When Reyn got home from her grocery shopping, it was dark.

So, naturally, her parents were mad.

"You could have gotten hurt, stolen, or worse!" Her mother scolded, wagging a finger in her direction as Reyn's mind wandered to her meeting with Tahnson and Wasyon. She had decided when she was shopping not to mention that to her parents or grandparents, in case they came to a grand decision of trying to help. Usually when they tried to help with something, it always turned out worse than before.

"Are you even listening to me?" Kareline cried, waving her hand in front of Reyn's face to get her attention. "No, of course you're not." She sighed. "Just go put your dye on and go to your room. You can come out when you've repented for your father and I's heart attacks." She threw her hands into the air in exasperation. She walked back out of the kitchen and Reyn put the bags of groceries into the fridge. When she finished, she returned to her room and began applying the dye to her hair, letting her thoughts drift elsewhere.

How was she going to save Tahnson and the other two convicted teenagers? She'd have to get them out somehow. But Tahnson wasn't locked up, so maybe they had until the day before the execution to live freely. She could get them out of the country before the execution, but she didn't know who the other two sentenced people were. The way Tahnson spoke of the others proved that he didn't know either. Reyn would have to wait until the day of the execution, unless she found a way to figure out the other two non-blonds before then. She couldn't look at the birth records to find them because non-blonds were not allowed to have a birth certificate or any other personal records. They were made to be nonexistent because that's what they were supposed to be.

The dye was coating her hair, her roots, concealing the fact that she was different. She hated having different colored hair. Why should she hide herself because of who she is? That was easy for some to answer. Because she was an abomination, a mistake, a mishap in the genetic code. Something that others sneered at, laughed at, even hid from. Children grew up to believe that non-blonds were monsters and should be avoided at all costs. It was sick and cruel that they had to die at just eighteen because of something they can't control. She was supposed to be one of them, and she wasn't. Sometimes Reyn felt like she cheated; she felt guilty that she escaped death she supposedly deserved when others like her didn't. She didn't want to feel that way, even though she was expected to. She couldn't think about all the innocent lives that were lost.

She thought about Tahnson's smile. Reyn couldn't let him die; he was adorable and innocent and was sheltered all his life because of fear of society. It wasn't fair. It wasn't at all.

Reyn could fix it somehow. She had to. She couldn't hear about another execution, especially not of someone she knew. She wouldn't stop until she had a plan.

/|•|\•/|•|\

"Dinner tonight is beef stew." Reyn's father announced as she walked into the kitchen, her hair freshly blonde. It took hours to dye it all, but she still didn't have a plan to save her friends' lives. It was beyond frustrating.

"Stew?" She asked, flattening her hair. She loved her mother's cooking, especially the beef stew. Staying inside all the time at least meant she could enjoy her mother's cooking. Granted, she never learned how to cook anything, despite her mother's desperate teachings. It was quite comical really.

"That's what I said," her father answered good-naturedly. There was a small smile tugging at his lips and he was once again reading the paper. Her father's humor was complicated, but he was usually a funny person.

Reyn grinned. "Lovely. That sounds amazing right now." She sat down in her seat, fingers lightly brushing the salt and pepper shakers. They were shaped like chickens. "So, Dad, do you know anything about the kids getting executed in a week?" She asked curiously. She wasn't going to be inconspicuous, but she wasn't going to tell them about Tahnson just yet. It still wasn't the right time.

Her father looked at her over his reading glasses. "Not really. You know they never release addresses and personal information, lest someone tries to steal them for non-blond money." He put the paper down on the table and began sliding it towards her, pointing at an article. "But we did get names. First names only, of course."

Reyn's heart fluttered. She could get somewhere with this, perhaps. She grabbed the paper, eyes skimming over the words about their contamination of the society. Finally, her eyes landed on the names:

"Dellur, Tahnson, and Jussey." She said out loud. "They're weird names." Reyn looked up at her father, who was watching expectantly. "Weirder than normal."

Her father chuckled. "They're already weird; why not make even more of a statement? I personally like the name Jussey. Should've named you that, actually." Her father leaned back. "Kareline! Can we change Reyn's name to Jussey?" He yelled loudly and Reyn winced. She didn't appreciate loud noises that weren't necessary.

"No. Someone already took that name! Granted, they're about to die... but still no!" Came the muffled reply from her mother behind the closed bedroom door.

"Well, it was worth a shot." Charles said deflatedly, stealing the paper back from his daughter. "Anyway, Reyn, I don't think you should meddle too much in this execution stuff. Don't want you getting caught." He cleared his throat and began reading again.

Reyn rolled her eyes. "I'm not meddling, I'm interested. There's a difference." She looked at him indignantly.

Her father smiled knowingly. "Just keep your dyed head out of things, alright? We kinda love you and don't want you to get taken away, you know." He grabbed Reyn's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Reyn laughed dryly. "I'll stay safe and undercover. I love you too." She lifted her head as her mother walked inside the kitchen. "Hey, Mom," she greeted. "Can we eat?" Her stomach began to growl, and her father snickered. She shot him a look.

"Your grandparents are coming." Her mother answered, taking bowls out of the cabinet. She sat them down gently and began fixing bowls of stew ever so carefully.
Right on cue, her grandparents slowly waddled in.

They sat down without a word, the bowls of soup being distributed quickly.

Dinner went by quickly and quietly. The family had nothing to talk about, so they sat in each other's comfortable silence.  Reyn politely thanked her mother for the food, told her grandparents goodnight, and softly punched her father on the arm. She retreated to her room in a hurry, racking her brain to create a plan.

Reyn needed to talk to Tahnson again. She needed to know as much as she could about the execution day and how it would go down. He could tell her as much as he knew.

She really wanted to talk to Tahnson. She wanted to know more about him, and his adorable dimpled smile–

Throwing on a black jacket, Reyn pulled her freshly dyed hair back into a tight bun. Slowly and quietly, Reyn opened her window just enough so she could slip out. Her house was only one story, so the fall to the ground was not enough to hurt. Brushing off the dirt, Reyn began the quick jog  to the trip to town.

/|•|\•/|•|\

Reyn sprinted through Ulturne Avenue, not risking getting caught by the poor. She made it to Wasyon's store, panting softly. She raised her hand and rapped on the door with her knuckles.

The door opened almost immediately, making Reyn jump back in surprise.

"Mr. Wasyon?" She asked skeptically at the open door. Her hand went to her pocket, where her small knife was concealed. "It's Reyn," she added.

The door opened fully, and Wasyon peeked out. "Oh, Reyn! I didn't know it was you. I thought those shady people were back again!" He sounded different, but she couldn't figure out why.

Reyn smiled, then frowned. "Again?" She repeated. "What do you mean by 'again'?" Her heart sped up painfully. "Is it about Tahson?" She questioned rather demandingly. Her hands tightened by her side as she simmered.

Wasyon nodded, his eyes downcast and red from tears. "You might want to come in, Reyn," he whispered, trembling. His hands gripped the door painfully.

Reyn swallowed as she realized what was wrong with Wasyon's voice. He was desperate, pleading, and in pain. "Did they hurt you?" Reyn asked carefully.

Wasyon nodded again, one swift time, and moved aside with a grimace. Reyn hurried inside and Wasyon shut the door behind her.

He was bleeding. A lot. There was blood on his side, coating the light gray shirt he had on from earlier. There was a hole, perhaps a stab wound. His face was paper white and twisted with pain.

Reyn gasped, placing her hand on her mouth. Before she could say anything, Wasyon spoke once more.

"They attacked me. And they took Tahnson."