Hey Guys, I know, I really wish I didn't have to kill her off but I feel like its needed to keep the story going. Please and thank you review. Just to tell you, the rest of the book is all Johanna. So come Chapter 8, to however long to book will be, its all Johanna. Thanks so much for reading!
-THANKS- CLAIRE
Chapter 7.
I feel a luke-warm hand on my face, rough but as full of tenderness as possible. I feel the jagged scars and cuts. Johanna. I look up and she is singing softly, humming, not even paying attention to me besides this loving hand. She looks out the window of the cell as if she is not actually here. I don't think she's paying attention when she asks, "Did they break you yet?"
"No." I realize my ears are ringing some. She laughs.
"Don't worry, they will." I'd never told anyone about Pillar or Palma or Mylar before.
"Jo? They didn't ask me about you, they asked about, these people living in our district. Only, they weren't from our district. They were from 8. There were 2 when they came, and three when they-"
"Died. I know." I look at her. How could she know? "I'm here for a reason Liz. I deserve all the beatings, I actually know things about the rebellion. Someone had to let them in. I was told by Huze the main Jack that i'd be meeting a refugee family, i was 13. I knew the forest better than anyone else. So, he had me hide them deep in the woods. Of course, Mylar was pregnant so i had to steal medecine from the clinic." She knew all along. "I knew you had school and you only went for 2 hours and i had to work so i told them that if they needed help, the next time it rained, stumble into our house where youd be and then ask you for help, explaining the whole situatuion minus the Rebellion." She is the whole reason I'm here. "Palma was one of the most brilliant weaponsman. We needed him. I think they gave him a radio so he could listen to the broadcasts from thirteen. We couldn't risk him dying, so we moved him away from Seven. After you found them, i handed over full responsibility to you to care for them. I tried to make you leave the home when you could so i hated you and beat on you and yelled." A tear trickles down my face. Theyre dead. I let everyone down. As if on cue, a small piece paper floats down from the windown into our cell, we both rush over.
We are coming for you-127.13. The note is from the rebellion. They haven't forgotten. We read it outloud. "We need Zeb." Johanna says. She grabs her shard of mirror. "I'm sorry to do this Liz," her face turns to an evil smile. I cry out in pain as my shoulder blade turns red. My vision begins to come in and out and goes black with some spots. "You started it." Johanna screams "You deserve it, bitch!" I feel her foot on my left arm, Oh please not my left, anything but my left, I'm left handed! A slight slide of her feet and a sickening crunch seals my eyes into darkness.
I wake up, my arm binded and Johanna watching longingly as Zeb paces. She isn't longing for him, she's longing for his legs. Yes, the medicine has helped but she still can't walk well. That when they will come, when she walks on her own. And she knows this. Zeb pulls out an illegal phone and dials a number. He says a lot of codenames and such. Finally, he gets who he wants.
"Please Gale, I can carry her, I'm strong," a pause, "She cannot take even one more round of what they- HOW DO I KNOW? Well because I'm fucking in there that's how!" a fuming pause. "Yes she's strong, but not that strong if you only knew what they did to her." Did to her? What about me?
"Do they know I'm coming?" I ask. He looks at me for a minute as if to say, this isn't about you. I cower back, cradling my arm.
"Are they coming or not?" With a sudden flourish, Zeb picks Johanna up. She claws and punches and kicks him, refusing to settle in his arms. She tears at his neck she screams in his ear, tries to leap to the ground.
"Hold still. You want to get out of here?" She calms down a little.
"Zeb," I'm getting frustrated, "Are they taking me too?" I widen my eyes and I try to look innocent. He put Jo down and walks over to me. He looks back over at Johanna, now dragging herself into her corner. He turns back around. His beautiful grey eyes look straight into mine, he bites his lip, and then he kisses mine. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced before. At first I tense, fearing movement and then, I respond back pushing mine full force onto his. Johanna clears her throat.
"Get in the corner." He says as he scoops Jo up again like a baby. He begins to pile up the robes on me. I look at him again, still in shock. A tear comes out of his eye. Then, the world shakes and cinderblocks begin to collapse around me, I'm still looking at him when he turns away and then turns back around. "Lizza!" I look at him terrified, "I love you." He says it fast. Then he hops over the cinderblocks and is gone. More blocks pile on top of me and I turn so my face is up against them so they won't hit my back. I see the only way out will be through the Zeb and Jo went through. The wall is pure steel with cinderblocks over it in here. I start to run towards the door, blasted open by the explosion. I nearly am close to it, before a cinderblock falls on my arm, pinning me to the ground. I try to push it off fast so that no more can pile on top of it. As I do, I see two workers with guns running through ,sweeping the area.
"Over here!" I scream, but they don't hear me. I begin to jump up and down and they see me. They aren't delighted to see me. I see the man lift the gun up until I'm in his crosshairs. It takes me a second longer to realize I'm not who theyre looking for. Right as the bullet flies through my chest.
As I fall to the ground, my last thoughts go to Johanna and Zeb. They left me, they didn't want me with them. Johanna didn't want me. I'm not important enough, just Johanna Mason's little sister with no name that no one loves. My final words go to Zeb, "Zeb," I wheeze, "Come back…I love you to," Sprawled across the concrete, bloodied, tired, and uncared for, soldiers crowd around my body. I hear someone say, "Civilian down!" they think I work here. I see a face with sweaty black hair and small grey eyes, must be Gale.
"What do we do Soldier Hawthorne?" A soldier asks. His face looks worried.
"God damn it Sprowley! This wasn't supposed to happen!" He begins to cry. "No one tells Johanna about this, no one." They I'm dead. And maybe I am. I don't feel dead. I want to cry out, I'm alive, but I'm on fire on the inside, and suddenly, it's all gone. I have no more pain. I feel wanted, but it is too late. I am at peace, finally.