The Hunt

Chapter 37: Hanna

I've never been so tired in my life. Yet I've never run so fast in my life either.

It's just like training that one day we were called for the mission. Jonas is flying through the forest, seemingly oblivious to the blood and gashes covering his body. I stumble on something and sprain my ankle. Jonas grabs me before I fall and shoves me forward.

When the same thing had happened all those weeks ago in training, Jonas and I had laughed, and the whole thing had been friendly competition with Minea.

Now, there are no words between us. We both know the reality of what we just did.

"Stephan! Stephan it's us!" I shout between adrenaline pumped breaths, calling for the huge boy who somehow got separated.

"Shut up and keep running!" Jonas is already far ahead.

"Why?!" I stop and throw up my arms in desperation.

"Keep running!" Jonas yells.

"Jonas, we've been running for five minutes, the only thing that's keeping you alive is your adrenaline. We still have no idea how far out Stephan is, we're running blind," I point to my tracker, "If we don't turn back now, we're locked out for good!"

Jonas looks like he's thinking. Hard. Like he's reevaluating something. He curses to himself and then looks at his MBT again.

"Jonas please. We'll come back later, when it's not code red," I whisper.

"No, you don't understand," he winces. Then he kicks the ground, "Nobody understands!" He rakes his hand through his hair, and I can see his mind whirling.

"You're right, I don't understand. Why is this so important to you?" I ask, and concern is starting to set in. Jonas never acts like this. I'm always the one having panic attacks, and Jonas is the one calming me down. Maybe Mr. Anderson is right. Maybe Jonas and I really are mentally unstable.

Suddenly, Jonas is silent. He seems to have made up his mind. He stares at me. And I know that stare. I know what he's thinking.

"Jonas, no," I beg.

"I'm not leaving Stephan," Jonas says, his breath shaking in desperate determination.

"Please, don't do this," I plead, because I know what he's going to say next.

"Go," Jonas stares at me, not changing his expression.

"No, Jonas, don't make me do this!" I exclaim.

"I'm not letting you come with me, so go. If anyone gets back to the gates, it's you. I have to get Stephan."

"For once Jonas, don't be such a hero!"

"Hanna, I know what I'm doing."

"No, you don't. You saw Javaar. He's crazy. That's what you'll end up like if you get stuck out here."

The look on his face is so sad and in pain I don't know what to think, "You don't understand. I'm already like him."

"I don't care. All I know is that I can't live knowing you're out here in this forest."

"You can come and get me later."

"If you're not dead! Don't you understand?! This forest is not a place for people like us. This is exile territory! If you're not one of them, you get killed by one of them!"

"This is what I want."

There's a silence.

If I go back, I leave Jonas behind. But Jonas won't let me refuse. Either I run to safety, with the slim chance of him coming back, or I stay out here and we both die.