Pure - The Broken Society

CHAPTER FIVE

The chirping birds above act as a natural alarm clock. Sunbeams shine through the small holes made by the leaves of the large oak trees.

I sit up, my back instantly beginning to ache from laying on the uneven ground. I brush off all the twigs and leaves attached to my clothing, noticing a few new stains and rips covering my white blouse like polka dots. I notice a string of thread dangling from the waistline of my dress pants, pulling it tightly and watching the fabric come undone.

I scrutinize the area, nothing but trees in every direction. I hear running water in the distance, the soft trickling of water making my body tingle. I always loved the sound of water. I walk in that direction, the sound becoming more of a roar as I come closer.

With a few steps, a river reveals itself through the trees, small cascades created by jagged rocks at the bottom of the stream. Small rivulets glide around the river's edge. I watch as ripples form in the middle, an occasional fish floating to the top then swimming back down.

I inhale a breath of fresh air, my lungs feel heavy for a moment as they expand in my chest. I welcome the sensation, feeling instantly refreshed. I walk closer to the river's edge, kneeling down and cupping my hands in the water. The cold, crisp liquid cools my body instantly, and I place my face in my hands, water splashing out of my palms upon impact.

I flair my hands, shaking the water droplets off, and at that moment I hear a branch break. I jump, grabbing a nearby rock and standing up quickly. Black spots cover my sight for a moment as a wave of dizziness inundates me.

"Hey, chill, it's just me," Sam puts his hands out in front of him in surrender.

I throw the rock down, heaving a grunt, "You sure do love scaring me, don't you?"

He chuckles lightly, "Yeah," he says. He comes out from behind the brush a little more, walking slowly to prevent slipping on the loose gravel. "Sorry about last night, I didn't mean to startle you like I did, it's just that I wanted to make sure they were gone."

"It's alright, don't worry about it."

He stands beside me, his pant pockets full with his hands. His hair stands up in some spots, and is matted down in others. He heaves out an exhale, admiring the beauty of nature, and I find myself doing the same.

A slight headwinds comes down the river, leaves moving like they're dancing to a mute song. Fly away hairs become tangled in my lashes, and I push them back behind my ear. I peer to my right as I see the sky begin to change color. The dark navy blue turning into a burning ombre of yellow and orange, making the sky look as if it is on fire. The sun's curve slightly pokes out from above the trees like a hippo in water.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Sam says, studying the environment.

"Yeah, yeah it is," I quietly say, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

"I just can't believe we made it," he says, turning his head to look at me, and I do the same. "For a minute there, I really thought that we were done for, but we managed to outrun their guns," a meager smile of his own appearing on his sharp features.

He scans my face for a while, as if he's searching for something. He turns his head back a few moments later, his juniper green eyes glinting in the morning sun.

"I'm just so happy we're finally free from that place," I say, sadness as well as delight laced in my tone.

I'm heartbroken by the way everything went down, but I know it's for the best. Finally, Quinn, Becca, and I can have the life we're always dreamed of having.

"I-uh, I'm sorry to hear about what happened between you and your dad," he says sorrowfully.

"How'd you hear about that?" I ask, turning to meet his gaze.

"Quinn told me last night, after everyone had fallen asleep," he says.

To mention of the fight, I'm brought back to the moment before William slapped me, a bruise now forming where his hand had connected with my face.

"You never have treated us like a family ever since she left! And you've never been so much as a dad since!"

Slap.

"If that's how you really feel, then get out."

"Madelynn?" His voice jars me from my memory, guiding me back to reality. "Are you okay?"

I notice that he has moved closer to me, his hand gently resting on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say, just as a stray tear falls down my cheek. One after another, they begin to fall and I see that Sam's eyes are full of sorrow.

"Hey, it's alright," he coos softly as he takes my tense body into a tight embrace. He runs his fingers through my hair and rests his chin on my head while his other hand rubs comforting circles on my back.

"It's gonna be okay," he reassures, his voice smooth in my ear.

We stand there, for I don't know how long, his warm embrace heating my cold body. I pull away soon after, wiping at my eyes, irritated and raw, and Sam notices the bruise on my cheek.

He furrows his brows as he reaches a hand up to trace my cheek lightly around the border of the bruise.

"Does it hurt?" He asks.

I shake my head, his hand falling away slowly, "Not as much as it did when William gave it to me."

He's about to say something else when he's interrupted by the shouts of the rest of our group. They shortly come into the clearing.

"We've gotta start walking, we don't want to linger for long. The Patrolmen might come back," Logan says, his blue eyes bright in the sunlight, and I notice that he is eyeing the close distance between Sam and I incredulously.

The rest of the group stands behind him, their bags in hand. I glance behind Logan, where little Becca stands with her stuffy, a little crown made of flowers and twigs resting on top of her auburn locks.

"Alright," Sam says, making his way back up the little hill to the rest of the group, retrieving his duffle from Mia's shoulder.

They begin to walk forward, and I trail behind, and as I get close to Mia, she studies my face, immediately realizing I had been crying.

"Is everything alright?" She asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just happy we're out of that prison," I say, the smile returning to my face as my heart warms up with undeniable excitement.

We walk on, every step bringing us closer to the Sectors, bringing us closer to our new lives. Our new futures.