Terror

Chapter Fifteen

It was unusual to see a boy cry. Maybe it was just that Nevaeh wasn't used to seeing them cry in front of her. Boys often act as if they haven't cried in six years, but not River, because he had shed an ocean of tears.

Cindy had gone to inform Emma about what had happened at the bubble with Cecile and the others. She was taking forever, which probably meant she was picking up the latest gossip.

"Sorry," River's voice cracked against her shoulder. "It's just they would've never listened."

Night had fallen. Streetlights gleamed in the distance, far beyond the barrier. They had tried to communicate with the outside, but it had failed. Some people were still gathered around, snapping photos like they were watching celebrities on the red carpet.

"Why did she do it?" River asked, his voice raw.

Nevaeh didn't need to ask who he meant. Cassandra hadn't just revealed the truth—she had those strange powers that allowed her hand to pass through the barrier.

"She's nice," Nevaeh said softly.

She suspected Cassandra's courage had something to do with the way Scarlett had raised her.

Nevaeh looked at the bubble, where most people had gone home for the night. Cars drove by normally on the outside, yet everything felt confined. Not just the bubble that secluded them inside this place, but also the view of the outside world.

It had been nearly a year since Nevaeh had seen her father in the flesh. He still looked the same when he scolded her—hair trimmed too short, worry pinched his voice.

It wasn't that he could control her actions, but because others feared them. It wasn't just because of the abnormal powers, but also because they had survived something worse than a world war.

"What do we do now?" River asked, taking his head off her shoulder.

"Try not to get murdered in our sleep," Nevaeh said. "Can you believe we used to live in that society?"

They used to live in a place governed by laws and parents nagged at their children. Waking up early for school used to feel unbearable. Now, an average math grade sounded like luxury.

Back then, the town didn't burn down. People didn't have powers. Fear was smaller.

Simcoe could be rebuilt. She knew it wouldn't matter. It would never feel the same.

"No," River answered quietly.

"I want to get out," Nevaeh sighed. "But we both know the reality we face."

River closed his eyes. "Court."

"Greyson and Jason will undoubtedly be in jail. Same with the crackheads," she said. "The rest of us will be charged with felonies."

Outside the barrier, stealing food was still a crime. Even if it was the reason you survived.

A few months ago, they would've starved to death.

Nevaeh clenched her hands into the fabric of her pants. It didn't matter. Her parents probably wouldn't even claim her. Not after what happened during the sighting. Not after what she did in front of her father and the police officers.

"How about instead of a mansion, we all live in a house?" Nevaeh suggested.

"I haven't lived in that before," River said.

Nevaeh often forgot he was a millionaire due to the way he detested it. She'd love to be rich someday and go travel to all the fancy beaches all over the world.

"See, we can go to all those takeout places like McDonald's at 1 a.m."

She had no idea where they were going to live, but it sounded like fun because they'd be able to be teenagers. It wouldn't be the chaos that Mia and the other three created, but they would be having fun like in the beginning.