WAR

Chapter 18

 I jerk myself out of sleep. Grabbing the dagger that lay on my wooden counter. A small leather bag. Fill it with Food. Apples. Jerky. Berries. Then I hurry outside. Calling Storm, Cracker and Hurricane with me. "Ok, you guys, if you want, are gonna follow me to rescue Hermosa. Maxs side captured her. And Emma no longer wants worldwide peace.

Storm snarled. Hurricane whimpered. Cracker pawed at a leaf. "Ok. Hurricane You don't have to come. Do you wanna?" Hurricane turned tail and left. "Okkk." I said. "Storm, act friendly. Cracker, act scary." We set off. Me closing up the hole after we open it again.

It took longer because Cracker stopped to sniff EVERYTHING.

When we reached the border, Everything changed. Many people were on horseback. Standing guard. Yelling. And people training. Women, Children, Men. I glowered. Wonderful. I slipped across the border. No one spotted me or called out as i ran to the training. No one saw me as I slipped in as one of the kids learning how to shoot.

"DOGS!" Yelled someone. Everyone turns and looks around. Cracker was sniffing a bush. But why dogs? Not dog? Oh no. Storm leaps out to defend Cracker.

And this was my fault. I never told them stay......

Storm chased Cracker through the legs, arms, and feet of many humans into my arms. I scooped Cracker into the air. And Storm slipped in between my legs and snarled at the coming people. "Storm!" I whispered. "Bite me Cracker! Run!" They did no such thing. They inherited my stubbornness. Which I fully blam on my father for handing it over to me.

Some men dressed as guards grab Cracker, attach a collar and leash to Storm and drag me along with them. "Come. We're taking you to the boss." Oh dear. Emma please don't be there. "Hey!" I say. Trying to shake their firm grip off of me. "Taking you to Boss!" says another Guard. "Is that all you say?" As if to prove my point, "Taking you to Boss!" "Great! Another great day! Stupid Guards. Stupid War. Stupid El Gato. Stupid River!" I was screaming. "You had everything! Yet you greedy little brats killed your father and then split! Stupid!!" People turned their heads when they heard me. They turned and closed their eyes tightly.

"COWARDS!" I yell at them. "THERE JUST STUPI-" I am tossed onto the ground and stomped on by a guard. I kick upward. Hitting them between the legs. And he doubles over in pain. Then I squirm out from under him. The other Guards are struggling to hold back a powerful well trained Chow Chow and a full grown Half doberman. Storm has over three people holding her down. All bleeding. The Guard lunges at me. Sidestepped. He fell.

"Ha! You're a guard and can't even defend yourself." The wall that's normally far away come now. The last time it was here Father was teaching me to fight. No weapons. Then i got an small advantage. Then he got a big one. I remember screaming about it not being fair.

Don't Hurt Him. Please.

Says my wall.

No. He has a gun. Or a knife. He has Hermosa. He has My Friends. He is fighting on the sde of the people who killed my parnets. Ruthlessness tries to take over. But then the voice says again.

Yeah, but your better then that. Maybe he was forced to fight on that side? You never know. Better to safe then sorry.

Fine. I won't kill. Just knock out. A small bit of revenge. Then an image of Percy comes back.

Why did you kill him?

The voice takes shape. Turns into a memory.

"RAY RUN!"

"Never Look BACk"

'Run'

"None Of you girls are leaving"

SNAP

DAD!

Death row

"I CAN't"

"ELIZA RUN"

Gun SHOTs

Blood

Bodies

Knives

Percy

Ava

Emma

I snap back into real time. Chained to a post. Emma and Sugar's owner staring at me. There gazes meeting my eyes the moment I open them. Though one memory stays stuck in my brain. SNAP! When I had killed my first man. Then years later I killed my second. How could i? How could I ruthlessly kill two humans? Because they were hurting me. That's why. I tell myself. And try to fight that little voice. And it retreats.

"Emma, why?" I say. "Because there is more power here. Though you already knew that hmm?" I frown. "No. Oh." When she had attacked me. She said she was 'testing me'. She was trying to kill me. My inner turtle was showing. And I shoved it right back down where it belonged.

"Where's Hermosa? Storm? Cracker?" I ask. The man laughs. "That's what you renamed Sugar? Well her name is Fea." I realize there are no chains holding me down. I slapped him. Across the table. Hard on the cheek. I cough into my hand. "Stupid."

He starts to talk. My mind drifts away. 'HERMOSA! HERMOSA! HERMOSA!' screaming in my mind. 'ray?' a weak voice drifts to me. 'You came.' 'Of course. I love you.' 'Ray, get out of here! Emma-' 'Yep! I was captured along with Storm and Cracker. Where are you?'

"-New base and every-" Her line goes dead. Like when people are talking and then everythings quiet. 'HERMOSA!' "HERMOSA!" The man laughs. And I jerk out of my daze. "Don't. Yell. Ever. Again." Oops. I yelled. He continues. While I try to get a hold of Hermosa. No luck. After ages of him talking, he has a guard drag me to a cell. I ended up sharing one with a very old looking man. "Hello." He says. After the guard leaves. "Ahh, Hello." I return. "What are you here for?" he asks. I narrow my eyes. "How old are you? Why are you here? Are you some info gather in the form of a prisoner? How can I trust you?" He laughs. "I am older than possible. I am here for the fact of this war. And power hungry people. No, I am a prisoner. If you want you can trut me. Though my twin sister and I did some bad things when we rebelled together. Some people thought she was the good one. Fighting for justice." He says these words bitterly. "They joined her. Thought she was here for human rights. She lies." he pauses. "I have said to much already. Whats your story?" I hesitate. "Are you? No. Max is long gone dead." He laughs. "My sisters name was River." My eyes harden. My body stiffened.. The cold stone floor and walls pen us in. No way of escape.

"Your name is Max."

"You guessed it."