The Four - Book 2

Chapter 21

Paytah

They beat me again.

This time was probably the worst. They did it mostly by hand, punching me over and over, swinging metal rods at me, kicking me, spitting on me...

But all I could think of was Lana, and if they are doing the same to her.

But when they drag me back to my room and I see Lana sitting there unharmed, I'm relieved.

"Paytah!" Lana cries as they let me go and I sink to the floor. They close the door, but I'm still laying on my side, gasping for air. Blood runs down my face all the way down my legs. Lana carefully turns me around so I'm laying on my back.

"I'm good." I force a smile.

"Bullshit." She says, but I see her slightly smile.

I lay there for a while until I feel better to sit up. Lana helps me to the wall, and I lean back, my breathing back to normal.

And that's when I recap everything that happened.

"Lana. I-"

"Everything is fine." She says.

"No-it's not. I-"

"It's oka-"

"It's not," I spit out, my voice so loud it makes her stop, "I almost..." Killed you.

"Whatever they did to you made you like that," she says. She must've known what I was going to say. "What did they do?

I try to speak, but nothing comes out. I imagine needles entering me from everywhere, that gross liquid being shoved down my throat. My mother talking to me...

"It's okay." She says. I notice I'm sweating, the blood now mixing up with the sweat it looks smeared.

"What happened to the others?" I ask, thinking about Aira and Juris.

"Aira was the one who wanted to leave asap when she saw you were taken. Juris made a map, and we headed out. We met this one guy, Jasper, in the woods. We slept overnight, but I left at midnight."

For a minute I'm confused, but then I realize Lana left them only to save them. Lana knew trying to get me would get her killed.

"I told Aira to run, I told her not to come get me-"

"You really think we would listen?"

"I was hoping you would get some sense into you."

"Too late." Lana smiles a little.

"You think their alive?" I ask, and Lana looks down, defeated.

"I really don't know."

We sit there in silence. There's so much I want to ask, but nothing comes out. Instead, she asks the questions.

"That woman is your mother, isn't it."

"Yes."

"How about your dad?"

"Dead, I'm guessing." And it's true. I've been thinking about him ever since I saw my mother. My guess is he was in the army, and probably died fighting.