone turned and stared toward the monorail. The station itself was barely visible, and the concrete track had vanished, swallowed by the night.

“They could be out there waiting for us. Ready to attack. Maybe that’s why they took the kids—to lure us.” The listening crowd went still. “But the Protectors went armed, and they have lights.” He pointed back toward the track.

Less than a kilometer in the distance, Josh could see a string of bright dots clustered together, just beyond the first barricade.

“They’re going to find those things,” said Milo, leaning forward on the balcony. “And they’re going to rescue our kids.”

His face and voice were strong and certain. Josh felt the hysteria around him begin to subside.

“So what do we do?” someone asked.

“We wait,” said Milo quietly. “Go back to your homes. We’ll sound the horns as soon as we know anything.”

Josh and Zoe returned to their cottage. Looking in the window, they saw Devon sitting up and Maddie reading a story to Shana inside a ring of candlelight. The fairy wings lay crumpled in a corner.

They called to the kids, then listened to their excited voices and the shriek of furniture being moved away from the door. When they entered, Devon and Maddie looked at them and past them, expressions hopeful. Then their faces fell.

“You don’t have them,” Devon said, making it more an accusation than a statement.

“Not yet,” said Josh. He looked at Shana, who was staring at him wide-eyed, and chose his next words carefully. “But Neptune sent his soldiers after them. With swords and … and magic lights. They’ll get Sam and Gizzie back.”

Devon looked at him with eyes more skeptical than any nine-year-old’s should be. “You sure, Dude?”

“I’m sure. King Neptune promised.”

Devon nodded, but Josh could see that he didn’t believe him.

Every minute that passed felt like an hour. Shana, at least, wasn’t aware of the endless night. With her parents back and King Neptune looking for her brothers, she was able to fall into an exhausted sleep. Maddie and Devon stayed awake, huddling together for comfort, sharing guesses about what the King and his soldiers would do when they found the invaders. Josh nodded at Devon, grateful that the boy was helping maintain the illusion.

“So who were they?” Zoe whispered. “Where’d they come from?”

“From Outside, I guess.” Josh thought a moment. “They must’ve seen the Scouts and figured out the barricades were down.”

“So why didn’t they come right away?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it took a day or two for the Scouts to get to wherever they were living. Or maybe whatever made them look so sick has rotted their brains, and they can’t think straight.”

“Like the zombies in those old Living Dead movies.”

“Yeah.”

Zoe nodded, then stared straight ahead. “Did you get a good look at them?” she asked, her voice quiet. “They were kids.”

Josh didn’t respond. But he had noticed. And realized that he and Maddie—all of the Islanders—might be looking like that, if they’d gone Outside. Milo had been right.

Nothing more was said, and night crept toward morning. Maddie and Devon finally fell asleep, but Zoe’s and Josh’s eyes remained wide open. Occasionally, Josh would realize that nothing was going through his mind. Absolutely nothing. It was as though his brain had decided it couldn’t take any more and just switched itself off.

An air horn split the silence, and everyone jumped. Hearts pounding, Josh and Zoe jumped to their feet, hope tearing at them.

“AWAKE, EVERYONE,” thundered the voice of King Neptune. “AWAKE AND COME TO NEPTUNE’S THEATRE. THERE IS NEWS TO BE SHARED.”

“What does that mean?” asked Zoe nervously.

“I don’t know. But we’re sure as hell gonna find out.” Josh looked at his sister. “Maddie—”

“Forget it,” she said. “We’re coming, too.” Next to her, Devon folded his arms and glared at them.

Josh almost smiled. He gathered little Shana in his arms, and all of them rushed out the door. Minutes later, they were hurrying across the winding entrance paths to Neptune’s Theatre, meeting up with hundreds of other kids whose faces all showed warring emotions of hope and terror. They entered the theatre, joining Latisha in the stands, nerves tightening when they saw nothing but an empty stage in the weak, pre-dawn light.

A spotlight suddenly glowed on the trainer’s platform. Josh looked back over his shoulder, up to the engineer’s booth, and saw Evan working the equipment. Milo stepped into the pale circle of light and looked out at the anxious crowd.

“We have something to show you,” he said quietly.

The spotlight swung over to the reflecting wall. A door opened, and Caleb walked out with several of the Protectors. Between them, bound in ropes, were two of the invaders from Outside.

The crowd gasped.

“The Protectors caught these two, and we’re going to find out everything we can from them,” said Milo quietly. He paused, as though not sure how to continue. Finally, he looked down, and took a deep breath.

“There’s something else, too.”

The silence in the stands was absolute.

The spotlight swung away from the captives, lighting up the tunnel leading from the side entrance of the theatre. There was a shouted order, the sound of pounding feet, the echo of dozens of voices.

Josh and Zoe jumped to their feet. The missing children streamed out of the entrance, yelling happily, eyes searching the crowd for their families.

“There they are!” cried Tish, pointing toward the middle of the crowd, where little Jesse was jumping like a rabbit. Zoe sobbed as she spotted Sam, and Devon and Maddie let out loud whoops when Giz limped in just behind him. Josh scooped up Shana and they all raced down the stairs. They came together in an explosion of shrieks and laughter, Maddie and Zoe almost knocking Sam over, Devon struggling to lift Gizmo off the ground in a bear hug.

“You okay, little Dude?” Devon asked.

“Yeah,” grinned Gizmo, hugging him back. “You okay, big Dude?”

“Am now.”

Sam suddenly pulled away from his sister and began bouncing up and down like he was on springs. “You should have seen it,” he said, eyes bright. “The Protectors came and got us away and just creamed those guys! It was so cool!”

“I bet,” said Zoe, giving up on the hug but devouring him with her eyes. “And we want to hear everything.”

Josh grinned. “So let’s go home. Treats are on me.”

“Treats with Giz and Sam!” said Shana happily, and Josh gave her a squeeze. Then he and Zoe started making their way back through the crowd. They passed a small mob, then realized it was Milo, surrounded by grateful, cheering families.

“Kids okay?” he called.

“They’re terrific,” grinned Zoe.

“Good. That’s great.”

Oddly, though, Milo didn’t look as triumphant as Josh would have expected. His smile was forced, and he barely seemed to be listening to the voices around him.

“Josh, hold up a second, okay?”

“Sure. Everything all right?”

Milo didn’t respond. Didn’t even look Josh in the eye.

Josh turned back to Zoe. “You take Shana and go ahead. I’ll meet you back at the cottage.” Zoe nodded, too happy to ask any questions. She pulled Shana onto one hip, and the little group headed off. Josh waited until Milo extricated himself from the happy families, and the two walked off by themselves, to the edge of the pool.

“What is it?” asked Josh.

Milo’s white face had never looked so pale. “I’ve got bad news. It’s about Hamim.”

Josh’s elation drained from him. “What about him?”

“Caleb found him, just past the last barricade.”

“And?” Josh whispered.

“He’s dead.”