Before the Ever Green (BTEG #1) ✔️

Chapter 26

The light is burning my eyes as I blink several times trying to make my vision more clear. I am still in the small room of Maxwell's house. I am still under the purple comforter. I still have to make a decision today.

I flop my head back down on the pillow. The room has white walls, and only one picture of a boy and a girl, who are maybe 7, holding hands and looking into the distance. I'm not sure what it resembles, or who the people are, but it's peaceful.

Someone knocks at my door.

"Come in!" I yell

Maxwell is wearing a dark maroon shirt and black pants. His hair fix combed back, and he stands tall, though he looks tired, "I wasn't sure if you were still asleep. It's 10."

"Sorry," I say, sitting up in the bed, "I usually get up early, but I wasn't sure the time...there isn't a clock,"

"I don't use this room a lot. I tend to keep to myself. Oh, the reason I came in here was to say breakfast is being served in the main hall,"

"Main hall? Where's that?"

"Castle."

"Oh, I'll get read then. Thank you, for letting me stay, and telling me about breakfast and all."

"No problem," he says, "Hurry up,"

I smile as he closes the door. I fix the bed, and hurry to my leather bag to pull out a white dress. I really hate dresses, but its easier than pants; it takes up less room in my bag.

I flatten my hair down with my hands, and leave the room. Everett and Maxwell are waiting by the door. The door is open, and I can see Tobi and the twins coming up the steps. I really need to learn the twins names. I am just now realizing I never really addressed them, so it didn't matter.

"Good morning," I say to Everett, "How'd you sleep?"

"Fine, the couch was comfy enough."

"That's good." I am only now realizing how awkward it is to be here. We both really don't know anything about anything here. I've only met a few of the people, one of which appears to hate me. Two I don't know the names of. One seems to have a delicate past that isn't spoken of.

"You guys ready?" Tobi asks, gesturing for us to follow her. I nod, and follow her lead to the open door s of the castle, where there is a line of people. "I guess we can't be first all the time."

"Guess not," Maxwell says to Tobi.

We wait in line for about an hour, but when we finally reach the end of the line, we are in a huge room with tables full of food like bacon, eggs, pancakes, and crumpets. It's like food heaven, and I cant help but wondering how did they get all this food? I guess it comes with the fact that Mr. O'Riley works for the capital, but who would have thought that would get him all this food?

After we all have filled our plates and are seated, Mr. O'Riley enters the room walking onto the large stage at the front, "How are you all this morning?" he asks, and gets a response of everyone saying "good" or "fine", no one said bad. Mr. O'Riley continues, "I know yesterday you were all concerned by the false alarm. But, yes, we do have a few guests with us today. We would like to introduce them to the group, so please stand, Addilyn, Everett." We do, and everyone turns to look at us, "They might be joining us, a long with Addilyn's mother, every soon. So, be sure to be welcoming, please. On another matter, the capital has set out a new request that everyone have a curfew of 9 o'clock. Be sure not to be caught beyond the wall after then, because they will torture you, I have no doubt. We now more than ever need to be aware of the capital, because they are gaining more control."

The room is silent as he speaks, but once he gets off the stage, it's loud, more loud than the cafeteria. The only difference is I don't see anyone making out. Not that they would, they all appear to be 30 or 40, besides a corner of about 10 children and teenagers, who I can only assume to be the offspring of the other fine people I see.

No one talks to me, not that I would expect them too, in fact, I am kind of glad they don't. If anyone would strike up a conversation with me, it would probably end up being one sided, because I was never good at speaking to people. Not that I would be, since no one talked to me, I guess it's a given when Sara and John hated me. I am pretty sure Everett was the first person, besides Mom, who I'd had a conversation with since I was 7.

That was the year my only friend died.

We'd been friends since kindergarten. Brit was never scared of my mom's powers, so she'd hang out and play with me. I remember she had gorgeous black hair and the most magnificent green eyes. She would do anything to make me laugh, and I'd do anything to make her laugh. We were the best of buddies. But, only at school. One day our teacher came to class, with tears in our eyes, and told us Brit had passed away. She pointed her finger at me, and said I killed her. She made me spend the rest of the year's lunches and recesses inside writing 'I will never kill anyone, again. It is bad' on a piece of paper as many times as I could. The teacher gave me a 5 inch binder filled with all the pages I'd written. She handed it to me and said, "To think you'd kill your own friend. And asylum is where you belong."

I remember that year so vividly, I remember how much my hand hurt from blisters caused by the pencils. I remember my mom asking why my hands were trembling, and me collapsing on the floor in tears, but never telling her the truth. I never wanted to burden her.

"Addilyn, are you okay? You look like you might cry...or scream," Maxwell says, looking scared for me. His eyes are wide, and his hand is in the air by my shoulder, where he shook me.

"Yeah. I was just in a day dream,"

"Honey, you really look bad," Tobi says and the twins nod.

"Really guys, I am perfectly fine. I just have a thing where I get to thinking too much, and start to show my emotion to my thoughts on my face, it's nothing to worry about."

"Were you dreaming about pain, because you looked like you were going to crawl into a ball and cry."

"Listen, I...am...fine." I say it nice and slow, "Really." They don't look like they believe me and I know I can't stay , so I push back my chair and head for the door.

The weather is nice today, but inside this wall there isn't a single tree. My eyes automatically dart towards to door that connects this place to the world beyond. I look around and notice everyone is inside. My eyes travel back to the door, and before I can stop them, my feet are moving my body.

This is it.

I take a deep breathe of the pine and oak. I did it, I am on the other side of that stupid wall. I am on the other side, alone. And, I am realizing... I don't want to go back.

So, I don't.

I am sitting with my back against the stone wall, listening to people call my name. "Addilyn! Where are you?" They've been calling for a while, but I won't show my face. Instead I sit here, looking at the trees I am about to trudge into.

I push my self off the ground, "Goodbye," I whisper to the wall, making my way to the cluster of trees in front of me. The forest is darker than the one by my house, but it's quiet.

I just keep walking, and I'm not even sure what I am looking for. Just something. I see a pile of rocks up ahead, and my feet are killing me, so I decide to stop. I pull myself up onto one of the bigger rocks, and lay my head down.