Take the pill, you survive.
Don't take the pill, you're sent away where no one will ever know you're missing.
Barker intends to find out what secrets the government is keeping from the citizens of Erstonia, which means putting his whole life on th...
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Barker put his seldom belongings into his bag, zipping it up with a sigh. The previous months of his life were nothing but tragic, and he was finally moving on to something new. A place without the pills, and hopefully without pain.
"Are you ready?" Fawn's voice broke him out of thought. He turned around, nodding at her.
"As ready as I'll ever be. Are you?"
She shrugged, adjusting her bag over her shoulder. "Not really. I'm so used to it here, I'm not sure what to expect."
"I'm sure it'll be okay," Barker reassured. In truth, he didn't know himself. It was dark now, but he didn't know what Ian's plan was.
"Let's hope Ian knows what he's doing," Fawn muttered. As if on cue, Ian called everyone to come downstairs. "Speak of the devil."
Barker chuckled, grabbing his bag and also swinging it over his shoulder. He followed Fawn down the creaking staircases. "Hopefully this new place is cleaner than this."
"Definitely. If they see what the world looks like without it, they'll be clean," she laughed. They stepped into Ian's office, where Vicky, the twins, and Matt were at. Barker looked at all of them, seeing how worried they were.
"What if this is a set up?" Matt paced around Ian's office, a hand on his chin. "They promise us greatness, and then shoot us the minute we get there."
"I have my weapons from when I was undercover. We're not going in unarmed," Ian reassured. Vicky scoffed, and the twins gave him a skeptical look. "Listen, if none of you want to come, I'll go in by myself!"
Barker and the rest of the group was surprised at Ian's outburst, but he ignored it. "I'm coming with you."
"As am I," Fawn announced.
"Us too," Jayden said, motioning to him and Jayda.
Matt and Vicky looked at them all, Vicky sighing. "I'll go."
Matt scoffed. "Seriously? If we die, just know I'm going to say 'I told you so.'"
Barker gave him a look.
"Alright," Ian announces. "Everyone has their things?" They all nodded. "We move. Stay close to me, we're going through the woods, I marked the location on a map."
Barker looked down at Fawn, who had worry etched into her face. "Are you okay?"
Fawn followed Ian out the door, staying silent for a moment. Barker swallowed his embarrassment of not being answered, and also followed Ian through the woods.
"I'm alright," Fawn whispered. A cold breeze whirled around them, and Barker shivered. Matt and Vicky were towards the front by Ian, Fawn and Barker a little further behind them, with Jayda and Jayden in the back. They were the strongest next to Fawn and Ian, with Barker following close behind, Matt and Vicky the weakest. They walked in silence, the occasional dead leaf crunching beneath them. Ian scanned the sky for any activity, also keeping a close eye around him for any movement. Barker didn't feel safe. He felt exposed, open, and like anything could happen to them at any given moment. Ian most likely knew these woods like the back of his hand, but Barker knew they wouldn't be ready for any type of ambush.
"How long of a walk do you think this will take?" Vicky asked, her voice hushed.
"A day or two," Ian answered. Vicky didn't ask any other questions, and kept walking in silence. Barker studied the woods, seeing the dead trees with their flakey bark, and the brown leaves whittle away at every step. It was a sad sight, he almost forgot what the woods looked like when on the pill.
The pill. He hadn't been on it for almost a month now, not since Cynthia killed Sara. Oh God. His baby sister was dead. His chest started to tighten, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. Fawn noticed, and looked up at him. Barker's face was like stone, and he showed no emotion. However, it felt like a hurricane of sadness tearing his insides apart, and each step he took he wanted to crumble.
He broke out of his trance, looking at Fawn. "What?"
"I asked if you were okay."
"I'm fine," he mumbled. Ian stopped walking, and turned to the group.
"Alright. We're going to stop here tonight. We're away from any patrol points, and we should be safe. I'll take the first watch. In two hours, Matt, I'm waking you up," Ian instructed. Matt nodded, and sat on the forest floor with everyone else. Barker felt his stomach growl, but laid on his back and looked at the stars to ignore it. He could point out the Big Dipper, and noticed a few planets. Fawn laid next to him, sighing.
"I always loved to look at the stars," she smiled. Barker turned his head to look at her, smiling as well.
"I used to look at them with my baby sister," Barker mumbled. "Until-"
"Stop," Fawn whispered. "It's done. Cynthia is dead. Stop worrying about it."
Fawn gently grabbed Barker's free hand, rubbing her thumb against it. She didn't look at him, but could feel his stare on her. He swallowed, closing his eyes. He had no idea what this whole trip would bring, but he was filled with anxieties.
