I'm BAAACK! Sorry it took longer than usual, but without further ado, here is the next chapter! -Alison
Zeta's POV:
I wake in a cold sweat, and I cannot remember what for. I remember something horrible happened, but I don't know what. I immediately rise from bed and pace, trying to shake off the awful feeling I have in the pit of my stomach. I don't want to wake Ben, but I want to see him. I glance at my clock. It is 2:00 in the morning! I resolve to get Ben at a less ungodly hour if I can't go back to sleep, so I climb in to bed and wait for sleep to come.
Ben's POV:
I wake with fear stabbing at my heart, but I don't know why. I have a horrible feeling that something is very, very wrong. But wrong with what? I keep asking myself this, hoping for an answer. I go through my mental checklist:
Mother? No
Father? No
Rebel Alarm? No
Zeta?
The question pops into my head unexpectedly, followed by a chilling answer. Yes.
I am not sure what brought me to this conclusion, but suddenly I am out of bed, not bothering with my robe. I silently creep out of my room and race down the stairs, my feet slapping on the hard floors and I race down the hall to her room. I stop myself in front of the door, pause, and then, deciding if she is asleep I won't want to wake her, I open the door.
"Ben?" Her voice startles me in the dark, and I open up her door sheepishly.
"Yes. You got me." I say, hanging my head and walking into the room.
"What are you doing here?" She asks. I pause before answering.
"I thought something might be wrong." I say, cringing at how ridiculous it sounds.
"Oh…well, you're kind of right." She says, her voice cracking a bit. I look up, seeing her ghostly pale skin in the dark. There are deep purple bags under her eyes, and she is trembling slightly. I make my way over, trying not to trip on anything in the dark room, and sit down next to her on the bed. "I had a bad dream…but I can't remember about what." She says, looking down. I wrap my arms protectively around her, hoping to God she won't cry. I hate crying girls.
"You don't remember anything?" I ask her. She shakes her head into my chest, curling into a ball in my arms.
"I just remember that it was something awful." She sniffles a bit, and her trembling increases. I realize with a start that she is cold as ice.
"Jesus, Zeta, your freezing!" I exclaim, pulling the blanket on the bed around her. She wraps her arms around my chest, clutching me like her life depends on it. This is the first time I have seen her even mildly frightened, and I know right away that I don't like it. Compared to her normal, calm self, this is extremely unsettling.
I ease back onto the bed, still holding her in my arms. The minute my head hits the pillow, I realize how tired I am. Zeta's breathing becomes less rapid and more steady, and I can tell that she is tired, too. My eyes drift closed, and I am about to fall asleep when I hear the rebel alarm go off.
Zeta's POV:
The minute I hear the alarm, my eyes fly open and I am wide awake. I sit up, practically throw the covers off, and jump out of bed, not caring whether or not I wear a robe. I see Ben following suit, and have a vague wondering of what others will think if they see Ben come out of my room. As soon as it arrives, the thought slips away, and I start shaking worse than before at the thought of rebels. I feel a reassuring hand slip into mine, and Ben pulls me out the door and down the stairs.
We pass guards, who rush past us without a second glance, which reassures me, seeing as the threat is not near us. As we are about to press on the panel that leads to the safe room, however, I hear several shouts from the distance, and hear a loud yell of "find the girl!"
Ben realizes at the same moment that I do that they are talking about me, and he yanks me in through the trapdoor without looking back my way. Once we have entered the corridor that leads to the safe room, I am shaking so badly I can hardly walk. My legs turn to jelly, and I feel like a heavy weight is crashing down on me. I almost collapse, but thankfully enough, Ben catches me. I take deep breaths, latching my arms around him for an anchor and trying to get my breathing rate back to normal. Ben just pats my hair and whispers helpful comments into my ear.
"They may not have been talking about you." he offers.
"What if they were?" He tenses at this, and his grip around me gets a little bit tighter.
"I would give my own life before I saw you hurt at their hands. Or anyones, for that matter." He rests his cheek against the top of my head, and my breath finally becomes less gasping.
"I think I can move now." I whisper. Ben nods, clasping my hand tightly, and leads me past the guards and into the safe room. I am safe. I remind myself. I am safe.
Ben's POV:
I watch Zeta carefully all through the rebel attack. She appears calm and collected on the outside for most of the girls, but once in a while I will catch her hands shaking as she gets water, or her eyes looking up hurriedly at the sound of a loud noise. She is cracking around the edges.
My mother quietly tells me that I should get some rest, and I oblige, grateful for some time to think. I lay on one of the cots, a small blanket over me, and watch as the girls all climb in to their cots as well. Soon the safe room is filled with the sound of even breathing. I wonder if Zeta was able to fall asleep. I am not.
Zeta's POV:
I lay awake on my cot, thinking of all that is going on outside these walls. Somewhere out there, there could be people being shot, people dying…the thought is too much for me. Making sure that everyone, even the king and queen, are asleep, I rise quietly and begin to pace the floor, as I did in my room. I hear someone else stirring, and turn around, intending to head back to my cot, but I am met with the gaze of a pair of deep brown eyes. "Why are you still up?" He asks. I shake my head, feeling tears form. I gulp, pushing them down.
"Couldn't sleep." I state. I can't hold myself in for much longer. If he would just go back to bed...
"Whats wrong?" His concerned gaze meets mine. Tha's it. I break. The tears spill over, and I cover my face, trying to hide them. I don't like it when people see me cry. Crying is an activity for when I am alone. A pair of large, muscular arms engulfs me, and I lean against Ben for support, quietly letting my tears fall into his chest.
"I'm sorry." I mumble, embarrassed. He rests his cheek against my head and rubs my shoulder with his thumb, which I find surprisingly comforting.
"There's nothing to be sorry for." I regain my composure and stand up straighter, wiping the last of my tears away.
"I'm just being overly emotional. I'm fine, really." Ben takes my face between his hands, and I feel as if he is staring straight into my soul. I try to avoid his gaze, but it is impossible.
"No, you're not." He whispers, and I know its true. I don't deny it, I just look at him, the sadness evident on my pale, thin face. I am surprised, however, when I feel my legs get swept out from under me. Ben cradles me against his chest, and I feel extremely tired and weak all of a sudden. We move towards my empty cot, and Ben juggles me for a moment climbing into it. I hear rustling, and am covered by a blanket. I rest my head against his chest, feeling his heart beat vibrate through my whole body. Soon, his breathing is steady and he is asleep. I feel my eyes getting heavier, and before I slip into a blissful unconsciousness, I have a thought: so this is what it feels like to be safe.
Sooo…what did you think?
