Stellar

Chapter 5

I thought David was kidding when he said that Leo was going after Mary. But over the next day, he had really started flirting. Complimenting her, making her homemade napkin origami..... Okay, that last one's a little odd, but adorable nonetheless.

She was good at hiding her blush, but her eyes lit whenever Leo walked over. I was her best friend.... I could see these things.

The clock says we have another hour until we leave again. I spend all of my available time with Beau, David, or Mary. Mary is easy to talk to, with her sarcastic humor, and Beau and I just pick on each other. But David is different.... I never know what he's thinking. He always has been more closed off and and quiet since I've known him, all but that time he had to shake me awake. When I looked into his face, I saw flat-out fear. I remember his eyes. He looked so terrified in those few seconds, and my guess is that doesn't happen very often.

A voice boomed over the speakers.

"Attention Contenders, attention please. The second leg of the race will now begin. Please line up at the steel door in your bunk room."

All but 1 of us lined up at the door. Grace stayed in the bunk room, playing cards by herself. She didn't look at all alarmed.

"Grace, come on." David said flatly.

"No. What will they do to me if I stay here? Kill me?" she said quietly with a slight chuckle, "I'm going to die anyways..."

No one had a response to that. The door opened, and we all walked through into the cramped, familiar room.

We looked back, and the steel door closed. Not before we saw Grace fall to the ground, bleeding through her chest.

Oh my god..... they shot her. They really freaking shot her.

Before I could produce a word, I realized everyone was sitting down accept for me. David got up, grabbed my hand, and gently pulled me to an available seat. I nodded to him as a thank you and squeezed his hand. The same process repeated as the first time. The four armed figure appears, gives us a shot of goopy orange liquid, and disappears.

I saw something different this time. Instead of my eyes fluttering closed and falling into a deep sleep, it made me even more awake. I looked around and saw everyone else was asleep, their heads dropped.

I was still fully awake when the engines whirred to life. I could feel the ship fly upward quickly, my stomach rising to my throat.

Suddenly, my eyes slammed shut.

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I woke up laying on the ground. That's all I could tell, considering I hadn't opened my eyes yet.

But my head was being supported by something firmer than grass. I cracked my eyes open and found that I was using David's calves as a pillow. I turned my head towards him, catching a glimpse of the gray sky. Sitting up, I found that everyone accept for David and I were sleeping yet.

"Morning, sleepy." he said.

I could feel myself blush when I said, "How long have you been awake?"

"Around a half hour." he told me. I ran a hand over my hair and found the silky strands ended six inches sooner than they should have.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed," They cut off my hair!"

"I know..... they cut mine too." he said.

I had worked hard on my hair. I had been resisting the urge to cut it for the last 2 years. My hair was now almost waist length. Um.... was waist length.

They had dressed the girls in navy green cargo pants with a light weight, dark red jacket. The men wore almost the same thing.

Once everyone woke up, we adjusted our clothing a bit, as it was raining lightly, and set off into the coniferous forest, full of pine trees.