Frozen

Chapter 8

"Danielle," a voice says. I open my eyes but I am blinded by a bright light above me. I find myself in a laying position. 

"Wake up, you're going to be late," the voice says again. 

I open my eyes fully and see Hunter looking down at me. He is crunching beside me in the hallway in the same place where I thought I was going to die. The same place Grayson shot the guy that almost shot me. 

"Hunter?" I say shooting up. I wrap my arms around him. I can feel his warmth. He is alive, well, and breathing. "I thought you were dead." 

He grabs my face and wipes my tears with his thumbs. His eyes look worried. 

"Did you have a horrible dream?"

"Yeah. Everyone died and Grayson was nice all of a sudden. You and a few other people were part of this 'escape group' and you worked with Grayson to find a way to save us all, but you failed. You died and I wasn't there for you." 

"Oh my goodness Danielle," Hunter says helping me back onto my feet. "Come on now, you're going to be late." 

"Late? I don't even know how long I passed out for. I need to go back to the range with my group. We are going to be in trouble if we are caught talking." 

"You were out for a while. It is lunch now and we are about to be late come on," he says grabbing my hand and pulling me behind him. 

"Hey if it's lunch how come no one bothered to wake me-"

"Shhhh Danielle, you're going to ruin the surprise!" 

"There is a surprise now?" We pass the dining hall which makes me question where he is taking me. "Hunter you passed the dining-"

"Shhhh Danielle, I am taking you to the contact fighting training room. My group was taken here after breakfast today." 

"Oh, okay but um why-"

"Shhhhh," he says as we reach the training room. "You have to be quiet, you might interrupt the peace. Let me cover your eyes." 

He reaches from behind me and covers my eyes with his hands. I walk forward with my arms out in front of me so I can open the doors to the room. It is really quiet in this room and there is not light coming through Hunter's fingers. 

His fingers slip off my face and I look around. 

Bodies lying on the ground covered in blood. A girl with blood pouring out of her mouth and stomach. A boy with his eyes wide open in shock with blood gushing out of his chest. 

"HUNTER!" I scream at the top of my lungs. 

Silence. Deadly silence. Tears start to pour again and my legs are starting to get weak. I might throw up at this sight. I examine the room. 

Hunter. 

I see him lying on the ground a couple of feet away from me. 

"HUNTER NO!" I yell dropping to my knees and picking him up. I place his body on my lap and hug him. 

"WAKE UP! No no no, Hunter stop! Just wake up!" 

There is fresh blood coming from his mouth and his right leg. I place my hands around his face. 

"You were just alive Hunter," I whisper to him with heartache. "You were just with me, alive and happy. I hugged you and you were alive. I felt your breath. Wake up! Hunter, please please please. Don't die, not like this." 

I shake him.

"WAKE UP PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME! I NEED YOU! WE ALL NEED YOU! PLEASE HUNTER!" 

I feel a warm touch on my shoulder. I look up and see Hunter looking down at me with tears coming out from his eyes. He crouches down beside me and I look back at him body that lays on my lap. 

"I-I was scared Danielle," he says chocking on his words. "It happen all so quickly. If only there was someone to stop them. Someone wondering the hallway. I told you! I told you that you were going to be to late." 

"Late?" I ask looking back at the live Hunter. 

"You were in the halls. You could've opened the doors to one of the training stations and saved a group, but it happened to fast. You were late and now we are all dead."

"I didn't know Hunter. If I did, I would've been here for you. I promise."

"It's a little to late for a promise now is it?" He gets up and turns around. "Seems like you have been late to everything for a while now."

"Hunter plea-"

"You were late Danielle. Accept that." 

I look back down at the body laying beneath me. 

"I was late Hunter. I am sorry," I whisper to his dead body. 

I was late, please forgive me.