Edit | #Wattys2016

Twenty Seven

Instantly my heart pricks with fear. If I fall, and no one catches me, what will happen? If I fall, and I was wrong, what will happen?

My life has been filled with doubt that way, and it hurts to not be able to trust anything, to always be looking around for danger and second-guess the things around you.

Wind whooshes past my ears as I fall, and with every passing second my heart rate picks up, until I'm worrying for my life, for everything.

What will happen if I die? Will they be able to take down Edit? Will everyone be alright?

What about Troy?

Oh stars, Troy.

I picture my brother's innocent face, his laugh, his tears, the way he'd come to my room in the middle of the night on particularly bad days and curl up next to me, holding on to me like he never wanted to ever let go.

I missed those days.

And then everything happens so fast that my vision is blurred.

My back hits something so hard that the edges of my vision goes black and my breath comes out in one, large whoosh.

Pain blasts throughout my body, spreading from my chest to my head, out to my limbs, making them numb. I start to breathe heavily as the white-hot pain starts to fade, replaced with a ever-present throbbing pain.

My head feels fuzzy and disorientated. Where am I?

I try to sit up, but my body doesn't cooperate with my brain and I don't move at all, seeming immobilized.

The sound of footsteps reach my ears, and I panic, attempting to do anything, something to make sure I'm not in the enemy's hands.

"I..." My voice comes out throaty and breathless, like a frog's.

Someone laughs. I look up and my eyes find a girl with similar brunette hair twisted into a braid, and a bright, harmless smirk. In fact, she reminds me a little bit of Carmen and looks pretty familiar, with her dark eyes and hair. She looks so flawless, even without makeup, and hopefully any Edit, that it makes me feel ashamed of myself.

But then again, I'm perfect in my own way, and no one can take that away from me. There's that little spark in all of us, actually, that keeps on burning, that makes us different, and that spark makes us a star, something unique and special and amazing.

Sometimes, if we believe in ourselves and convince ourselves that we are as wonderful as we really are, that spark burns brighter, and soon enough, we come alive, we become somebody, we become perfect in our own eyes.

"Hello there," she offers me a hand, and I try to grab it, but I can't move.

She gently slips a hand beneath my back and helps me to a sitting position instead. Her touch isn't cold and venomous, it's comforting and almost motherly.

My head spins, and I almost collapse off the ramp of the pod that they've extended.

"Whoa there, let's get you inside," the girl says.

She's about to help me to my feet when I manage to choke out, "Who are you?"

The girl's features contort. "You don't need to know, and it's safer for you if you don't know either."

My heart rate speeds up.

The girl's eyes widen. "No, no, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not with Edit either, but it's just for safety reasons. I can't tell you why, but you have to trust me."