The Hollows In Our Freedom | 'Hollows' Book Ⅲ

Chapter One

" "It was like...the dead. The dead wailing. Calling out." "
—me, 'Hollows In Time' (that felt damn cool)

_________________________________

T h e H o l l o w s I n 
O U R F R E E D O M
_________________________________

The inferno never ceased, and even when it did, the wind carried the blaze across, and it skimmed our heads and set our hearts alight in a fury.

Even when we escaped, we never really did.

"Go! Go! Go!" Jace yelled, jumping into the back of the truck. Jameson's close friend, Jack, was our getaway driver, but since our plan went awry—when the loft caught flames—we needed another driver to speed Jameson and Sky off to recovery. They left first, with Jonah as the driver.

Having Jonah alongside me for this leg of the mission didn't feel bad. I actually didn't feel anything for him. Or anything in general.

I gnawed at my nails until I had nothing left to gnaw at. Worrying about Jameson and Sky's lives was eating me up inside, and the harsh winds biting at my skin wasn't helping.

Jace and I weren't sitting inside the truck; we were outside in the back, in case we had to make a quick exit.

In that moment, I was reminded of his presence as he enveloped my hand in his. My hand had previously been close to my mouth as I bit at the nails, and he pulled it away from my mouth to hold it.

He held my hand in his lap, his surprisingly warm touch filling me up from the deepest, bottomless depths of my soul.

I inhaled, watching him run his thumb across the back of my hand, staring at the fields that flew by so intently that it looked like he was playing Spot The Difference.

I closed my eyes, trying to relax my racing mind, which was way harder than I could ever imagine it being.

Our plan failed.

Yes, we escaped.

Yes, the outcome was planned.

But we expected Jameson and Sky to be alive.

And now it was something that we hoped.

That's not how it was supposed to work. But it's how it was happening anyway.

I let my head fall back against the side, looking up at the starry night sky; the stars were crystals above our heads. It was admittedly very beautiful. I almost forgot everything that was happening as I stared up at the stars.

But then the cold, harsh winds would hit me again, and then I'd remember the warmth of Jace's hand, but also the numb feeling that filled me with such an immensity that it was hard to apply an emotion to anything.

This cycle continued so on and so forth, of slipping into bliss and then being thrown out of it, for nearly an hour. It was like I was consistently losing my memory. I would forget the circumstance, lose myself to the night, then the cold would remind me, Jace would be there once more, but so would the numbness.

The cycle never ceased, but it did dull as we neared the hospital.

The hospital we had chosen is one that is in alliance with the Academy. Of course, this could be a risk. But lives were at stake. And at the end of the day, what's more important? Your freedom, or your life? For, without your life, you'd never be able to accomplish freedom. But then again, are you really living if you do not have freedom?