notion • john murphy

44 - PROBLEMS

"I can't let you leave! We need you." Sayah heard Raven say from behind them. They had to leave. Sayah had to get Luna out of here. Luna needed to leave. The boat was just there—they were so close.

   "I've heard that before." Luna replied and suddenly a gunshot rang out beside Luna and Sayah pulled the girl towards herself quickly.

   "Raven," Sayah scolded, turning to the brunette who held her handgun high, her face stern, determined.

   "You know she can't leave, Sayah." Raven argued, shaking her head.

   "Yes, I get that it will save us all but we can't make her stay." Sayah shook her head. "We have to find another way, if Luna doesn't want to do this, I'm not making her do it."

   "There is no other way!" Raven fired back before directing her words to Luna. "Your blood can save us—everyone."

   "Do you really think you deserve to be saved?" Luna asked, brows pulled together in a tight line as she stepped forward, away from Sayah—too far away. Sayah stepped closer to the girl. Careful, be careful.

   "I know how you feel, okay?" Raven spoke, still pointing up her gun. "I get it, but it won't always be like this. You just have to keep fighting."

   "What if the fight is all we are?" Luna questioned, shaking her head. "We kill, torture, betray. We pretend we're more than that just to make ourselves feel better, but it's a lie."

"What about the child—Adria?" Raven asked her. "Was she more than that?" Sayah took a small step forward, closer to Luna as her fingers brushed lightly against the girl's wrist.

"Adria is gone. They're all gone." Luna shook her head sadly.

"But she was good, wasn't she?" Raven asked her. "There are others like her out there. Don't you want to give them a chance?" Raven paused, eyes drifting to Sayah. "You understand you're killing Sayah as well?"

Sayah furrowed her brows in confusion. She couldn't seriously be guilt-tripping her into it? "What are yo—"

"Without her blood, none of us will survive. None of us, and you know it." Raven explained to Sayah before looking back over to Luna. "Don't you want at least Sayah to live?"

"I'm right here," Sayah let out a humourless laugh, looking over to Luna. "Luna, if you want to go, I'm not stopping you. We'll find another way."

Luna was silent for a moment and Raven slowly put the gun down. "You're not a prisoner, Luna. You have a choice."

Suddenly loud gunfire rang out. It was a drone. "Raven, we can't get to the beach." Miller's voice crackled out the radio. "Taking fire in the north woods. Jackson's hit. I'm low on ammo."

"What do you mean 'Jackson's hit'?" Abby's voice questioned out of the radio. "Is he okay?"

"I think so. He took one in the arm, we're pinned down." Miller replied.

"We're on our way." Abby responded.

"Luna's the priority!" Miller yelled. "Nothing's more important than her."