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TWELVE YEARS EARLIER…

AIDEN

“Where are you taking me?” I ask, even though it’s pointless.

At nine years old, I already know adults don’t listen, especially to little boys.

They didn’t listen when I told them Mama got hurt.

Mama didn’t listen when I begged her to stop letting them in. She didn’t listen again when I told her to stop putting those pointy things in her arms. They made her sleepy.

No one at the park listened when I told them she’d slept for three days straight. Well, before the flies came. They soon listened to me after that.

I liked those three days. Just Mama and me.

She never liked having me around before, so it was good for the two of us to finally be together.

We watched all my favorite movies without her yelling or sending me off to buy her beer.

I wasn’t forced to stay outside when the trailer rocked until the sweaty men left, no matter how hard I cried.

No, those three days were special. It’s how it should have been.

Just the two of us. That’s the kinda Mama I wanted, even though she smelled bad.

I blame our neighbor. I don’t know his name, only that Mama called him an ‘interfering piece of shit’.

He kept knocking on our door. Again and again.

When I opened it to tell him to mind his own business, he vomited beer all over our front step.

That made me mad, so I stabbed him really quick, once in the leg, because he was too tall for me to reach anywhere else.

Soon after, two men came to take me away. I told them I don’t want to go. I can take care of myself. I make peanut butter sandwiches, packet mac and cheese, and I know which dumpsters to find the best food in. I could stay in our trailer forever. Just me, Mama, and the flies.

“Are we nearly there?” I ask again.

The strange men are driving me to a special place.

A place that’ll help make me better, or so they say.

They ignore my questions. They’re dressed in suits and look like secret agents.

Everyone at the trailer park watched us go, and an ambulance flew by on our way out.

I’ve already asked where they’re taking Mama, but they won’t say. I don’t think I’ll be seeing her again.

“What’s the special place like?” I push for answers.

I hear Mama’s angry voice in my head. Don’t talk to strangers, Aiden, especially when they’re dressed in fancy clothes.

They think they’re better than folks like us, you hear me?

They’re trouble. Mama wouldn’t have let me go.

They have no business knowing our business.

You keep your damn mouth shut if you don’t want another hiding.

I stare out the car window, pressing my nose against the cold glass. There’s a weird smell, which I think might be me, and the men have cracked the window open to let some of it out. A winter wind whistles through my torn T-shirt. The cold doesn’t bother me. I’m used to it. Heating costs too much.

I pass the time by counting every tree and bird I see.

I’ve always liked being outdoors. Sometimes, I spend days playing in the woods behind the trailer park.

I don’t recognize where we’re at now, though.

I know the world is a real big place because I’ve seen it on TV, but I didn’t realize it was this big.

I expect the car to tumble off the edge of the earth, yet we keep going.

We’ve been driving for a while. A long time.

We stopped once to buy milkshakes and burgers.

I shouldn’t take food from strangers, but it looked so good that I couldn’t help myself.

I clutch my tummy. It aches from being so full, but it was worth it.

Maybe this new special place will have more burgers and milkshakes. I’ve decided they’re my new favorites.

The driver turns. “We’re almost there, kid,” he says, pointing ahead. “See that?” I follow his finger to look at the large iron gates approaching. “That’s your new home.”

I gasp, putting my small hand up to the misty glass. “Wow…”

It’s a castle with tall brick walls. It must have hundreds of bedrooms. I’ve never had a bed of my own before. I’ve always slept with Mama or on the sofa. I grin smugly. What will everyone think of the trailer trash who’d never amount to anything now? I’m going somewhere special, unlike them.

The gates come to life and open. The sun sets behind the roof, and a tall man in a long, white coat waits at the entrance. He looks down at a clipboard in his hands.

“Out you get, kid.”

I expect the men to get out, but they don’t move.

“What’re you waiting for?” the driver encourages. “Move!”

I stagger from the car, almost tripping. The sole is coming away from the bottom of my sneaker, and I hope they won’t turn me away from the castle because of it.

“Good evening,” the man at the door greets me. He smiles, but something about it makes me want to run. I can sense bad men. They’ve come in and out of my trailer often enough. “My name is Doctor Acacia.”

No one said anything about doctors. Mama says you can’t trust hospitals. If you go into the hospital, they’ll keep you. Boys like you go in and don’t come out. Do you want to get taken away? I didn’t want that.

I look back at the car that’s already driving away, leaving me stranded.

“This is your new home.” Doctor Acacia gestures up at the building. There’s writing above the door, but I can’t read it. To me, letters look like ugly drawings. Mama said reading and school was a waste of time. “Welcome to Sunnycrest.”

“Sunnycrest,” I repeat.

It sounds like somewhere people go on vacation. Vacations aren’t for people like us. Like me.

“Let’s get you settled in,” he says, holding out his hand. “I’ll show you your room.”

I keep my arms at my sides, frowning at his open palm.

He chuckles. “I can see you’re definitely in the right place, boy,” he says, ruffling my hair. “You’re very lucky to be here, Zero.”

“Aiden,” I correct, sticking my jaw out in defiance. “My name is Aiden.”

“Not anymore,” Doctor Acacia says. “You are Zero now.”