Running With the Wave

Chapter 50

Era:

My head throbs and I groan, letting my eyelids flutter open and bring the world into focus. I blink a few times until my eyes adjust to the darkness, then grimace when I see where I am. I'm lying on my side on the floor of a small, dark, dirty cell. There's no windows, the only light coming from between the bars on the door where the window would be. A pool of my own blood surrounds me, presumably from my leg. I try to shift it slightly so that I can look at it, but I end up crying out in pain when I even tighten up the muscles to move it. Whoever lifted me up damaged my leg even more then it was before. Most likely it will never be the same even if I live through this and it gets fixed. I shift my weight onto my back, careful not to move my leg. Something digs into my skin and I gasp, my hand quickly moving and searching the ground. Nothing, but the pain is still there. I take off the hoodie Hunter gave me so long ago and shake it out. Sure enough, something clangs to the floor. Setting the sweat shirt aside, I feel the floor until my hand closes around what fell out of the back pocket. I recognize what it is even before I hold it right in front of my face so that I can see it. My finger runs along the familiar stone in it's wave shape and a pit seems to open up in side of me, sucking me in. I feel like pain and grief are drowning me, and I slump against the wall. Keara... My sister, dead. Died in child birth. Just like her mother. She pressed the stone into my hand while the light in her died. Why does the world strive to kill us, to tear everything we love away from us? A shaky sob escapes my lips.

"Hello?"

My head snaps up. Someone else is here with me, and I'm in no shape for a fight. Heck, I can barely move. Hurriedly, I scuttle into the corner and press myself into it as if, if I press hard enough, I can melt into the shadows. I clutch the stone with trembling hands, terrified. After all that I've been through, after all that I've done, how can I still be scared of death?

"Era, is that you?"

I can see a figure in the dim light now, each step bringing it closer to me. I squeeze my eyes shut.

"Oh, Era. What are you doing out of the closet?"

Gentle arms wrap around me.

"Who are you?" I whisper, eyes still closed.

"It's Hunter."

I slowly open my eyes and, sure enough, he's standing in front of me.

"Oh, Hunter!" I throw my arms around him.

I bury my face in his shoulder, tears streaming down my face and soaking his shirt.

"Shhh..." He soothes me, rubbing my back, "Hey..."

"Keara's dead." I choke, my voice muffled by his shirt.

Hunter stiffens, and I can feel that he's angry.

"The men didn't kill her." I add quickly, "She died in childbirth while I was in cell fifteen."

"She wasn't in the Ward?"

"None of the twelve year olds are. It's the men's way of seeing who's strong enough and who's too weak."

"Then they practically did kill her." Hunter says flatly.

I don't say anything. He's right, of course. For a while we just lie there on the floor in the cell we share, me curled in his arms, neither of us saying anything. Enjoying each others company when we know it won't last much longer.

"I killed Father." He says finally.

"How did you find the strength to kill your Father?" I ask.

Hunter purses his lips, knowing what I'm really asking: How can you bare losing part of your family?

"He isn't my family, Era. He never was. Family doesn't abandon you, family doesn't hurt you. You're my family."

"But I've both abandoned and hurt you." I whisper sadly.

"But you hurt me for my own good, and you always come back to me." He nuzzles me.

I press myself closer to him.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

I press my mouth to his, ignoring the agonizing pain in my leg and the pressing fear in my mind. Soon Hunter will be torn away from me, and I will be Disposed while he's murdered. We only have the little time in this cell together before we're ripped apart and I need him. I need him with me.

"Touching."

We pull apart suddenly, turning toward the source of the voice. A man stands in the now open doorway, a smirk planted on a face that would be handsome had it not been ruined with scars.

"Darh." Hunter snarls, wrapping his arms around me protectively.

"Who?" I whisper to Hunter, confused.

"Era, meet the head of the Authorities. The man who's ruined your life, kept you imprisoned, and killed your friends and family."

I stare in horror at the man in front of me.

"That's kind of harsh, Hunter." Darh raises an eyebrow at the boy I love.

"It's well deserved." Hunter assures him.

"Watch your tongue." I warn Hunter, "He's a powerful man."

"He's already going to kill us, love." He touches my cheek affectionately, "What worse can he do?"

"Leave one of us alive." I whisper.

Darh rolls his eyes, then steps towards us.

"What happened, Hunter?" He asks softly, "What happened to the boy who would serve us so well. Who knew that the women had to be imprisoned, who knew that this," Darh gestures around him, at the prison, "is right?"

"He grew up, opened his eyes." Hunter replies simply.

Darh's eyes narrow and he glares at Hunter. Hunter meets his gaze calmly, unflinching.

"I'll give you one last chance, boy," He says menacingly, his voice barely above a whisper, "So listen closely. You can leave this animal," Darh points at me and I glare at him, "behind. You can join us again, become head Keeper. Follow in your Father's footsteps. We can put your betrayal and your stupidity behind us. Or you can die with her. Think about it."

"I don't need to think about it," Hunter whispers, "You can never tear me and Era apart, no matter how hard you try. We'll always be together, whether we're alive or dead."

"You've made your choice, Hunter." Darh answers, "I hope you don't regret it, because there's no going back."

With that he turns on his heels and walks out, shutting the door behind him with a clang.