Tradition Comes Third

Need to Survive

Author's Note: Thanks everyone for your support!

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 My stomach ached with a new pain from me gorging myself over breakfast. Dad only made me eat the one piece of meat, and I was soon able to wash out the taste with the other food. After I was done eating, I went up to the room Ava and I woke up in. I pushed the door open, and I could hear Ava and Mom talking to each other. When the door opened, I saw them sitting on the foot of the bed. They stopped talking when they saw me.

"Mom, Dad wants you to go downstairs for breakfast," I told her.

"Okay," she said getting up off of the bed.

I was shocked when she wrapped her arms around my neck. She was quick to pull away from me, and head down to the kitchen.

"What was that about downstairs?" Ava asked.

I let out a deep breath, and got down on my knees in front of her. We were almost eye-to-eye. I opened up her legs, and tried to get as close as I could get to her.

"Hunter." Her voice was shaky. "What happened?"

I wasn't sure what to say to her. She was going to be upset, and I knew what I was doing was right.

"We can't starve ourselves," I told her.

I watched as Ava's eyes glistened with tears. She shook her head, and tried to push herself away from me. I grabbed her wrists. She yelped when I squeezed her wounded arm, and pulled her closer to me.

"Let go of me!" She tried to yank herself free from my grasp.

"Ava, calm down," I said.

"I'm not going to," she said. "How could you eat that?"

"Just listen to me," I said. "We'll die if we keep doing this."

Ava's face turned red as she shook her head. The tears were streaming down her face. She continued to try and pull her wrists free from my grasp.

"You told me you wouldn't break," she cried.

"I didn't," I told her. "I have to be smart about this."

"No!"

Ava stopped pulling away from me. She pressed her hands up against my chest, and tried to push me back. I tightened my grip, and threw her down onto the bed. I swung my leg over her to pin her down. I held her hands against the bed.

"Listen to me," I said. "I had one small piece and then they let me eat a meal."

"It's disgusting!" she shouted.

"I know! But we have to do it. We'll die if they don't."

"No, no, no."

Ava shook her head. She twisted her body to try and wiggle out from under me.I let go of her wrists, and cupped her face with my hands. I held her to stop her from shaking.

"You can't starve yourself," I told her. "You need to eat one small piece."

"You're one of them," she said. "You're crazy."

"No, I'm not," I said. "Ava, I love you. I'm just trying to take care of you."

Ava's eyes flew open. Her crying had turned her eyes red. She brought her hands up to mine.

"Hunter, no." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "You know I can take care of myself. Don't let them get to you."

"You're starving," I said. "You're hurting yourself."