Ruin and Revival

Chapter 13: Separation

ARIKA

Running. My feet pound into the sandy ground, muscles aching as perspiration blinded me. The world blurred around me as terror charged me forward. I glance over my shoulder, the world splitting down the seams, right behind me. The moment of hesitation cost me as I stumbled on my own foot, the abyss moments away from engulfing me. I close my eyes, feeling the claws of death around me when a hand grabbed mine, dangling me inches away from the widening mouth. I look up to see his beautiful eyes, his tousled hair.

"Calvin," I breath. He smiles but suddenly everything went wrong. Blood seeped from his mouth, his eyes turning cold and icy.

"Why should I save you when you cost me my life!" Hatred thickens his voice. I wanted to deny it but deep down in my heart, I knew he was right.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper.

He lets go.

"Arika! Arika!" My eyes snap open, cold sweat plastering my hair to my head. Cole's concerned face appears in my vision. He gently pats my back but all I see are Calvin's eyes, piercing into me and tearing me apart.

"Hey, hey, look at me." I look up and he is like a ray of sunshine on a cold winter storm. His hair glistened in the early morning light, those fluttery eyelashes glinting.

"Everything was fake. It wasn't real but this," He waves his arms frantically, sparking a giggle from me, "This is what's real," Cole gives me his warmest smile that I try to return.

"Why are you so nice to me?" I blurt out as he begins to stuff our sleeping bags into the packs. He freezes. I don't repeat myself, knowing he heard.

"What are you talking about, I'm nice to everyone. Stop thinking you are special," He sticks his tongue out as I roll my eyes. He was lying. I see the way he treats Michelle and even Bri. And then I see the way he looks at me, the way he watches my every move. How he is always there when I need someone. Deep down, I know how he actually feels about me. So why can't I return those feelings, wholeheartedly? I want to but something was holding me back. Something I had yet to understand and resolve. Death. It was the cause for the barrier I had involuntarily put between Cole and I. I feared it so much that I seemed incapable of opening up anymore, scared the Grim Reaper would appear and snatch away everyone I cared for.

"Let's go. Buses are supposed to arrive as soon as the sun peaks during its journey," Cole is scanning the horizon. A heavy weight goes over me. Bad memories of the last time I had waited for a bus flood into me. I shiver at the thought of the inevitable fate of those who had stayed at the cannibalistic camp that night. That was only three weeks ago. When Calvin was still alive. It felt like a thousand years already. His face already seemed to fade but I would never forget those cold blue eyes of death.

People are shouting and pointing at something in the distance as I hoist my pack on my back, everyone around me doing the same. I see dust blowing up in the horizon, mixing in with the gentle, cloudless sky of morning. Jake motions us together, forming a small circle that has kept us alive these past weeks. I look around, gratitude and appreciation filling me as I think back to all the times they had probably saved my life. Except for Michelle.

"Everybody, grab your possessions and start heading over to the group soldiers in front of the buses over there. Certain protocols must be taken in order for us to proceed." Soldiers surrounding us shout in their mike's, blaring into my poor ears. I cringe at the sound. Cole and I exchange worried looks, ideas of what they could be referring to already filling my mind.

"Stick together guys," Jake warns us, his arm linked with Bri, who cheerful and kind as always, gives me her best smile. I don't return it. Suddenly, I feel a hand grasping mine, steady and warm. Like an anchor keeping me from drifting away forever. I look up in shock into Cole's eyes, drilling past the wall I had created for myself inch by inch. I feel it crumbling already. I realize my hands are still open around his tightly clutched ones. My fingers wrap around his and it felt so right, like a puzzle falling into place.

We shuffled over to the soldiers, moving at turtle speed. Worried people swarmed around us, shoving and pushing to get on the buses. My hands are still grasped in Cole's hands and I flush, feeling strangely dizzy and happy in this foreboding situation.

"Next," The soldiers rough, exasperated voice shakes me out of my daze. Cole's hand squeezes painfully around mine, causing me to stifle a gasp.

"Walk over. Nuttin to be afraid of," They grab us forcefully and tug me off Cole, pulling us in different directions.

"Cole!" I reach out for him, my eyes wide. He struggles violently. Bri and Jake shouted at us not to struggle, that everything would be fine but like hell I believed them. I was not losing any of them. If I did, I would probably go insane.

" Do not touch her!" He barks, his mouth in a snarl. Two more soldiers rush to try and calm him down. This sparks another abrupt outburst of frantic struggle from me. My hair hung down the sides of my face, sweat beading my forehead.

"You two need to chill. You'll see each other again... probably. So just follow protocol and everything will work out just fine," Somehow, I don't believe him. Since when was the world on my side. I had to survive and fight to keep what was mine. Cole was no different. He finally freed his arm and punched a soldier's face. I gathered my remaining strength to escape this stranger's terrible claws, for one last fight. As Cole finally wriggled out, the angry soldier stabbed a syringe into the side of Cole's neck. I scream.

"Please don't hurt her. She's the only thing I have left," Cole says before collapsing onto the ground, unconscious. The images in front of me swirl together. I hear Bri telling me to stop. I punch and bite on something, anything. But it's no use. No, no, no! This can't be happening again. I can't do this anymore. I feel a sharp pain on the side of my neck.

"Bout time this obnoxious girl shut up. Geez, teenagers are so emotional," is the last thing I hear before the abyss swallows me. Happiness never lasts.