Wars and Lies

Chapter Fourteen

We've been here a week now. Ashton's still in a mood with me and avoids me as much as possible. He barely talks to me and when he does it's simple one-word answers. It's not just him being like this, all of them are apart from Brandon and Em. I've tried asking them what's going on but they shrug it off and they do the same when Brandon and Emily ask. If I walk into a room, they go silent and wait until I leave. It doesn't just hurt. It kills. They're my best friends. My family. They've never been like this. Clearly more is going on than Ashton being annoyed I don't trust his dad and want to stay. They can leave. They don't have to stay. They're choosing to. I've told them since the beginning. I want this to stop. It hurts knowing my best friends are mad with me.

Everyone has been training every day and training so hard. Every day I'm in the gym. Me and Brandon have been trying to teach Emily some combat and it's been so fun as she's so bad at it, she'd rather be behind a desk than on the field.

It's lunch time. Me and Brandon have been on a run all morning to keep our stamina up. It was exhausting. We headed to the canteen which is where all meals are served. Everyone gets three meals a day. We have a set time slot every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner that runs for two hours. We go in, say our name and they mark us off. It's a school style canteen with a range of food selections and of course they have vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. We grab our food; today's meal is Shepard's pie. We spot the group sat at a table in the middle of the room. Ashton sees us and looks the other way. "He'll come around," Brandon says, hopeful. Emily spots us and being the ray of sunshine she is, gives us a big smile and waves us over. We walk over and sit down. I sat opposite Ashton. I smile at him and he just slightly nods. I want to run back to my room and cry.

The canteen was full of chatter when suddenly screams filled the air followed by rumbling noises. Everyone fell silent. What's going on? The screams stop. What was that? I got up and slowly walk to the exit. Without warning, the canteen starts shaking. The plates start running around the tables, most fall off and smash. "Earthquake?" Stephanie ask. I was about to reply when the answer was announced to us. An explosion in the kitchen went off. Everyone started screaming and running. It turned into chaos. Several more bombs went off and the exit got blocked off. Everyone's running in different directions. I stood still trying to remain calm, be rational and find an escape. The building starts to collapse. Debris is coming down and coming down fast. I try to find the others but I can't see them anywhere. I hope they're okay. Everyone's screaming and crying. We're trapped. Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me towards them. As they did a chunk of the roof fell and whoever the stranger is, just saved me. "You okay?" I look up and there stood Ashton. My hero. I nodded in response. The building starts coming down even quicker. A hole in the front wall crumbles away giving us an escape route. Ash grabs my hand and we race to freedom. Luckily, everyone else spots the hole to and escapes.

We managed to get out of the building just as the last bomb went off and the whole building came crashing down. I hope no one's still inside. Me and Ash collapsed to the floor struggling to breathe. Ashton realised he's still holding my hand and immediately pulled away and honestly it hurt. Just when I thought he's okay with me again, he does that. "Thank you." I say. Ashton doesn't respond. I can feel myself start to tear up but that stops the second my body fills with panic. "Where are the others?"

"I don't know."

"Em! Steph! Brandon! Charlotte! Charlie!" We both started to scream and shout and run around. Where are they?

"Katie, I found them." Ashton shouted; I followed the sound of his voice. They're all sat on the floor.

"Everyone okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, we're fine, just a few cuts and bruises. Thanks to Brandon remaining calm, we made out in one piece." Stephanie said.

"Was that an attack from Stone Tribe?" Em asked.

"I think so. They're clearly not afraid to kill innocent people." Malcom and some guards came racing. I can see the pain and sadness in Malcom's eyes. The guards went through the debris and find fifteen bodies. "It hurts me so much that a tribe that was once our closest ally has turned against us and now done this. Not only hurt but killed." I never thought about that, why are they at war? Why did they turn against the White Tribe?

Malcom held a memorial service in the large field we arrived at and got children to plant a lily for everyone who died. "I want to apologise to those who lost their lives and also say thank you. They'll be sent back their families along with a care package and a handwritten note from myself expressing my gratitude and condolences." Malcom's words made me think about how no one back home knows we're here or if we're even alive. My mum must be worried sick.

After the memorial, I went back to my room. I was the only one who went, the others disappeared shortly after the attack. I reach my room and find a note stuck to the door in the my dad's handwriting. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes." I wrote and slipped under my dad's door. I was about to go into my room when I heard arguing coming from Ashton's room. I knocked on the door and the sound disappeared. I went in and found everyone in there. I notice Stephanie and Charlotte's stuff on the bed. "What's going on?" I ask.

"Ashton and the others are leaving." Brandon shouted.

"What? You're leaving?" I said, shocked.

"This isn't our fight Katie. These aren't our people or our home. We don't even know why these people are fighting, we could be fighting on the wrong side for all we know." Ashton shouted.

"I get that and that's why I'm keeping an open mind and try to find answers. However, there are still innocent people here who need our help."

"It's not our fight Katie!" I can hear the anger in Ashton's voice.

'I spoke to my dad and he agrees that we should go home." Stephanie continued, "and Charlotte and Charlie are way too young to be fighting."

"I completely agree. So, you're all leaving?"

"I'm not." Brandon said.

"I'm staying." Em added. "Plus, I don't wanna leave my dad."

"All these people need our help. I'm going to help them as best as I can even if it kills me." I said.

"You shouldn't have to die for strangers."

"I'm willing to for those who need help."

"Katie you should come home with us." Ashton stated.

"I'm staying. I'm not leaving my dad. Family doesn't leave family."

What Ashton replied cut deeper than any knife ever could. "It's a good job we're not family or even friends anymore. I'm going. You can stay and get yourself killed but we're leaving." Ashton grabbed his stuff and stormed out followed by Christopher, Charlotte, Charlie and Stephanie.

"I'm sorry Hun but this isn't our fight and I don't want to die." Stephanie said as she left.

"Wait... what about your promise?" I tried to shout but nothing came out. My chest closed up. I can't breathe. I collapsed to the floor and cried my heart out. Brandon and Emily dropped to my side and held me close. I can't believe they left. I can't believe Ashton said that. He's my closest friend and he said that to me. I've been friends with Ashton and Stephanie for years and when I needed them most they left. Please come back.