*COMPLETED*
One event in history has the power to change everything. One choice...can leave an entire society shifted. For the new society, it is a constant battle between two powers, separated from one another by a defining characteristic.
...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I stride down the pathway, the trees swinging above providing momentary shade from the beating sun. Small clouds drift by carried by short wind gusts. I squint my eyes as I walk, my retinas not yet adapted to the change of light.
As I walk, my legs shake from beneath me, my bones rigid and my soul shook to the very core of my body. My mind has a habit of repeating things, reliving them a thousand times over like a never ending mantra that continues on and on and on. I can't get her words out of my mind, and I can't wrap my head around the whole idea.
It makes no sense. If she didn't want to be associated with her old life, why didn't she just change her name or her identity? Why couldn't she have taken us with her? We all wanted to leave...and she knew that.
I gaze at the ground at the little bugs, my arms wrapped around my body for momentary comfort. My eyes feel wet as my lashes clump together from the tears, my cheeks still red and puffy along with my eyes. I rubbed at them, but the irritation only grew more inflamed. I wiped at the dired streaks, trying to hide the evidence that I'd been crying, for I'm twenty feet away from the dining hall.
People left and right walk from the hall, their ruckus and loud fits of laughter audible for distances. Their clamour never failed to make my insides warm, happy at the fact that they were allowed to laugh and to have fun...and enjoy themselves for who they are as a person with others who are like them. That was such a luxury that was never allowed much in the city as one grew older, for it was viewed as a disruption and was what they believed to be corrupt. I always thought it was ridiculous, and apparently so did Raelynn.
I walk closer, familiar voices all speaking to one another in one large group, and I approach them still with my head firmly down.
"Madelynn! There you are! We were looking for you in there but we couldn't find you!" Logan says.
"Here, there wasn't much to be had but I saved you some granola," Mia steps forward and hands me the bar, and I take it slowly from her grasp.
"Thank you," I murmur, barely audible as my voice croaks and cracks.
"Hey, are you alright?" Mia asks, feeling her petite fingers resting on my back reassuringly, immediately sensing something is wrong.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I say, finally lifting my head to meet the concerned gazes of the others, thankfully though, they don't seem to notice my puffy eyes.
"You look really tired, Mads, did you sleep OK?" Sam points out, and I decide just to say yes, the energy needed to explain myself nowhere to be found.
"You should go get some rest, sis, I'll go tell Ezra that you need another day." Quinn offers
"Another day? For what?" I ask.
"To find a job or an area that needs more work, we've all already found a place, so I'm sure she'll let you off the hook once," he says, gesturing to the group, I suddenly feel awful. I was too busy chasing, wandering, and following everything else that I didn't take a simple minute to find work, one of the two conditions needed to be completed to stay here.
The others seem to sense my mood change, for Quinn steps closer and says, "Hey, it's okay, she'll give you today to find a job, trust me they're everywhere. Even the schools need help where Becca is right now, you've always been so good with little kids," his hopeful tone makes a small smile appear on my lips.
"Thanks," I say.
"Sure, now you go get some rest, I'll go work out an agreement with Ezra, I'll see you guys later," and with that, Quinn disappears back into the dining hall and sits with the woman who's been the face and embodiment of the Damaged.
Everyone else begins to walk away too, of course saying goodbye and "see you later".
I begin striding back to my quarters, the ever present feeling of being watched once again crowding over my senses. I escaped the city to escape this feeling, only for it to follow me here like a stalker.
I choose not to entertain his gaze, the man with the unknown name. I see him from the corner of my eye staring at me as he converses with Gage. I just keep walking, soon turning a corner and away from his nerve racking glare.
