Gally Imagines

=NINETEEN= Truth Hurts, Doesn't It

You glanced through the fire at Gally's hunched form-his eyes staring blankly into his plate of vegetables and goat's meat-then back at your empty lap. And large thighs. You shook your head to clear it, determining that Dan's words would not bother you! But the fact that you'd rejected another meal proved otherwise.

You switched your thoughts from food and back to Gally. You could tell that he was still concerned, maybe even agitated now, but he had kept back, giving you space, and you knew that the unanswered note was one of the reasons. In a way it was a relief to not have Gally's constant gaze on you, causing the guilt of what you were doing to him to rise terribly, but it was also very painful to watch him throw sidelong glances when he thought you weren't looking. Oh Gally! It's not you, it's me! I love you, that's why I'm doing this! You deserve better! You'll get over me. You will. This is the only way.

Suddenly there was a banging, and you looked over to see Zart slapping a steady, catchy beat on the side of yellow, metal barrel. Another Glader started whacking at the side of another one with a hefty stick, and soon there were boys dancing around the fire to the rhythm of the containers. It was nice to shove the thought of Gally and food to the back corners of your mind and watch the Glader's smooth and jerky movements as they whirled and jumped agilely this way and that in a strangely mesmerizing flow. 

You ran your fingers over the wooden heart, feeling its rough surface as you watched the boys. 

"Hey, Y/N," said Thomas as he came up to you, smiling and breathing heavily from his previous exertion, and thrust his hands down to where you were sitting. "Dance with me!"

You considered for a moment, but Thomas-obviously not wanting you to overthink-took your empty hands in his and yanked you up, spinning you in a circle. The freedom of that spin was wonderful, and you found yourself smiling a little at Thomas' encouragement. He spun you the other way, and you actually laughed! Thomas smiled cheerfully as he continued to twirl you, and the hold of the harsh, strangling fear was beginning to loosen its grip, as if flying away from you as you spun in Thomas' hands. 

Then you stopped, to catch your breath, and your wobbly, dizzy vision caught up Gally. He was staring at Thomas with a hard glare, which eventually turned to you, faltered, and turned away as he stood up abruptly and walked off into the direction of the Homestead.  

"Gally," you called softly, but he didn't stop, and you watched his figure fade from the firelight.

Had he not heard you, or had he purposely kept walking? You inwardly kicked yourself, going from feeling a little better, to plummeting to the depths of despair. You sank down on the log once more and stared into the fire, wishing that you had run with Gally when he'd gone to smooth out the Builders' arguments instead of staying alone in the woods to be met by Dan. As if thinking his name alerted him somehow, Dan's dark eyes turned on you, sparkling wickedly in the dancing light of the fire as he stared. A shiver ran down your spine, and you stood up, making your way back to your hut. 

As you walked through the dark and seemingly vacant Glade, your eyes darted about examining the shadows that lurked in the corners of the huts, and other unrecognizable objects. You were freezing, not from the chilling air that passed along your shoulders, but from the numbness inside of you. A numbness of fear, and a numbness of being alone. So alone. Oh, Gally!

Then, you saw a movement from a dark place immerging from behind a hut, and for an instant your heart leapt, then came crashing down once more as a Glader's voice spoke. A Glader's voice that you were learning to dread.

"Hey, Babe."

It was Dan.

"I'll scream!" you hissed.

He leaned nonchalantly on the side wall of a hut, unconcernedly. "Go ahead," he smirked.

You swallowed, but stood where you were, lips sealed.

"I just wanted to know how things were going with you and Gally," he said in the same, even tone.

At the mention of Gally's name, a rush of sadness welled up from inside of you as an image of his smiling face was brought unwillingly into your mind, and you struggled to hold it down.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it."

It was said in the same way that Dan had said it before. A statement, not a question. And it stung just as badly as if you were hearing it for the first time. No! It was not true! Dan was lying! Just walk away, Y/N! Walk away! But your feet wouldn't move. 

"You're wrong," you told him.

Dan stepped up to you and looked into your eyes, then put up a hand and ran the back of his fingers down your cheek. You shivered at the touch, but no matter how hard you willed yourself, you just could not move! 

"No," Dan replied through clenched teeth, "you are."

For one brief, horrifyingly sickening moment it seemed as though Dan was about to lay his lips against your cheek where his fingers had grazed your skin, but at the last moment his gaze dropped, and you realized that he was staring at your neck, or, rather, what was around your neck. His eyes were locked on the carved heart with a look that slowly turned to a malice you couldn't believe. Terrified, you almost saw him rip if from your neck, but instead Dan jerked his attention to your face once more, and stepped backwards, keeping his eyes locked onto yours as he faded into the shadows.

You let out a shaky breath, feeling suddenly weak, as if the life had been sucked out of you, and you struggled to keep standing upright. Stumbling, you made it back to your hut and closed the door tightly behind you, leaning on it for support. You grasped the carved wooden necklace in your hand and closed your eyes, trying to imagine the slow, rhythmic rise and fall of Gally's chest, and the steady beating of heart, in an effort calm your own.

You sat on the edge of your bed and pulled out the folded note from underneath your pillow, running your fingers along its smooth surface and reading the words over and over, even though you already knew what it said by heart. Then you refolded it and tucked it gently in its hiding spot, laying your head down on top of it and staring up at the thatched roof, your mind replaying the same words over and over.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it."

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I know, I know, more "drama," but hey, this waiting will make it all the more sweet once you finally confess to Gally about what is going on! x) I promise I won't drag it out too much longer! x)