From Ashes We Rise (The Darkest Minds)

Tribe Of Gladiators

It was quiet in the dark woods as we walked. I glanced over at Andrei. We hadn't talked, let alone made eye-contact since last night. I felt bad. The only reason I kissed him was because he looked like Sebastian. And not that Andrei wasn't good looking, because he was. I just—it was just an honest mistake. The snap of a twig echoed through the air. I whipped my head over in the direction of the noise. My eyes narrowed.
"It was probably just a squirrel or something," Andrei mumbled. I looked forward again and ignored the noise. Then, Andrei raised his hand and motioned us to stop.
"What is it?" Rose whispered. Andrei was quiet. My heart pounded as the silence went on. He slowly started to walk forward.
"Stay alert," he whispered. I raised my pistol and surveyed the ominous woods. There wasn't a sound. As we inched closer and closer to whatever it was we were going towards, I started to hear a buzzing sound. It started out small and gradually grew louder and louder. Flys flew in front of my eyes and banged into the side of my head. I cringed and tried hard not to swat at them and lose my focus. Flies swormed around the tree in front of us. I ever so slowly rounded it. My heart dropped. Everyone else froze as they saw it too. There was a PSF literally hanging from the tree, his hands and feet nailed to it.
"Oh my God," Rose mumbled.
"What did this?" I croaked. I felt a cool breeze on my back and a low soft whisper broke the silence. I flipped around and pointed my gun in all directions. I saw nothing but I heard whispers tremble throughout the forest. They were loud but not understandable. My heart was racing in my chest. We all backed up against each other and searched frantically for the source. I was breathing so hard, searching high and low. There was nothing. I saw nothing but I could hear them all around me.
"Right there," Rose whispered. She pointed to her left. I glanced over and saw a person standing about fifty yards away. Their body was covered from head to toe. I couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman, adult or kid.
"Right there," Andrei trembled. I whipped my head to the right and saw another one, standing about the same distance away. I looked forward just as I heard leaves crunching under someones feet. Another one was running horizontally from us.
"They're surrounding us," I mumbled.
"Don't shoot until I tell you!" Andrei ordered. My heart was pounding as we stood still. They ran circles around us. A crushing blow slammed into my back, bending my spine as I was squished into the ground. My pistol was yanked right out of my fingers. They stabbed their knee into my spine as they yanked my hands behind my back. I saw a set of worn out boots right in front my eyes.
"We don't want any trouble!" Andrei yelled. "We're Psi too! Kids!"
"Shut up!" a teen snapped. The teen tied my hands in what felt like rope. He yanked me up. I looked over and glanced at Andrei and Rose. Andrei's eyes met mine as a kid tied his hands behind his back. I looked forward and watched as a beastly kid started towards me. He didn't even look like a kid. He had the body shape of a full grown man. I couldn't see his face. Every single one of them were dressed in either brown or black. They all had masks on that covered their faces. My eyes traced over the kid. He had grey feathers coming out of his bird-like mask. He was wearing a heavy jacket that was the color of dried mud. He had a long rifle in his hand. I peered at the others. They were dressed in the same thing. There had to be about seven of them.
"Please," Andrei mumbled. "We're not a threat. We're just looking for—."
"Shut the hell up!" the big kid snapped. Andrei clenched his jaw. The big kid's bird-like helmet traced over all of our faces.
He scoffed.
"Bring 'em to the boss, I guess."
My eyes flickered to Rose's. Her mouth was hanging open. She shook her head, the fear twinkling in her eyes. I was consumed by darkness as they put a bag over my head.

We walked for what seemed like the longest time. I had no idea where we were going. They didn't talk much, and to be honest, I didn't care what they were saying, or what they were gonna do to us. As long as these guys weren't a tribe of Reds or Oranges, I could take them all on without breaking a sweat. I would grab my friends and get out of here. The kid behind me squeezed my arm. His hands were wrapped around each bicep like an iron cuff. They ached so bad. He pulled me back, forcing me to stop. The loud murmer of many voices lifted into the air. I couldn't tell how many people there were but I knew it was a lot. I cringed at the blinding light as he ripped off the bag. I slowly looked up. There was a short, pudgy kid sitting in a chair in front of me, a knife in his hands. I glanced all around and my heart dropped as hundreds of kids surrounded us. We looked to be inside of a huge abandoned building. The pudgy kid scoffed as he pushed himself off of his throne. He opened his palm and let the knife hover in the air as if that would scare me. His eyes glowed blue as he twirled the knife in the air.
"Looks like we got some new recruits," he mumbled. A roar of chuckles echoed through the tent.
"What colors?" Pudgy asked the guards behind us. I didn't think his real name was Pudgy but that's what I had decided to call him.
"Don't know," answered the big kid. Pudgy laughed.
"Good!" he exclaimed. "Its always fun to find out in the ring."
"I'm not fighting any of you. Where are my friends?" I demanded. "You tell me where they are, and I'll be on my merry way."
Pudgy's dark eyes traced the outline of my body, stopping at my chest.
"Your friends, huh?"
He inched closer and closer to me, tracing his sweaty thumb across my jawline. Disgust shot through me. I didn't move though. I just glared into his eyes, fighting the urge to turn his eyes into nothing more than flaming balls in his skull.
"You may not wanna fight but, uh...maybe you and I can do some wrestling in the bedroom."
I scrunched my nose up in disgust.
"Touch her again and I'll snap your neck!" Andrei snarled.
"I rather throw myself to the PSFs!" I barked.
He smirked and twisted his sausage finger around a strand of my curly hair.
"So protective," he mumbled. "What? He your boyfriend or something?"
"No," I said flatly. He chuckled and shrugged, finally pulling his disgusting fingers away from my face. He turned to the crowd and raised his hands.
"Who wants to eat good tonight, huh?!"
The crowd roared in response. Rose leaned in closer to me.
"Looks like he eats a little too good," she whispered. I let out a faint chuckle. He pointed to us.
"Anyone who guesses all of their colors correctly, will get an extra share of food!"
The crowd of Blues went wild, coming forward with their bets. Andrei leaned down to me.
"Wanna help us out here?" he whispered. "We could really use a code red."
I glanced around the large crowd and shook my head.
"Too many Blues. Plus, my friends could be here, and I don't want them in the line of fire."
He rolled his eyes and bit his lip. The kids came forward, writing their bets down on pieces of paper. They must've done this a lot. They seemed really prepared. Once they were all done, he read through them, counting them and putting them in separate piles. He smiled as he glanced back at us.
"So," he started as he glanced back at us. "We got about ten combinations of Blue, Yellow, Blue."
He pointed to Andrei.
"Blue."
Then to me. "Yellow."
Then to Rose. "Blue."
"Another ten say that all three of them are Blues and then we got five that say..."
He pointed to Andrei and I. "Blue."
He then pointed to Rose.
"Green."
I rolled my eyes and smirked. Looked like none of them would be getting the extra meal.
The crowd cheered as he slowly walked over to the table where the pieces of paper were. He rolled his eyes as he picked up a lone peice of paper in it's own stack.
"Then we got one dude who picked something so absolutely redicuals! Clearly he has no desire to get extra food."
He quickly skimmed over the card and pointed to Andrei.
"Blue."
Then to Rose. "Green."
He shoved his chubby finger in my face. "Red."
My brows furrowed. I was shocked. Out here, the thought of Reds and Oranges were almost extinct. All the Reds were locked up and brainwashed while all the Oranges were pretty much dead. We had basically become myths, legends. Why would someone be stupid enough to guess Red unless they really didn't want that extra meal. I mean, they were right though. Pudgy motioned to the big kid behind me.
"Mason, let's start the test, shall we?"
My eyes narrowed as the big kid removed his mask. His black hair was plastered to the side of his face, saturated with sweat. He glared at us as he pulled out a lighter.
"You know...they say if you sucker punch a man, he'll curse in his native language. I wonder if it's the same thing with Psi and their power?"
Two other kids grabbed Andrei and forced his hand open. Andrei struggled as Mason brought the lighter closer and closer to his hand.
"Stop!" Rose screamed. "Stop it you assholes!"
Andrei winced in pain as the flame touched his skin. He grunted and shot his head back, sending Mason flying through the air. Pudgy cheered.
"We got ourselves a Blue!" he screamed. Andrei's face was tight with anger, the skin on his hand pink from the burn. Mason brushed himself off as he started towards Rose, anger burning in his eyes.
"I'm a Green!" Rose shouted. "So don't you dare burn me with that!"
Mason smirked as his eyes darted to mine.
"Wait!" Pudgy yelled. He stepped forward and grabbed the lighter. "I'd like to do this myself."
Mason and another kid snagged my arms. Mason forced my hand open. I didn't fight though. I welcomed the fire like a lost friend. Pudgy smiled, staring into my eyes and he placed the small flame against my palm. I kept my face blank as I glared into those dark eyes. His brows furrowed as he glanced back and forth between the flame and I. He chuckled.
"You either got balls of steel or a high pain-tolernce! You really don't feel anything?"
I shrugged and smiled.
"Feels like home."
I shoved fire out of my palm, watching as it engulfed his face. He leaped back. The kids around me screamed. Mason and the other kid dropped me as if I was a hot peice of food. They raised their guns to me.
"Don't move!" the other kid shouted. Mason dropped down to help Pudgy extinguish the flames in his hair. He helped him to his feet. Pudgy's eyes were wide, filled with fear as he glared at me. I smirked. His face was cover in the black ash from his burnt eyebrows. Anger rushed through his eyes. He snatched the gun out of Mason's holster and placed the cold barrel against my forehead. Again, I just stared blankly at him, not an ounce of fear in my body.
"I should drop you like the dangerous dog you are!" he snarled.
"What about the bet?!" came a voice from in the crowd. My heart sank as his voice echoed in the air. It sounded...familiar. All too familiar.
"Think this through, Bone!" Mason whispered to Pudgy. I guess Pudgy's nickname was Bone.
"Having a Red in our tribe, that'll keep the PSF's out for good!"
Pudgy took a deep breath and licked his chapped lips. He grunted as he dropped the gun and picked up the card with the winning bet. He rolled his eyes and tossed the card to the side.
"Get up here and take a bow!" he called to the winner.
I watched as one of the guards we encountered came from behind us. He waved to the crowd. He face was covered so I couldn't see what he looked like, but he had been spot on. He walked back behind me.
"Take them to their quarters!" Pudgy ordered. The winner of the bet wrapped his fingers around my forearm and shoved me forward. Andrei cursed under his breath as we walked deeper into their camp.
"This had better be worth it for three kids!" he growled. I didn't answer. I chuckled to myself as I look forward to see the gates of an abandoned zoo. Not bad for a hideout. As we walked in, I glanced around, noticing that none of the animals were in their cages. They were all gone. I didn't know what these kids did to them and to be honest, I didn't want to know.
My eyes narrowed as a cool breeze brushed against...my brain. I had felt that once before but...no...it had to be something else.
"Danni!"
My heart sank into the pit of my stomach as his sweet, familiar voice lifted through the air. I pulled my eyes over and took in a sharp breath as they latched onto the ink black eyes of Sheng. My eyes swelled with tears as he reached his arms out through the bars of his cage. I shook my arm free from the guard and charged towards him.
"Danni?!" came two more familiar voices. Jasper and Issac stood, their fingers clenched around the bars, huge smiles plaster across their faces. I reached my arms out and snaked them around Sheng's body, squeezing him as tight as I could.
"Danni!" he screamed again, tears bursting from his eyes and soaking my shirt in the matter of seconds. Jasper and Issac threw their arms around me, laughing and shouting. Jasper cupped my face and pulled it up to his. His light brown eyes shined with excitement.
"That really you, Little Red?!"
I laughed and lightly shoved him.
"Told you she'd find us!" Issac said. Issac wrapped me in a tight hug and placed his hand on the top of my head, messing up my hair in the process. My eyes pulled down to Sheng. I chuckled as I stared at his sweet face.
"You've grown, little man!"
He laughed and jumped up and down with excitement.
"I know! I know! I'm gonna be as tall as you soon!"
I chuckled and nodded.
"Hey, Danni," came his voice. My heart stopped. Chills curled up my spine. That voice, the feeling in my brain. It all rushed back to me. It couldn't be. Sheng pointed to behind me, a huge smile on his face. My face, however, was flat, my whole body frozen. I bit my cheek as I slowly turned around. My heart crumbled as my eyes latched onto his. The pools of brown in his eyes had turned golden in the sunlight. His hair was a bit longer, tucked behind the back of his ears. I stood there, frozen, staring at his face. Was I dreaming? Was I dead?
Andrei took a step forward, glaring at him.
"You know this guard?" Andrei asked. I took a step towards him, staring into those gorgeous brown eyes that I never thought I'd see again. My heart warmed at his smile. Oh, God how I've missed that smile. It haunted my dreams most nights, and now it was right here in front of me. I slowly raised my hand to touch his cheek. I was only inches from him. I breathed in his familiar scent. I opened my dry mouth to speak but nothing came out at first. I swallowed hard and tried again.
"S—Sebastian?"
He smiled again, his eyes swelling with tears. Any ounce of happiness I had in me drained. Anger flowed through my veins. I cocked my arm back and punched him square in the jaw.