Mortality

Chapter 13: Hell Bent

Edith finally stops running once she reaches the forest outside of the city.

Since she had slept in, the sun is already starting to go down. She slows her pace to a walk as she makes her way over to a fallen log, sitting on it with her head down. She starts quietly weeping to herself, using the sleeve of CLive's shirt to soak up the tears.

Everything happening around her. The war, the rebellion, her friends being split up, CLive, the Pull, John. It's all just too much. Strangely enough, considering all the bad things that happened, she wishes she could go back in time to a year ago. Everyone was on the same page, and her goal was a simple one-way path. Now, it seems everything is just a mess, and it's her fault she's in it.

She slowly opens her eyes and stares at the ground. Her body sits limp, her shoulders slouched. She sighs. "...I don't know what to do, John..." She breathes in painfully and shakes her head. "...I thought that if I just kept my head up and powered forward like I always do, things would turn around eventually... but... it seems like everything is only getting worse the harder I try... and I don't know if that's my fault or if that's just life telling me to grow up..."

"But... all of this... with Mortality... I don't know if this is the right thing to do... I wish I could ask you what you think about this plan, but... but I can't... because you're gone..." Her weeping slowly becomes a light sob.

"...I miss you, John... Every day I'm just getting thrown deeper into this mess, and it seems no matter how hard I try, I only end up making things worse... for everyone... I don't have any answers, I only have questions... and even though I'm desperately trying to answer them with each day... I'm still no closer than where I began..."

"I don't even know if the... fears... I have about myself right now are true... It's just... a feeling... but still..." She closes her eyes. "...I need answers, John... but I know that I'll probably never find them if this is what I've been limited to... I'm sorry I'm not the 'most badass bitch in Utopia' anymore... I just feel like a scared little girl, unable to think for herself and waiting to be handed the solutions to all her problems..."

She opens her eyes again and stares off at nothing. The sun has nearly gone down which leaves the sky burning orange fading to dark blue. With her current state of mind and emotions, she doesn't even process how eerily quiet the forest is.

"You've got the 'scared little girl' part right, I'll give you that."

She has no time to react as she instantly finds a blade pressed to her throat and her back pinned against a tree. A man stands before her with his hand over her mouth and a wild grin on his face. She looks him over once her mind allows her to do something other than panic. He has spiked ginger hair and grey eyes. But what she immediately notices about him is his dark grey, orange, and black uniform, and the symbol on his shoulder.

Another Cogency Elite.

Edith struggles to break free, but he simply laughs hysterically at her squirming. "Now now, Edith... no need to be afraid. Actually... I take that back. I would love for you to be afraid! That only makes this so much better, don't ya think?" He has a wildly amused gleam in his eyes that makes her sick.

He giggles. "Now, I would certainly love to have a nice, meaningful conversation with you! You know, like you just had with your dead drinking buddy!" He laughs more as he sees the burning hatred in her eyes. "I trust that you won't start screaming your pretty little head off the moment I let you talk, seeing as there are a fuck ton of soldiers in the area who are far less friendly than I am, just waiting to drag you back to the Citadel and earn their 'Sovereign's' favor. So let's just keep this little chat between us, okie doki?"