Oh, Ara

Chapter 13

Ara's POV

I wake up early, adrenaline running through my veins. I roll out of bed and glance over at Jaime who is out like a light. I got the window and peer outside of it. The guards are nowhere to be seen. I grab some sports clothes and quickly change and brush my teeth. Then I run to the bed and roll under it. I shove the phone in my sports bra and look at the myself in the mirror. You can't even tell. I lace my sneakers and throw my hair into a ponytail.

I take a deep breath and open the window. In one motion I slide out and close the window. I take off at a sprint for the woods. Once I'm fully emerged by the jungle I stop and take a catch my breath. I feel like I'm in the Thunderbirds or something. I should watch that movie when I get back, I miss it.

Focus, Ara, focus. Okay. I start trudged through the wilderness. Ooo I guess I should have brought a weapon to protect myself against things. Oh here's a stick and a rock. Okay I clutch the stick in one hand and the rock in the other. I can totally beat a vampire now. And maybe if I throw a rock at a werewolf straight in the face it'll get stunned like a shark.

I need more sleep.

Okay. I'm gonna climb up to a higher elevation and check the signal every once in while. I start to glance at the trees and see if I can see any cameras. This whole place is a lot like the arena in catching fire if wouldn't surprise me if Levi stole that idea. I wouldn't put it past him, he's stolen a lot already. So far the trees remain the free but I'm still wary.

After walking a deeper, I decide to check for any sign of a signal. I pull the phone out and turn it on. I hold it up to see if it has singal. No luck. Poopy. I turn the phone back off and keep going.

I continue this process for quite a while, and I'm about to quit for today when I the signal pops up. I am about to squeal but I can't give away my location so I throw my vampire fighting stick and rock on the ground and wordlessly squeal and jump around in excitement. I type in the message I'd worked out all night and send. Once it sends I turn the phone off again. I jump and squeal in excitement. I shove the phone in my boob holders and start running back. Time is stagnant and I have no idea how long I've been in here. I run back and slip through the window. I take the phone and turn it on to make sure the message sent. I realize I can't tell with this ancient device so I hide it and the charger in a sock and stick it in Jaimes clothing drawer.

My heart is racing, I need to calm down. I throw my dirty clothes into the hamper and rush into the shower. I turn the water on and step in. I don't even care that it's cold. I glance down and realize my hands are shaking and so is my whole body. I collapse into a ball on the floor of the tub and am on the brink of sobbing uncontrollably. I try to take deep breaths. Breathe in. Breathe out. Bre-a-a the i-n. Fuck it. I let go. I hysterically cry. I cry like I have never cried before. Every inch of my soul and being is numb and I cry.

I feel empty and alone. I want to be with Carter and Jason and Ryder and Scott and Thomas and Grandpa and Grandma. I want to be with my friends - Will and Lucy and Clint and Lynn. I want to be with my brave little reporter. And I just want to be held by the artist I'm so deeply, and incredibly in love with. I want to be back to where I'm happy and loved.  I want to go home.
I just wanna go home.

Carter's POV

My phone goes off and I groggily rollover to look at it. It's a text from an unrecognized number. I open it and drop my phone. I stare at the phone on the ground. Shakily I pick up the phone and read the message. My heart is racing and I feel adrenaline course through my veins. Arabella.

I screenshot the entire message to be safe. I throw my door open and slide down the hall in my socks. I fall to the ground and push myself up. I run straight to Jason's room and pins on the door. Then I run along and start pounding on everyone's door.