MisPrints

•Chapter 9•

It's strange. Nothing appears to have happened..

The morning siren went off as normal, we all got dressed and washed as normal. No one was taken away or called out, no one is missing. We're all here. Even Pri, much to my annoyance.

To my delight I realise that maybe they arnt going to do anything after all.

We line up outside the lift and wait to be taken up to the dinning hall. I turn around quickly to see if I can see Zak. There he is, stood in his line. He gives me a nod and a half smile. I sigh a breath of relief. If anyone would've gone, it would have been him. They probably decided not to do it after all. Maybe Edine had second thoughts.

We sit down at our dining tables as normal. Breakfast is bright red and has been cut into lots of 1cm cubes. It tastes like crumpets and honey. I eat a few of the cubes and then push my plate away.

"Can I?" Lea asks. 

"Sure." I whisper in response. I swap plates with her and she begins to stab the cubes with her fork.

We sit in silence for about 5 minutes. Kat attempts to mouth something at me but I can't understand what she's saying. Lea continues eating, smiling at me and laughing silently at my failing attempts to decipher Kat's message.

I notice the overseers prowling around behind the glass with their clipboards, their eyes trained upon us, like gardeners watching over their fruits until they're ripe.

Is it just me... Or are there more of them than normal..

Suddenly a surprised voice breaks our dense silence. "Sam? Sam what's wrong?" I spin around quickly and see a girl a couple of tables away crumbling onto the floor. The girl beside her has jumped off her stool and is kneeling beside her. The girl Sam is curling up, clutching her stomach, her face screwed up in pain.  

"Sam!"   The other girl is now trying to get her to speak, "Sam are you ill?! Sam, what.... Are you hurt?... Can I help?!" She's getting panicky now, and looks around at all the watching faces staring at them.

"Do something!" She shrieks, "Tell them! Do something! She's in pain! Can't they see!?" She turns her head towards the glass and points to it. "Get them! Please! Get them now!" I glance towards the overseers.

They haven't even moved. They continue watching the scene in interest. Reacting as if their favourite television programme had reached a particularly dramatic scene. None of them make a move to come and help.

They just sit there. Like vultures.

Suddenly theres cry from across tthe room and a boy falls to the ground. Then a girl from the row behind begins to sob and moan in pain. The girl helping Sam is getting hysterical now.

"WILL SOMEONE GET THEM!" She shrieks, "She's clearly in pain! Please just someone anyone HELP ME!"

The overseers still don't move. They scribble a bit onto their paper.

Sam is still writhing on the flaw, tears pouring from the eyes and onto the floor. Her face is one of agony, as if someone has stabbed her in the stomach. The boy is doing the same. The kids around us are just watching , like me, not knowing at all what to do.

What's happening?

Elimination. It has to be. But how are they... What.... what had made them hurt so much?! Another 4 children by now have started to moan and cry. I just sit there helpless. I don't know what to do, what can I do!?

I spin around to Zak's table and find he's looking right at me, his green eyes full of alarm. He mouths something at me. At first I don't understand him but then he says it again. One word.

Suddenly everything clicks into place in my mind. The Medication. It's not in the tablets. They've been putting it somewhere else...

A cold slither of ice slips through my heart. The intake percentages. Mine is much higher than everyone else's. Why am I not crippling in pain? Because..... Because....

"Ely.... I..." I catch Lea in my arms before she falls off her stool and clatters to the floor.

Food.

The drugs are in the food. They've been in the food all this time. And I've been giving.....

"Ely!" Lea cries out, "Ely it hurts!! Ely! Make it stop! Please... please make it go away it hurts!!"

Her voice turns gets louder until it becomes a shriek. She clutches her stomach and falls into my lap. Quickly I let her down on the floor and sit with her curled in my lap like a little scared animal.

All this time... She's been eating all of hers....and...all of mine... All of my medicines and chemicals...everything they meant for me... I let her have it... 

I GAVE it to her...

That's what they had to activate, the chemicals in the food.... she's had far ...far too much.... My percentage... As well as hers....

It's all my fault. It's poisoning her.

Her tears run down her face and soak into my dress as she holds my hand tightly.

"Lea I... I'm so sorry... I.." 

She turns to look up at me, her brown eyes glassy and full of tears.

"Please Ely... Make it stop.."

Kat is beside me now and is holding Lea's other hand. "What's wrong!?" She's shouting at me, "do something! What's wrong with her!!"

It's all my fault. It should be me... It should be me not her....

Suddenly a wail begins behind me.

"She.... She can't be.... No.... No Sam you can't.... you just...." The girl had pulled Sam up into an embrace.

"Ely...." Lea whispers. I turn down to look at her and hold her face in my palms. She clutches my at my hands tightly, "I...." She tries to say something but she can't form the words.

Tears are still spilling from her eyes and I hold her close to me and hug her tightly, trying to cling to her... To keep her with me...

Zak is now suddenly crouching beside me now his arm wrapped around me to help me support Lea.

Slowly... Lea's eyes slowly flutter shut and her hands begin to release from mine and her head dips downs slowly as her muscles begin to relax...her fingers hanging loosely in my hands.

"no....." I whisper, choked with my tears, "no Lea.... I...." Her body lies still in my arms. A tear rolls down my cheek and splashes onto her face.

I begin to sob quietly, before swallowing hard. "Lea....Lea come back......please.........wake up........ please......don't go.."

Kat is now crying beside me and another girl is weeping beside Lea her tears falling to the floor like sparkling crystals. Zak hugs my shoulders and I lean against him. I don't want her to leave me.. Not like this.

I lean down and kiss her head softly, as if not to wake her.

"....Lea.... Lea I'm.... I'm..so sorry..."  

But Lea can't hear me.  

Because Lea is gone.

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Author's Note:

I'm so sorry!! Poor Lea :( I actually really liked her, so I'm going to miss her :s If it didn't make you feel too depressed you could always Vote it to show me you.. Enjoyed? Sorry for killing Lea x3 but ya know.... Story moves on :) see you next chapter!

-love Chloe xx