Tears of A Soldier(BWWM)

Chapter Sixteen

unedited 

Colony Six: Military District ( Underground Secret Base)

Raven's mental state was completely shattered. Why? Well, let's just say finding out your dad was not dead but alive... and the freaking leader of The Freedom Fighters blow her poor mind away. Three years. Three years of lies and pain. She had been twelve when the soldiers came to report the death of her and Annika's father. It had been a Sunday and for the first time, their father had not been at the table sharing a meal. When Annika had asked where dad was their mother said he had to take care of something of grave importance. Annika had accepted what mom had said but Raven knew something was wrong. It was a gut feeling that said her mother was holding something back but she had ignored it and continued to eat. When the Halo's had arrived to deliver the crushing news hours later she experienced a profound sense of guilt. Believing that if she had spoken sooner about the dreaded feeling that she had maybe their father would have still been alive.

Life took a downhill spiral after that for Raven. The guilt slowly ate away at her. There wasn't anyone she felt that she could talk to. How could she tell her family that they might have been able to prevent their loved one's death? Sure, she knew they wouldn't blame her but sometimes the look of pity in one's eyes is worst. Without their dad helping to protect the little they had, their house was robbed almost every week. Protection is key in their district, the minute a weakness was spotted, was the minute your faith was sealed. Many women that were left alone were victims of that minute. Most turned to prostitution for survival. When a woman and her kids are starving there are many morals that she would overlook. Raven also -unknown to her family- chose to overlook all the morals that she had been taught by her family. There were plenty of nights her mother and sometimes her sister would go to bed hungry. There was hesitation in her to sell her body for provisions. It was the least she could do, after keeping her mouth shut.

Now only to realize that her 'dead'' father was alive and kicking, pissed her off. He left them to lead the Freedom Fighters. To protect total strangers over his own family. Provided men and women safety in his care but left them to fucking rot in one of the most dangerous districts. No. That was not acceptable in her eyes. And another thing that was a crushing blow to her heart was that their mother knew along. Raven needed answers. Like now.

They were traveling directly under the military district in a hidden tunnel that was made secretly over the years. Like seriously, directly under. It was a dirt tunnel in the form of some kind of cylinder. How the hell didn't the soldiers know that the enemy was tunneling under them? Crazy. Raven was just glad she wasn't claustrophobic, the tunnel was so tight and narrow she couldn't even spread her arms out. Let's not forget the only light they had was by candlelight. You could only see a few inches in front of you.

They had been walking for at least twenty minutes. She hoped to God they weren't lost because this was some seriously scary shit. No one was talking and the silence gave the feeling of doom. Currently, she was in between two men who towered over her, preventing her from seeing anything in front or back of her not that it mattered in the piercing darkness that surrounded them.

Finally, a small amount of light was seen ahead. It was a beautiful sight. It almost brought tears to her eyes. It meant soon their underground journey would be ending. It had begun to feel like they were walking just for the hell of it. The exercise was the devil's way of torturing her. As they draw closer to the light, Raven could now fully see the dirt tunnel she had been traveling in for the last hour.

Immediately she wished that it was dark again. Bugs. They were everywhere. The ground, walls, and on..HER. They were crawling on her. How the hell could she have not felt them? Screaming in horror she tried to brush, shake and throw the disgusting insects off her. Frantic in her movements to remove them she slammed hard into the man behind her. They both fell to the hard dirt ground. Where the insect's friends and family were. Raven went mental. Rolling around in desperation she failed to realize that she was still on top of the man she knocked with her on the ground.