Extra Chapter: I Will Wait

I had to watch.

I had to listen.

Worse, I had to wait.

Wait for what? Wait for Cassia, my sister, to see me. I couldn't show myself, no. I had to wait, watch, and shut up for a day, maybe a week, possibly weeks, for her to see me. If she did, then I'd approach her about the rebels and Pilot.

It's not easy, watching your sister grow up without you. Then again, I ran away almost as soon as I could. I realized the lies in the Society almost as soon as I turned eight. We never saw each other growing up. Sad, really, not being able to talk to your birth sister for the little time that you knew her.

Twin sisters, we are. Almost identicaltwin sisters, if you must know; with only two differences. That's right; I have the same hands, same face, same build, and same persistence. One difference is our eyes. Her eyes are green, while my eyes are purple. Don't ask how I have purple eyes. I honestly don't know.

The second would be what had set me apart from her forever. It's our hair. While her hair is brown, my hair is a pale blonde, almost white. It's never happened before; that weird hair quality put me on watch for a long time. That is, before I ran away. Our persistence is big on both of us. I was persistent on getting to the rebels before I was caught by the Society. Cassia's persistence got her relocated closer to her "true love," Ky Markham.

I have had to watch her grow up since I was ten years old. I was the perfect spy. Always hidden and always able to pry information from the Society right under their noses. A cute, little, innocent girl with Citizen status was never going to be suspected of spying for rebels. Of course not! Who would ever suspect that absurdity? Not the Society in the least.

Being able to get the information was the one and only reason I was allowed to stay where my blood sister lived. The Captain thought I was too naïve. She thought I wouldn't know when to be quiet or to speak out. She thought I would give them away when I first saw Cassia. But I proved her wrong, oh, yes I did.

I sent letters with information each week through the Anomalies. Not many existed around there. Many were undercover spies for Pilot. I was not an undercover spy. My reputation grew as the years passed. I was the best spy around. I always got the best information and the juiciest secrets that the Society, of course, did not want to be spilled. And, of course, the secret of Ky and Cassia being set up reached the rebels' ears as soon as it happened.

But there were some things I kept to myself. Like Ky and Cassia's kiss on the mountain, or how they did actually fall for each other. That was there moment to keep. I couldn't give that to anybody. I might be a spy, but I can respect people's privacy. If someone was spying on me, I wouldn't want them to share my private life. Then again, you wouldn't be able to tell them that. I have to spy on my sister and what happens to those around her.

Ky was approached by the rebels, and refused. It took the Captain a while to get over that rejection. They were so sure that he would agree to help. Then Xander said yes. That didn't surprise me, but neither did Ky's denial.

Not much surprises me, though the way neither Indie nor Cassia saw me was surprising. How did they not see me? Were they blind? I couldn't believe Cassia took the blue tablet. It was poison, couldn't she see? Didn't Indie tell her that it was poison? Why didn't she listen to her? Ugh!

Running away from the camp was not a smart idea on her part. At least, the way she did it wasn't genius. But it got the job done, so I couldn't argue with the senseless logic that she put behind it. It's putting a grenade in your hand, pulling the notch, and waiting for it to blow up in your hand. It's stupid!

I watched.

I waited.

I listened.

I slowly, but steadily, crept down the flat, dropping mountain slope. I had to talk to one of them. I was under orders not to talk to Cassia. But there were no orders to restrain me from going after anybody with her. Being a silent whisper only visible to the sky flyers, I slipped towards where they were camped.

Cassia was fast asleep. Her light breathe the only sign she was alive. Otherwise she was the living dead.

The night air was cold. The warmth of Indie's breathe flew above her body as she tried to sleep in the scorching cold darkness. Even sitting by the fire, I could tell she was cold. I stood up and walked towards her slowly. With the quick reflexes of a renowned spy, I slapped my hand across her mouth to stop her from screaming. My other arm had a gun cocked and ready to shoot, the barrel of the gun under her chin.

"We need to talk," I hissed. I didn't like being the bad guy, but this situation was unavoidable. If she was going to be quiet, she needed ... a little persuasion.

The embers from the fire flew up into the air, and they disappeared as if they were afraid of me. Before they vanished into the ghostly air, they quivered, the same way as Indie quivered.

She nodded slightly, well, as much as she could with my gun under her head. I withdrew my gun and set it on my lap as I sat down next to the heated fire.

It was welcome, the burn, as I slowly reached my hand out to one of the red-hot coals. I picked it up.

I waited.

I watched.

I listened.

As slowly as I had picked it up, I put it back. The blistering skin on my palm and fingers was quickly warming the rest of my body.

Indie watched the entire thing.

And she waited.

She listened.

"You're Sandra."

I was surprised that she knew, and then again, not so surprised. Word must have gotten around in the undercover agents that I was looking after my sister.

"Why are you following us?" she asked.

Doesn't waste time now does this one?, I thought.

"Why are you following us?" Indie repeated.

I took my time in answering. I watched my hand swell as I answered, not bothering to keep eye contact with her. I knew she would listen.

"To see if you are strong, if you can survive. You've lasted a week out here. Now I have to see if you can make it to camp."

Indie made a noise. I glanced up.

"What?" Short and sweet, to the point, that's how I like my questions. My unwavering patience only goes so far.

Indie stared at the ground when she answered me. "She ate one of the blue pills," she answered eventually.

I already knew this, though. So I could only give her the advice I'd have given myself. "Don't stop. Don't rest for more than two hours. Sleep in rotations. Stop only for a break and only to nap for a little while. One of you stays awake at all times."

But I couldn't stop there. I had to tell her to wish my sister well. To say something would be to say anything, though. And to say anything would be against saying nothing, which were my orders.

"Don't tell Cassia I was here. She is a born and bred Citizen. She needs to learn."

"Can she see you?"

"No."

After a moment of silence, Indie questioned "Why not?"

I couldn't tell Indie. Not after all these years of only the Captain and her hoard of mules telling me no one else in the Society or rebel camp can know I'm Cassia's sister.

"Reasons," was all I said.

At that, I stood up slowly; I didn't want to startle Cassia into awakening before I left. I put the gun into Indie's hands. "Use this wisely."

Cassis rolled over, her face turning towards the open flame.

I froze like a block of ice.

She mumbled a few incoherent words and blinked open her eyes.

"Who are you?" she murmured sleepily.

I put on my best sisterly face possible. "Sleep, sweet Cassia. Sleep. Tomorrow will be a new day. And yesterday will be gone. The lightest nightmare will not change your mind. Find your love, and find your destiny. Sleep, sweet sister. Sleep."

Before she lost consciousness again, she mumbled, "I miss you Sandra."

I almost broke down in tears. I couldn't stop them if they started. Flowing rivers down my face and body would start and not be stopped. A beautiful but horrible thing had just happened, and I couldn't do anything to help.

I looked quickly at Indie to see if she was watching, and I put a finger to my lips.

She nodded.

I sprinted across the rocks to a cave up the side of the mountain.

And I started crying. The wolves started moaning and the birds started wailing, a tune not sweet but heartrending. It ripped my soul in two. I couldn't keep this up. If I could only watch my sister and not speak to her, I might be able to do that. I couldn't go around and try and talk to everybody around her and not to her personally.

So I stopped crying eventually, letting the darkness and loneliness engulf me in their sad embrace. I slept peacefully that night, nothing disturbed me.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The rosy blush of Eos crept through the sky, letting the birds know it was time to work. Letting the foxes know it was time to hunt, the rabbits know it was time to run, the wolves know it was time to sleep. Letting me know it was time to start again.

So I watched.

I listened.

Worse, I waited.

I waited till I could talk to my sister. Hug my sister. I waited to find out if she really missed me, whether she even remembered me.

And I watched.

I listened.

Eventually, I will stop waiting.

Hey guys. This is my first time really putting anything out there that's finished. If anybody wants to help me a little, that'd be great. I'm starting a new story thing on Fictionpress, so if you read this, go ahead and critisize my other writings.

A little FYI moment here: I was previously under the penname of Ary May and the pseudonym of Arianna Dunham. My name is actually Jane, and my friend and I came up with a little prank character named J.J. Robisson. If one of us is talking to or texting someone else, the other will claim to be J.J.

It's all fun and games until the guy we're texting curses us out.

Yikes.

Review please!