I Choose You

Twenty-Five

Gwendolyn

I was awoken to the sound of chit-chat and footsteps outside of our hut that we'd built terribly back in the day, but it was a roof over our heads. 

I sat up and yawned.  It was still dark outside.  Genesis and Coro woke up as well.  The talking was coming from a large group of people.  The most dominant was female.  There were voices of all ages and sizes.  The voices stopped when there was a knock on the door. 

Coro got out of his bed and went to open it.  I could recognize the face on the other side of the door anywhere. 

Diana Farley. 

She looked different from the photos in the papers.  Her hair was longer, and her stomach was more bloated.

Those rumors were true.  She was with child.  But she still fought for her cause. 

"Hello, we are sorry to disturb you at this late hour," Farley said.  I knew she went by Farley; I could honor her with that at least.

"You're the Scarlet Guard," I piped in, Farley, who was in the front of everyone, looked away from Coro and looked at me.

"Yes, that we are, we-"

"I am not joining you," I cut her off, cutting to the chase. 

Farley is taken aback.  Coro gives me a hard glance over his shoulder.  His light blue eyes making me shiver.  Genesis looks at me with her hazel eyes, she was my mother figure, taking me under her wing even though we are only 9 days apart in age. 

She rubbed my arm with her good hand, reminding me of my fatal mistake.  Of my power that is too powerful for me to handle. 

"Can we have a moment to speak, please?" Coro says calmly, Farley nods and shuts the door. 

Coro sits down on his bed; we are all in our circle that has been our conversations for years now.

"Well?" Genesis says the first thing of the night. 

"They are standing outside our door, they found us,"

I contain my breath from quickening.  Stay calm. 

They exchange dialogue but I can't hear it, all I can hear is my heart beating too fast for me to hear. 

My heart screamed no, telling me to not surrender to the Guard, I couldn't I've been alone for this long. 

Coro opens the door, says things I can't hear, but one thing I make out.

"We'll join you,"

My eyes widen.  If I go, I know I will hurt someone, or worse.  Genesis and Coro lift me up, making me walk towards my fear.  I can't surrender to the fear, I will run away. 

That's what I did, I busted through the crowd of people and ran in the moonlight.  People ran after me, screaming and yelling for me to come, but I kept running.  

I look back to see people catch up to me.  I stop dead, giving myself an idea.  I stomp a foot on the ground, making the ground ice, most slip and fall from running, but some skate towards me.  

I can run on the ice, so I do.  But I can hear Farley say something.

"Shade, grab her,"

I bolt even faster.  I keep running as does the sheet of ice below me.

I can hear running steps behind me, but I can't run any faster.

Strong hands are wrapped around me and I scream.