Among The Hidden Character Development

Author's Note: In this book, Among the Hidden, Luke is an illegal child. During this time (the future) in America, you may only have 2 children. I would like to be graded for only reading on this piece. 

"Population Police!" screamed a man at the door. Luke did the usual and hid. His dad opened the door. His brothers Mathew and Mark walked in laughing. They always would trick Luke into thinking the population police were at the door. During Luke's ages, a few years into America's future, a law was passed on how many children you could have. If you had more than two children, you had to give the others up. Luke was a third child of his family. Many family's hid their third child, but the population police would try to catch them. Luke was a shy boy that had to follow strict rules. No going by windows, no going outside, no watching TV, no going on the computer, no using the telephone, ect. A new government neighborhood was being built next to his ruggudy old house. He had to be very careful not to be spotted. Every day he would look out a crack of his window to count the people living in the new construction leave. It was one day he had counted everyone leave, but he seemed to spot a figure in the "Sports" family's house.

As he spotted the figure, that day he felt a little better. What if it was a third child? What was his/her name? He had to find out. The next week he tried to seek the figure walking in his/her home. He didn't see him/her, but he knew he/she was there. The next day he checked to see if everyone in the neighborhood had left to go to work or school. As he counted 28/28, he went downstairs to the patio door. He opened it up and printed for a tree in the Sports family's yard. He noticed only a screen door was keeping him from entering the Sports family's home. When he arrived at the door, he found that it was locked. He only had one choice, he ripped the screen right of the door. He took a step in the house. He heard a voice from upstairs. He was hesitant to move, but before he could think, a girl about his age appeared right in front of him.

Her name was Jania and she was a third child. They talked and talked about their lives. She showed him a chat room she had made for other third children on her computer. Luke was amazed. He thought he would never meet another third child. When he got home, he could not stop thinking about her. A few weeks later he met up with her and she was telling him about a rally for the third children that she was planning. They would march around the White House declaring for freedom. Luke was not interested. He thought it was to dangerous. 

A month had passed and it was the day of the rally. Jania was gone and Luke was impatient. He stood shivering next to the radio. He was anctious to hear news about the rally. He didn't. There was no news on the rally. Was it over? He didn't know what to think. The next month he stared out his window looking for Jania. She never appeared. He was getting the feeling something was wrong. The next day he decided to go over to her house to see if she was there. Just as he stepped in the house, a man pointed a gun right at his chest. He asked why Luke was in his house and why he was here. Luke explained the whole story to him. He dropped the gun and told him who he was. He was Jania's dad. Luke asked where Jania is. He told him she was dead. Luke was devestated. They talked and talked. Jania's dad offered to give him an illegal ID. Luke was unsure at first, but he had to accept the offer. Luke told his parents the whole story that day. They were in chock. Later the next day Jania's dad came over to tell Luke's parents about boarding school and that he would pay for it. Luke's parents accepted. Luke was happy he was going off to boarding school and he knew Jania was proud of him.

Luke throughout the story reminded me of Katniss from the Hunger Games. They both cam from poor families that had to follow many laws. Luke and Katniss were shy kids that didn't really have a life. Both were living on a harsh government. It was until they had lost someone important to them, they would become very powerful people. Both characters developed into brave and strong people. They would soon make a huge impact on their country.