The Flipsyde

New circumstances

Hey guys :) prepare once again for great news as the story nears 2k views!! It's hit 1892 (last observed value) and it's definitely making approximately (if not more than) 100 reads per day.

This chapter is dedicated to cindiecake (Ira) who made me the most amazing cover ever!! :)

--------------start of chapter 22--------------

Isa was right there in front of me. If I could just save her.. Any way to get her to this side without anyone noticing.. Twenty seconds with everyone's eyes closed.. That was all I needed. And then it'd be all right..

Unfortunately that was a luxury I didn't have.

"Isa!" I shouted. "Get out of here!"

She stood still at the line of demarcation. The line of demarcation between our newly claimed territory and their region of exile.

The line of demarcation wasn't a line in paint or chalk. It was a line drawn with blood. About twenty feet wide, it had bright lights and about three hundred guns trained on it. Corpses littered the ground- some facing towards us. Others facing away. It didn't matter which way they were going.. They were killed anyways.

I looked at Isa. She was on the very edge of the line- staring straight back at me

I was terrified for her sake. Afraid that she'd run ahead and cross that line. The one line dividing her from me. I could cross that line and console her, but as soon as I did, I'd be considered as a traitor and shot down. At least on this side, I'd be able to try and continue helping her. 

I motioned for her to leave. It was too dangerous for her here.. After my compliance, the war between the halves of society had taken a new violent turn. That silent chess game between minds became one large bloody battle..

Wait no, battle would imply it was two sided.. 

This was more like a massacre.

I frantically motioned for her to leave. What if the men decided to push the line of demarcation outwards further and she got caught in the firing zone? I'd never forgive myself.. 

She had a look of defiance in her eyes. A look asking me how I could do this? To leave her alive and as a result put her family through all this?

Her family had gathered up their belongings and stood behind her- the conditions being the same as that of many behind her.. They had been ordered to live the life of beggars- to leave the city while our half lived the rich lives. 

They would leave the city, but they wouldn't go anywhere.. The plan was for them to remain around our city- feeding off the scraps we threw at them.. 

As she turned around and retreated, I heard a deep voice behind me- "Pity... I expected her to put up more of a fight"

I heard a shot being fired behind me and knew then itself what had happened.. Around 40 feet ahead of me, Isa fell to the ground.

I didn't even glance twice at Isa. I turned around and assaulted him.. Lance Cartwright was no more than a petty thug.. And he deserved every blow I dealt to him. His gut, his face, his neck. He deserved it all.

Lance was surprised by my assault. A mere kid taking him on? This was almost a joke to him. "There... will... be... consequences..." He said in between breaths.

" I don't care" I said, grabbing a knife lying on the road next to me- and plunging the cold steel into his even colder heart.

His movements seemed to slow down. However, that didn't mean he wasn't still strong. One hit with the back of his gun and I slipped under.

Well at least almost under. Somehow I could still feel what was happening. Vaguely. 

The sound of my body falling to the ground. The sound of the shouts all around me.. The sound of the final shot- the bullet I knew was destined to find a place in my brain.

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I woke up- feeling light pangs of pain inside my head. Thankfully, it was a dream. Unluckily, it was something that would probably haunt me for the rest of eternity..

I couldn't tell why it seemed so real.. Maybe Isa's unpredictability? Or maybe I believed deep down that Lance would betray me..

I looked down at the black flip phone lying on my bedside stand. It resembled a ray of hope. A small chance that Isa would make it through this.

I knew i couldn't trust Lance to let her live if I complied. He'd just make up some sick excuse to get rid of her. I couldn't count on him and his façade.

But I did know one thing about lance. If I didn't comply, he would definitely kill her. Not just kill her actually.. No it wouldn't be that easy.. He would torture her. Make her beg for her family's lives. Find the most sadistic means of torture..  He would rip her humanity to pieces.. And then if he was feeling GENEROUS, he'd  kill her and end her suffering..

I know there were lives hanging in the balance.. Some were even her family members.. People who if she knew I'd betrayed, she'd never forgive me..

I looked down at the floor. I knew what I had to do.

"I'm sorry Isa..."

"But you must live.."

-------------end of chapter 22------------