So sorry for the long period without an update! Life has been hectic for me this past month with meets, practices and crazy school. I finally found the time to update. Yay! Oh and Happy Belated Birthday, America Singer! Enjoy the chapter and thanks for all the awesome reviews. I really appreciate the feedback. I'll try to update as often as a I can from here on out.
Guards came rushing in from every direction possible, all with rifles ready by their sides. Celeste had visibly gone into shock mode, her eyes unblinkingly staring at the corpse. She had to be ushered away by a distressed looking young guard; who didn't seem to know what to do with her.
"Lady America, please move aside too," an older guard directed with his hands, gently urging me forward.
I nodded numbly, shuffling my feet. It seemed like the rebel attacks were getting more frequent, and certainly more violent; and I wonder again: how safe are we in this palace? Rebels could filter in unbeknownst, and what would stop them from murdering by the masses? Pure fear gripped my frame, and a long shudder travelled down my body; I wrapped my arms around my shoulders and stared at the once-alive guard.
A gleaming name tag was engraved exquisitely in slender, slanting letters that did not match well with the current situation. The light reflecting off the metal badge struck my eye, and I turned away from it, just in time to spot a heavy arm wrapping around my neck.
The guard held me tight against him, moving steadily backwards as I struggled to keep my feet moving. I felt a cold object digging into my back; a gun. By now, all eyes were on us, and a few guards were advancing towards us warily, their fingers on the trigger of their gun.
"PUT YOUR GUNS DOWN!" a loud voice bellowed right in my ear, and I jumped, causing him to press the gun even deeper into my skin.
None of the guards complied, and the 'guard' holding me spoke again, "Either that or this lovely lady here dies. Weigh your choices."
The older guard who had told me to move earlier on stood forward and placed his rifle on the ground, then straightened up slowly and looked at my captor. Then, with a tiny gesture, he ordered the rest of the guards to lower their weapons. A series of thuds emitted, and all had dropped their guns.
"Let her go now," the guard's levelled eyes looked straight into mine.
Even though his voice was calm and collected, I could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't certain of the outcome. That's when the magnitude of the situation dawned on me, I could die. A billion things raced through my mind: My family, Maxon, Aspen, the words Queen Amberly spoke to me. I closed my eyes, regretting the things I haven't done. I hadn't had the chance to tell Maxon I chose him. I couldn't find out Aspen's whereabouts. I didn't tell my family I loved them.
Inhaling shakily, I willed my eyelids to open, and looked around me. Guards were all unarmed and staring at me. I had no idea what my captor was going to do with his hostage next, but I was pretty sure it had nothing to do with releasing me. After getting their hands on one of the Selected, they were obviously not going to let her go. I thought of what had happened to Lucy, and a deeper shiver wracked my body; what were they going to do to me?
What happened in the next moment was so fast and blurred; I had no time to process anything. A huge horde of guards in their stark uniforms charged forward from the hallway behind, and before I had time to feel relieved, the bangs of shots were fired.
One by one the unarmed guards fell to the floor, blood dyeing their white coats a vivid red. The older guard was the last one down, and his eyes conveyed a strong sense of apology and regret; one that I would never forget.
I was paralyzed, rooted to the spot in the moment, and when my captor tried to push me forwards, I collapsed in a heap. My head landed by the toe of his black shoes, and I could feel his arms scoop me up from below. Blackness clouded my vision.
I was falling; my body felt like it was being swallowed into the abyss below, slowly descending into nothing. The sensation of a rapid descend hung in my body, and it felt as if my heart was in my throat. No sound would make its way out of my mouth, not a scream for help, not a whimper. Nothing. A thud signified the end of my downwards journey, and I felt bile rising up my throat, threatening to make its way out. It all felt very dream-like, not reality but close to it. I was certain I hadn't actually fallen what seemed like a thousand feet, but my whole body ached and the nausea was real. There was a chill that pressed against my skin too, and my entire being felt torn off from the real world.
Pitch darkness was all there was around me, and I was sure my eyes were still closed. I tried opening them, making those heavy lids blink, and that was when I realized that they were already open. The room – or whatever I was in- was consumed with blackness. Not even a filter or glimmer of light made its way in, and it looked exactly the same as when I closed my eyes.
My fingers groped around the hard ground, feeling the warmth of them getting drained away. This place was freezing and dark. Wrapping my numb fingers in the skirts of my dress, I huddled into a ball, making sure every inch of my body was covered in the silky fabric. It was a tough thing to do, but my desperate need for warmth pushed me to the extremes, and soon, I was slightly warmer than before. Not by much, though.
I made a mental note to myself to ask my maids for warmer dresses if I ever get out of this; if. What a trivial thought to have in the circumstance I was in, but I was grateful that I was safe in the dark for the moment. Even little bits and trivialities could take my mind off this dank place; so why not?
Burying my face into the soft material of my dress, I shivered and thought of the happy moments in my memories; anything to keep this place from sucking the life out of me. I thought of the warm breezes in Carolina, the pit-pat of rain against our kitchen window, and the bright yellow dandelion heads that bloomed in the spring. I thought of the times making dinner with May, my father's gentle and weary smile, Gerad's tattered soccer ball under his easel, and Aspen's green eyes in the tree house. I even thought about the fights I had with my mother, our tempers clashing every so often, and that memory conjured a smile in me. Lastly, I thought of Maxon, his kind eyes brightening whenever he sees my face, his strong arms wrapping around my body, and his hand tugging his ear at the dinner table. My thoughts brought me unparalleled warmth, and I felt better already; gazing into the expanse of my life.
A clinking noise shook me out of my happy thoughts, and I snapped back into reality, the cold returning into me. I looked up from the darkness of my skirts to see a piercing white light that burned my dark-accustomed eyes. The silhouette of a tall figure stepped in, his steps ringing in my ears.