"I feel so free!" I yelled as we strolled through the narrow, cobblestone streets.

"Quit being so dramatic," Madi said as she trudged behind me. There weren't very many people about, most had returned to their small cottages for the night. The Community was safe and clean, but it got boring quickly. All the buildings looked the same inside the inner walls; just squat, two story houses of plaster and brick. One right after the other. Outside the inner walls was just farmland. That wasn't any better in the way of excitement.

"Do you think all of the communities look like ours?" I asked Madi. She shrugged.

"What does it matter? You'll never see another one."

"Who's to say I won't? Once I'm strong enough, I'll travel all around and defeat the sickness with my powers!"

Madi just rolled her eyes.

"Look- I've been practicing all day." I pulled her back behind an alley where no one could spy on us. I crouched down and focused on a small rock lying several feet ahead of me. I held out my hand and demanded it come to me. The rock wobbled on the ground, then floated seamlessly to me. I held it in my hand and showed it to Madi. "Not bad, huh?"

"Amazing," she said sarcastically. "Can we go now? I really do have homework to work on."

"No, I want to find Hirsh and ask him about the winter supplies."

Madi grabbed my arm and yanked me back into the street. "Hirsh doesn't have time to be bothered by you. Besides, why do you care so much about the winter supplies? Even if we don't get them, the Community has plenty of food to last through the winter."

I pulled away and kept walking towards the inner walls. "I'm just curious... I want to know what the outside is like."

"Nooo... you want to go stirring up trouble. Face it, Zuza, Hirsh would never take a fourteen year old on a supply trip, especially a fourteen year old who-" she stopped. I glared at her, waiting for her to finish. "- Especially a fourteen year old with your ability. You could get in serious trouble."

"How?" I felt anger start to rise up in me.

"Because you're reckless! Why else do you think mother and father make me follow you around everywhere? Or why you're not allowed to go to school? If it weren't for us, you'd have let the whole community know about you and they'd lock you away."

Her words hurt. "...Hirsh wouldn't do that."

"You're a danger to yourself and others," she said bluntly. "Now let's go home."

"No." I turned and ran from her. I ran past the buildings, zig-zagging my way towards the wall, away from everyone holding me back. Maybe I'll just leave the Community all together. That'll show them. I stopped when I got to the gate of the inner wall. Show them what, Zuza? I'd just be showing them that Madi is right. I am too reckless. And I'm certainly not prepared to face the outside on my own. I can't even move a leaf.

"Zuza?" I heard a man's voice beside me. I looked to find Hirsh walking towards me. His back looked more hunched than usual and his shuffling feet were louder than normal. He was accompanied by the one of the guards, Clovis. The one that Madi liked. I could see why; Clovis was handsome and nice. A lot nicer than Madi was.

"Hi Hirsh," I said, trying to slow my breathing.

"What are you doing out by the inner wall?" He asked. "The sun is quickly setting."

"I uh... wanted to see you I guess. You're looking older," I blurted, then immediately felt mortified. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that."

Hirsh just laughed. It was a cute, old man laugh that made you feel better about yourself. "It's all right, Zuza. Now, why did you want to see me?"

"My parents told me that we might get supplies from a dissolved community. Is that true?"

"It is true that there was a nearby community that was dissolved," Hirsh said. "As for getting their supplies, it's too early to tell. I'll be sending a group of investigators out in a couple of days to determine if there's anything worth taking- that is, if another community hasn't scavenged everything before we get there."

"What about roamers? Will you bring any back?"

"Ah, now something tells me that's the real reason you wanted to see me tonight. Curiosity killed the cat, you know."

"I hate cats."

"Hirsh laughed again. "Of course you do. I'll tell you this, it's not common that a community picks up a roamer... but that's not to say it won't happen."

"Why don't the communities pick up more? If the sickness doesn't hurt the very old and young as much, why wouldn't more people be taken in?"

"Well, you're a smart girl," Hirsh said. "You tell me."

I thought on it for a moment. "Well, I guess it's not proven that the very old and young are safe from it. Those are just stories from other communities... Still, it doesn't seem very nice to just leave people out there to fend for themselves."

"You're right. But truth be told, we rarely see roamers when outside of the walls. We're more isolated than other communities, so there's a good chance that more roamers than we believe are taking in."

"That's good I guess... I've always wanted to see the outside. Even if it's boring out there like it is in here. It'd be something different-"

"Zuza!" Madi screamed behind me. I turned and saw her walking towards me, fuming with anger. "Don't run off like that!" She stopped short when she saw Clovis.

"I-uh, I.. I'm sorry about her," she said to the pair. She grabbed my hand. "Let's go."

"Hello Madi," Hirsh said. "We were just having a pleasant conversation with Zuza."

"I hope she didn't bother you." She purposely avoided looking at Clovis, but her cheeks still turned red.

"Not at all," Clovis said in his soft, calm voice. Madi blushed harder. I slightly nudged her in the side, to which she responded by covertly pinching my arm. Worth it.

"You know Madi," Hirsh said. "We were just about to show Zuza something. Clovis will you bring the car up to the gate?" Clovis nodded and departed.

"Show me what?" I asked.

Hirsh tapped his cane on the ground with excitement. "The outside."