The Untouchables

Chapter Twenty-three: Luke

"Lynn!" I shouted. "Please come back!"

She was getting farther and farther away, and she didn't seem to hear me as we raced through the woods.

The damp ground was covered in soft pine needles and leaves that had fallen. They all squished beneath my heavy boots as I beat my feet against the ground, hopelessly trying to catch up to her.

But she was running as fast as she could.

Away from me.

"Let me explain!" I pleaded. "Come back!"

I wasn't sure if she could even hear me. I surely couldn't hear anything besides the wind and my own heartbeat in my ears.

Everything had gone so well last night, flawlessly even. But somehow she had found an old newspaper, revealing my true life and name.

And my lies.

My many, many, lies.

I wasn't given a job at a Lumber site, I wasn't let go.

I work for a rebel group that was actively being sought out by the Monarch. My entire role was getting rid of people that stood in our way, in the way of The Army. 'Cleaning' the way for a rebellion that no one has ever seen before. That had a plan.

Quite frankly, if I didn't know myself, I'd run too.

She probably thought that she was next, since we'd started to argue, she'd most likely thought that she was standing in my way, and that I'd kill her. Just like the others.

We rapidly sped through the forest and the morning air. I tried to catch up to her, but it was true that she was considerably faster than I was as we had found out a week or so ago, and there was no way I was catching up.

So, I decided to slow down and let her go, mostly for my own health. I would've kept running after her, but against my better judgment, I had to let her figure this out herself.

Without me.

As much as I wanted to hold her and explain everything, I absolutely couldn't catch up with her, and she probably wouldn't listen anyways. Even if I did catch up.

I gradually slowed down and came to a breathless stop.

Unfortunately, she continued to race through the forest, even after I'd stopped, leaving me alone in the woods.

Hesitantly, I caught my breath, turned around and headed back the way we came. It took longer to get back because I was walking instead of running, but eventually, I broke through the treeline and back out into the clearing with the lake.

The fish and the glowing waters of the lake from the night before, had disappeared leaving the lake appearing normal. The sun had fully risen over the horizon, and glistened off of the soft, yellow-white sand.

I couldn't understand where I went wrong. Everything the night before had gone so well.

Or so I thought.

I had exactly what I could ever want. I loved her, and she loved me. Or so I'd thought.

I'd fallen in love with a girl who put the lives of those she loves before her own. A girl who put on a smile for those around her, even if she was crying on the inside. Someone who had to fight for everything she had. The people she cares for and their lives as well as her own.

A survivor.

Meanwhile she'd fallen for someone who put his life first. A boy who put the needs of a rebellion before those he cared for. A boy who left his family for dead to save his own life. Someone who chose a new friend over those he cared for from the beginning. Someone who killed powerful people for the benefit of others.