The Pearl

Stage 27: She's Dead

"Where are we even going?" Mura pants. "We can't exactly escape this hell of ours." My heart beats furiously inside my chest and my legs are burning with pain. All I want to give in to the ground's cold, refreshing embrace, but I know that I'll die if I do so. Although I don't mind death, I want to stay alive to protect my friends. Maybe after they're safe, I can leave. I'm just so tired.

"I don't know," Jett answers admittedly, "Anyone got any bright ideas?"

"Find Stina and Lynn? They'd know a way out," suggests Manda. I nod, not wanting to waste my breath with idle conversation.

"Yeah okay, but where are we gonna find them?" Jett inquires. Manda's eyes dart to him quickly. She pauses.

"I don't really know-"

"Exactly. Plan B."

"What's that?"

"Hell if I know."

"We could try looking for the girls."

"Pfft sure. That's like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"You know what? It is like that. It's difficult, but not impossible."

"Manda."

"Jett, why are you all negative now?"

Jett slows down, which angers Manda even more. She runs behind him and pushes him forward. "Don't you dare slow us down."

"Why does it matter," Jett mutters quietly, "We're not going to make it out alive anyway. At least, not all of us. So why can't we sacrifice ourselves to save the ones that can go on?"

My arm twitches, almost raising itself. I fought the urge of wanting to stay back, finally leave this world in a way that helps others.

"Shut up Jett," Manda says tiredly, "You know that's not true."

"You don't know me."

"This isn't the Jett I'm in love with."

Excuse me? I glance over at Mura to see if she would show any sign of surprise, and I was not disappointed. Jett's eyes widen ever so slightly. He clears his throat, as does Manda. It seems as if the words simply popped out of her lips without her consent.

"I...I didn't mean it like that."

"Okay."

"Jett seriously," I interfere, "We need to hurry up. Shit's gonna happen; there are eyes watching us everywhere. They're gonna find us soon."

"Fine," Jett says sharply.

We continue our sprint down hallways, our adrenaline keeping us from tiring. Each time we think we've found an exit, we meet a dead end. Our hopes soon begin to die.

"Can we please stop?" I whisper.

"Things in motion tend to stay in motion. Things at rest tend to stay at rest," Mura recites monotonously.

"Now's not the time for Newton," I wheeze. "I'm stopping, you guys. I don't care if I die."

"Kei!" Jett shouts. "Don't be stupid!'' I ignore him and instead drop my knees to the ground. My eyes close in relief.

"This feels...so good."

"Keilani!" Manda's voice is frantic. "Kei!" Footsteps pound the ground somewhere close by. I hear someone shouting. "Kei! Kei, they're coming!"

"Kei, fucking move!" Jett tugs at my arms, but I lay limp on the ground.

"Keilani!" Iimura shrieks. "Don't do this! Please!" She pauses to calm herself. "It's just like that reading we had done. With Hunter. He said you'd leave us. Please show me that it's not true," she whispers. Tears prick her eyes. "Please."

I feel nothing as I say, "No." I'm so exhausted, both mentally and physically. Don't I deserve a break? That's all I ask for: a break. I just want time to rest. One minute.

Amanda crouches down to meet my half opened eyes. Her hazel eyes are piercing. "You told us this wouldn't happen. You lied to us." She then gets back up, and starts to run again. Jett and Iimura soon follow suit. The unknown voices are coming closer. I feel something wet drip down my cheek. They're going to get caught. Whoever's coming is so close; the others won't get away. I stalled them. If I had went, we might have been safe.

Safe.

What a word. One syllable, terribly easy to say, but so hard to achieve. Heavy footsteps sound behind me.

"You killed her," I hear a gruff voice say. It's the Creator. I know exactly who he's talking about, and I don't deny it. My body convulses in a silent sob. I tried to think that she had not been dead; I had stabbed her side, not her heart or head. Maybe I saw it wrong. Perhaps I did stab her chest. A whimper escapes from me. I'm a child murderer. "Get. Up."

I comply.

Rough hands bind my wrists with hand cuffs, and I don't bother to open my eyes to identify who it is. My throat constricts as an attempt to hold in my whimpers, yet a grunt anyway from the force the person had been using to handcuff me.

"You sicken me," he whispers gruffly and solemnly in my ear. I finally look up and see Zach. His eyes are glazed over and his eyebrows are tilted in a frown, his jaw resolute. "Why did you do it?" he asks with his voice cracking.

"I had to get away..." I start to say defensively, then realize that my excuse was a horrid one. Zach glares at me.

"I hope they kill you."

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