The Stolen

Chapter 9

  "Okay, let's go." Emma smiles.

  She walks towards the stairs, but I hesitate. "You coming?" she asks with a smirk.

  I sigh. "Yes." I walk right behind her. Why am I so afraid of what might be down there? I shouldn't be scared, I work for the Army. I am brave, I am strong. Or at least I'm supposed to be brave and strong. Then why am I so scared?

  Emma walks down the stairs. I think about turning around and running away from the stairs, then go to the Bows and Arrows Room like nothing happened. That would be plain mean, the voice in my head tells me. Emma would hate you forever. 

  Why do I even care about what Emma thinks? I didn't even know her name before today. 

  The responsible part of me takes charge of my body and makes me walk down the stairs.

  Whatever, I think, If I get caught, it's fine. It's not like I'm going to die.

  Right?

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  I see Emma turning around, her eyes open wide, motioning for me to not make any sound as the voices of men and women become clearer. 

  After walking down these endless stairs for what seemed hours, I feel tired. At least three times, I've tried to talk Emma out of this and go back up. This hasn't worked so far.

  "Yes, it has to be done." Someone says. I shiver. It reminds me of the woman  who, seven years ago, sentenced the fate of the ship and the people in it, sending us away from the Earth.

  "But... Really?" Another person says. "What if it doesn't work? We would have lost like, four fifths of our people for nothing!"

  "It will work." A high-pitched voice says. "It has to."

  "Andwhat if it doesn't?" The second person says.

  "I said it will work!" The high-pitched voice shouts.

  Everyone else shuts up. Clearly, the owner of the high-pitched voice is the one running everything. I mean, the rest of the people seem to be afraid of her. By her voice, she doesn't seem very frightening. But if the rest of them are scared, she must be.

  "Remember that, if the word gets out," a woman's voice says. "All of you will be left behind."

  I open my eyes widely as I recognize the voice.

  Lucy. 

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  "Did you hear that?" Emma says as we walk through the halls. "They are planning something, something serious."

  "It's not our business." I say.

  "Oh, I see." Emma smiles. "Chrix, the fearless Knife Thrower, the master of clovers and knives, is afraid."

  I never imagined Emma making fun of me, but well, I don't know her much. Also, I didn't know everyone knew about my tattoo. 

  "Shut up, I'm not in the mood." I say.

  "But, whatever they're planning, they are going to do it without four fifths of the people here!" Emma says. "And I bet my favorite knife we're not a part of the one fifth of the people participating."

  She's probably right about that, my inside voice says. You're not as important as you think you are.

  I tell my inside voice to shut the hell up and go back to Emma.

  "We don't even know what they're planning! You can't be sure you want to be a part of it."

  "Yeah, but you say you recognized Lucy's voice. And if Lucy was there, Madison is going to be a part of it too." Emma points out. "Lucy would never do anything without Madison."

  She's right about that too.

  "And, if Madison is going to be a part of it, it must be something good." Emma finishes, and smiles triumphantly.

  Why can't she stop being right? "Okay, you're right." I say.

  "So, we have to find a way to be a part of this thing." Emma says.

  "You're wrong about that." I say. "Because, if Madison is going to be a part of it, that means she is going to tell me, she wants it or not. She won't resist the chance to brag at me."

  Emma throws her hands up. "Fine then. You have two days to find out. If you don't, we'll do it my way."

  "Two days?!" I complain.

  "We don't know when they're planning to do whatever they're planning to do." Emma says.

  "Okay." I say. "I will get it out of Madison in two days. I'm sure."

  "Okay!" She smiles. "See you later!"

  We're at the door of my compartment already? Time has flown by. I open the door and let myself fall on the bed. 

  Suddenly, I hear the toilet flush and I open my eyes widely, realizing what's going on. I jump out of the bed. 

  The bathroom door opens. "What are you going to get out of me in two days?"

  A/N: Oooooooh Chrix is in trouble!

  I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I am so thankful to you for reading this and I love you so much! I don't know how I can repay you! Well, if you want me to read your story, just tell me in a comment! I'll be more than glad to do it!

  This chapter is dedicated to @bemmierose for being my latest reader! Thank you!

  Serenity.

  Note: I changed the cast. Bonnie Wright is playing Chrix now.