Level Up

Chapter sixteen

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Chapter sixteen

Collette's POV

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Juliana is late and a part of me is wondering whether or not she's in trouble.

I look out into the hallway apprehensively and see her breathlessly jogging toward me.

"I'm so sorry," she pants and slides over to the sink to splash water on her face. The redness slowly decays but I can still see the uncomfortable heat radiating from her.

She sighs and leans back against the sink. "So, what would you like to know?"

"Everything," I tell her even though I haven't prepared myself for the truth, Juliana chuckles at me and shakes her head.

"It's not that simple. My speech is limited. There's only so much I can explain right now until the burden for you is too great."

"It won't be," my face forms a frown and my eyes narrow when I try to peel away the information she's holding back from me. I'm so close I can almost taste it. She can't take that away from me for the innumerable time.

"I'll start at the beginning then?" I give her a reassuring nod and the atmosphere already turns cold.

"The first day I met you was when my class, on the Third, took a field trip to the Second. The Extractor  took us to see what he calls the best war machine yet."

"Me," I gather.

"When we walked in you were choking the life out of a boy. He was a little kid, I think that's what scared me the most, that he couldn't have done anything to be worth killing. Most kids just squealed and ran back to the helicarrier we came up from while others rose to the occasion and watched with sparkling eyes. Me on the other hand, I stared at the Extractor. He was watching you as intently as I'm sure anyone would stare at the sun if it didn't burn our eyes out."

"You were everything to him, Collette."

I sigh shakily and rest back against one of the stall doors. "I think it was a test to see who was worthy of being on level one, of being one of his minions, of yours."

"Listen," she wraps her arms around the top of my shoulders and hugs me close. It shocks me out of my wits and she's out of my grasp as quickly as she appeared.

"I've been gone too long. They'll get suspicious if I don't get back now. Meet me back here at the same time tomorrow." Before I can stop her she flings the door open and flees into the darkness.

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I'm beginning to go insane--mentally, physically, emotionally--and all Elliot can do is stand there and see me as his prized possession, a trophy on the wall to take down only when being showed off to his neighbors.

He's so clouded by his own success that he can't see me drifting away.

Will anyone truly miss me when I'm only a memory?

"Where were you headed, Collette?" Luckily I wasn't completely facing Charter' building and so Elliot wouldn't expect anything, He stands between me and my dire destination.

"Just out for a walk. I can't sleep," I pull my jacket tighter around my waist because the cold seeps from Elliot's heart into mine and the crisp air around me swallows the rest of my body.

"Perfect. There lots to do an the sooner the better." I follow him inside, my heart thumping wildly. The building is mostly abandoned and all the doors are locked.