The Unthinkable
Sacrificial

Freddie started jumping down branch to branch until she reached the bottom. The group huddles around her smiling evilly as they start to surround her.

'What a brave girl you are. Freddie right? Allow me to do the honors' Christen says taking a closer step forward.

'Freddie what the hell are you doing!' I shout down at her.

Group A look up at me along with Freddie who is in pure hurt and rage. I just thought to myself it's because of Group A but my gut had a different feeling...

'Saving your ass!'

As Christen gets distracted Freddie snatches her dagger stabbing her in the stomach. She pushes in inside letting it go and allowing Christen to drop lifeless to the floor.

'There's your sacrifice'

Christen lay on the ground in a bloody puddle. I stare at Freddie in shock. She just killed Christen right in front of their eyes. In front of our eyes. And for what? A sacrifice?

Nobody has time to react as a warning alarm just like the one at my evaluation sets off and I almost scream remembering that cold metal room. We all look around confused and I can hear marching footsteps surrounding us. Black soldiers march in walking straight to Christen almost as if they are programmed robots. So uncaring and unemotional at the lifeless body that they are dragging away from us.

I am in so much shock that I don't even notice Josh pulling my arm. I look over at him flickering my eyes and realize he's climbing down with Anna. Group A hardly react to Christen's death. Maybe they are just as shocked as me?

As soon as my feet touch the floor I am dragged away with two strong hands pushing my back forwards. I look over to the right seeing Josh next to me limping slightly from his wounded side and Anna who is looking to the floor her face white, tearstained and shocked. Freddie is on my left and her face is practically on fire. She looks furious and doesn't even spare me a look to tell me why. Something is definitely wrong.

'Why isn't he back yet!? I knew it... I knew it. This is all my fault. THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!'

I am sitting on the floor holding Anna down from pouncing at the front door. It must be noon now and Xander still hasn't returned from the evaluation and hopes didn't look high. Josh is treating his wound whilst Freddie continues to ignore me and Charly well... he is nowhere to be seen. I am starting to truly believe what Tanya had said. He betrayed my trust and that is something I would never forgive him for.

Anna starts sobbing in my shirt and I hold her close as she mournes for her brother who we all expect to be dead right now. I close my eyes praying for him. He never deserved that death room nor did Anna deserve to lose him. It hurts her just as much as it hurts him and I make promise there and then that I would support her through this. She has lost someone she loves...more than once.

The door opens slowly revealing a group of guards escorting someone inside. Anna breaks from my grasp rushing over but finding the one person we didn't want to see.

'Charly'

I spat his name out like poison on the tip of my tongue. There he stood unharmed or touched whilst the rest of us were emotionally and physically destroyed. Anna glares at him rushing off in tears heading to the bedrooms leaving me to stare at him.

'Lilie are you alright?'

Am I alright? What did this a-hole think? Without even thinking I follow my anger storming up to him and punching him hard in the face. My fist collides with his left cheek and blood splatters out of his nose as his face is snapped over to the side. He grabs his cheek looking back at me.

'You backstabber! Saying you understand me when you really are really here to watch us struggle and die! I hope you make your mummy proud, a-hole!'

I storm off after Anna but bump into the one person I wanted to talk to. Freddie.

'Nice punch, he deserved it'

She goes to walk around me but I grab her forearm turning her back to me.

'Freddie, why are you mad at me?'

She looks around for an escape and I'm confused. I thought she would want to tell me so we can be friends again. We are on the same team to being friends over enemies is the most logical option.

'Freddie talk to m-'

'Fine! It's Josh okay.'

'Josh? What does this have to do with Josh?'

'You work it out'

She storms off and this time I can't catch her. She's mad at me because of Josh?

Speaking of the devil he walks in sitting down on the cushioned chairs.

'Hey Lilie'

I sit down next to him smiling.

'Hey Josh'

I look over to the door where Freddie just left from and feel a sharp burn in my heart. Yes, I am familiar with this feeling but why am I feeling it?

'What's wrong?'

I continue to stare lost in my thoughts. Why was she mad?

Okay so from the start.

When did we first see her this way?

When we found Josh in the forest

When in particular?

When we ran up to him to see if he was okay then we k-

Oh.

My.

God.

No way. That can't be why she's mad. But-But it all makes sense. Freddie was mad at me because I kissed Josh. She likes Josh and she's mad that I kissed him. To back that up she was shy about admitting her feelings. That's why I felt that burn in my heart. I feel guilty.

'Lilie?'

Josh grabs my chin turning my face in his direction. I looked into his eyes. I tried to look for an attraction and then I realized that I felt nothing. A tear raced down my cheek. A tear not for losing Josh but for using him. I was blind of it all and now I realize Freddie is meant for him...not me. I hurt two friends in the process.

'Don't cry'

Josh leans in to kiss me and I stand up walking away.

'Woah. Woah. Woah'

He spins me around looking at me hurt and I shed more tears.

'I'm sorry Josh I can't do this anymore'

I rush off into the bedrooms wiping away my tears. Anna lay on her bed probably looking the same as me and I sit on the bed with her sobbing into each other's shirts.

From that day I realized what friendship was. Having each other's back no matter the consequences or events. I broke friendships today but found one that I knew would last forever.

I knew Anna would be there for me. And I promise I will always be there for her.

We lay together in our pool of tears as we share the pain. Soon we drift off into sleep holding each other close. Knowing full well we will wake to another day of loss, pain and tears.

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