Fantasy

36 - Abby

I glance around, but Aaron isn't in sight. Oh-no, I don't want to lose someone else in the chaos of a fight, but it appears we have. "I don't see him," I say, "I think he got lost." Jessica gives me a funny look.

"Lost? Yeah right, he probably just ran off to find his daddy and report all the things we foolishly told him. The entire Reaching Army will likely be waiting on the doorstep of Mr. Worldd's shop for us to arrive. Levina looks at Jessica and her face contorts into one of anger.

"No, you did this," Levina accuses Jessica, "You and your stubbornness! I saw you yell at Aaron when he was only saving your life! You made him feel like he was in the way and that no one trusted him and now he's in the woods, completely alone! There is literally a whole army trying to kill us and you have the nerve to pick on one of our own. We need to stick together!"

"Hey, don't attack me! Isn't that what you just said, that we shouldn't be turning against each other? You've just never liked me." Levina's eyes look as if they're about to pop out of her head.

"Aaron!" she calls desperately. "Aaron, please come back! And Jessica, I don't like you because you treat people like garbage. Aaron! He could be dead and you wouldn't care. I could be dead and you wouldn't care. Heck, your family could die and you still wouldn't bat an eyelash!"

"Don't bring my family into this! Besides, what would you know about family or friends; it's not like you have either!"

"OH, DON'T YOU EVEN..." Levina steps forward and grabs Jessica's shirt collar. I see her hand clench into a fist.

"Wait, stop, please," I plead, grabbing Levina's forearm lightly. She looks at me, her chest heaving with fury. I swallow. Levina could snap me like a twig if she wanted to. Instead, she exhales slowly and releases Jessica.

"You're right, Abby. Look, Jessica, I...I'm sorry I went off like that—"

"And they say I'm temperamental..." Jessica mutters.

"...Anyway, I am sorry, and you're right. We should stick together. I just wish we could've all come to that conclusion before Aaron left."

"So, what do we do now?" I ask after a moment of silence.

"Well, the way I see it we have two choices. We can either look for Aaron or we can continue on to the shop." Levina answers.

"I say we continue on to the shop," Jessica says without hesitation.

"I kind of think we owe it to Aaron to at least look around a little bit," Levina counters.

"Alright, Abby," Jessica says, "We need a tiebreaker. What do you think we should do?"

"Uh...I don't know," I reply. Both girls are staring at me intently, waiting on my answer. Oh boy. "Well, Levina, I really don't want to just leave Aaron behind, but on the same token we can't stay here around these agents for too long; they might escape. Also, I really want to find my sisters as well." I really don't like deciding peoples' fates.

"So you're saying we should just continue forward?" Jessica asks hopefully.

"I...yeah, I guess I am, sorry Levina." I really hope Aaron doesn't, like, die alone in the forest or anything because we wouldn't step two yards to the left.

"I understand your reasoning, Abby, and you're right. We can't stay here long," Levina says. I'm relieved that she didn't go off on me or anything.

"Come on, then. Let's go," Jessica says, motioning for us to follow. I start after her and Levina is right after me.

"Aaron! We're moving! Come on! Aaron!" she calls one last time into the woods. No one answers.

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