Today is the day we put away Delilah. I should be nervous but for some reason I'm not. Milo had already left with Raphael and Jacob so I am just with my family for the time being.
"How have you been feeling?" My mom asks as I sit on the couch.
"I am feeling a lot better." I admit. I still had the cut on my stomach but that isn't going to change anytime soon. Everything else closed up and bruised over already.
"Well you need to stop the recklessness. I need the rest of my children to stay safe." my mother scolds all of us.
" We are all here," I stand up motioning our surroundings. "But we will never truly be safe with the government out there."
"Allonia Anderson, watch your tone. I cannot handle losing another child." she snaps back.
"Well I am getting Ancel back. Everyone will be happier anyway regardless as long as Ancel is home. I was never here to begin with." I lash out. I was fuming, I didn't come this far dealing with all of this bullshit just to be scolded by my mother and told not to go.
"Maybe we should all calm down." Andreus suggests. He turns to me seeing that my fists are clenched mostly out of anger.
"I need to go." I storm out. I hate to leave things that way but it's the god awful truth. I wasn't there really in the first place. I did whatever I could to get away from that town. Even if that meant leaving my family, no matter if we all hated it or not they all found ways to be happy without me being there what different would this make?
"What was that?" Alondra asks when she finally catches up to me.
"We have spent the last ten years being controlled. I am not about to deal with mom trying to as well. I know it's been difficult but we have come so far. I just want to get Ancel back, even though we can't have dad." I begin to feel the tears escape from my eyes. "I want you guys to be together, whether I am here or not. I want to know you guys are safe."
"We will get Ancel back, we will figure everything out. Just mom is scared for you right now." My sister holds me as she speaks. "But we need now more than ever to stick together."
~~~~~
1 year ago
"Allonia you need to stop leaving!" My mom yells at me, as she tries to take away my go bag.
"I have to. We wouldn't have half of the things we do without me going out into the woods." I look at my mother annoyed. Right now isn't the first nor will it be the last time she ever tries to keep me from going. None-the-less I am still going.
"Allonia there have been so many times where you have almost gotten caught. What if one ends in you never coming home?" my eyes soften when I look at her. She was right but this is a risk I am willing to take.
"Mom, I already feel like a dead woman walking. It's the same thing everyday. It feels like when we were all forced into our homes in the beginning I hate this. I can't live my life cooped up here. I would much rather risk it and have some form of life." My mom gave me a distasteful look when I finish. She looked angry almost.
"Allonia are you serious? At least you are alive! They could have taken you when you were a young child just like they did many others, and you are saying you would rather be dead? Do you not hear yourself?"
I could see nothing but anger in her cold features. I hate it here, I will never grow accustomed to this life like my mother and many others. I can't just suck it up, I can't just act like this is the new normal. I want life to be back to the good old days, even though I couldn't experience much.
"I am leaving and you are not stopping me." I tell her as I place my knife in my boot and take my bag from her hands. "Lenna is waiting for me. I will be back in two days. I will see if I can find some more blankets because winter is coming soon."
With that I leave to meet Lenna at the border. I hate leaving on bad terms. I guess my mom just wants me to be safe and happy but this life never gave me that. Every day is the same until I am in the forest. Something just keeps drawing me back. Maybe it's the feeling of being closer to a love I could have had, or just the fact that being in the forest removes me from reality. Whatever it is it's working.
~~~~~
We both stood there for a few moments before I actually settled down. "We need to get to figure out how to get Delilah by herself." I tell my sister as we began to walk back to the field from yesterday.
"She could just be there though because of the fact that she helps run bootcamp." She shrugs. This is a horrible plan but what's the worst that could happen? She already did her worst, and she knows she can't kill me.
"I already settled it. Delilah will be there tonight." Kenzo tells us before sitting down next to me. My body tensed for a moment but then soon relaxed. Kenzo agreed that he wouldn't push anything so it doesn't matter.
"How did you get her to?" I ask looking over at him and he puts his head down.
"She said she needed to talk to me and I said that tonight would be better." He tells me quickly. I could tell that it was something deeper than that but I decided against pushing his buttons.
"Well then it's settled. We can get Lenna in on it as soon as she gets here." Alondra tells us.
"So now we wait." I shrug.
Kenzo and Alondra talk for a while as I just sit there thinking. My nerves were beginning to rise as the time came closer to face Delilah. Damian and Lenna came over at some point. Damian wasn't his usual uptight self, I guess Lenna was a good thing for him.
"Hey are you alright?" Kenzo asks me as everyone else begins to get up.
"Yeah, I just spaced out." I tell him. It wasn't a complete lie but honestly it is what it is. Everyone has to do their part, and if I want to go through with finally getting Ancel back I need to deal with my demons. One of them being Delilah.
"Have you talked to Milo?" Kenzo asks me as everyone else continues their own conversations.
"About?" I look at him confused.
"About Delilah?"
"He knows what she did but that's it." I shrug it off. "Plus he would be pretty mad about confronting her, so it's best he doesn't know."
"Well it will be all over soon."
"Hopefully but knowing how Delilah is she is going to weasel out of it."
All too soon it comes time to deal with Delilah. Quite frankly, now I am terrified. I don't know what I am going to do. I guess if I don't think about it then whatever happens is natural? That's an odd way of thinking of it to be honest. Kenzo is going to be closer by, which oddly gives me a sense of comfort. If not Milo I am glad he is here watching my back.
"She is going to meet you right there." Kenzo whispers as he points over to the stage. There was a dim light shining over the stage.
"Why did she want you here though?" I ask finally. I knew he lied earlier and I need the answer now.
"She will be here soon. We don't have time for this."
"Kenzo." I mutter looking at him. A part of me already knew the answer I just needed to know if I was right.
"Allonia. I will explain later now, go." He pushes me off and I walk towards the stage. My nerves began to rise as I walked closer to the stage. Coming into the light I felt a weight on my chest.
"Of course." I hear Delilah's voice laugh. "I knew he couldn't betray dear old Allonia. What do you do to have those two wrapped around your fingers?" Delilah stepped closer to me. With every step my anger boiled my blood.
"Why did you do it?" I spat out walking closer to her, allowing my anger to rise.
"I had a job to do. The perk was I got to do as I wished with you before handing you over." Delilah shrugs. "It was a great deal, but when you somehow got away when you were beaten half to death, I had to come back. And low and behold you were here. With Milo crying over you. Milo was mine until you came into the picture." Delilah's voice was covered in hatred.
"So you wanted to take out the competition?" I ask her. She began circling me like a vulture.
"Sweetie you were just a toy. Something just out of Milo's reach, he is bound to get bored of you. And when he does, I will be there." She whispers in my ear.
"Jokes on you. He hates you because of what you did. He knows you did this." I allow my anger to radiate in my voice. Before I can react Delilah's hand connects with my cheek. I was shocked for a moment before turning and punching her in the gut. She coughs after my fist connected with her stomach.
She lunges at me making us both fall onto the floor.
"I should have killed you when I had the chance." Delilah growls.
I pinned her to the grown throwing a few punches.
"You probably should have because the only way you can beat me is if you have me tied up." I growl at her.
"Milo calm down!" I hear Raph yell. I turn my attention away from Delilah to the scene that is in front of me. Milo had his hands around Kenzo's throat against the stage. WHile my attention was pulled away Delilah knocked me off of her and ran.
"What is wrong with you?!" I snap at Milo as I push him off of Kenzo.
"Really? You're mad at me?" Milo growls out.
"Why are you attacking Kenzo? What did he do?"
"He put you in harm's way." Milo looked at me as if I was deranged.
"This was my sister's idea!" I yell at him. "We almost had her!" Angry tears stream my face.
"Allonia." His eyes soften.
"Don't Allonia me!" I scream. "Your temper is out of control Milo. You didn't even stop to think maybe I involved myself. I wouldn't have done this if I weren't somewhat okay with it." When I finished my little rant. I look around to see everyone in shock. I just storm off honestly, I can't handle all of them staring at me.
I make my way to the open field. I sat at one of the benches. I looked up at the clear sky allowing myself to go deep in thought. What Milo did was screwed up. I guess he just wanted an excuse to lash out on Kenzo. They never really liked one another, but I thought they were going to be mature about it. I guess Milo never got that memo.
I wish my dad was here. He would know what to do. I allow tears to slowly escape from my eyes. What have I gotten myself into. I should have just stayed home, but honestly it wasn't a home to begin with. We were torn away from our real home, maybe if we weren't maybe my family wouldn't be so torn apart. I hold onto myself placing my head on my knees. I look up to watch the sky. The moon was full tonight. I remember when I was younger my dad would sit outside with me looking at the moon and the stars. Back when the days weren't so dark and the streets weren't filled with so much death and despair. We will never go back to the days we had before. The sooner I realize that the sooner I will get over it and move on.
"Allonia?" Lenna asks as she sits next to me on the bench.
"Hey." I say as I wipe away the dried tears.
"I know you don't want to talk, so you don't have to." She begins. "But Milo got a good cuss out from your sister. He sees his error, he wanted to come and check on you. But he knew it wouldn't have been the best idea."
"Thank you." I told her as I leaned into her.
"We will get through this. We will get your brother back and we will let things go back to some form of normal." I think she was just telling me this to make me feel better but I don't think normal will ever come to us.