~Shadow Children Universe, Jessica's POV~

I sighed, looking at the window. It's shades were drawn, as they always were. I am a third child. If I was found, I could be killed. No, not could be. I would be killed. I was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs that led to the attic, which was my bedroom. I looked over to the kitchen, where my mother and my older sister were making dinner. My father and my older brother would be out in the field right now, pulling weeds away from our corn plants. I sighed again, looking back to the window. A part of me wanted to go outside, another part told me to stay put. It was dangerous outside after all. There was a knock at the door, and I jumped up. I ran up the stairs, hearing commotion from in the kitchen. I leaped over the fifth stair from the top of the stairs, since it creaked, and closed the door to the attic as fast as I could. I heard the front door open, then voices. I backed away from the attic door, then hid under my bed as my 'run and hide' instincts took over.

It was some time before anyone came upstairs. I didn't know how much time had passed, but I was still under my bed, lying on the dusty floor. I stiffened when I heard the step creak, then the door cracked open.

"Jessica?" A voice asked. It was my mother. She came into the room. "Jess?" She knelt down, looked under the bed, and smiled. "The man's gone know. You can come out."

I crawled out from under the bed, brushing the dust off my clothes as I stood. I was wearing my usual outfit, a gray long-sleeve shirt and gray pants. It helped me blend in under the bed. I stifled a sneeze, just in case someone was around. "Who was it?" I asked.

"None of your concern." My mother said soothingly. "Come on, it's time for dinner."

I followed her down. I was still curious about who had been at the door, but I knew I shouldn't ask again.

"Hey, Jessie." My brother Robert said cheerfully.

"Hey Bobby." I said, grinning. "Hi Kim."

"Hi again Jessie." My sister Kimberly smiled at me. I sat down at my place by the table, between my mother and Kimberly. Dinner was beef stew, which I liked.

"Dad, who was the guy who came in here?" Robert asked.

Father sighed. "A tax collector. I told him that the Government is going to have to wait a few days."

"Don't they usually tax us during the harvest?" I asked, confused. The harvest wasn't for another month.

Father looked at me. "They want it early this year."

"How are we going to pay it?" Mother asked him.

"I'm not sure. I'll figure out a way." Father reassured us. But I was worried. How could we pay taxes?

*That night*

I couldn't sleep so I slipped out of the attic and down the stairs, careful to skip the creaky step. I made it to the kitchen, and froze when I saw a light down the hallway in Mother's and Father's room. I could hear them talking.

"There is no other way, Mary." My Father said.

"William, we can"t do that!" Mother exclaimed in a whisper.

"Yeah, we can't." Kimberly said. I felt confused. Was there a family meeting without me?

"I'm sorry, Mary. We have to." Father said, sounding apologetic.

"But Dad-" Robert started.

"Sh! We don't want to wake up Jessica!" Father shushed him. "Tomorrow morning, I will call the Population Police and tell them that a third child has slipped into our house. They will come and take her away."

I stood on the bottom step, frozen in shock. The Population Police... Father was going to turn me in... I turned around and crept up the stairs. I wanted to run, but then they might know I was listening to their conversation. I skipped the creaky step, and slipped into the attic. I quietly closed the door, then lay on my bed, crying silently. Father was going to turn me in to the Population Police. Then they would get the reward money, and be able to pay the taxes. I quickly stopped my crying and turned away from the door as I heard the step creak. I pulled a stuffed animal to my face and pretended to be asleep when the door opened. I felt someone trace my head.

"I'm sorry." It was Father. Then he left the room. I lay there all night, not moving. I didn't get any sleep that night...

I was quiet during breakfast.

"Do you feel okay, sweetie?" Mother asked me.

"I'm fine." I told her. That was a lie. I felt like someone killed me and brought me back to life.

After breakfast she took me into our living room and we played a board game after Kimberly and Robert left for school. Father went somewhere throughout the house. After I won the game, which I think she let me win, she pulled me into a hug.

"I love you." She murmured.

"I love you too." I told her, hugging her back though pretending to be confused at her actions. I pulled away and entered the kitchen, starting to go up the stairs.

There was a banging on the front door, and I heard the four most frightening words of my life. "Open up! Population Police!"

I ran up the stairs and into the attic. I closed the door instantly, and started to hide under my bed. Underneath was full of boxes, no room for me to hide. The bed was bare, as if I never lived there. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" I said. I heard voices downstairs, and I backed to the wall. There was nothing I could do. I was going to be caught. I was going to die.

~Transformers Universe, Autobot base, no specific POV~

Ratchet was doing some modifications to the groundbridge. He typed a few commands before going to get a few tools that he needed. While he was in the Med-Bay, Bumblebee and Bulkhead entered the main room. Bumblebee typed on the computer, and opened the groundbridge to go on patrol just as Ratchet entered the main room again.

"Bumblebee! Bulkhead! Get away from the groundbridge! I'm doing modifications!" Ratchet exclaimed.

Bumblebee and Bulkhead instantly ran away from the groundbridge. Ratchet pulled them down to the floor as they came neared him, and the groundbridge exploded.

~Shadow Children Universe, Jessica's POV~

I wished I could melt into the wall when I heard footsteps pounding up the stairs. I was surprised when it felt like the wall disappeared. Just as the door opened, and the first few members of the Population Police entered the attic, I felt myself falling backwards into nothing...