A-19

Chapter Nine

  "Hurry!"

  Onyx's voice blasts through my dream, and I sit up frantically. "Is everything okay?"

  Onyx is standing over my cot, her face looking afraid. I stand up beside her, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Mom is there too, hugging Onyx tightly.

  "We need to leave while he's passed out," Onyx whispers, pointing out the door to where a dark lump on the ground is sprawled.

  I gawk at the unconscious warden. "How-"

  "I know exactly the place to press to make him faint. I took karate, remember?"

  I'm in between being proud and scared off my sister.

  "Let's go," Onyx hisses, helping me up out of my cot.

 "Where are we going?" I ask, stumbling around the barracks. It's dark and everyone is still asleep- except us.

 Mom wraps her arm around my shoulders, and I can see the anguish on her face. "Your sister has decided that she's safer in the desert than here."

  I stop, heart pounding. She's leaving? "Onyx, this is a suicide mission."

  "I don't know what that word means," Onyx sniffs. "But I don't care. I'm going tonight, but don't worry, I'll stay close."

"How will you eat? How will you survive?" I try to reason, my head wracked with worry. I'm trying to think of an unselfish reason she should stay, but my mind is completely blank.  

 "You," Onyx answers. "You can bring me Gomlen every morning. I'll sneak back and take some."

  "But how-when-"

  "I don't know, okay? You can figure it out. Just be outside tomorrow morning with Gomlen, and make it someplace the supernaturals can't see."

  I feel ready to slump down against the wall. I'm losing one of my family members, it's Dad dying all over again. But I know Onyx will be alive at least. And I have Heath and Mom to get me through this.

  "Come on, stop stalling." Onyx grabs my wrist and drags me out the door, tiptoeing so her footsteps don't make much noise. I give a worried glance at the warden as Mom follows us out. Onyx pulls us around the back of the building, yet still out of sight from the men's warden.

  "Onyx, please," I plead to her desperately, collapsing to my knees at leaning against the wall. "I can't do this without you." I'm done with unselfish reasoning. All of my pride is already gone, anyway. I've resorted to straight up begging.

  Mom sits down next to me and hugs me tightly. "I've got you, Marina," she whispers comfortingly in my ear. "We'll make it through this, okay?"

  I nod, choking back the sobs threatening to burst out. 

  "You'll be okay without me. You'll be in much less trouble," Onyx says, crouching down to join both of us on the floor. "I'm the main cause of you getting punished."

  "Untrue," I whisper.

  She smiles. 

  "Onyx, I can't stand this. I won't know if you're okay, if you're alive or dead, if they've found you yet. I know we'll have morning check-ins, but all during the day and night..." I shudder, wishing this is all a nightmare.

  "Hey, Marina, I'm tougher than you think I am," she tells me, taking my hands. "I can handle the desert. What can it do that I can't?"

  I give a small smile as the tears begin to trickle down my face. She opens her arms and I squeeze her as tightly as I can, as if this is our last hug.

  I really hope it isn't.

 "Onyx," Mom says tearfully, kissing her head. "You've been everything to me. A daughter, a friend, a comedian, and you've opened my eyes in new ways. I love you more than all of the stars in every universe possible."

  Both Onyx and I begin to cry at the words. 

  "And I will never stop loving you, okay? Even when we aren't together. I'll miss you so much." She hugs Onyx, lifting her off her feet. Onyx hugs back, and I join the embrace by wrapping my arms around both of them. 

  After what seems like forever, Onyx finally pulls away. "I need to go. I'm sorry."

  "Onyx," I sob, wiping the tears from my face. "Will you be okay?"

  "You know it," Onyx answers.

  Me and Mom both give her last hugs, and she smiles to us as she turns and sprints off into  the desert alone. 

  "What's going to happen?" I sniffle as Mom hugs me. "They'll notice she's missing. The warden will tell them she attacked him."

  "Your sister is strong," Mom says. "Strong enough for all of us."

 My mind flashes to memories of Onyx before the supernaturals took us, flashbacks rolling in like thunder.

  Onyx squealing excitedly as she opens Christmas presents, ripping off the wrapping paper to see a toy unicorn.

   Onyx earning her yellow belt in karate, looking so proud.

  Onyx hugging our dog, Pumpkin, and whispering sweet nothings into his ear.

  Onyx crying as Mom and Dad come home from the vet empty handed, after having to put Pumpkin down. 

  Onyx playing with her friends.

 Onyx singing at her first grade recital.

 Onyx baking cupcakes for Mom on her birthday.

  Onyx cuddling up next to me, gripping my arm tightly, afraid of the lightning flashing outside. 

  Onyx swinging on her swing set and staring dreamily at the clouds, trying to find shapes.

  Onyx squeezing me around the waist as the roof flies of and the supernatural spacecraft descends.

  I can't handle it anymore. I let out a cry and throw myself into Mom's arms. I can feel her patting me on the back, hearing her whisper "It's going to be alright" in my ear. 

  But it's not alright.

  We both know it's not.