Powerful

Chapter 8: Invisible Tears

This chapter is dedicated to my friends Gigi (who introduced me to Wattpad) and Todd (whose constant begging finally got me to write this chapter) Enjoy!

~~vampirewriter13~~

The next day, I awoke to a similar routine as yesterday, absolute silence ringing in my ears Except for one. Slowly, I tuned my ears to the sound of crying, small, muffled sniffles coming from a cell out of my range of vision.

Quickly, I calculated in my brain to determine whose turn it was to walk through those double doors. Leila. The simple thought of the shy, crying girl I had seen before being subjected to the same treatment as Jason.

Stealing a glance into the abandoned corridor, I managed to catch Luke's eye. The sadness in his eyes said it all; he was thinking the exact same thoughts as me. Silently, I padded over to his cell, feeling like I was disrespecting the dead. In a way, I was.

“Hey,” I greeted Luke, in a dead voice unlike my own. He responded in a similar manner. Both of us knew our time was running out, his even faster than mine.

“Are you going to ask?” he questioned wearily, nodding a grim head in the direction of Evie's cell. The small girl was huddled in a ball, weeping, most likely overcome with horrible images of her one and only friend.

“I didn't want to,” I answered honestly in a weak voice.

“Yeah,” Luke said, hanging his head solemnly. For several seconds, minutes, hours, we stayed like that, just sitting together in the silence. Many times I wanted to say something comforting or helpful, but then a new cry would arise from Evie, and my voice would disappear once more.

Then, much later, after lunch had been served and abandoned, it happened. A scream, a tortured, strangled noise filled the air. Everyone gasped in shock, even some of the guards. No one needed to be told where the shriek had emanated. Even worse than the absolute terror that filled my heart then was the even more hurt scream of Evie. The tears, which had lessened over the day, began to flow like a river, as she rocked herself back and forth.

“No, no, no!” She cried, hands over her ears in a mad attempt to vanish the memories. All around, my fellow prisoners stared at the distraught child sadly, but none made a move to soothe her, if that was possible.

In a split second, it was decided. One moment, I was sitting beside Luke on his cot, silent tears encasing my whole being, and the next I was walking with quick, determined steps to #3's cell. It seemed I had become the unofficial voice for this group of desolate freaks. Somehow, it didn't bother me much.

I stopped several feet away from the cowering girl on the cot, unsure of what to do or say that could even remotely begin to reassure her, tell her everything would be okay. Because then I would be lying. And I couldn't do that, not now, not to Evie, while she was in this state. To give her false hope would most likely crush me.

So I simply stood in the doorway, contemplating my decisions; one of them was leaving, retreating to my cell. Trying to squash the painful memories and echoing screams from my mind.

Then, a voice. It was quiet and timid, like a mouse or a bird, yet choked by an innumerable amount of tears and sadness. Evie. She had finally noticed my presence.

“Who are you?” she asked, large, brown eyes staring, still wet, threatening to overflow at any moment.

“Ava,” I replied, taking a tentative sidestep into the cell.

Several more seconds spent in silence. Then, “I'm sorry.” The two simple words escaped my lips with barely a thought; they were the only things I could think of. But apparently they were enough.

Evie, overcome with tears, flung herself at me, sobbing into my side. I stood there awkwardly, then gently placed my arms around her slight body, which was racked with sobs.

“I want to go home,” Evie cried suddenly, and my body became as rigid as a board. “I want my mom!” The whole corridor, which had been generally quiet this whole situation, immediately grew dead silent. This fragile, crying girl had just spoken all of our thoughts – of home, and an impossible future away from this hell. But I couldn't Evie that.

So instead I sighed deeply, and patted her back reassuringly as tears welled in my own eyes, as I thought of home and my mother. My eccentric, loving mother, who I had always taken for granted. What was the last thing I said to her? I had left for school, still mad at her because she had gotten behind on the bills. Again. I hadn't even said “Love you,” before leaving. My heart broke as I thought of everything else I had selfishly ignored.

With a sniff, Evie pulled away. My shirt was wet from her tears. She glanced at the stain.

“Sorry,” she whimpered, embarrassed. I just shook my head.

“It's alright,” I said. How could I be mad? Slowly, Evie sank onto her cot and hugged her knees to her chest.

“Do you – do you think she's fine?” she asked in a voice barely larger than a whisper, staring at me with her large, vulnerable doe-eyes. No explanation was needed to know who “she” was.

Fatigue and today's events washed over me. With a weary exhalation, I merely shook my head.

“I don't know,” I answered honestly.

“Oh.”

A sudden, very loud whooshing sound filled my ears. I turned, curious. The double doors had opened. Two guards exited, one carrying Leila in his arms. Foam cubes similar to mine encased her hands. All eyes watched as the strange group walked slowly to Leila's cell. With a grunt, the guard dumped Leila unceremoniously onto her cot and forcibly removed the cuffs from her limp wrists. A small gasp escaped her lips, but nothing more.

Evie sat staring across the hall, shaking with fear, eyes as wide as saucers. I waited, too, anxious to see any sign of life from the white-haired girl. After several long, agonizing moments, Leila lifted her head. Her blinding streaks of white hair whipped around as she looked about her surroundings. Finally, her gaze settled on us. She smiled wearily, causing her small companion to beam, but I could see she was barely concealing the flood. Staying strong so Evie didn't completely break down.

Then she lowered her head to the cot and began to snore. Sensing this as my cue to leave, I turned toward the hall.

“Thank you,” Evie piped up. I turned to look at her. There was a tiny, shimmering piece of hope in her still damp eyes. Smiling, I nodded my answer and headed for my cell.

Once I stepped over the threshold, the glass wall began to slowly close, descending from the ceiling like an otherworldly entity. A tray of food had already been placed by my feet.

I thought about Leila, though vanishing her blood-curdling scream from my head. Fear continued to eat away at my thoughts, some of my plan, a lot about Luke, and many more about my upcoming training, made even more terrifying due to the fact that Gary seemed to hate me especially more than the others. Horrible images once again filled my brain.

But then I thought of Evie, the small ray of light shining within her, and I felt better.

That is, until Leila began to sob and scream in her sleep, before the glass slammed shut.

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Sorry this chapter is kinda depressing. Next one will be even better, because it includes one of my favorite characters (spoilers!) Anyway, :) until next time!

~~vampirewriter13~~