The Uprising (Book #3 in The Inception Trilogy)

chapter four

CHAPTER FOUR

EVELYN'S FEET ARE HEAVY as the group walks alongside the treeline searching for the road. She's not quite sure what to expect anymore, not that she knew to begin with. Her mind has started to race and race and race and she can't stop it. She feels guilty but she also feels scared. Scared because Michelle had been the only one who could create a serum to counteract the aggressive one the doctor injected Harry with.

Would he go completely crazy now?

Would he succumb and leave her abandoned?

She tries not to think that way. Harry managed without the injections before while fighting the demons in his mind. She's sure he's strong enough to manage again. He's strong enough to do everything she knows she'd never have the guts to conquer.

Amongst the many problems circulating the recent events, there's one that sticks out the most--Asher's soulless eyes.

When she blinks, that's all she sees. She sees the boy's manic smile as she drives the dagger into his flesh, his black eyes wide open. She sees Asher fall backwards with the same grin and with Killian's arrow piercing his forehead. She tries to keep her eyes open, but unfortunately it's not humanly possible to go without blinking. Her heart stumbles each brief moment her eyes shut.

Harry knows her too well. He keeps tossing her wary glances every time she inhales sharply. He waits until Micah leads the group farther away before he gently grabs her arm, forcing her to a stop.

"What's going on, Evelyn?" he asks quietly, his eyes boring into her with absolute concern.

She fumbles with her hands, unsure what to do with them so she stuffs them in her jacket pockets. "I... I didn't tell you everything. About when..." She trails off, her jaw clenching so tightly her teeth ache. "When the doctor captured me, he gave me two tests. The first was killing three of those experiments-gone-wrong psychos in a small room. The second..."

She lets out a deep breath, though, a lump clogs her throat. "I had to fight one of those... children. I had to-to--"

She doesn't continue.

She can't.

Harry pulls her in close, rubbing her back.

Neither of them speak for a few minutes. Eventually, she forces herself away from him so they don't get too far behind. He doesn't argue, but he takes her hand and holds it tight.

***

Harry is terrified. Of going crazy. Of losing control with no chance of regaining it.

Michelle had been his only hope.

And now she's gone.

Right when everything started to appear as if it would get better, of course the illusion crumbled. He should know by now to not think in such a way. He always jinx it when he begins to feel relieved, so he needs to stifle the emotion any time he may feel it. He doesn't know what he'd do if it were to someday be Robbie or Evelyn. The thought alone makes him nauseous.

He keep his eye on Robbie and his hand intertwined with Evelyn's.

He's not taking any risks.

Suddenly, he hears a shout up ahead. Of course he's the only one who heard it. Not even Micah perks up. He tugs Evelyn up to the front with him, detaching from her only to halt Micah.

"There's people up here," he says.

Micah frowns, his lips twitching in annoyance. Harry knows he's envious, but if only Micah knew how terrible it was to be this way. "How many?"