There's Someone in My Head But it's Not Me

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

We were back in the sky.
I was curled up against Colton again as towns and forests flew by below. I don't know what time it was when we landed, but it was dark again.
We landed somewhere in a forest. There was a clearing where the barren trees folded overhead, protecting us from the sight of anyone in the sky.
"We'll stay here for the night. Tomorrow, we should reach Nialliv's base."
My face scrunched up in confusion. "I thought we were going to Seoreh."
"You changed that when you said you wanted to save the other experiments."
"I-ok." I sat down on the ground and leaned back onto a tree. Colton sat down in front of me.
"Are you sure you want to help them? I mean, Nialliv could've-"
"I'm sure. Even if Nialliv has them for a reason, no one deserves to be a slave. No one." I put an emphasis on the last words.
"But do we really risk everything to save people we don't even know?"
"Why are you even questioning it?" I exclaimed. "You of all people should know how it felt to be experimented on!"
Colton plucked at the dead pieces of grass. I stood up and began walking over to the edge of the clearing.
"I don't know what happened to the Colton I was talking to earlier. You know, the one who cares about people other than himself. The one who said he loved me." And with that, I stormed out of the clearing. I heard Colton stand up and run after me.
"Echo, wait!"
I turned back to him and crossed my arms. "What now?"
Colton nervously kicked at a rock on the ground. "It's not like I don't want to save them. I do." He waited for a response. When I didn't reply, he sighed and continued.
"I just don't want anything to happen to you."
I rolled my eyes. "I can handle myself thank you very much."
"You couldn't earlier."
I ran my hands through my hair. "If I'm a 'super soldier' then what how am I supposed to protect myself? I've got to have some other hidden power or something..."
Colton nodded his head. "You're right. Maybe-"
My head began throbbing. I couldn't concentrate on what he was saying.
And then everything went black.

When I regained consciousness, I was lying down in the middle of the clearing. Colton was nowhere in sight, which I found odd. Every time something had happened to me, he had been right there.
I pushed myself off the floor and looked around.
The sun was up now and the trees were casting shadows on the ground that looked like hands reaching towards me.
I ran to the nearest one and climbed it.
The sun had been up for awhile, as it was in the middle of the sky. I made a 360 turn and noticed a field where the forest ended.
Almost like the one by Colton's cabin.
I climbed back down the tree and ran off in the direction of the field. Once I reached it, I realized something.
It was the field by Colton's cabin.
The one with the cliff.
I fell back against a tree for support.
I can't be here again.
Why had Colton brought me back? Had he meant to or was it a mistake?
I sure hoped it was one. What if my dream from yesterday came true? Had everything he said yesterday been lies?
I regained me balance and ran back to the clearing I had woken up in.
My bag was missing. Someone had clearly taken it. I knelt down where it had sat and noticed footprints in the mud that lead to a tree on the other side.
And then they disappeared. Which meant-
As I looked up, one of the men from the cliff jumped down and landed on top of me. He had me pinned to the ground.
"Get off!" I shouted as I tried to shove him. Clearly that wouldn't work so I reached for my knife. He didn't seem to realize what I was doing until it was too late. That was when I stabbed him in the stomach. To ensure that I didn't have to deal with him again, I twisted the blade around and then pulled it out.
The man collapsed into the ground and his partner ran into the clearing. Once he saw the other guard lying on the ground, he began fumbling for his gun. I took advantage of that and ran out of the clearing.
When I finally realized where I was going, I cursed under my breath.
I was back at the cliff.
And the last people I wanted to see were standing together waiting for me.
Colton, Siara, and her husband.
Just like in my dream.
My eyes began tearing up but not from sadness.
It was anger.
Colton told me that he cared about me and would never hurt me.
Lies.
What made it worse was that he was smirking.
Before I could think I was storming  towards them. Tears were streaming down my face. I was screaming things at them that weren't even comprehendible.
And the whole time he stood there smiling.
    The scary thing was that everything that was happening right now had happened in my dream. Colton began talking. "You know Echo, I never actually liked you." He grinned. "You fell for me right away. I acted like I cared for you when I never actually did."
    He began to advance towards me. I tried to move back but I couldn't. After a quick glance behind me, I realized the second guard had caught up and thrown a rope around my legs.
"You mean nothing to me Echo." Colton spat my name like poison. "You mean nothing."
    Siara and her husband had followed their son towards me.
"Colton, hold her," Siara said in a soft, almost calm voice. His eyes almost looked shocked at the order but as soon as the look had appeared, it was gone.
    His hands were wrapped around my throat. I ripped at them, but it did nothing.
    Siara grabbed my wrist as I continued clawing at Colton. A sharp pain went through my arm as Siara pulled a syringe out of it.
"No... not again..." I managed to get out, just like in the dream.
    This was the part the dream ended. Colton had yelled at me to wake up and I half expected that to happen.
    I have to say when it didn't I was disappointed.
    With that, my vision blurred and then went black.