now or never

9

I was curled up in my bed when Sloane came into the room. "Elena, is everything okay?" she asked me and carefully approached my bed. I nodded silently but she wasn't convinced. "I know we shouldn't trust anyone here but you're clearly not feeling well. So if you want to talk, I'm here." She puts her hand on my shoulder.

I sat up and wiped the tears from my face. "My oldest brother gave me a letter and I just got emotional, that's all." I answered her. She just nodded and sat down on the bed next to me. "You know," she began. "I also had a brother but he died in the War Games last year. I blame Sorrengail because he protected her. If she hadn't been there, Liam would still be alive now."

Liam is dead. Liam is dead. Liam is dead. The realization kicked in. That's why everyone reacted so strangely to Sloane. That's why she hated Violet so much and why I hadn't seen him yet. Because Liam is dead.

Memories flashed before my mind.

I was twelve when I got lost in the forest. My brothers and the Sorrengail siblings and I had been playing hide and seek and I ran too far. I didn't know where I was or what would happen to me, so I kept running. I was afraid. Fear of not finding my way home and fear that if I went home I would be beaten up by my father.

I had already given up when I heard laughter. I followed the sound until I reached the top of a hill. At the other end of the hill, three boys fought with wooden swords and laughed when they hit each other. I wanted to go to them and ask if they knew how I could get home, but then I slipped and fell down the hill.

When I woke up again I was lying in a bed in a strange house and room. Someone held my hand. It was one of the boys from before. I sat up abruptly. Where was I? I looked around. The boy who had just been holding my hand looked at me with wide eyes before running out of the room.

I wanted to escape, but when I tried to move my right leg it hurt. There were quick steps, several people seemed to be coming, and actually three boys and an older man entered the room. "Everything is good." said the boy from just now. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. He held out his hand to me and introduced himself. "I'm Liam. Liam Mairi."

That was the day I met Liam for the first time. I looked at Sloane and saw a tear roll down her cheek. I pulled her into my arms and hugged her. She returned the hug and we both started crying.