The Race

015 | Cami

Gunshots. Gunshots. Gunshots. They were loud and crushing. I deleted the feed, but there was no time to replace it. I hoped that the black bodysuits the girls were wearing would be good enough. I wished that I had brought mine. I rushed out, Maybelle in front of me. There was no time. I knew that someone had died. I hoped and prayed that it wasn't a member of my team.

Soon I was outside. The temperatures are controlled in every part of the world, but I swear I felt a chill. It was soft, but it was there.

"Hurry," I whispered into the night. "Please hurry."

"Who are you..." Maybelle trailed off, realizing what I was saying.

I waited behind the van, breathing more heavily than I should be. Why was waiting so hard? Why did it seem that the time had stopped flying and began to crawl slowly? Why did I have a deep feeling of dread bubbling up inside of me when, in reality, I didn't have any evidence of death happening?

"Besides the gunshots," I muttered. "Someone had to be dead."

The feelings bubbled over and I became angry. Everything turned to a haze. I wanted to cry, but not really. I just wanted to scream. I wanted to scream and punch and kick and cry. I want to hack into time itself and delete this night.

Why did I overthink things? Why was I turning small things into giant things?

A soft hand grabbed my shoulder. I turned to find Maybelle.

"They are coming," she said. I stood up instantly. Needing to know what happened.

The girls were rushing toward us. I saw Asia and Harper first. Then Lark and Aralee. They were running quickly.

I quickly got into the van, hearing the unsaid words. I started the engine and drove off as soon as the girls got in.

"She's dead," Harper said. "Naomi is dead."

I kept driving. Nothing bad had happened. Nothing.

"What's the next clue?" I asked. No one replied.

Something was wrong.

If only I was there. I could have saved her. I could have jumped in front of her. I should have planned this night better. I should have let Maybelle go with them. I didn't need to delete the stupid feed. The boys could still find us somehow.

Naomi should have taken care of herself better. I gripped the wheel tightly. She should have saved herself. I'm not her babysitter. And the other girls were there too. They could have helped her. It wasn't my fault she died.

Numbness was a welcome feeling. I embraced it with open arms. Death happened all the time. She would be forgotten.

How could I forget her? Was I heartless?

She was so selfish. If she had been nicer, maybe I would care. But I didn't. She didn't do anything. She was useless.

"Naomi, you idiot," I muttered. "You just had to die."

"Don't say that," Aralee blubbered. "How could you be so stony-hearted?"

"Aralee-" my voice broke. I slammed on the breaks. How could someone I barely knew make my throat close up? How could someone that would never lift a finger for me break me?

I wouldn't let her break me forever, but for now I was broken. For now, I could scream and cry.

Why was it still clear outside? Why didn't it rain?

I shoved the car door open and rushed outside. I sucked in quick breaths while running. I found a river. Quickly, I jumped in. My legs froze as my wet, cold pants clung to me.

"NAOMI!" I shouted. I sank down, letting the river consume my body. I let the mud and dirt make its way into my hair.

Naomi was gone. She was lucky. She was now free from The Race and free from the looming shadows of wars. I stood up and walked away.

When I came back into the van, it was a mess. Aralee and Asia cried together. Lark stood numbly. Harper and Maybelle curled their fists.

"Where did you go?" Maybelle asked harshly. "We have to go now!"

"You're so selfish! How could you leave us when you know we have to stick together?" Harper asked.

"Aralee was right. You're heartless," Maybelle said.

I nodded silently. I drove down the road. Clear skies. It would have been a beautiful night.

I made a u-turn, going back to the palace. No one noticed. Soon we arrived. I got out of the car and pulled on my hoodie.

"Look at her! Leaving us again!" Maybelle exclaimed. I kept going. I went back to find a truck. Naomi's dead body was there. I could tell by the truck's logo, even though I couldn't read the words.

One gun shot, and another. The people getting rid of Naomi were then dead. I rushed up to the front of the truck. I drove it back to the van.

I got out and walked to the van. My soaked pants clung to my legs and numbed each heavy step, but I didn't care. "Follow the truck," I said to Lark. She nodded numbly and moved to the front of the car.

I got back in the truck and drove down the road. I had felt more emotions in one night then I had in ages.

I parked the truck, the van right behind me. All the girls got out, knowing something was going to happen. With the help of Lark, I opened the back of the truck. Naomi was in some sort of white, plastic capsule. Lark, Harper, Maybelle, and I carried it deep into the woods.

"Naomi, you will be missed," I said. Harper began to cry and Asia looked overcome with sadness. Lark continued to be numb with Maybelle seeming to follow.

"We need to win," Aralee said. "For Naomi."

Harper nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why am I so sad?"

"You watched her die," I said, suddenly realizing how awful the other girls must feel. They watched her die, they watched her take her final breaths, they watched her say her last words.

"What did she say when she died?" I asked.

Lark looked down. "She said... 'Don't forget me.'"

A tear fell down my cheek. "Goodness knows I won't ever forget her."