The Catalyst: Chapter One

Before:

Stella hadn’t heard her parents arguing lately or speaking in low voices in the kitchen when they thought Stella was sleeping. They did that when something was going on inside The Steadfast that the adults deemed too disturbing for the children to know about. Stella had no reason to suspect that anything bad was going on. She had overheard some of her teachers at school talking about how the Directorate’s laws were losing momentum; she thought things were getting better.

Stella and her parents were eating a supper consisting of cornbread, pinto beans and turnip greens, when they saw three soldiers walking in the direction of their house. Stella's father thrust a knife into her hand only a split second before three hard knocks boomed at the front door.

Her mother set her fork down and took a sip of murky water from her glass, then stood up and shuffled to the front door. Her worn pink slippers made a swishing sound as she crossed the dirt covered floor. She unlocked the door and cracked it a sliver, peeking out to see who it was on the other side.

The front door was kicked inward by the person on the other side, and Stella's mother screamed, falling to the floor and clutching her nose, blood gushing through her fingers.

A giant of a man, at least seven feet tall, with muscles bulging from the sleeves of his T-shirt, stomped in through the door. He was wearing a bullet proof vest and had a gun in a holster that was strapped to his belt. He walked over to Stella's mother and slapped handcuffs onto her wrists. She resisted and the man put shackles on her ankles too.

Stella’s mother was flat on her stomach on the stained and cracked white linoleum, staring at Stella with eyes full of fear. One of her beautiful blue eyes had already started to swell shut and blood still streamed from her nose. There were tears in her eyes as she looked at Stella and mouthed the words, “I love you.”

Stella’s father grabbed her hand and dragged her through the kitchen and to the back door. As they approached the back door, they heard men talking on the other side. There were soldiers standing guard outside. Her father pulled her in the other direction, into the living room. He dashed across the room and opened the window beside the cluttered bookshelf. The window stuck when it was halfway open and wouldn't budge.

Stella heard her mother yell, “ROBERT! THEY KNOW! GET STELLA OUT NOW!”

A scream of pain followed that was cut short by the sound of a gunshot. Stella turned to go to her mother, to help her, to fight for her, but her father grabbed her before she could.

Stella's father gripped her shoulders and looked into her eyes. His voice cracked as he spoke in a soft voice. “Stella, listen to me. I need you to be strong right now, Buttercup.” Tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

Stella heard heavy, pounding footsteps moving through the kitchen. Her father pushed her toward the window.

Stella stuck her head out of the window to check for guards. When she didn’t see any, she shimmied her body through the window until her upper body was out. She heard the giant man’s footsteps pound into the living room, and heard him shout in a deep voice, “STOP RIGHT NOW!”

Stella pulled her body the rest of the way through the window and dropped to the frosty grass.

“Dad, hurry!” Stella yelled, looking around in panic, as her dad just stood looking down at her from the window. She realized that he couldn't fit through the window. Not with it stuck like it was, and the soldiers were already in the room with him. His eyes showed no fear, but instead were filled with resolve and determination.

“Go get the others out if you can,” Stella’s father said in a rush.

“Then hide, Stella… stay in secluded areas. You can do this, you're strong. I love you and I am so proud of you.”

Stella heard a gunshot, the aftermath causing her ears to ring. Her heart flopped in her chest, and her eyes blurred. She fell to the ground. Her father’s eyes grew wide as a blossom of crimson bloomed from the middle of his chest. His mouth went slack, and his eyes glazed. Stella watched from where she had fell, the snow dampening the seat of her pants, as she searched her father’s eyes for guidance and reassurance, but there was no comfort to be gained there. The light in his eyes was extinguished and she watched as he fell limp to the floor.

Tears poured down Stella's face. She felt like a coward. She had left her mother and now she was going to leave her father. She did nothing to save them. She didn't even try.

She made a vow to herself then, sitting on the cold, hard ground, that she would make up for her cowardice in this moment for the rest of her life. She would redeem herself and never show weakness again. From now on she would fight, until it was impossible to fight. She started constructing her emotional armor.