Falling

Chapter 16

Just like that he was off. I sat back down on my bed and stared at the floor. Tonight? I was too injured to fight or do anything. How the hell was I supposed to fight off anything when I couldn't fight for the life of me?

"April, I think you should know something. It's fight or die. You don't get a chance to choose to spare the person you fight. If they throw me into the ring, I'll gladly kill myself, so you don't have to." Rick said sitting down next to me.

"I have a question." I mumbled as worry overtook me.

What if Luke didn't escape with the others? What if they were my enemies? I couldn't kill them. I just couldn't! I felt like there was a deep connection running through those of us who weren't brutally murdered. Like we had grown into a remarkably close family over that short time. I couldn't kill them even if I had to or wanted to.

"What's the question?" He asked me.

"D-Did the others get out alive?" I asked.

"Did who?" He asked.

"My friends, goddamn it!" I screamed standing up to avoid the pain in my side.

"April, I can't answer that. I had no idea they were here." He said as he ran his fingers through his black hair.

Growling, I paced around the room. I hadn't realized Rick was grabbing me clothes until his hand was on my shoulder and he forced me to look at him. I glared down at the clothes he held out. It was a black tank top with a black vest and a pair of black pants. There was a black sport's bracelet there too and a belt that had a loop as if a sword sheath belonged there. A pair of black combat boots sat near the bedframe, and I couldn't help wonder how they got there.

"Wear this. It will make it easier for you to move around. We'll start your training after you're done." Rick said before handing me the clothes and leaving the room.

I waited for his footsteps to recede, but instead I heard the familiar click of a lock locking into place. Sighing, I sat down against the door and placed my head on my knees. The clothes I had placed on the bed and I could feel tears swelling up and threatening to spill over as if my eyes were dam and my tears were nothing more than the water waiting impatiently to overflow and wipe out everything in its path.

I closed my eyes and bit my lip to stop myself from sobbing. There was no way out of this. I was going to die or end up having to murder another person. I didn't mean to ever kill that one vampire, but now I was being told to do that same thing again. I simply could not bring myself to do so. I could not kill another person whether they were vampire or not. It would change me even more so than the first one. I could not and would not kill again, even if it was just to save my own hide.

"April, are you done getting changed?" Rick called out to me from the other side of the door.

"Leave me alone!" I screamed.

My voice shook with absolute sadness, and I could hear the pain in my voice. I sounded like I was crying, but who could blame me? I was being forced to kill someone otherwise I'd die and for the sake of what? My life? My freedom? My friends? All I wanted to do in life was graduate from high school and go to college. Probably get married, move to the suburbs, have kids, and grow old feeling accomplished, but no. I was stuck here, and I was going to be forced to kill someone else.

"Why...Why are you forcing me to do this, Rick?" I asked my voice still shaking.

"I'm not...The council of Old are." Rick said as I heard him sit down on the other side of the door.

"T-The council of Old?" I asked as I stared over my shoulder at the door.

"There is so much you don't know and so little time...I guess I'll have to include everything revolving around the supernatural world for you in that book I'm getting on your birthday." Rick said.