Badblood (Badbloods, #1) [Completed, Unedited]

2. Bright light

"Mira" she whispered.

Serra stood there looking at her friend, stunned. Mira's eyes were pleading. She's confused and afraid. She was shaking and the grasses below her withered as if like feeling her pain. She's crying now, the pain and anger in her face was gone replaced with fear.

Serra convinced herself that it wasn't Mira's doing, but no one is around them, just the two of them in that lonely part of their village. She searched all the reasons to support herself that Mira's not doing it but found none, for there was no single reason that those grasses grow violently and almost strangle Maddy to death.

She thought that sometimes out of love, we let ourselves be deceived by lies to convince us that our loved ones can't do bad things. But still, the truth will pierce you and will drill deep into your mind, slipping through your thoughts.

Serra felt like her heart shrank into the size of an atom, lost and then gone as the truth hit her like a poisoned arrow, painful and torturous. Mira is a Badblood. Mira is a Badblood. Mira is a Badblood. Her mind repeats. Should she be scared? Mira is a Badblood. Should she hate her? She's a monster. Her kind killed your father, a voice inside her said. She's your friend and will never hurt you, another voice inside her said. She just stood there confused and unmoving. She felt a lump on her throat and her eyes started to blurr.

"Mira" she whispered again.

"Serra" Mira said in her breath. Her voice shaky. "I'm s... sorry. I didn't know"

Serra saw the tears that streaked on her friend's cheeks like pearls as it glimmer in the sunlight. She felt like her heart was continuously stabbed with needles, very agonizing.

"H...help me" she pleaded. Hearing it was like her stomach was squeezed. Mira took some steps toward her and reflexively, Serra stepped back which shocked both of them. There was a look of pain and betrayal in Mira's eyes. "Please"

Serra was crying now and she quickly wiped it with the back of her hand. She closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to collect her self. She let go a deep agonizing breath. 'She's my friend and she's not evil' she said to herself.

She darted toward her friend. With wide arms, she hugged her. Mira's a Badblood yet her touch was still familiar and comforting, nothing's changed.

She felt Mira's tears on her dress. "I'm sorry" she whispered and forced herself not to cry. She broke off and cupped Mira's face in her calloused hands. "It's gonna be alright, okay?" She lied. It's not alright and will never be. She have no idea what to do now.

"What's gonna happen to me now? Where will I go?" Mira cried.

Serra closed her eyes and tried to focus, looking for ways to help her friend. The villagers will kill her for sure. If she escaped, the Reapers will kill her also. But there's a bigger chance she'd survive outside the gates than inside. Serra's heart was broken on the options but they don't have better choices.

"We have to get you out of here" she said with a heavy heart.

"The Reapers will kill me Serra" Mira cried again.

"They will also kill you here" she said.

Mira didn't answer. She turned and saw a crowd toward them, Maddy on the front pointing at their direction. Her heart now hammering inside her chest.

"We don't have much choice Mira" she said. "I'm sorry"

Mira wiped the tears in her eyes. She looked defeated. "Okay, but how will I get out of here" she said sadly but firm.

Serra looked around. The river is dangerous and guarded, they can't escape through the walls. There aren't holes on the wall either. They're trapped. The realization felt like a punch on Serra. They now hear the villagers toward them. She could see weapons from afar, their tips gleaming in the sunlight: spears, knives, arrows, and guns.