CHAPTER 21: RAPTURE

We were back in Blackthorne in matter of hours. I won't even mention the long annoying lecture I got from Joe.

I sat on the familiar rusty bench and flicked out the familiar blade and just stared at it.

I couldn't help but think that in a matter of weeks my life had turned from perfectly miserable to uncertainly confusing.

I sighed, tracing my fingers on the intricate details of the knife.

I smiled, still remembering the day I took it out of Dr. Steve's heavy box.

If I went to the Gallagher Academy, I would have gotten extra credit.

But I didn't go to Gallagher.

I went to Blackthorne.

I was a Blackthorne Boy.

I was meant to be strong and terrifying and all these other things.

But I was weak.

I've always known I was weak.

Look at me; I cut myself instead of dealing with my own problems.

It's like I'm trying to make a point, but no one's listening.

Because everyone else in the world has their own problems, and it was about time that I grew a pair of balls and dealt with my problems.

I won't do this anymore.

Not anymore.

I won't pity myself anyone.

I walked quickly to Dr. Steve's office, only one intention in mind.

I burst through his door, obviously interrupting an important meeting he was having with Dr. Kim, a member of the Circle.

"Zachary, are you alright?" Dr. Steve asked his fake genuine smile plastered on his face.

I shook my head, the anger only growing.

"I want you to tell you to tell my mother something," I stated.

"And what would that be?" Dr. Kim asked, finally joining the conversation.

I walked slowly to them, like a predator stalking its prey.

I cleared my throat and spoke with purposeful venom in my voice, "Tell my mother that I will never join the Circle. Tell her that I will not be like her, nor do I want to be. Tell her that I am done. Tell her that I will end this, for me and for everyone."

I watched as shock climbed into their facial expressions, before storming out.

I stormed into sophomore bunkers and pulled a backpack from underneath my bed. I packed my things as 95 other boys stared at me, also in complete shock.

After I had packed my things and stormed out of the bunkers. I heard Chase calling my name behind me.

"Zach, you need to see this!" he called.

I turned abruptly around, "What?" I snapped.

He pulled a wrinkled little piece of paper from his pocket and handed it me.

He said, "I found this paper when those 'things' helped us out with the Circle. I've been trying to figure out what it says, but so far I have nothing. I thought maybe you might know."

"Who's seen this?" I asked snapping again at him.

He flinched but spoke again, "All the guys and Samantha and Cameron. But no one's recognized it, or knows where it's from."

Although I hated the fact that he had told everyone else but me, but I knew that this was bigger than that.

I put the paper in my pocket, "Pack your things, tell the other guys too. We're leaving."

I started walking away to find a van to hot wire.

I heard Chase call behind me, "Wait, Zach, where are we going?"

But I didn't turn around, I kept walking and shouted over my shoulder, "We're gonna find the Courtyard. And we're gonna kick their asses."

An hour later I found myself miles away from the Blackthorne, the guys and the Morgan girls staring at me.

Since the van broke down an hour ago, we were walking silently through the woods.

I heard twigs snap and cursing. I turned around to see Jonas tangled in a tree root. I sighed, this was gonna be harder than I thought. I watched as the others struggled to set him free. After a minute, I had gotten frustrated by their stupidity and ended up walking over there and pulling out my knife to set him free.

"Thanks, man," I heard Jonas mutter when he was back on his feet again.

But no one paid attention to what he way saying because at that moment I head Samantha gasp and grab my wrist.

My blood pounded when I thought that she too had discovered my cutting.

But she wasn't paying attention to that.

Instead, she stared at the knife in my hands. I heard Grayson move towards her and wrap his arms around her shoulders. (I'll ask him about that later.)

"What's wrong, Sam?" he asked.

"Gray, it's the symbol on the knife," Samantha said, slightly trembling.

'Sam?' 'Gray?' Since when were they on the nickname bases? God dammit, we are on a mission, we don't have time for romances. Speaking of which, I wonder is Cameron is mad at me…

And then I processed Samantha's words. I looked down at my hands, seeing the knife in a different light.

"What's wrong with it, darling?" Grayson asked.

"It has the symbol of the Circle on it," she whispered before burying herself in Grayson's chest, and he wrapped his arms protectively around her.

"Zach, where did you get that knife?" Chase asked, although I could see that he was also curious about Grayson's and Samantha's relationship.

"Dr. Steve's vault," and then it hit like a ton of bricks.

Dr. Steve was in the Circle.

The sick bastard entered the heads of every student and made them join the Circle, every student but me.

"We need to find the Courtyard," I blurted.

"Wait what?" Henry asked.

I heard a deep chuckle behind me.

I turned around to find the dark figures emerging from the woods in slow motion.

I heard a man's voice ringing in my ear as the world started getting blurry.

"You don't find the Courtyard. The Courtyard finds you. Someone's been waiting for you for a long time, Zachary."

But I didn't hear anything else, because then the world turned black.

And all I could hear were Cameron's screams.

Guys, I literally just posted last night. I'm so proud of my self, two chapter in one week.

That being said happy Friday!

I probably won't be able to update for a few weeks cause I have a huge midterm (it's more like a 3/4 term but whatever) and class recommendations are coming out and shit, so yea.

Please review, favorite, make it an alert, or whatever. Hearing what you have to say is always awesome.

Thank guys,

Danie