The Rebels (on break)

Chapter 7: Decisions Decisions

As Zach kissed me, it was like everything I was fearing floated away. The big decision in front of us just slipped my mind as we kept kissing. But then I remembered where we were and what happened between us and I ended up with the thought that this couldn't happen now. It wasn't right. I slowly pulled away from him and I reached up and gently removed his hands from my cheeks.

"Zach, we...we can't do this now. This...whatever's going on, ...it can't happen now." I whispered to him and I felt him nod slightly before he pulled away completely. I realized I was crying and I hated myself for it. There was just too much going at the moment.

Shannon and Eddy had kind of given us some space and were a couple feet away. I quickly dried my eyes and hoped my face wasn't puffy before I walked over to them. When I reached them, I could hear the small dusty rocks crumble behind me and I knew Zach was behind me in a second as I could feel him breathing right behind me.

Eddy ended the awkward silence amongst the group by bringing all of our focus back to the real issue we had to deal with. "So, Zach, you think we should try to leave?"

"Yeah dude, I really do, I don't think it's smart to stay. And I think we should get moving again and go now." He shifted slightly behind me, he was very fidgety. Boy, he really wanted to get out of here.

Shannon piped up then and asked the usual, "So, what are we going to do then, I trust the government, what reason would they have to lie to us?"

"Oh my gosh, guys, it's obvious that they've lied before, at least that's what I believe. You know what, I don't care! Do what you want, but I'm going with or without you guys!" He was really getting mad now. I know he kind of held a grudge toward Eddy and Shannon because he obviously thought, and rightly so, that I told them how he kind of left me behind after Leah. I think he thought they were questioning them because of that. "So are you going to come, or are you going to stay here and die, because I'm 100% sure that's what'll happen to anyone who stays."

Eddy walked toward him a little, "Oh yeah? And what makes you think that whatever's out there," Eddy gestured toward the fence and the Zone. "won't kill us? Huh?"

"I don't have a reason, I don't. But since I don't trust what the officials say, I'm gonna do what I can to go against what they've said. I'm not gonna sit back and watch them take away more lives. I'm gonna go with my gut and protect myself and get out of here."

I was starting to get what Zach meant. I had suspicions about tragedies that have happened in the past, and maybe calling off the evacuation was yet another attempt.

"I'm going to leave with Zach." I had made my decision and I could hear him slowly let out a breath behind me. I guess he'd been hoping I'd agree even though he declared that he didn't care. I felt him move a little closer to me, kinda in a protective manner.

Shannon and Eddy looked at me and then Shannon looked at Eddy. "So are you guys coming with us?" Shannon's gaze snapped back to me. I really hoped they said they would come. I didn't want anything to happen to them.

"I'll...I'll come." Eddy said. And Shannon just nodded

"I guess I'll have to come too. I can't let my two best friends go off without me." Even though Zach wasn't really one of Eddy and Shannon's friends, I knew that comment annoyed him as he stiffened behind me.

"Ok then, since we just wasted a bunch of time deliberating over what to do, let's get a move on." Zach took my hand again, and I let him. Oh fine. Our group began moving again and went against the huge crowd moving in the opposite direction. Zach was in the lead with me right with him and then Shannon, and Eddy in the back. I really hoped we were making the right decision. I mean, if you think about what's happened in Birchwood, a lot of things involving a large number of deaths don't make sense. It does truly make you wonder, as I've pointed out before. I didn't really know what to think anymore and my mind felt like it was gonna shatter into a gazillion pieces at one more shocking piece of information.

Some people were still moving toward the fence's one and only exit, but that didn't necessarily mean they were trying to leave. There was still a good amount of distance between us and the fence right now, so someone's dwelling could have been up ahead and that's where they were going. But, annoyingly, there was no way to tell.

Surely some other people will try to leave too. After all, the government didn't say we couldn't leave, just that we shouldn't and that it would be at our own risk if we wanted to make that choice. Surely, they'd make an exception with people leaving Birchwood today since they have everyone so confused. I've made a lot of possibly life altering choices today and I was getting tired of it.

I looked up and it was starting to get dark out. And cold, I thought, but I didn't want to think that way. If I didn't think about the cold, maybe I could keep myself from feeling cold. Ugh.

I was beginning to feel a little paranoid that we'd be out in the open in the Zone, so I asked a question I don't think any of us had an answer to yet, "Guys, where are we gonna go out there once it gets dark? We don't know what out there and it won't be light enough to explore what's around."

"Lets' just get out there first Ellie...you're freaking me out!" Shannon was very flustered. I don't think she wanted to leave once she was told to stay. But she didn't want to be left alone as we all went the other way either. I looked back at her and gave a weak smile.

"You're right Shan, lets' worry about getting out there first." Shannon nodded at my remark. She did look pretty scared and I didn't want to upset her anymore. Maybe I should keep my worries to myself.

A little while later, we reached the general vicinity of the fence. I'd never been this close to the fence before and it was daunting. Looking up, the fence looked marvelously high among the darkening sky and clouds. I could still smell salt in the air and the whole thing felt kind of dreamlike. Looking around, there were many masked officials near the gate. They were holding these weird gun like objects; some sort of weapon I assumed. They were shiny and looked extremely new and sleek. The masked officials looked quite menacing. I heard Shannon's breathing quicken. Here we go.

I turned my head around to face her, "Shannon, it'll be ok. They're all just standing there." She was looking at me and was just nodding vigorously. She looked panicked and there was nothing we could do. Eddy grabbed her hand as we kept walking and Shannon reminded me of a little kid in that moment.

As we continued to get closer to the gate, the small crowd that had gathered near the exit had started slowing down. We had all started to be filed in to this sort corridor of a road that was leading toward the gate and people were beginning to stop. I couldn't see the front of the group of people so we didn't know what was going on up there.

"What do you think's going on up there?" Eddy wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but we defiantly shouldn't be stopping. There's not that many people here." Zach answered with a skeptical tone.

It was true that there didn't seem to be that many people here, but it was hard to make an estimate of how many there were since there were buildings on both sides of us that seemed to come out at angles that kept making the road thinner and thinner up ahead. This made it look like a lot more people.

Although we were presently stopped, people were still milling around in place and talking in low tones. The four of us were shaking with anxiety at what would happen next. After a few minutes of us being lost in our thoughts, I realized it had become quieter. That's strange.

I think Eddy had notice too, and he walked over to the side of one of the buildings and discovered a trashed desk there. He made his way on top of it and looked toward the front of the crowd. A couple seconds later he quickly ducked back down and jumped off toward the ground with a terrifying expression on his face. He immediately made his way back over to us.

He looked extremely pale in the dying light and he pulled us all in close and whispered in a chilling tone, "We need to move, now!"

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