What's Out There?

Chapter 30

Sarah's POV
1 year later

I'm awake, but I don't want to be. It's early in the morning. The sun just starting to rise.
Today is the day that we go into battle with the "rebel village."
My village.
I can't fight them. I know I can't.
I crawl out of bed and see that Taylor is still asleep. I quickly grab my clothes and go into the bathroom to change.
I take of my sleep shorts and tshirt and put on my gray tshirt and gray pants.
I look into the mirror after I get dressed, and I see a totally different person from two years ago.

That girl had shoulder length, golden-brown hair. But I have mid-back length, dirty blonde hair.
That girl never had one bruise on her.
But I have some bruises on my arms and a large one on my right foot.
That girl always had a smile on her face.
I rarely smile, and when I do, it's because of Taylor.
You could not get that girl to shut up.
Now you can't even get me to talk, except to Taylor or Jackson.

She is two different people: one is Sarah Hill, the other is Sasha Garner.

But we are the same. We both are still in love with Clay. We both hate Luke.

Just then there is a knock at the bathroom door.
"Sasha, are you okay?" Taylor asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I say as I open the door.
She gives me that look that says "I know your lying."
"I'm fine, really. So go get ready," I say as I leave the bathroom.
"Okay," Taylor says as she enters the bathroom.
I put on my shoes and wait for Taylor.
"Let's go," she says as she leaves the bathroom. "Okay," I say, and we are off to the big room in the front.
When we get there, Luke and everyone else was already there. Everyone, including Jackson, Taylor, and I, had a gun. My gun was hidden inside my baggy shirt. Luke announced that we were leaving, and like that, we were out the door.
We walked for a long time. Everyone else walking perfectly, while I walked with my imperfect limp thanks to Luke.
We end up in a large field.
It has a few scattered trees all around the field.
No one was there on the other side, but everyone stopped.
"Split up and go into the woods with your group," Luke says so everyone can hear.
Jackson, Taylor, and I naturally go together. We walk away from all of the other groups and keep walking.
"What are we even looking for?" Taylor asks.
"Apparently the rebel camp, camped out here in the last few days," Jackson said.
"How do you know this?" Taylor asks.
"Well I am in charge of the computer-," Jackson started but I cut him off.
"Shut up I hear someone," I hiss at them.
They immediately shut up. "Just stay here," I whisper.
I stay on the edge of a small clearing. There's a circle of tents and a blanket in the middle of it with a small group of people sitting on the tent.
A boy that looks really skinny and is about my age, another boy that is quite muscular that is also about my age, an older man, and a young girl about my age with pixie-cut, blonde hair.
"Hello?" I say as I walk into the clearing.
They all stand up and turn towards me.
"Who are you?" The muscular boy asks.
"My name is Sasha," I say. It comes so naturally for me to say this, but I want to take it back. The muscular boy wasn't a stranger. He was my brother.
"What do you want?" The skinny boy asked. I realized that he was Clay. He had changed so much, both of them had.
My eyes welling up with tears I manage to ask, "Danny?"
"How do you know that?" Danny replies.
"It's me, Sarah," I say, crying now.
"Sarah's dead. Who are you?" my dad, the older man, asked.
"Daddy, i-it's me, Sarah. You have to believe me. I love you, and I have missed you so much," I plead to my father, to them.
I hear Danny mumble something to Fern. She turns towards me not saying anything.
I have walked towards them over the conversations.
"If you're Sarah, then what happened that night?" Clay asked.
My heart dropped; he didn't recognize me, not at all. I manage to ask, "You mean the night of our date?"
He nods in response.
"Well, after my dad texted for us to head back, there was an arrow shot at the tree right next to me. You told me to run back. I tried to, but I didn't know which way. I started running one way and heard footsteps following me. I thought it was you, so when they stopped, I did too. But it wasn't you, it was Luke. He had a gun and told me to walk and be quiet or he would shoot me. I did what he said. He lead me through the woods and to a car. Then once we were in the car, I fell asleep, exhausted from the whole night. I woke up and I was at the same place I've been for the past four years," I explain.
His response was, "Sarah could have told you that."
"But that's the thing, I am Sarah," I say looking into his eyes. But he looks down avoiding my eyes.
"Fern, do you believe me?" I ask. She as well avoids my eye contact. "Dad?" No response.
"Danny, please it's me, Sarah. Your big sister," I plead.
He looks at me, shakes his head, and says, "No, you're not my sister. I don't know who you are or what you want, so I need you to leave now."
"But Danny," I start, but he cut me off.
"Get out!" Danny yelled forcefully.
"No," I say backing up.
He reaches behind him and pulls out a gun.
"Get out," he yells pointing the gun at me.
I back up to the edge of the woods. My back hits the tree. I can feel the cold metal of my gun against my back.
"Danny please," I try one last time.
He shoots the gun. Aiming straight for my head. Luckily I ducked right before it hit the tree.
"Get out," he says now in a low voice. But I barely heard him I was already running into the woods when a thought popped into my head. Why am I letting a gun chase me away from my family again?
Then a lovely answer came, Well he did try to shoot you.
I decide not to leave this spot.
I crouch down and sit with my back against the a tree, and I cry.
My dad, my best friend, my boyfriend, and my brother, at least I thought they were, all didn't even recognize me.
It wasn't long before I heard footsteps walking towards my general area. I look up and I see Danny. He looks like he's been crying.
"Danny," I say.
He looks at me.
"Danny, what just happened?" I ask.
No response.
I try, "Come on Danny I'm your big sister."
He looks straight into my eyes. His eyes are blurred, but they clear quickly.
"Sarah," Danny says.
"Yes, Danny," I respond.
He says, "That's my sister's name, not your's."
I start, "Wha-"
I don't get to finish because Danny's two hands are wrapped tightly around my neck.
"You are not my sister," he whispers to me, "Don't ever say that again."
I struggle to say something, to get him to loosen his grip, but he won't budge.
My lungs struggle for oxygen, but none comes. I start to fade out, but I can still hear everything.
I hear footsteps walk towards Danny and I. The grip suddenly loosened, and oxygen reached my lungs almost instantly.
I finally blacked out completely just a few seconds later.