Remember

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Colette didn't know much about war or fighting. The government had made sure to exclude violent past events from all their school curriculums in Paradisium. All she knew was that wars had happened and they were referred to as The Dark Times. The time where dominance was established by how malevolent a country was. Established by one country fearing destruction by another. Paradisium was just Paradisium, there were no other countries there.

Everyone had finally come together in union to work on building their perfect world. They were all one happy family. Too bad that was just another government lie. The real world wasn't united, in fact, it seemed to be more divided than ever. The government controlling everyone who wasn't in simulations by fear. Looks like they were the most malevolent country and the rest of the people were too weak for them.

    Looking around at all the faces of the other villagers in her defense area, Colette could see that it was the same for them. There was no preparations for their defensive stance. They only stood there waiting, and waiting, and waiting for, hopefully, nothing. Hopefully their little town of misfits would prevail and they wouldn't have to face the government lackeys.

    "You should not have to worry." Commander Lorhan spoke, but her expressions did not match her words. Nobody here was experienced with this kind of violence. Not as experienced as those they were fighting. "We may only be a small town but we have more motivation than the Govies do. We are fighting on the right side and that's what you have to remember. All of you in this room are the last resort." Her eyes scanned the room at the children, old folks, and those who were too afraid to fight at the front line.

Madie stood next to the Commander who was suited with her gun. Madie had obtained a gun as well. Colette couldn't see Madie ever picking up a gun and using it but she had to do something to protect her people. Even if it meant that the once innocent girl had to kill a man to do so. The thought sent shivers down Colette's spine. Madie would never forgive herself for killing someone, not even someone as bad as a government soldier.

    People could be seen running across the village and towards the front gate. Never had Colette never felt so weak. She was supposed to save all these people, yet she was hiding in a building with a bunch of children and cowards. She was a coward. That made her no better than the government who were too afraid of their own damn secrets. Colette was afraid of something too. The power that seemed to stir inside her more in this moment than it had before. It longed to be released.

    A deep breath, a hesitation. She closed her eyes and then opened them. "I changed my mind. I want to help fight." All eyes were on her now as they parted and let her through to the front. "Any way I can help." She would not be a coward like the government. She would stand up for these people.

    Commander Lorhan pressed her lips into a thin line. Apparently that was a bad idea. "No." She said simply and turned on her heel to stalk off to the front line. Colette wasn't going to give up that easily. There wasn't a point of her even being here if she couldn't actually do anything to help. She wasn't a coward and she wasn't going to let herself be seen as one either. Colette was here for a reason and it was not to run and hide.

    She ran to catch up with the woman who walked considerably fast, leaving Madie behind to reassure the people in the townhouse. Colette assumed she'd be staying there, slipping into people's dreams wasn't going to help anyone on the front line. "You said I have a power stronger than most --"

    "I said no. Your power should never be used. It should stay locked up inside your mind where it belongs." Commander Lorhan turned towards her and stopped in her tracks. "You want to help? Get the hell out of my town before you kill everyone." The Commander practically spat the words in her face. She didn't understand what she had ever done to make the woman hate her so much.

    Colette stood in shock, blinking feverishly at the woman in front of her. Kill people? Anyone's power could kill people if they used it in that way. Is that not what they were using it for now? To kill all those 'Govies', as they call them, that are coming towards their town. The very people that won't hesitate to kill them. "What is my power?" She yelled at the Commander but she had already started walking away.

    She was tired of not getting any straight answers from everyone. It seemed like everyone but her knew what this power was that she had inside her. How was she supposed to help these people if she couldn't help fight? She couldn't. Colette was just as useless as the people still stuck in the simulations.

She flipped up the hood of the jacket that had been given to her and used the cover of the night to sneak off to the front line. If there was going to be a fight, if she was going to help save everyone, she wasn't going to sit back and play it safe. She was going to figure out this power of hers and use it.

The gates had been closed and locked as another form of defense for those hiding inside. She would have to find another way to the front line. Her eyes scanned the trees above and the high walls that surrounded the entire town. She would have to climb over the sides and make her way back to the front if she didn't want to be spotted by Lincoln and Prissy who were walking on top of the walls.

The power trapped under her skin seemed to purr and hum at the thought of sweet release. It thrummed in excitement faster and faster as she neared the walls, climbed over them, and shimmied her way down a tree. It pulsed faster than her blood and made her head spin. Was this how Kaden felt before he used his power? It was like a drug was racing through her system, intoxicating her. Colette could only imagine what it would feel like to use it. To unleash the power she so cruelly had kept locked inside her for so long.

She wouldn't kill anyone... not anyone that didn't deserve it.