Rising From The Ashes

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It has been four months since I chose to leave my home. Jacob and I have been living among the trees and animals in the wilderness that spreads out around our old home. It’s been difficult, living with just the barest essentials needed for survival, but we make do. The first month was definitely the hardest, but since then we have found the others and they have helped us immensely. I always imagined that there was nothing out here, but little did I know there was a society existing right outside of our own. I’m so grateful to have found them.

                                                                     -The Diary of Lucinda Jane Waders

“What if you came with me?” Cameron asked.

“What do you mean?” I replied. Surely, he couldn’t be asking me to cross the wall with him.

“I mean, that you could come with when I leave. I could introduce you to all the rebels there. You would probably be able to stay with one of them and if not we could figure something out,” he said excitedly. Apparently, that was exactly what he was asking.

“Cameron, that seems a little unrealistic, don’t you think?” I pointed out. Honestly, I was trying not to show how touched I was that he had asked. I know the logistics of it weren’t very good, but the fact that he wanted me to come along at all was nice none the less.

“Sure, but so do all of our other options,” Cameron answered. Well, there was certainly no arguing that.

“As much as I want to be with you, I just don’t know if I could really leave everything. And, well, I was thinking that I could still help out from this side, you know? Instead of rebels like you crossing over, I could do the things you needed to get done. Or at least try to. There must be others on this side that would help,” I said and he nodded thoughtfully.

“It’s a good idea,” he admitted somewhat reluctantly. I think he was still stuck on the idea of me coming with him. I had to admit that it definitely had its appeals, but I couldn’t seriously consider it. How could I have left my mom and friends behind? Not only that, but I would’ve had to spend my life hiding away. I’d be just as much a fugitive there as Cameron was here. And where Cameron lived for the thrill of that kind of thing, I couldn’t say the same for myself.

“So, I guess this means we need to come up with a plan to get you back home, huh?” I asked, trying to appear collected when really just the thought of him leaving made me want to freak out.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he replied. It was obvious by how totally unenthusiastic he sounded that he was thinking along the same lines I was. Normally he would be super hyped up for an adventure that involved risking his life. “Do you think we should include Catherine? She said she wanted to be apart of this after all. And if she’s as good at uncovering people’s secrets as you say then she might know something that could help.”

“As much as I hate to say it, I guess we should include her. I just hope that this doesn’t end up like Sadie. Or worse,” I muttered. I still hadn’t completely ruled out the possibility of my sister turning us in. I wouldn’t put it past her to have been working some kind of angle this whole time.

“Is tonight good?” he asked and I nodded. There was no point in delaying.

“I guess I’ll leave and come back later with her then,” I replied with a sigh, but then Cameron gave me a devilish grin.

“Well, you don’t have to leave right now,” he suggested as he wrapped his fingers through my belt loops and pulled me towards him. As he brought his lips down to mine I knew I couldn’t have resisted him if I tried. I wouldn’t have wanted to anyway.