Remember

Chapter Twenty-Six

People came together in times of great strife. That's how it was supposed to be. People were supposed to be able to depend on the ones they were close to. Why was that so hard for the government to understand? They broke people apart. They separated and destroyed and lied. They were the purest form of evil. If demons were real, the government was it. Only those with the blackest of hearts could destroy an entire nation.

Madie had offered to let Colette, Jordy, and Kaden stay in her home with her. After all, it was quite the large house to be living alone in. They each got their own rooms and a new pair of clothes along with free access to the house's food supply. Jordy had gone off with Commander Lorhan to do some training and Kaden... well she didn't actually know where Kaden had gone.

Colette had seated herself at the old dining room table in the kitchen, managed to swipe a crushed looking protien bar, and was trying to force herself to eat the nasty thing despite her poor appetite. Colette was too worried about what she had said to Madie. She regretted snapping at her back in the office room. After seeing what she did and how she inspired those people Colette understood exactly how hard it was for Madie. She had just as many struggles as Colette did, maybe even more. Having to run a whole rebel group while trying to hide from the government was hard work. How could she blame her for not being there when Colette had needed her?

It took a moment but Colette finally found the will to get up out of the chair and walk to the office room where Madie had holed herself up. Colette took a deep breath and hesitated, bringing her hand up to knock lightly on the door.

"It's open." Madie's eyes focused on Colette for just a moment before she turned back to Kaden, her head resting gently on his shoulders. Her eyes were read and puffy, like she had been crying before Colette had walked in. Now she felt like an intruder, like she was walking in on an intimate and private moment. Seeing something she wasn't supposed to see.

"I-I can come back later. It's, uhm, It's not important." Colette turned away from the two entangled on the floor. A tinge of jealousy flooded through her body. Despite all her problems right now, seeing two people like that -- so intimate together -- hurt the worse. She had never been one for love, finding the notion constricting and binding. Though right now, in the midst of all the pain and lies, it'd be nice to know that she had someone she knew she could count on. Honestly. She almost thought that Kaden would be that for her.

He had been patient with her despite how stubborn she was. There was just something about him, something calming. It was like being around him made all her worries go away. Kaden just had that energy about it. Colette supposed that was why Madie had grown so close to him. They deserved each other, he was kind enough even though it was hard to tell through all his jokes and sarcasm.

Madie forced a chuckle and wiped the remaining tears from her red cheeks. "It's fine. We were just talking about--"

"Powers. We were talking about how our powers can benefit people instead of cause war." Kaden had cut her off with a cheeky smile that Colette couldn't help returning. His personality was contagious. And a bit of hope and brightness was what these people needed. What she needed. "I should get going, prepare for tonight." He kissed Madie lightly on the cheek before pulling away and exiting out of the room.

Madie's face had turned a light shade of pink and she looked down at the ground, avoiding Colette's intense gaze. Colette almost forgot what she had come in here for.

"So.." They both started and then burst into a fit of laughter, the awkwardness quickly disappearing. It was just like when they were in Paradisium, always knowing exactly what was on the other girl's mind and starting the same sentences at the same time.

"I just wanted to apologize for earlier." Colette took a seat on the floor next to Madie, their knees nearly touching. "You didn't deserve that. I was just angry. I'm so sick of the lies and I felt betrayed by you. I felt like you abandoned me. That wasn't fair. I can't even begin to imagine what you have to go through and fight out here. And after seeing you inspire your people like that I realized that even if you could have been there for me, you would be abandoning all those people..."

Madie took a deep breath and gave Colette a pitied look. It made Colette's insides turn. She was so sick of people looking at her like she was pathetic and lost. Like she didn't understand anything that was going on. Truth was, she didn't understand and having the rest of the world know only made her feel even weaker. It made her feel like a fish in a tank of sharks. Wasn't that what they all were? Just useless and unsatisfying food to the mighty government.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help you. I tried as hard as I could to get you to realize what was going on. The nightmares about the prairie and being able to meet with me even though I was never really there. It was all an attempt to help you realize." Madie looked like she was about to start crying again.

"You sent me those nightmares?" The thought made her want to throw up. Waking up sweating every morning with her sheets soaked and her heart racing -- Madie had been the cause of that. The cause of all her confusion. "Why would you do that? I thought I watched you die in the prairie. I thought I was going to die in that prairie. It wasn't real? None of it? It was just things you planted in my head? Why didn't you just tell me the truth?"

Colette got up and stormed to the other side of the room and Madie followed, putting a slender hand on her shoulder. "You wouldn't have believed me. I know it wasn't the greatest way to get you to realize and break the barrier but I had no other option. I didn't have the time to explain everything and make sure it made sense. The government was watching me. They won't stop looking for me until they get their little pet back! I was a pawn to them Colette. I'm not safe and now neither are you. They know we could destroy them and expose them. They saw into my head, they know all my plans. I'm lucky I've even survived this long but I found people that would stop at nothing to protect me, to protect each other. I found people who were willing to fight but just needed a reason."

"You're turning this all on you Madie!" They were shouting at each other. Fighting harder and louder than they ever had before and Colette knew when the fight was over they will have destroyed each other. They never fought, not like this. It's like she didn't even know who her friend was and she was trying so hard to understand but all she heard were excuses after excuses. "I don't even know who you are anymore... I miss my best friend."

"I'm still your best friend. That hasn't changed! Just because I'm being hunted down just like you doesn't change the fact that I will always have your back. I saved you out there today. My people want you and Kaden and Jordy dead for leading those Govies right towards us but i convinced them to back down because I know I can't do this by myself. I need my best friend by my side Colette. We can destroy the entire government together. We can be heroes, just like we dreamed of as kids."

There was a moment of silence that hung in the air. Colette could have sworn that the entire world just stopped in that moment. "There's so much I don't understand." Even her quiet words didn't seem to cut through the stillness in the air.

"I have answers if you'd give me the time to explain. I know how to expose the government. I've seen things about them, about you. I can explain everything if you just trust me and help me." Colette turned around and embraced her friend. The sobs seemed to explode from inside her and she couldn't do anything to stop them from coming.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Colette whispered in between sobs.

"We can get through this together. We have to."

A knock broke apart their embrace and Commander Lorhan appeared in the door frame. "It's time."