Awake (26 page)

“Why don’t you go with Bethan and Noah?” She pointed to where they were in the field. “I’m sure they could use some help harvesting the potatoes.”

They were having a feast after I was slaughtered, and she wanted me to help prepare for that. She was beyond sick.

Trying to keep the sarcasm from my voice, I said, “Good idea.”

I left her as quickly as I could and made my way over to the field beside the meadow. They were both happy to see me, for completely different reasons. “Fiona asked me to come and help,” I said.

Bethan smiled. “We love having you. The potatoes aren’t buried too far down, so you should get them up easily.”

There were about five other people digging up potatoes, too. How much were they going to eat? They would all eat together, celebrating, for fifteen nights after I was gone. It was disgusting.

Harvesting was about the only time I got alone with Noah, and even that wasn’t exactly alone. We still had people everywhere, watching me in case I took off. If I thought I could make it alone I would go in a heartbeat. Noah was risking a lot to help me.

We were on our hands and knees picking potatoes from the ground and putting them in a basket. It was warm, but I felt freezing. I focused on my task and realised this could be one of the last things I’d do. My heart raced with nerves. I felt trapped, cornered, and I fought to keep playing along until the time was right.

Once the potatoes were picked and everything was ready, it was time to get dressed for the ceremony. Fiona took me back to the house, and I was instructed to have a bath and get ready in the dress she would set out on my bed.

I did as I was told because there was little else I could do right now. After soaking in a bubble bath, using most of it up as my own little screw you, I got out, dried and went back to my room.

Unsurprisingly the dress I was to wear was full-length and white. It was pretty and thankfully not a slim fit so I would be able to run properly in it. I held it up –
this is what I’m supposed to die in
. Not many people knew what their last outfit would be. I instantly hated it.

I pulled it over my head. It fit me perfectly. It had long, loose fitting sleeves, a modest neckline, and waves of material on the skirt. I pulled it and was satisfied when I could stretch both arms out to the sides.

There were no shoes, and I was afraid I’d have to run through the forest barefoot. There wasn’t a lot I could do about that. I couldn’t ask for shoes and have Fiona question why I’d need them if I was getting in a lake. Besides, I’d run barefoot over a bed of nails or hot coal to get away.

I looked in the mirror and took deep breaths to calm my nerves. I could do this. I was strong.

“Scarlett, are you ready?” Donald called.

Time to fight for my life.

Scarlett

TWO THINGS ENTERED
my mind as every member of Eternal Light stared at me from the meadow. One, no matter how hot it was outside it never warmed the water enough for it to not be cold. And two, if this didn’t go to plan I would be dead in
forty minutes
.

Noah wasn’t there. He walked out with them but soon disappeared around the back of the houses. I didn’t watch where he went from there through fear of it gaining the attention of someone else. Obviously, he’d positioned himself right at the back and when they’d said whatever crap they were saying and while kneeling down with their eyes closed he’d slinked off.

Since they’d stood up and opened their eyes they hadn’t stopped staring at me.

I pretended to look around, turning my body so I could take a few unnoticed steps back towards the other side. Running in water wasn’t easy, and I would be slow to get out, giving them plenty of time to make it around the lake. I had to give myself as much time as I could. At least they would be further away as they called upon nature to accept and cleanse me for the final time.

Idiots.

Soon I had to run for my life in a cold, wet dress. Noah said he was packing me some clothes, but we couldn’t stop to change until we knew we’d lost them. I had no idea how long it would be before I could change. Or how cold it was going to get in the forest at night.

In the distance, I could just about see their lips moving but I had to strain. Some of them had their eyes closed again. Why couldn’t they all do that? My heart started to pound. How long would they chant for, and why hadn’t Noah called me yet? Had someone realised that he’d slipped away? He said they’d be so focused on what they had to do to that he didn’t see a problem with getting away. I couldn’t be so confident – this was
my
life on the line.

Where was he? Gulping as my stomach churned with petrified nerves, I glanced around, still trying to make it look like I was just moving to get more comfortable and flattening the floating skirt of the dress.

When their chant felt like it’d entered the third minute, I started to panic. I didn’t know how many more opportunities I was going to get to escape. My hands shook, and I felt like crying. I clenched my trembling lip.

Run now.

I should just go now. This was my last chance and Noah wasn’t here. I officially had nothing to lose. Just when I was about to go it alone, I heard him. His voice was like an answered prayer.

Looking over my shoulder, I twisted my body in the direction of his voice. It took a minute but after another whisper and rustling of a bush I saw him.

“Now!” he hissed.

I took off, wading through the water as fast as I could. It was difficult, and I burst into tears as the water fought against me, determined to keep me there. I pushed myself harder, and it was when the water reached the bottom of my knees that I heard shouting. Noah stood up, dashing forwards with his hand outstretched.

I whimpered, terrified that they would catch me up. We were stupid; they were going to get us. It felt like ages before I was out and Noah was tugging me forwards. My ankle length dress weighed a ton, and I was instantly freezing as the wind nipped at my skin. But none of that mattered because I was free and had a chance.

“Faster, Scarlett,” Noah snapped.

They were behind us, but there was no way I was turning around to see how far. Their footsteps and voices were quiet so hopefully we still had a good head start. Noah didn’t seem to care about where they were; he ran with sheer determination, half dragging me behind him.

Loose branches snapped under my bare feet, and I knew it was only a matter of time before they broke my skin. I pushed myself, ignoring the burn as my calf muscles screamed in protest. There was no time to care about anything but reaching safety.

“How far behind us do you think they are?” I asked, holding onto his hand so tight I could feel myself crushing his bones together.

There were so many of them and just two of us.
They’re going to catch us!
My heart hurt as it beat too fast, too hard. Adrenaline and fear coursed through my veins.

They couldn’t be too far back.

Oh God, oh God, they’re going to catch us, and I’m going to die.

I tensed as much as I could, terrified that I’d feel a hand grip my shoulder at any second.

I wanted to be home.

“Probably not far, keep going.” He didn’t sound as out of breath as me but he was close, and it had only been a few minutes.

Five minutes in, and I was completely overwhelmed and exhausted. I felt tears stab my eyes like I was being prickled with hundred of needles. My vision blurred. My side stung, lungs burned, legs hurt, feet throbbed and I was chilled to the bone, but the worst part was the fear of being chased down, caught and taken back.

“You okay?” he puffed after we’d run another ten or fifteen minutes, going deeper into the woods.

I blinked rapidly and replied, “Yeah.” Not seeing wasn’t helping with the panic but it was dark under the trees anyway and we were running fast, so there wasn’t a lot to see. “We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?” I asked, wheezing.

I’d forgotten how my PE teacher had told me to breathe when running. It was either breathe in through your nose and out with your mouth or the other way around. I tried both, and my lungs and throat still burned.

Everything
burned
and ached.

“We’ll be fine, don’t slow down.”

Not once while we were sprinting towards the unknown did he let go of my hand. He would never know how much I appreciated that. I forgave him, right then and there, while he risked everything and turned his back on all he’d ever known to save my life.

I forgave him.

One agonising hour later, I couldn’t do it anymore. “Noah, I need a break,” I said, doubling over. I gagged. He stopped immediately and dropped to his knees as I slumped to the floor. My legs were now completely unable to support my weight. We’d been slowing for some time now, but I’d run faster and for longer than I ever had before.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t.” Red spots danced in front of my face and felt like I was going to be sick.

“Okay, we’ll take two.” He tugged open the backpack. He pulled out two bottles of water and a pair of socks and trainers. We downed the water, breathing heavily between long swigs, and I put on the shoes. My feet were swollen and sore, but it felt good to have some protection again. Noah winced as he saw the blood seeping from my feet, instantly turning patches of the white socks red.

“Sorry,” I said. We need to go. We can’t stop.

“Don’t. You have nothing to be sorry for, I should’ve made you put them on sooner, but we really didn’t have time.”

“It’s not your fault. We couldn’t stop too soon. Cut feet is a small price to pay for my life.”

He stroked my hair and tucked it behind my ear like he had dozens of times before. I wanted to close my eyes at the contact. It still felt so real and so natural. He sighed. “We have to get up, Scarlett; we need to keep moving. They would’ve closed the gap considerably by now.”

His words made me get up. I didn’t want to, the thought of moving even an inch brought me to tears, but I didn’t have a choice. Stuffing the empty bottles back in the bag, he stood and helped me up. My legs almost gave out again.

Clenching my teeth, I breathed through the throbbing pain. “Do you know where we’re going?” I bit out.

“I know a general direction, but I’ve not been this deep into the forest before. There are miles before the nearest town – it’s the reason Donald bought the land.”

Great, we were going in a ‘general’ direction, and I couldn’t complain or let myself get disheartened. I had less of an idea than he did. We were in this together, and we’d find a way out
together
.

“Let’s go then,” I said, looking back to check if anyone was coming. I wasn’t nearly ready to run again, but then I wasn’t nearly ready to die, so I had no choice.

Noah threw the bag on his back and held his hand out. I took it without hesitation, and we started off in the direction we were headed before. The first few steps were the hardest, my muscles had seized from our few short minutes stop, but I ignored the pain.

The stitch in my side slowed us down considerably. Sweat dampened my clothes; I swallowed metallic bile from over-exerting myself, and exhaustion threatened to collapse my legs again. But we pushed on, much, much slower than before but still heading away from Eternal Light.

“Your parents are in Ireland, you know,” he said.

My heart ached to be reunited with them. “How do you know that?”

“It’s all over the news. My dad drove the car eighty miles to try to put the police off, make it look like we were heading to an airport but they quickly realised. Your parents are here.”

It was a huge comfort knowing they were in the same country. I didn’t have time to dwell on the fact that they’d probably told the truth about who we all were and why they’d taken me because Noah upped the pace and had us sprinting through the forest again. The thought of getting to safety and telling everyone that my parents were heroes for taking me that day gave me the added boost I needed.

After weaving between tall trees and jumping a few fallen ones, Noah pulled us to an abrupt stop and slapped his hand over my mouth. My eyes widened. What could he hear? I swallowed glass and pressed my body into his side. They were close, close enough for Noah to hear them so that meant there was a strong possibility that they’d heard us.

They’re going to find us.

“Noah,” I whispered behind his palm, trembling with fear.

He mouthed ‘it’s okay’ and led us to one of the fallen trees. We were going to have to hide.

Bloody hell, we’re going to be caught!

We made it behind the large tree before the footsteps and voices got too loud. Noah had me pinned to his chest. We both tried to control our breathing, so we were barely making a noise. Both of my hands covered my mouth, and I forced myself to suck air in slowly and quietly.

My heart thumped hard when they sounded practically on top of us. Their feet broke sticks and squelched damp moss. They had to be right next to us. I closed my eyes and prayed, pushing back into Noah, trying to melt into his body.

I was so, so scared.

“Where would he take her?” Donald seethed.