Aurore

18- Finally Out

We walked in silence for about an hour. I was nervous. Every noise I heard I jumped.
"Just chill." Kyle assured me.
"It's just-" I began.
"I know. But we are in the clear. We're good. The fight is almost over."
I nodded. "Thanks."
I knew it wasn't. Stewart would come after us, and he wouldn't stop until he found us.
"Let's just keep moving. I don't wanna get caught." I squinted at the rising sun.
"You always did run away from responsibility." Shasta muttered.
"What?" I said.
"You." she looked at me boldly. "You run away from everything that could invoke feelings."
Anger bubbled up inside me.
"I'm gonna kill her!" I exclaimed as I lunged at her. Before I could get her, Kyle jumped in front of me, stopping me.
"I'm gonna kill her! I'll kill her!" I screamed.
My heart beat out of my chest.
"You don't want to. You don't mean it." Kyle said calmly.
"Yes I do! I hate her! Kill her!" I pulled away from him and grabbed my gun out of my holster, aiming it at her. She looked like a deer in the headlights.
"Stop!" Kyle exclaimed. He grabbed my arm and forced me to the ground.
I didn't have the will to fight back.
"Just let me kill her!" I cried.
"Stop! " Kyle exclaimed.
"I won't! She deserves to die!" I yelled as I struggled against his grip.
"Stop! No matter what, she's your friend, and you don't want to kill her!" He yelled back.
He knew me well; he knew how to get my attention when no one else could.
"I'll kill her." I muttered to myself.
"You don't want to." Kyle said.
"I know." I told him. I wasn't ready to forgive her. She'd done too much to hurt me. I didn't hate her.
Kyle let go of my arms and got off of me.
I stood and looked at Shasta. She cowered when I looked at her.
"I wouldn't ever hit you." I whispered just loud enough for her to hear.
She wouldn't meet my gaze. Part of me wanted to reach out to her, offer a hug or at least some comfort. I knew she was just as scared as I was. My heart hardened once again when I remembered everything that had happened and I turned away.
Turning to the rest of the group, I said, "Let's get a move on. We need to find a place to settle for the daytime so they can't find us once they start it gets light."
We continued until we reached the foot of the Montana mountains.
"We'll find some cave or something on the mountain." I said as I began to go up the mountain.
Simon kept falling behind.
"I'm really tired." Simon whined.
"So?" I said insensitively. "Once we find the cave, you can rest."
"But my legs are tired." Simon whined again. I was tired too, and my patience wore thin. Without a word, I crouched down so he could jump on my back for a piggyback ride. He gratefully jumped on my back.
"Hold yourself on." I ordered. "I need my hands so I can climb."
"Thank you." Simon whispered.
I nodded in consent and continued at the back of the group.
"Jason! We found one!" Ryan called to me a ways up the mountain.
"Is it big enough? Well-hidden?"I called.
"It's perfect! Everything we need! " He said excitedly.
"Alright!" I looked to everyone (who was above me, scattered across the mountain) and called, "Ryan found it! Everyone head that way!" I hurried up the hill, which wasn't very fast. I was tired, and with Simon on my back, I was weighed down.
I was the last to reach the cave. Ryan waited for me at the entrance.
"Well done." Ryan said to me in approval. "You're a true leader."
I smiled tiredly.
"Here." Ryan said. He took Simon, who had fallen asleep, from my back and held him softly.
"You go get some rest." He told me, "I'll give Simon to Ruby to look after."
I nodded and Ryan walked into the cave. I looked out from the mountain. Montana truly was beautiful. Serene.
With that, I walked into the cave.
Kyle lay in a corner, laying down a sleeping bag.
"You were right." I said as I stepped over Ruby and Simon, who'd already fallen asleep.
"With what?" He asked, looking up.
"We're in the clear."
"Yeah." he shrugged. "At least getting out. We still have to take it down."
"I think we can do that. People on the inside, us, we have people from everywhere."
Kyle shrugged. "I hate to be a pessimist, but I'm worried about it."
I sighed. "I know what you mean."
"We could die in battle against Stewart." Kyle said.
"It could happen." I said. "You're the only family I've got. We've only got each other."
"That's not necessarily true." Ruby said. She must have woken up when we had been talking.
"What?" I said. I looked to Kyle. He wouldn't meet my gaze.
Ruby looked to Kyle. Kyle looked at me.
"What?" I asked again.
"Well... " Ruby began.
"Well what?" I urged.
"Well...I'm your sister." Ruby said.
The room spun and I remember turning to Kyle and pushing away from him. Ryan tried to calm me down, but I pushed him away, talking nonsense to myself. My sister? No Way! The last thing I remember was Max grabbing my shirt.
Then,
Blackness.