by Sage Sask
“You left me,” I whisper.
“It was the only choice I had.”
The scar starts to throb. Confused, I press my hand over it to ease the pain. “I searched for you,” I cry. “For years, I searched everywhere.”
The woman drops her head. “It was the only way.” She glances at my hand. “Where is it?”
Confused, I stare at my hand. “What?”
“The ring.” She grasps my hands and turns them over. “It’s the answer. Remember that.”
“The ring?” The one on my toe feels heavy, reminding me of its presence. “How is it the answer?” We speak in jumbled fragments.
She glances at something behind me. Her face hardens and, without saying more, starts to walk away. I run after her when my arm is pulled back, halting me. I fight, desperate to catch her.
“Let me go.” Tears stream down my face as I watch her disappear into the forest. Overhead, dark clouds rapidly move across the sky.
“Alexia!” Derrick yells. I break loose to go after her when he pulls me back. “Alexia, it’s me.”
“Please!” I scream, struggling against him.
He holds me flush against him. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“She’s leaving.” Too weak to fight full strength, I hit him with the little that I have left. “Let me go.”
“It wasn’t real.” Derrick cups my face, holding me still. His pained words break through my fog. His hand moves to cup my head, while the other wraps around my waist. His wounded gaze meets mine. “It was all in your head.”
“You’re lying.” I can’t lose her when I’ve just found her. “She’s here. She’s real.” I struggle against him as he holds me.
“Alexia, please.” His voice hurts for me. “None of it was real.”
“What?” Around us, the shadow of the evening lingers.
“The water was tainted with a hallucinogen.” Agitated, his gaze implores me to believe. “We’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Hallucinogen?” Reality merges with fantasy, refusing me footing.
“The water at the party.” His hold is desperate. “None of it was real.” He hands me his water. “It’s clean. It’ll flush the hallucinogens out.”
Still unsure, I nonetheless take a sip. The water courses down my throat, soothing the dryness. I drink from it greedily, finishing the bottle in a few gulps. The darkness that permeated my mind slowly starts to lift. The sun peeks out from behind low clouds.
“What happened to you? Out here?” he asks quietly.
“There was a girl.” My mind created a world that both punished and left me wanting. “She was lost.” Images of my mother and her words dance in my head. “The others cornered me and tried to attack.”
“Everyone has been searching.” With a gentle hand, he moves strands of hair off my face then rubs his thumb across a streak of blood on my chin. “You’ve been lost for hours.”
“It was all in my head?” The grief of losing her hits as if the loss just happened. “What happened to everyone else?”
“Everyone’s hallucinations led them in different directions.” He searches my face. “You were out the longest.”
“What types of hallucination?” As the water starts to settle in me, everything begins normalizing.
“Their worst fears. Memories came back alive.” He rubs a hand over his face. “It was impossible to tell the difference between what’s real…”
“And what’s in your head,” I finish.
“Everyone came out of theirs hours ago. Mostly minor cuts and bruises.” Something in his stance warns me he’s holding back. I am about to ask when he says, “Ian was injured.”
My whole body goes cold. Ian was a reader and a member of their team. “How?”
“We found him fallen from a tree. His mind couldn’t handle the hallucinations.”
“A call?” I swallow until my sorrow no longer chokes me. Ian, like the others, was one of us. He was forced to compete because the Circle insisted.
“We didn’t have to. Ian’s limping around with a broken leg but otherwise fine.” His relief is palpable. “We still have one call left.” Derrick glances at the sky. “We should get back. The others will be wondering.”
Before following him, I glance once more at where my mother stood. She had seemed so real. So alive. The memory of her reminds me that I need to do whatever it takes to get back to her and the rest of my family.
“Derrick,” I say then pause. On my silence, he raises an eyebrow. “You finding me?” Filtered memories of my mother continue to call to me. Fear clouds my mind, even as I push it away. “Thank you.”
“You would have done the same for any one of us,” he says, confident though I have never given him a reason to be.
We walk alongside one another back to the edge of the perimeter where the others are. There are audible sighs of relief when I come into view. Samira and Phoenix both give me a hug, which I return hesitantly. With every interaction, I remember the mother I lost versus the friends who treat me as their own.
“I lost the bet,” Shane says, joining us. His face is solemn and downcast.
“The bet?” I search the others’ faces for a clue, but they only shake their heads.
“I bet you were dead,” Shane explains. “I’m out ten bucks.” He waits, and the silence lingers between us.
“I’m sorry?” I finally offer.
He shrugs his shoulders with a “what can you do?” expression but then gives me a wink before walking away.
“I heard about Ian,” I say to Samira.
“He thought he could see crystals everywhere.” Around us, the mood is somber. “Climbed a tree for it and then decided he could fly.”
“We found him lying on the ground, bleeding with his legs hurt,” Cassia adds. “Thankfully, we were able to patch him up with what we had. He’s waiting at the camp.”
I run my hand over my scar. I can barely feel the raised skin. The man who came into my room made his orders very clear to destroy these people. But at every turn, they help those in need. They fight for people they love. Twice I have been lost, and they have been the ones to find me. How do I hurt them?
FIFTY-TWO
We walk toward camp together. Everyone is quiet, lost in their thoughts.
“The last crystal,” Samira murmurs. “Both teams are now in a battle for it.”
We wince at her announcement. After all the losses and struggles, it seems impossible we must now fight one another.
“Only one team goes home.” Melanie glances at Shane and then the rest of us. “How do we leave the people we care about behind?”
“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Cassia warns. “Historically, the search for the third crystal is the hardest.” She takes a deep breath. “It’s meant to test every part of our selves.”
“What if we don’t do it?” Gavin asks. On everyone’s questioning gaze he shrugs, “We could just leave and make a life in the Zones.” His eyes stray to Jackie. “The Circle is playing us like we’re puppets.”
“What would we do instead?” Jackie asks quietly. Though her gaze remains on Gavin she speaks to the group. “Everyone we love is part of the Circle. Without our family…” she trails off then shrugs.
Suddenly the earth moves beneath us. I reach out to get my footing, but when it shakes again, I nearly fall. Unsure, we all glance at each other in question.
“Who is rocking our world?” Shane beams, proud of himself for the double entendre.
The next shift drops us to our knees.
“What was that?” Cassia demands. Before we can fathom an answer, an explosion sends plumes of smoke spiraling toward the sky. Cassia jumps to her feet and runs toward the sound.
“Shouldn’t we run away from danger instead of toward it?” Shane asks as he gets on his
feet. He shrugs and follows as the rest of us run after her. “Guess not.”
Another explosion rocks the ground and shakes the trees as we near the field. Zoe and Adele are on the other side of the field.
“We took a step and there was an explosion,” Zoe yells.
Everyone stops where they are standing, scattered from their attempt to run from the detonation. Fire from the explosion catches on the brush and spreads toward the trees.
“Where is it coming from?” Cameron yells.
David slowly bends down and touches the ground. “There are explosives buried beneath the ground.”
“It’s a minefield.” I recall what I learned about mines from my zone. “They are buried right beneath the ground, triggered by weight or movement.”
“Zoe and Adele are on the opposite end of the explosion,” Hudson says. “It detonated on its own.”
“If weight didn’t trigger it, then…” I trail off, trying to make sense of what doesn’t.
“It’s triggered to explode when there’s a weight on the other end.” David feels along the ground, searching for wiring. “It’s connected to another one across the field.”
We stand painfully still. Jackie slowly lowers until, on her haunches, she can pat the ground around her. “Feel for any type of metal or covering. Slowly, otherwise, you can trigger it from this side.”
Everyone slowly bends down, careful not to shift our weight. Like Jackie, we search with light hands.
“Got one,” Melanie exclaims.
“Mark it,” Ryan orders.
Shane searches around him but fails to find anything. “You said you had a rope?” he asks me.
Understanding, I slowly cut off a two-inch piece and toss it to him. He grabs it with one hand and lays it in the middle of the mine Melanie found.
“Got one,” Samira calls next to Jackie on the opposite side.
Gavin cuts one of the straps of his pack and hands it to him. “It needs to be light enough, so it doesn’t trigger the bomb.”
The smoke from the explosions thickens as the fire spreads through the grass and toward the trees.
“We need to move out of here,” Gavin yells. “Either the smoke or the fire is going to make it impossible soon.”
“If we move fast we chance another detonation,” Cassia counters. She glances at me. “How many mines on average in a field?”
I think back to what I had read. “Range from five to twenty. Depends on the population of the area.”
“We are already sure of four,” Ryan assesses. “With the size of this field, let’s assume twenty.”
“To trigger them, there has to be a wire connecting them underground,” Cassia says. We wait as she thinks. “Those wires can’t intersect with one another. Otherwise, they would have caused explosions during the concealment process.”
“So they have to be equal distance from one another,” Ryan surmises. He points to the ones already found. “What’s the distance between them?”
“Twenty feet,” David yells.
We measure twenty feet both ways from the one on our side. “Found another one.”
Everyone immediately starts to measure and mark. In total, we find over thirty mines buried throughout the field. The smoke gets thicker as the multiple fires from the explosions continue to spread. The flames reach a bundle of trees and quickly climb the trunks to engulf the branches and leaves.
“Keep at least ten feet of distance from the mines,” Ryan instructs. “Move toward the mountains and away from the field.”
We walk in unison but at an equal distance. With measured steps, we carefully make our way toward safety. My body is slick with sweat and fear. Smoke circles around us and fills my lungs.
Someone misses a step. The ground shakes seconds before another explosion rocks the earth. A few people topple to the ground as the trembling rocks us back and forth. A scream pierces the air. A burnt tree starts to fall, its trunk splitting in half before crashing into another. Desperate for cover, we run in multiple directions, unsure which tree will fall next. The earth shakes, chancing other trees falling.
Jackie’s cry of pain stops all of us in our tracks. As the smoke shifts with the air, Gavin comes into view as he struggles frantically with a fallen branch pinning Jackie’s arm. She pushes against the weight, but it won’t move.
“We need help!” Gavin calls out.
Cassia and Derrick are the first to reach them. A fallen set of trees block our path. Those nearest to Jackie use their axes to pound at the wood. The fire creeps closer to them, threatening to burn them. Splinters from the broken wood fly in their faces as they beat the metal against it.
“Go!” Jackie orders. “Leave me!”
“Never going to happen,” Gavin murmurs as he fights with the others to free her.
“They’re not chopping fast enough.” Samira points to the tree line surrounding them. “They’re going to fall soon from the fire.”
“Your phone,” Gavin yells across the expanse to David. “We’re going to have to get her help. Throw it to us.”
David glances at Jackie. His gaze then strays to Victoria, who struggles to keep her footing with the shaking. “I’m sorry, no.”
Everyone stops to stare at him. He stares back defiantly.
“Not your decision.” Ryan leaves no room for argument. “You don’t get to save it for your sister.”
“You should be thanking me,” David yells. “We’re lucky she’s survived this long.”
“Give me the phone,” Ryan orders, but again David refuses.
They are in a battle of wills. By defying Ryan’s orders, David refuses to honor Ryan’s position as lead agent. I watch Ryan’s fury rise. He has two choices but with both he loses. If he forces David’s acquiescence he chances both his friendship with David and his relationship with Victoria. If he allows David’s insubordination, he chances losing everyone’s respect.
“Last chance, David,” Ryan warns.
David laughs. Suddenly it is no longer about Jackie or the phone, but instead David’s belief that he is better than Ryan.
“Or what?” David demands as the fire rages around them. “Come on, man. Long time coming.”
Ryan steps forward until he is in David’s face. He gives David a breath before slugging him in the jaw. As David reels, Ryan takes his bag and searches for the phone. David suddenly lunges for the bag with one hand while throwing an upper cut into Ryan’s stomach. Ryan recovers and drives his body into David’s. They both fall to the ground. Before David can react, Ryan pulls him up by his shirt collar and punches his face and then again. Ryan pushes David away and grabs the bag. Just as Ryan reaches for the phone, David tackles him. The bag flies out of his hands and into a brush fire. In seconds, it is engulfed in flames.
“What did you do?” Ryan stares at the smoldering bag. “That was our last call.”
Refusing to let Jackie die, I rummage through my bag for my phone. Just as I pull it out, Gavin calls out that Jackie is nearly free. Those helping her move faster, their axes in rhythm with one another. Jackie’s arm finally falls free. Gavin gently pulls her out. He pushes Jackie’s hair off her face.
“You scared me. Again,” Gavin admonishes.
“Sorry,” she murmurs.
“Yeah, don’t do it again.” He lays his lips gently over hers. Tears glisten on his eyelashes.
“Here?” Jackie cups his cheek tenderly but glares at him. “Our first kiss? Really?”
Relief spreads over Gavin’s face at her look of disapproval. He scans her body. “Hurt?”
“All good.” She glances at those who helped. “Thanks, guys.”
Derrick orders, “We need to move.”
Relieved, I slip my unseen phone into my back pocket, my secret still safe.
FIFTY-THREE
The fire rages around us. T
he smoke floods our lungs, making it hard to breathe. The fire jumps over the trees in pursuit of us. We start to run, barely keeping from trampling one another. Black smoke billows as the trees burn to the ground, obscuring our route. I try to stay with the others, but the smoke makes it impossible to see anyone. I cover my mouth with the top of my shirt, but it barely helps. I turn left and run into another body.
“This way.”
“Victoria?” I make out her voice then see her face. “You’re alone?”
“I got lost in the smoke.” She pulls me toward the right. “We need to go up this mountain.”
A fire comes directly toward us. I grab Victoria’s clothed arm. “We’ll incinerate that way,” I yell when she resists me. “We need to go left.”
“I have to go right,” she insists.
She yanks her arm out of my hold and rushes up the mountain. I hesitate for a breath, but unwilling to leave her alone, follow her. Ash and soot paint Victoria’s hair nearly black. A gust of wind fuels the flames behind us. They roar as they lash the ground, screaming in delight as they get stronger.
Victoria stumbles over the rocky terrain. I grab her elbow to help her up. “Wait,” I say. I tear off part of my shirt and tie it around both our arms to connect us. “So there’s no pain,” I explain. And so she can’t read me.
She nods and grasps the cloth as I step ahead of her to lead the way.
“The smoke is clearing,” Victoria says. “It’s losing its density as we move further up.”
“We’re coming onto some brush. I need to get my ax.”
“Give me your knife,” Victoria says. On my silence filled with disbelief, she says, “I can help.”
I hand it to her, and in rhythm with one another, we thrash at the tangled web of greenery and thorns. As the mountain gets steeper, there is less for us to hold.
“The smoke is getting closer.” Victoria yanks the cloth away from her mouth and breathes in. She squints to search the area below us. The sun shines bright but offers little light through the smoke’s haze. “It’s burned the perimeter and is headed toward us.”
