The Uprising

Never Forgive, Never Forget

Hi guys!

Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I love reading them all and I really appreciate your constant support! I know it's a lot to ask because the updates are only once a week and it's been a long drawn-out story but I really appreciate the constant support! Thank you all so much!

Answers to reviews –

Guest – I understand that the story is drawn out and some of the chapters are filler chapters. It's hard as I am trying to develop characters and friendships/relationships and it's hard to balance the fight scenes as well as the calmer ones with bonding in it. Some people love the fighting scenes whilst others love Navrina/Jix scenes so I have to try and balance what people want.

However, there are very few chapters left of fillers (or I think so anyway). I've just been building it up, as very soon there's going to pretty much be a fight every chapter. When there are fights it's very hard to continue character development, which is why I've been attempting to do it now. But the fun stuff is coming along if you can just wait a bit longer and then I promise there'll be so much fighting you'll all want a break! :D

So thank you all so much for the lovely reviews, especially as things are quite tough for me at the moment! So a huge thank you and please keep on reading!

Adam

I wake up, sweating and panting. I sit upright in bed, running an agitated hand through my hair, still breathing heavily. I take in the crumpled sheets around me: my pillow that fell on the floor when I was thrashing around, the empty bed opposite me. I grimace, trying to calm myself down and breathe slower. I grab a glass of water from the table next to me, taking a long deep drink. The clock on my bedside table flashes at me, telling me it's only three in the morning.

Lying back down, I shut my eyes, remembering my dream. It hadn't even been disturbing; I hadn't watched anyone die, I hadn't had any of those vision dreams that the Elders have so often...it had simply been a memory. And yet that memory had reminded me of so much.

I'd been with Ivan and my Father, running a race in our back garden when I was 10 and Ivan was only eight years old. Yet Ivan was still lapping me, laughing, whilst my father screamed insults at me. I had slowed down, starting to cry at the insults and I'd even tripped a few times, Ivan still lapping me over and over again. My father had just become more and more angry, screaming terrible things at me, calling me a failure. Sad thing is, ten years later his insults came true.

It's just a dream. But it's managed to get under my skin, aggravating me, reminding me of my childhood. It hadn't been all that bad. My mother had always supported me, always loved me. I miss her kindness, even now, even though I know she would give me up to my father at once. I still want to see her smile sometimes.

But after everything I've done she'll never smile at me again.

The best part of my childhood had been Ivan. We had been best friends, inseparable. I still get a lump in my throat even now when I think of us two, thick as thieves back then. We had done everything together; been in the same classes, had the same instructors. I had helped him with the academic subjects and he was always backing me up in gym classes. But it was more than that. We could tell each other anything, talk about anything with the other, without judgement or laughter. It had been a solid relationship, more solid than some of the friendships in this base. Our bond had continued right until the Games, where we had backed each other up at the very start.

How did things go so wrong? How can you go from loving someone to hating them so much that you'd kill them?

I miss him. It's one of my most terrible, darkest secrets that I don't tell anyone. I don't miss the murderous Ivan that killed Hannah and tried to kill Alicia. I'm glad that that Ivan is gone and I would kill him all over again. But I miss the old one, my best friend, my brother. I miss our old easy friendship, the way we would do everything together. I miss the two boys who thought they could rule the world together. Who thought we would never betray one another.