90 DEADLY DAYS (WEEKLY UPDATES RETURNING THIS DECEMBER)

Prologue

Here's a secret. 

They lied to you. They have always deceived you, dear.

And if you ever stumble upon the damning truth, they will raze to the ground everything you ever loved, till the stinking ashes spread in the four winds.

So run Princess, and never pause for breath.

Run before they kill you.

~~~~

"They're gone," Jewel whispers. 

Tears crowd my eyes but I blink rapidly, forcing them back inside where no one can see. I can't mourn yet. I need an answer, a reason. The worst thing would be to fall to pieces right now. It wouldn't solve a thing.

"Do you even care?" Jewel whirls on me, her voice choked by emotion.

"What use is caring?" 

Jewel's blue eyes widen and she shivers. When she looks at me it's as if I morph into some alien, green body right before her eyes. 

I bite my lip, sealing away all of the roaring bitterness inside. All the things I want to say would turn Jewel's blood cold. She eats what they feed us and doesn't reach beyond. When forced to face everything, she purposely blots out the truth. So do I, but at some point I dig my hands in deeper. I have to know. But Jewel just does.

Just follows the rules.

My true feelings fight to break free, especially since we're on the subject of Graduation Day. The day when all those who've turned twenty-two this year are given a ceremony celebrating their years of education in Helion. After which, they transfer to another location in this great, ugly world.

But what new place is that?

Why can't they stay in Helion forever?

Before this year, I admit I let the giddiness of the holiday seep into my blood. I wrapped up foolish gifts and giggled with delight when gold and red fireworks blasted in night skies. But that was before Kerry turned twenty-two.

My everything.

He was there the time I laughed so hard, Kool Aid squirted out my nose. He coaxed me out of the bushes behind the banquet hall after I embarrassed myself in front of my middle school crush. I only remember a few moments in my life in which his face doesn't appear, and those are the most bleak.

I refuse to imagine how my life will be without him.

I ache when I try.

The Protectorates literally dragged him from us, refusing to let our goodbyes last longer than ten minutes. 

Adonis cried the whole time. I wanted to, but I couldn't unravel like him. I couldn't let the pain show. I caged my feelings for so long, when the time came I could do nothing but remain mute. My fingers fidgeted, my legs trembled and knocked together under the table. My throat swelled, full of words that wouldn't come out. I love you. Goodbye. Will we see each other again?

Kerry ended up whispering about how he'd come back, attempting to fill our last moments together with some sort of happiness. That soothed Adonis but I searched Kerry's grey eyes and knew his heart was shattering too.

"Kerry is never coming back, is he?" I whisper to myself. Jewel approaches, hands tentatively touching my shoulders. 

"They go to a better place, Phoenix."