Atlanta (Part of My World) (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 17

Kai locked the door, exhausted. 

There was a pounding at the door, and then, sobbing. But he couldn't let her do this. Even if there was pain in the moment, there would be more when she died. And even more to Kai when he knew it had been his fault. 

Even if he was watching from the life after death. Even if he was watching here. 

He couldn't do it. 

Because he was a coward. 

The words surrounded him like a cocoon, and he pushed himself into the shadowy corner of the bottom bunk of the beds. He had moved himself to the empty room, and tried to hole himself in there, pleading that at any moment, they would take him. 

Not the crew. 

Death. 

But it hadn't happened yet, so Kai pulled the blankets over his head, covering his ears, trying to stop the noise of the sobbing. 

"Kai, Kai, please! Open the door! Kai!" 

Each time she said his name, all the bruises and welts on his body pulsed, and his ears rang. He saw this as a gift. 

Anything to drown out the sound of Cinder's sobbing, because if he heard anymore, he would go insane. Because if he heard anymore, he would fling open that door, and hold her in his arms. He couldn't let that happen. 

The sobs faded away, replaced by fading shrieks. 

"THORNE LET GO OF ME! KAI! KAI! PLEASE!" 

Kai shoved his finger's into his ears, praying that it would stop. 

The warmth of the tear sliding down his face didn't warm his heart, and he felt as cold and isolated and friendless as he had in the palace. Except for one thing. 

Kai himself had pushed them away. But it was for the greater good. One man's loneliness would grant another man a chance at life. His loneliness would safe Cinder. His loneliness had to save Cinder. 

Scarlet herself believed that she had gone insane. Maybe Winter had been feeding her steroids in the sweets. She had just pushed Levana. She had burned fire into the guards through her eyes. 

And she and devised an escape plan with Winter. 

But it was nothing compared to the shock, when she heard a familiar voice. 

"WHERE'S SCARLET?! WHERE IS SHE, YOU MONSTERS!" She turned, and saw a figure, a familiar figure being pushed down the hallway. 

"WOLF!" She was running toward him, when something cold sliced into her back. And something hot and sticky slid down her skin. 

Cinder sobbed, and shrieked, clawing at the door. Her right hand was bleeding, the nails already torn off, the skin shredded. The metal nails of her left hand were starting to bend back. 

She didn't even think of regretting it. She didn't care that the beautiful hand that Erland had given her was being destroyed. She just cared about opening the door. 

She could hear sobs from the inside too. It made her pound and claw harder. 

"Kai, please, open the door! Kai, Kai, Kai." Her voice faded off as her sobs took over, and she slumped against the door, feebly hitting at it. She hadn't eaten properly in four days. Just whatever Thorne and Iko could force into her mouth. She hadn't slept willingly at all, just the unconscious hours, in which Thorne forcefully shut down her system, or knocked her out. Her throat was raw from screaming. 

But she wouldn't stop. Not until that door was open. 

Not until Kai was cured. 

She would keep screaming, keep screaming for Kai, even if it was her dying breath.