The car sped off. I could still see Cade walking in the opposite direction.
Alistair turned to me and his expression softened, "Elder Ryann is here to talk to you about what you, uh, saw. She brought me because she didn't want you to be scared. You're safe now Eve, Cade can't hurt you anymore."
Alistair's statement was confusing on so many levels. He didn't even try to explain what went on with him and Cade. I didn't want to have to demand answers, but if I kept being left in the dark I was going to. Especially about Cade hurt me. What did he mean by that? As far as I was concerned Cade seemed like a nice guy.
"Where is she?" I asked Alistair dealing with the problem on hand.
The car stopped and the passenger door opened. Then a woman that I had never seen before appeared sat to my left. I was now sandwiched between Alistair and Elder Ryann as the van started driving again.
Elder Ryann gave me a tight-lipped smile before saying, "I'd like to start by saying I'm not sure how you got outside the walls, especially during your test, but I need you to keep quiet about what happened. Secondly, I'm going to have to ask you to tell me what happened from the beginning."
What the heck was she talking about? She was one of the people that set up the stupid test. She above everybody else should know what is happening.
I could feel the sarcasm growing inside of me before I said, "I was completing the stupid test you set up. Which resulted in me ending up outside of the walls and getting my leg cut open so deep I almost died from blood loss. As far as I'm concerned you guys should be thanking that Cade guy for saving me, not dragging me away from him like he has some sort of plague. "
I may have exaggerated a little bit, but the facts were still there. It's not like she didn't watch my every move on some sort of surveillance tape anyway. This was probably just a trick to get me to say something that would incriminate me. It seemed like that's all the wanted now to find somebody to blame. That planted a weird thought in my head; how did Alistair know about this then?
Elder Ryann gave me a calculated look, "That's the thing, Miss. Harley, smashing that wall was not part of the test. There were not even any arrows pointing anywhere near it. As for where you got that weapon, that's beyond us too. We need a real explanation or else you could face some serious consequences."
I looked at Alistair for help, he must believe me. He looked just as confused as I was, but thankfully he caught on to my look. Even though I was rather skeptical of his presents I let him take the lead.
He gave me a reassuring smile before he said, "Surely Eve wouldn't do anything unless the test told her to. Are you sure that somebody didn't mess with the test before she started or that maybe it was changed at the last moment and nobody told you?"
Elder Ryann sighed, "All of this paranoia. Do you want to know what I think? I think Miss. Harley tried to escape. Possibly to her significant other on the opposite end of the wall. When I searched her file for as possible reason it seemed they knew each other when they were younger, perhaps that relationship coupled into something more than a friendship?"
My eyes widened so much I was concerned my eyes would pop out of my head. But before I could shut down that accusation Alistair spoke up.
"There is no way Eve would be trying to sneak out to meet with Cade! That's ridiculous!"
I scrunch my eyebrows together, I didn't even know Cade when I was younger. Where was all of this coming from? My eyebrows scrunched even further when I heard a small voice.
"Do you hear that," I questioned suddenly.
Both Alistair and Elder Ryann looked at me beyond confused. I didn't understand why it was a simple question.
I heard the voice again. It was becoming clearer and louder.
"Guys, stop messing around you have to be able to hear that? Can you make out what it is saying?"
Alistair looked to Elder Ryann, "What isn't slurred speech a sign of a stroke?" he asked concerned.
Elder Ryann's eyes widened, "Yeah, but she isn't drooping. Uh, damn it!"
I looked around so confused. What were they talking about I was fine? I knew what I was saying. It sounded fine to me.
Alistair leaned into Elder Ryann and whispered something. I was able to catch the words "...happened before..."
Elder Ryann cursed under her breath, "Pull over!"
The driver agreed to her command and the tires of the car screeched right outside the walls. Elder Ryann hopped out of the car yelling.
"What's going on?" I ask Alistair.
"It's going to be okay, Eve. We're just concerned for you. I don't know if you can tell, but what you are saying makes no sense. Like what you just said, whatever it was sounded like this; no what's go? I'm not sure what you mean by that, so we are just worried you hit your head," he sighed pulling at his hair, "um, can you- ugh no. I don't know how I can ask you."
Everything he was saying was confusing. I always spoke normally. I just continued staring at him with wide eyes. We established talking wasn't gonna help. But what was? I assumed Elder Ryann had gone to get a doctor, but how was that gonna help?
Alistair suddenly gasped, "I got it! Nod if you hit your head when you fell out of the wall."
I furrowed my brow. Had I? I think I did when I fell. I nodded my head vigorously, but then I shrugged. I just wasn't sure.
Alistair nodded back and muttered something to himself. He didn't look happy about what he decided.
Soon, Elder Ryann came back to the car with a male doctor in tow. She looked to be filling him in on what happened when she opened the door.
"Elder Ryann I tried asking her what happened, but she can't answer well. I think," Alistair took a deep breath, "I think we need to ask Cade. We need to bring him here."
Elder Ryann looked like she wanted to immediately say no to the idea.
That's when I heard the voice again.
"You could kill them all. Turn on the car and hit them. They're not telling you the truth."
How could the voice say that? Who was saying that? But the voice wasn't wrong. I knew they weren't telling me about a lot of things. But I couldn't kill them!
"No," I said firmly to the voice.
"Yes," It said, "They're watching you. They are going to do something bad. You must kill them first."
"No, that's wrong!" I shouted thrashing inside of the car.
I made contact with a few things, but I could feel anything anymore. I just heard the voice. It was getting softer and I was getting tired. This time it said something different though.
Evelyn, I don't know if you can hear me, but what's happening to you, it's not real. I don't know what you're seeing but none of it's real. Please come back to me. I need you shortie. I can live without you Eve.
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Everything was a blur after what the voice said. It didn't speak anymore though. I was asked many questions by countless people. Well, that was until Cade showed up.
He was surrounded by guards and looked super irritated. He eventually spotted me on the hospital being poked and prodded. He quickly turned to Alistair and whispered angrily. Alistair looked like he wanted to punch Cade and the looked was returned to Alistair by Cade. Elder Ryann soon accompanied the boys and said something that caused Alistair to stomp off and Cade to look smug.
He marched over to my bed and plopped down in the seat next to me. He sighed but nonetheless gave me a beaming smile.
"Couldn't stay away from all this could you shortie?" Cade said smirking.
I rolled my eyes at his antics, "Hardly. But it does seem like they think I'm crazy. So I guess they went along the lines of crazy can understand crazy."
"I guess the meds helped," he muttered.
I narrowed my eyes at him, "What do you mean by that?"
He looked surprised by answered anyway, "Well, they said you weren't forming coherent sentences, but now you are. So the medicine they gave you must have helped. I had to tell them what happened and then they seemed to know what to do. I guess your boyfriend Alistair wasn't much of a help."
"Woah," I said shocked, "Me and Al are not together! I don't know where you got that Idea, or why I'm even explaining myself to you."
I dragged my hands down my face and sighed. This was all way too much. I just wanted to curl up and sleep forever. What was wrong with me? Why was all of this happening to me? What did I do? Why did I ruin everything? I let out a sob and more followed. Why was I such a hopeless failure? Why couldn't I do anything right? My parents were right. I am a sorry excuse for a daughter. Hell, I'm a sorry excuse for a person. I could end it now. The pills over there could do it. I sobbed louder. I couldn't do that. I couldn't give up. I let the tears flow and just cried. I felt a hand rub up and down my back.
"It's all going to be alright, shortie. I know this is a lot."
"You don't understand!" I yelled at Cade, "I'm a failure! I can't do anything right! I'm not worth anything. You should just kill me now and make everybody happy!"
"That's not true, Eve," he said ripping me from the bed and placing me on his lap.
He held me as I cried and sobbed. I felt safe for the first time in a long time. But that was short-lived as I heard shouting and I ripped away from Cade.
"What are you doing? Why are you touching her!" I heard Alistair's voice shout.
Cade laughed out loud, "I'm comforting her because your shitty ass can't."
Alistair handed me to a guard held me back tightly.
"Really? I'm not the one that got banished, Cade!"
Cade clenched his jaw and balled his fists. He took a deep breath and glared at Alistair. He now looked deadly calm.
"We both know what happened there. But what I can't seem to comprehend is how you can't seem to get a single girl to like you. I mean I have known Even for less than a day and she is already diving into my arms. You've known her for close to a week and she doesn't even think about you. How's the friend zone going for you buddy? If I remember correctly it didn't work out so well the last time, did it? Oh! I bet I know what it is! It's the dishonesty isn't it or wait maybe it's because-"
Cade was cut off when Alistair charged him and set a right hook to his jaw. Cade stumbled back and rubbed his jaw, not looking as calm now.
"That was a pretty good shot pretty boy," Cade chided, "It's too bad you forgot one thing."
Alistair looked at Cade smugly, "What did I forget?"
Cade stood up straight right in front of Al, "That I can hit much harder."
Cade sent a fist right into Alistair's nose and Alistair fell like a ton of bricks. Before he could land another punch the guards were on him pulling him away.
He laughed while saying, "Tell her if you have nothing to hide Al!"
Soon, Cade was gone and Alistair was standing with a bloody nose. He looked in a nearby mirror and cursed under his breath.
I sat there not knowing what to say. What could I say? I mean I'm crazy, I just cried and confessed my problems to a murderer I just met, and then said murderer just punched my friend in the face. All I needed now was a clown tap-dancing in front of me and my life would be a complete nightmare.
"What the hell is happening?" I said out loud
Alistair turned to me after wiping the blood off his nose and said, "I have no idea. All I know is that we have a lot to talk about."
I nodded solemnly, "We sure do."
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This chapter is about as crazy and messy as my life but here it it is!