Broken

Replace Me

I have had a hectic week, so I couldn't write much. I have been told that my chapters are short. I am going to update once a week so I can write longer chapters. Anyway, story time.

I stand there in shock. I am unable to speak from the joy that comes to me. Why is he here? How did he survive? I have a hunch that this joy I hold, will be ripped out of my hands. He looks me up and down.

"Tori Ana, how did you survive? Why were you taken away from society," he asks me.

I bite my lip. Everyone knows why I was taken away. It was obvious. It was bound to happen. Was it not? I disregarded Dohean's laws and goals. I questioned. I feared. I accused. I was of no use to them. I was just a hindrance to their plan for a better world. I never want to go back. I do not want to be ridiculed anymore.

Instead of telling him this, I lie and tell him, "If I knew, I wouldn't be striving to get back. I want to go back."

I don't know why I lie to him. I don't know why he is here. I don't know why I can't trust him. I am just trying to survive. I believe it to best if he believes I want to be restored to the society. Maybe, I am in the wrong by lying but I believe this is best.

I look at him straight in the eye expecting for him to question me. He doesn't. He just looks at me. His eyes do not contain a flicker of emotion even though he has a smile on his face stretching from ear to ear.

He stops smiling when he hears a noise of broken glass skittering across the pavement. I turn around to see a SRT running towards us. I look at Kyle. His face is strange. He has a smile plastered on his face. He is walking towards me. I am starting to feel as if I am getting cornered.

First thing that comes to mind is fight, but my body begins running. I could feel the sole of my shoe clash against the rough of the pavement. I run. What is the purpose of this? Will they be able to reach me? Will I win this battle? I am just a pawn in a game. A pawn that refuses to give up.

A simple pawn who will amount to nothing once the game has been concluded. A pawn that will be used by many. A pawn that will not be able to claim victory for themselves but for those that lead them. A pawn lives to be used, but I refuse to become a pawn that is being held captive and used by the other team.

My breathing comes in and out quickly. I continue to run. My body feels as if I can collapse at any moment. Is it okay to go back to the society, to Dohean? Could I go back to being Dohean's play toy? My step falters. I cannot go back to becoming one of them. I have to prove myself to the Nomads. I decided to become their pawn, not Dohean's.

I run and run for what seems like days. They trail behind me. How can they continue? How can I continue? I hear Kyle yell, "It has been twenty minutes. Tori Ana, stop running. We are taking you back in. Stop running. Your family wants you back. We need you. You are a necessary recourse to us." My foot snags onto something and I trip.

The SRT comes towards me and I don't try to get up. If I could keep going, would I? Would I have the will to leave my family and keep running? I shake my head. I love my family. Their tears were enough to show me that they love me too. Then I remember Clayton. He was replaced and forgotten by my parents.

The SRT is only now a few yards away from me. I get up and run once more. They can replace me. They can replace everyone. I will not go back. The Nomads took me in. I will continue to run until I have survived on my own. I will write my story. I will come back to the Nomads and become a warrior that can win the war. I will live to say I have survived this broken world. I will amount to something.