ATTLYWYLLB (With more Eric)

Part 23

When I woke up I was alone in the cot and Kellen was sitting next to me.

"Let's go for a walk?" He asked.

I nodded as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I didn't bother with my hair as I pulled on a hoodie and some black pants. Kellen waited until I tied my boots before he started towards the door. I followed him as he began to talk to me.

"How much do you know about your parents' death?" He asked.

"Everything that Matthew could pull up and remember why?"

"Why didn't you tell me you had found out?" He asked quietly.

"Because it didn't seem like a good time. You've been off on your own almost every day, I've been dragged into the whole research thing with Tris and Four."

"Have you seen the room with our names?"

"Yea, it was a little weird to see your name next to mom's. You've always been more like a brother to me than an uncle." I smiled slightly at him.

"How do you feel? About everything? Do you have any questions?"

"I feel better knowing what really happened. I think I always kind of knew that you were hiding things from me but I never asked because I knew that it was to keep me safe. You wanted me to be normal, not have the weight of revenge on me."

"You know that everything I did was because I love you right? I never wanted to hurt you with such terrible knowledge."

"Of course I know. I love you too."

We had stopped walking when we had ended up in front of the sculpture. Uriah saw us and began to wave. I waved back and moved to stand next to him. Kellen followed after me. I saw Uriah wave at someone over my shoulder one moment and the next I was flying through the air with Kellen's arms wrapped around my body.

Shards of glass and metal sprayed from the center of the explosion, with Uriah, Kellen, and I among them A deep rumble moved through me like a shudder. My mouth was open; I was screaming, but I couldn't hear myself over the ringing in my ears. I could hear the faint sound of someone else screaming too but nothing was more powerful than the ringing in my ears. Kellen's arms loosened and I tried to get a good look around me, everyone was crouched, their arms curled around their heads. But Tris was on her feet, watching the hole in the compound wall behind me. No one came through it.

Seconds later, everyone around us started running away from the blast, and Tris hurled herself against them, shoulder first, toward me. I struggled to free myself enough to make it to my feet, wiping blood from my eyes with my sleeve.

"Signal the alarms!" one of the guards at the security checkpoint screamed.

"I did!" another guard shouted. "They aren't working!"

Tris struggled against the movement of the crowd with Matthew not far behind her. I struggled to crawl towards them as they found a clear path. I paused as Tris started to turn away from me.

"Tris!" I shouted and she paused, as if seeing me for the first time.

She rushed to me.

"Weapons Lab, now! Come on!" She said as she pulled me to my feet from the ruble around me.

I paused for a moment. I turned to Kellen, I watched carefully as his chest rose and fell but he made no sign of waking up.

"He'll be fine. The medical staff will get him." Matthew assured me.

Matthew took the lead, plunging into the crowd like it was a pool of water. I tried to focus on the back of his head, to keep track of him, but the oncoming faces distracted me, the mouths and eyes rigid with terror.