The Awakening: After the 5th Wave

Chapter 9: Ben

Ringer was going on about a camp she found after we left. She said their trackers were taken out, which means they were from camp, but who knows if they are just the others trying to fool us again. I just don't know.

So we drive. Confused. Lost. We are alone right now. I have Cassie and Sam, Cassie wants me to call him that. I understand why so I am gonna adjust to these new changes. I have to.

Then there's a thud. Cassie's head hit the window. Hard. She doesn't respond to it so something must have happened to her. Sam screams as blood starts to trickle down the glass that looks into the wilderness. I scoot towards her and slide my hand behind her head. Blood starts to wet my hand as ringer stops the car abruptly and my body jolts and Cassie comes crashing down on my body. The side door opens and with help we take Cassie out.We feel her pulse and she is still breathing but she is unconscious, she must have fainted. Sam is freaking out and he is pacing back and forward around us as we try to figure out what the hell is going on. She must be in some sort of shock. Then it hits me like a truck. Ethan.

Once I come to a realization that she is in some sort of shock mode, I tell ringer that she will be fine. While she is "asleep" we started looking on the injury on her head. It was just an impact from the window but it still managed to Create a gash. We take the small first aid kit from the back and patch it up. Sam manages to calm down as I hug him to assure that Cassie will be ok.

Later, as we head to the camp Cassie wakes up. She smiles as she sees Sam asleep in my arms, but it turns into a confused face fast as she feels the bandage around her head and the small amount of blood seeping through the gauze. I tell her what happened and she seems to understand then I don't know why but I ask.

"Was it about Ethan?"

To my surprise it goes from a sad look to angry as she realizes the confusion with herself and the whole situation we are in at this point.

"It's just for a long time I had my life under control, we'll not really but to the point where I was confident in myself. After the recent turn of events, I don't have that and that was the only thing left I had in my human sanity."

I nod, in agreement. I know what that feels like. To have a sudden lack in self esteem, I had assumes that everyone was like that by now with the others invading. But not her, she is strong. I know she can overcome this. She is Cassie. The Cassie who managed to get through so much alone, and I admire that. So I don't want that part of her to be lost forever in the black pit that is our world.

"Don't give up." Is all I say and she gives me look. Saying I know but behind that smile is a hint of I don't know how.