Writing Prompt

I packed my bags to run away from Di. While he lay sound asleep, I depleted my savings to book a one-way plane ticket to Colorado. Anger burned inside me for what he did. I slid out of bed. I quietly crept to our closet to grab a suitcase. A sudden sharp pain shot through my skull, making me stumble. I stepped back onto the stupid creaky floor panel Di never fixed. I stood frozen watching him toss and turn almost awakened by the sound. A feeling of great relief rippled through my body when he didn’t wake up. For a second, I saw everything — our first date, his promises, the bruises, the nights I cried myself to sleep.

Once everything was packed into the car, I hopped in ready to be on my way. I tried to start the car in fear of the loud engine sounds waking him up. My mind raced at high speed causing my heart to beat out of my chest. It wouldn’t start. I checked the fuel meter to discover that Di left the car completely empty. _Did he know? _I thought to myself.

I sat hopeless in the car for five minutes. I took a deep breathe thinking about my next moves. Then, to my worse nightmare, our bedroom light flicked on. I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. My heart pounded, each beat slamming against my ribs, desperate t break free.

It began to down pour. Give me a break.

When I looked back at the window the light was off. The darkness in the window felt eerie. Di always had trouble sleeping. The thought of him just lying back down that easily sent chills through me. I used my rear and side view mirrors to scope the area.

I checked the left side view mirror one last time. Empty. Just the rain streaking down the glass, blurring everything. But then—. A shape. A shadow. No— him. Standing right behind car. Unmoving. Staring. _What’s he going to do? Why doesn’t he attack? Oh wait!

A flashback of Di and I’s first time at the gun shop. He was talking to me about staying safe and to always keep a self defense weapon in important areas.

I reached in the glove box. It was gone. Then, an overwhelming sensation filled my gut. I looked back at Di. He pulled the gun out from his back pocket. I knew I’d die right there.

I stepped out of the car with my hands up. I yelled out to Di “Why can’t you let me go?! This isn’t love” He remained quiet and stationed. He slowly raised the gun and shot. I ducked. My ears rang so loud and everything got blurred. I ended up back in the car. I turned the key for the heck of it. The car started. I sped off.

I ended up on an eerie bridge. There was a man in a suit standing in front of the car. When I got out, he gave me a grin. I couldn’t let this be another thing to stop me from making the flight. I asked the man to please move out of the way. He stood there with a stupid grin on his face. I got back in the car and inched forward hoping he’d get the message and let me go. I checked my rear view mirror anticipating Di’s appearance. Nothing. I heard whispers echo in the car. One of the voices said “Wake up.” The man walked up closer to the car. I stepped out of the car to get away from the voices, but they were louder.

The man reached in his pocket and pulled out a sealed scroll. He handed it to me. When I opened the scroll, I was in disbelief by what was on it. It read “Death Certificate for #555” I saw two dates— my birthdate and todays date. I asked the man what it meant. He leaned in closer to whisper in my ear. He said “I am the keeper of those who no longer live. I am the one who handles the numbers. I am the last stop.”

Suddenly, I felt an agonizing pain. My body went limp. I fell to the ground. Everything came flashing before my eyes leading up to me standing outside of the car facing Di with the gun pointed at me. Something felt off about it. I was so close.

“No, this can’t be right. I was just in the car. I was just—“ But the memories came flooding back. Di. The gun. The shot. My body crumpling before I ever made it to the car. I never made it to the car.

The man stood over me. He looked at his watch, then he bent down. He looked callously into my eyes. He revealed that I had been dead the entire time.

This road trip had been peculiar from the get go. Ashley had no desire to drive in the first place, but Derrick insisted. He said it would be a fun mini vacation before their actual getaway. If Ashley wasn't so freaked out right now, she would be singing 'I told you so' right in his ear.

It started, oddly enough, with the animals. Now Ashley loved animals. It was animals darting in front of their car and looking at them with beady yellow eyes on a long stretch of country road. Ashley was familiar with most animals, but not these ones. She had never seen these animals before and she hoped to never see them again.

Then the weather became eerie. Swirling winds and darks clouds produced green lightening. Ashley almost could have been convinced it was a trick of the light if not for the way Derek's eye's widened as he audibly gulped.

After that it had been the people. Ashley had nothing against hitchhiking in and of itself. It wasn't a choice she would ever personally make, but she could understand how someone might find themselves in the situation. What she couldn't understand was how 50 people in a 2 mile radius required the services of hitchhiking or where they were trying to get in the first place. The long country roads that had traveled on were flat, giving Ashley and Derek the ability to see for miles in every direction. They didn't see much once they got past the whole animal situation, and they certainly didn't see any structures that would indicate where on earth the hitchhikers could possibly be traveling to.

All of this to say, a figure appearing on the bridge right in front of their car was Ashley's last straw. She looked to her left to be met with the sight of Derek as white as a ghost with clenched hands gripping the steering wheel. It was when the figure started to approach the car in an uneven yet intimidating gait that they both spoke at the same time, finally coming together in agreement for the first time on this cursed trip.

"Yeah no, I'm done. You win, let's go home."

"Forget it, absolutely not, turn this car right back around and drive."

Triggers: Dark plot idea

The radio buzzed to life as he fiddled with the dial of the beat up jeep. His brother, Darren, in the passenger seat sighed and crossed his arms, head thumping back against the seat,

"Ya know, he is probably across the border by now right?"

Aster hesitated, his fingers finding their way back to the wheel after turning off the radio. He gripped the wheel, eyes darting to his brother a few times. He ran a hand through his dark hair and tugged at the length with a sigh, "Ya...Ya."

Darren rolled his eyes, uncrossed his arms and suddenly leaned forward to jerk the glove compartment open where a gun lay nestled in the documentation papers stashed in the space. These papers listed a couple: Ann and Willis Parker, "Relax. If he comes after us, we got this."

His eyes narrowed on his brother, "So relax for once in your life." He slammed the compartment closed with his shin. The gravel under the tires crunched for the final time as they passed under the archway to the bridge that lead into the zone outside of their city.

The headlights of the jeep fell over the road as Aster tried to follow his brothers advice. He took a few deep breaths and his fingers started tapping on the wheel.

He and his brother had escaped.

They are free now.

They are free.

They are safe.

Those thoughts died when the lights fell upon a single figure in the middle of the road and he heard Darren curse.

Aster felt his heart skip multiple beats in that moment, his panic rising to new heights. He slammed on the brakes, the jeep skidding across the ground until it stopped inches away from the man who barely flinched.

The man was dressed in a suit, a long overcoat draped over top, a style of hair slicked back, a steady look in his dark eyes, lips pressed together as he rose his leg and slammed his dress shoe on the bumper of the car,

"You boys got some explaining to do."

Aster felt his palms sweat as he glanced at his brother who glared at the figure with hatred in his eyes,

"Run him over, Aster." He said stoically, his voice deathly quiet. Aster was shaking, his mind running miles a minute, "I...I..."

Darren suddenly lunged towards the steering wheel and Aster screeched as he ducked back, holding his hands over his ears, "We deserve it!" He cried out as Darren grunted and manuevered his body over the console amid the noises from his brother, "We deserve to die for what we did!" Darren shoved the door open and pushed his brother out of the jeep, "Shut up."

Aster hit the ground with a sound of pain as he landed on his shoulder. The man in the suit seemed amused as he slammed the bumper again with his shoe and leveled his eyes on Darren. Aster rolled to his knees stiffly and shuffled back against the railing of the bridge, hugging himself as he rocked.

"...You really want to do this? After everything we have gone through together?"

The man in the suit called out in a slow, almost haughty tone as he stepped back on the bridge, looking out of place in his clothing,

"We could have been great. You both using your abilities for the greater good!"

He raised his arms, palms open as if presenting something majestic, "Me, my brain, my intellect. You, your blood. Your brother..." He turned black eyes slowly on Aster and his lips curled up. Before he could say more, Darren hit him with the car while the man was occupied.

Aster watched as the body flew back and skid across the pavement, rolling a few times until the body came to a final stop. Darren reversed the jeep in the lane before stopping right in front of Aster. Knowing that the man will rise again, Aster felt tears well up in his eyes as he sat frozen, staring at the unmoving body of the Master.

He felt a hand drag him up as the body twitched then contorted. The Master groaned and flexed his body as Aster allowed Darren to pull him to the car, him numb, his brother swearing.

Aster couldn't take his eyes from the Master, their tormentor for years in this delusional war of his. Darren shoved his numb brother into the back seat and slid in the front. He swore again as he tossed the gun in the passenger seat and gunned the car backwards.

Aster sat numbly in the backseat as the Master rose up on the pavement slowly, getting smaller and smaller as they went, his fingers cracking back into place, his limbs shifting and his skin healing. As the sun started to rise behind the Master, Aster could see that maybe the Master was right.

With the sun came a shadow casting itself over the bridge. The ship was coming. Aster blinked slowly, tears dried on his cheeks as Darren took over in driving but who knows if it was worth the rebellion. The young man who lived under the Master's wing for years with his brother whispered softly, eyes vacant,

"They are coming. Master was right all along. Our suffering really was for the greater good."

'Give me back my phone,' I hiss, to my brother. He smiles smugly and continues tapping incorrect passwords in the rose gold phone. 'Mumm!' I shout, pulling her arm for her to pay attention. She turns her head away from watching the rain drip and says, 'Zach, give your sister her phone back.' She waits then adds, 'Now.' After he sighs he he reaches over, goes to go give my phone back and.... grabs it back at the last second. 'Zach!' My Mum shouts barely heard over his roaring laughter. 'Listen to your Mother!' Dad shouts from the drivers seat, twisting his body to the side to sneer in our faces. Mum screamed. I think. It was too late. The raining patting down the car, the bridge and the person standing two feet away from us with widened eyes. My Dad cursed, turning the wheel in any direction he could. He couldn't save us. The wheels slipped and turned, falling to its side, glass breaking. I cried and held my brothers hand, the phone forgotten, and closed my eyes. Darkness invaded my mind, eyes and soul.

Beep. Beep. Beep, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP! The sound became unbearable. Suffocating. Intoxicating. Horrible. Annoying. Basically anything that described Zach with sugar in him. Zach. The words ping-ponged in my mind and i couldn't quite place what I had just been talking about. Who the hell is Zach? The words felt foreign. I sat up, a flashlight being brought into my eyes. 'Oh thank god you're awake.' The woman in the white coat said. Her eyes full of sadness as she said, 'You where in a.. accident.'

I’m roused from my sleep, Otto’s hand gently squeezes my shoulder. I pry my cheek from the fogged up car window. I rub my eyes, clearing the sleep from my eyes.

“We’re almost to the bridge.” He says, his voice slightly raspy. His tired eyes focused on the road ahead.

We’re driving through a forest, tall dark spruces rise high above the road. Fog creeps from between the trees, spilling out onto the road in front of us, limiting visibility.

“How long was I out?” I yawn, rubbing the chill from my arms. I stare at the heater dial, it quit on us miles ago. I still turn it, nothing.

“Couple hours.”

“You coulda woke me earlier, I would of switched with you.”

“It’s ok,” He gives me a slight smile. “I don’t trust your drivin’ skills anyways.”

I chuff at his remark and roll my eyes. I turn my head back towards the window, watching the rather gloomy forest pass by. I shivered as I stared out, the smaller trees almost appearing as human shapes in the rolling fog. I swear I saw them move, walking, so very slowly.

“There it is.”

I jump at Otto’s voice, he slows as the bridge comes into view. Only half of the steel framed bridge is visible, the rest blanketed in dark fog. Old red paint flakes from the metal and I swear I heard a creaking groan. The road ahead appears clear. My hair stands on end as we near the bridge, butterflies flutter in my stomach and my hands sweat.

“This is it.” I say softly as Otto glances at me, his face complacent. “We’re gonna be safe.”

He nods, and we drive onto the bridge.

The fog grows thicker, I could almost feel it. It chills me, goosebumps rising on my arms. My knees bounced nervously. Otto looked calm enough, but his jaw clenched tighter and tighter. He sped up, the fog thickened.

Then there was a figure in the road. “Otto!!” I yell out as he slams on the breaks. We screech to a halt, the figure doesn’t move.

“The hell..?” I say as my heart hammers in my chest. Otto’s hands grip the steering wheel tight.

I begin to roll down my window. “Hey don’t-“ Otto starts but my head is already outside as I call out to the figure. “Hello? Who’s out there?” The figure doesn’t move. “Back in the car.” Otto says between his teeth, his grip tightening. “What if they need help, Otto?” “And what if they don’t…” he replies stilted. I gaze back at the figure, it’s form hard to tell from behind the fog. The figure doesn’t move. Until it does. It fidgets, like a strange wave moveing through its body. It gets more and more violent, as if it’s breaking bones with every jolt. Then it starts to run.

Otto slams on the gas, we speed up towards the figure. I grip my seat, my eyes wide. It continues to run at us. And then we hit it. With a loud meaty sound, the figure is thrown over the hood. It’s…grotesque, pale gray skin, black blood seeps from its eyes and mouth, and it gnaws at us. It then it’s gone, left behind on the road as Otto speeds away.

I stare ahead, my stomach doing flips. We reach the end of the bridge, and to the crossroad. We turn north and the fog begins to clear.

“Otto..” I say faintly.

“It’s ok, we’re gonna’ be safe.”

The hummer buzzes as it drives down the road, the sky a odd shade of blue as fog covers everything else. We had been in a forever-lasting winter for about 5 years now, and it had only been this year when I realized there was a war going on. A war going on to stop it. The concept of fighting ‘till the death just to stop this winter was rather odd, but people were dying from starvation because not a single crop would grow, so it seemed right. The hummer slowly pulls to a stop and I find a chill running through my body, but not from the chilling cold outside. A man in a black tuxedo opens the door and black glasses holds out a hand to help me get down from the suspended hummer. Everyone knew who I was, I had been trained in combat for years—since I was 6. I knew every little trick in the book to help put us on the home stretch to bringing back the regular four seasons—Autumn, Spring, Summer, and Winter—that cycled through every few months or so. “Are you Sinthia Hall?” The man asks, his voice was smooth and unsettling. He had done this before. I nod and clench my fists tightly. His face turns grim as he sees the cold determination in my eyes, the calculated percision is every step I take as we walk towards the battlefield. The rubble and destruction was hard to manuever around and I felt another chill run down my spine as I see something under the rubble that look too much like a dead body. My combat boots clink along the debilitated street as the roads get more destroyed and destroyed the farther in we walk. “Ready for this, Hall?” His voice says again. “Ready as I’ll ever be..” I reply grimly, my eyes narrowing as the wind bites into my face and makes my eyes water. Battle wasn’t easy, it never would be. But I would do it all without hesitation. As my blood cools I finally realize I was ready. Ready for war.

Blue mist rained down on him as he stood at the edge of the bridge. He was a petulant boy, a "troubled kid” they called him. His days were filled with lectures and beratements for every move he made. Why was he here if nobody wanted him around anyways? He looked over into the serene depths of blue below him. The world was cruel, he knew this would be for the best. He stepped forward. No matter how hard he tried, this was the only way to end his suffering. He stepped forward. Life was filled with pain and lies he could finally be free- He felt a small buzz from his pocket. Despite himself, he took out his phone. “Momma's yelling again, when will you be home? Sent by his precious baby sister, the one person he cared for. The only one who'd miss him. He couldn't leave her behind. With tears in his eyes, he stepped back onto the road, away from the ledge. He would be there for her, and walk through this hellish existence with her by his side. Blue mist rained down on him, blocking him from anyones sight, and a perfect contrast to the yellow headlights swifty approaching.

I should have just run right over him when I saw him on the bridge. I almost did. If the fog had been any thicker, I would not have seen him and I would have run him right over. Or if it had been clear, I would have been going too fast and run him right over. But as it was, I was going slow because of the fog and saw him. Just in time to stop. If only…

But you cannot change the past. And I would have felt really bad if I had run over him. After all, he looked like a kid. And nobody wants to run over a kid. But since I did not run over him, I had to let him into my vehicle. And that was when I realized. I should have run him over.

Actually, I am sure I could not have run him over on purpose. It is just not part of my nature. But the way he is talking. I just want to reach over and push him out the door. While traveling 100 miles per hour. As if. This old beater cannot go that fast. And even it could… Yeah. I could not do it. Probably not anyway.

I wonder if he can really do it though. Can he really take over the world? Is that device he just pulled out of his pocket really a doomsday device? A disintegration ray?

Yep. It works. He just pointed it out the window and disintegrated those poles!

Ha ha ha. That might not have been the funniest thing I have ever seen, but it is the last thing I will ever see. He disintegrated the integral parts of the bridge. And the chasm is deep enough to get this last thought…

“Something’s wrong with Dennis?”

Penny’s words spilt out in a hectic rush. Wineglass halfway to her lips, Steph stopped. Penny sucked in her breath waiting for her best friend to freak out. Raina looked from her sister to Penny and back again. Flexing her eyebrows she encouraged Penny to continue. Coughing, Penny cleared her throat.

“Please don’t be mad, Steph. I just had a feeling, this feeling.”

Penny looked down at her own wineglass. She was three glasses down and still felt wound tight as a spring. With her eyebrows Penny pleaded with Raina to take over. Raina downed the rest of her rosé and looked in her glass for the right words, for the most effective tone. She decided on humor.

“I mean come on being in the witness protection program, then his mother being in a car accident, and now this cancer scare. I mean over the last eighteen months Dennis has put you through more twists and turns than a telenovella. We had to google him and then Pen went on this deep dive. And shit got weird, Steffie,” Rains said petting her baby sis’ hand.

“Well what is this big secret I never asked you to find?” Stephanie asked flatly.

“His real name is Rodney and he’s married and I’m so sorry.”

Stephanie slammed down her glass splashing pink sweet wine. She marched to the edge of her deck. Even in the dim light Stephanie could she the outlines of her garden. She created this during the pandemic her own oasis. Dammit, Stephanie thought, I have a nice house and a good job. I stand on my own feet and never asked for a Prince Charming to swept me off my feet and make me a stepford wife. Wealthy and erudite Dennis has been an unexpected bonus in her life. She’d never felt so treasured before.

“I did some searching. I found his wedding website. She his wife looks nice. He got married just a few weeks before you meet on Tinder. He hasn’t been hiding from the mob or taking care of his mom. There is no scouting for a documentary with Brad Pitt. All those times He was going home,” Penny said speaking faster and faster.

“I know everything. You don’t understand. You’ve never understood us.”

Stephanie spoke to her garden instead of her friend. Raina gasped.

“Stow the dramatics. I know you never like him, Ray. Even from the beginning. Always looking for something wrong. Dennis I mean Roger and I had an argument because our Disney trip with his daughter was canceled because his ex had to go back to London with Tess to deal with an immigration issue. That’s why we ended it. The real story. He came and packed his things but I couldn’t let him go. I chased him down the street like a goddamned dog. He came clean. Told me the truth. He had to marry Norma or she’d take Tess away. They live separate lives. He did all this lying to keep me,” Steph said.

Turning slowly she squared her shoulders ready to argue. Raina rushed towards Stephanie. Screaming the sisters flew at each other. Gripping her sister’s shoulders Raina shook Stephanie hard.

“You’re staying with this maniac. He made up hit men and federal agents. He was late to your third date because he was on his honeymoon with his freaking wife. You could wind up oversees in a trunk in his basement.”

“You never wanted me to be happy, to find someone who loves me. That’s what this is about. Dennis is divorcing. Dennis and Tess and I are going to be a family. You can’t take that can you?”

Looking from woman to woman Penny was horrified. When should I tell her there is no Tess, she thought. Instead she drowned her glass.

The truck screeched to a halt. Noah and I were thrown back, the crowns of our heads slamming against the cold metal. I rubbed my head as I rolled up into a seat.

Noah and I didn’t say a word, just turned to face each other. He nodded. There was a mutual understanding. We must’ve come to a checkpoint. We only had a minute.

The driver was speaking to someone, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. The voices were muffled from under the burlap sack where we had been hiding. I bent low, lifted it slightly, and poked my ear out.

“—hiding anyone?” I caught the end of the guard’s sentence.

“Sir, I say you again, I am day trader. I come to mountain to sell a Askope market. Only animal in zee back - zey will ‘scape.” The driver said in a thick accent.

“Askope.” I turned and mouthed to Noah. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. We were closer to the compound than we thought.

“Zee animals eez awful quiet.” Mocked the guard. I heard him clearly this time. The voice was unmistakable, full of its signature contempt. Jamie was here.

I whipped my head around to Noah. He had noticed too. His jaw clenched as he tightened his hand around his long knife. I pulled my two throwing knives out of my boots. It was all we had.

I heard Jamie’s loud, steel-toed boots clomping towards the back door. The driver quickly open his door.

“Please sir, I tell you—“

I heard the crack of bone and a helpless cry. The man went silent.

I felt a rage I hadn’t felt since Jamie betrayed Noah, Marcus, and I 5 months ago. Marcus had been killed in that fight. I tried to kill Jamie after that, but Noah had pulled me away. We’d been on the run ever since. Jamie had the power of the rulers behind him, but we were the last rebels left who believed we could win back peace for our people. We couldn’t be caught. We knew they would make an example out of us. The people needed hope.

“Three.” Whispered Noah.

I emerged from my murderous reverie and took in what he was saying. There were three distinct voices. Jamie wasn’t alone.

I sighed in frustration. Noah and I were good fighters, but so was Jamie. We had all trained together. It would be better if Jamie and his goons didn’t know we were there.

I put a finger to my lips, signaling to Noah that we should try to hide first. We slowly inched towards the dark corner, where there were burlap sacks of rice that would blend in with the blanket we were under. I quietly pulled a tarp and some rope in front of us.

There actually had been animals in the back of the truck, but most had escaped when we jumped in back at Langstro village. There was only one pig and one goat left, and both seemed to have fallen ill, lying on their sides, eyes open and breathing, but not moving.

The back door was wrenched open.

“These animals are dead, mate.” Said a voice in a cockney accent I didn’t recognize.

Jamie’s heavy boots hopped into the back of the truck, inches from us. I held my breath.

“I don’t care about the animals.” Jamie barked. I heard a pained squeal from the pig. My body tensed up, my hands vibrating with fury. Noah’s cool hand grabbed my wrist, steadying me.

Jamie continued kicking every item in the truck. He grunted in frustration as he violently struck his steel-toed boot against the metal of the truck frame. The sound was deafening. He had a flashlight, and I could slightly make out his towering silhouette through the thick blanket. He hung his head and slammed his fist over and over into the metal, right where I had hit my head earlier. I sucked in a breath.

“They’re not here, mate,” said the man with the cockney accent.

One last kick and Jamie hopped down out of the cab.

“Let’s take his tarp. We could use it at camp.” I heard the cockney man say.

“Then get it.” Jamie said shortly as he walked away. Noah and I looked at each other, our eyes widening with panic. The cockney man hopped back in the truck and roughly grabbed the tarp and rope. Now only the blanket concealed us. We sat as still as possible.

He paused and stood for a second. Then leaned down and started grabbing bags of rice from around us.

This was it. I was ready, knives steady and primed in my hands. The cockney man reached down for the burlap blanket and pulled.

I immediately stabbed both my knives into his feet. He screamed as blood pooled around them. Heavy boots started running back towards the truck. Noah threw the blanket off of us and we sprung up and got moving fast, hopping down from the truck bed.

“It’s them! It’s them!” The man cried through whimpers of pain. There was nowhere to run, we’d have to get the unconscious driver’s keys to get out of there.

I slashed a knife through the arm of the first man who rounded the corner. Noah grabbed the other man by the arm, twisted it around his back, and dislocated it within 2 seconds. I raced around the passenger side of the truck, the opposite to where I’d heard the men running from. As I rounded the front of the truck towards the driver’s side, I was met with a fist to the face. The knives flew out of my hands. I felt my nose break. My vision went blurry..

No. I couldn’t let myself pass out.

I blindly swung back at Jamie, hitting him in the jaw. He growled, and I felt the hard steel of his boot connect with my stomach. I felt my ribs break. I gasped for air and fell to the ground. The pain was indescribable. There was a fury behind that kick that was intensely personal. I’d never experienced such unbridled rage before. I saw Jamie’s foot rear back to kick me again, lining up with my temple. Suddenly, my two knives flew by, one landing deep in Jamie’s lifted thigh, and one through his hand. He screamed in pain, but Noah had tackled him before he could touch the knives. Noah pulled the knife out of his hand and threw it in my direction, then pushed the knife deeper into his thigh. Jamie roared.

He tried to grab Noah by the throat with his uninjured hand, but Noah caught it mid-air, twisting his wrist painfully. Noah was quick, but I had never seen him like this. His instincts were primal, animalistic, fueled by a deep hatred instead of his usual stoic concentration.

From the corner of my eye, I saw one of Jamie’s goons picking himself up off the ground. An ugly red wound slashed across his face, traveling from his forehead, through his eye, and down to a now sheared off earlobe. Blood poured from the wound, flowing down his cheek and saturating the formerly white shirt under his suit. His dislocated right arm hung limp, and there was a bloody hole in his left thigh, but he was slowly dragging himself towards Noah and Jamie. The other man stirred as well. I tried to pull myself up, but my head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. I stayed lying down and used my arms to pull myself towards the knife Noah had thrown towards me. The limping man was focused on his target - he didn’t even bother to glance at me. With every heave, my vision darkened and got smaller and smaller, but I knew where I was going.

My hand closed around the hilt of the knife. My vision went black, but I never doubted my accuracy. I threw the knife with all the strength I had left, and it landed deep into the man’s ankle. I heard the man collapse right before I fell into complete darkness. —————— I felt two sets of hands tight around each of my arms. My wrists and ankles were tied together, like I was about to be roasted on a spit.

I still felt the cool mountain air against my cheeks. I heard a sharp crack and a groan of pain. I dared to squint open my eyes, staying limp in every other way.

Noah was knelt on the ground, his face bloody, his wrists tied together, and with a knife to his throat. Jamie towered over him but Noah never broke eye contact.

“I saved your life.” Noah spat out. “Multiple times actually.”

“I could’ve saved myself just fine.” Jamie said coolly. “Although I suppose you’re right. Maybe I should let you go and just take her.” Noah wrestled violently in the arms of the men holding him. I recognized those two as the men who had been there before. So then who was holding me?

Jamie chuckled, but there was an annoyance in his tone.

“You just wanted to get her out of there so she wouldn’t be killed. So you could have her to yourself.”

“She’s always been the best of all of us. She would’ve killed you. I was showing you mercy, because I hoped there was still some good in you. But she was right. You’re repulsive. You deserve nothing.”

“I’m not repulsive.” Jamie snapped back. “She’ll see that.”

Noah thrashed again, not caring if it was futile.

“You’re threatened by me.” Jamie chuckled.

“No, I’m threatening you. You’re not going to touch her.” Jamie knelt down so he was eye to eye with Noah.

“I always win, Noah. I always win.” Jamie stood up, turned his back to Noah, and walked towards me.

“You’ll never beat her. She’ll kill you.” Noah yelled after him. Jamie waved him off lazily. He walked past me into whatever vehicle I was standing against.

“Take her.” He paused, “…and leave him. I want him to see this.” They pulled me roughly into the car, and before they closed the door, Jamie faced my seemingly unconscious body towards Noah and wrapped himself tightly around me from behind, running his hands all over my body, like he was claiming me as his property. It was nauseating.

But I didn’t struggle. Noah and I knew being captured was a possibility and we had planned for it - although we assumed we’d be together. I’d have to improvise. One of us had to get inside that compound if we had any chance of starting the uprising. He had to remember that.

I thought about what Jamie had said. Is it possible it was true that Noah had only stopped me from killing Jamie to protect me? Because he didn’t want to lose me? I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I felt a slight annoyance - did he not believe I was capable of winning?

But there was also a new energy in me. It was…fulfilling. Did I feel something else for Noah as well? I knew there was a strong bond there, but, there was something different about this energy. It made me feel…light. There was less heaviness in my world when I thought of Noah.

This was all coming from Jamie though. I knew better than to believe anything that came out of his mouth. I put it out of my head for the time being. I had to refocus on the mission.

I had to save my people.