Oriehn

Chapter 28- Taliesin

Chapter 28- Taliesin

I could not help but stare at her incredulously as she cried since I knew that she was wrong. I wanted to comfort her, tell her that it was okay, but she did not even look at me after her confession. "I am sorry about that." She gave me a weak smile. "I will leave."

She walked out the door and I followed her, and just as I stepped out there was a gunshot. Except it was not directed at me. "Oh my goodness!" Alice shrieked. I watched as the bullet barely missed Drai and hit the wall instead. "Oh my god, I am so sorry! I thought you were a warden."

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and I could see wardens from the far end of it. "They have come to see what the noise was about," Alice said. She scrambled to her feet and helped Drai up, not once looking at me.

"Hey! Runaway prisoners!" A warden shouted and they picked up their pace. They picked up their guns and aimed at Drai and me. My breath caught in my throat as I turned around to run. The gunshots fired and I braced myself for the impact that never came.

Confused, I looked back and saw something white fly in front of my eyes. "Alice!" Drai screamed. My eyes widened as I saw Alice lying on the floor, with her blood blossoming on her white coat.

"What happened?" I asked as the wardens made a quick route for a stretcher, staring at Alice. Drai just shook her head as Alice laid still on the floor, her blood spreading around her.

"She..." Drai sobbed, leaning onto me. "She took the shots for us." She knelt down towards her body. "Can you carry her?" I looked at Alice, who was going limp.

"No," But I had not whispered that, Alice had interjected. "Leave me," Alice coughed. When we did not move, she continued, "Go. Run," Drai shook her head and Alice's breathing grew frantic. "Go down nine doors, turn left, then find the first door on the right. Go down five flights of stairs..." She breathed, barely able to get the words out. "And then turn right. Go three doors, turn right, go seven doors, then a left. There will be a helicopter. For anything that needs a code..." She halfheartedly winked. "Just ask her."

"Go, Drai. It was a pleasure to be your friend," Alice licked her lips and hesitated. "I hope you will lead more great adventures in the future," Alice whispered, and Drai squeezed her hand once, then left, racing down the hall.

I moved to follow, but Alice tugged on my sleeve lightly. "Taliesin, you have to go another way."

"No." I shook my head. "You can come with us."

She gave me another weak smile. "You don't really mean that," I frowned. "Just...just drag me into that room and lock the door. They lock from the inside. Go the other way Drai went, and follow the same set of directions. The building is symmetrical. Just turn left when I said right, and right when I said left. Then run around the building to the helicopter."

"I meant what I said, Alice," I tilted my head to look at her. She shook her head slightly.

"You hate me, remember?" I stared at her as her breathing grew shallow and tears formed in her eyes. Alice shoved her gun into my hands. "Go... Go, Sin," My heart faltered as she said my nickname. I hesitated and she pushed me, immediately falling back onto the floor.

"I hope you have a good life," I reached for her hand and she weakly grasped mine. Her voice was so faint I had to strain to listen. "I am sorry for everything..." Her eyelids fluttered as she got the last words out. "I love you." Her eyes closed and the hand I held grew limp.

I could not hold my tears in anymore, I was crying. She remembered the words that I spoken to her, and those were not even real. "Alice..." I whispered, knowing very well that she couldn't hear me. "I love you too." I brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ears, and leaned in. I kissed her lips, still warm, wanting to hold onto whatever life she has left within her. After one last look, I left.

The wardens were confused as to which room we went in, so they had been testing each one down the hall. I waited when all of them were down the furthest end, then burst out shooting in their direction. I thought I had hit one, but I was already running down the halls.

Following Alice's directions, I ran as fast as I could. I turned a sharp left only to crash into a warden. He reacted faster than I did, holding my wrist tightly in one hand and taking the gun in the other. I growled in frustration.

Stomping on his foot, I started running only to see more wardens. Hesitating too long, they all surrounded me. "If you value your life at all, then hold your hands up and give up," A warden threatened. I sighed and did so.

As they marched me to my room, I passed the room Alice and I were in just a few minutes ago. She was gone, but the floor was slightly colored blue. "Sin!" A familiar voice called.

"Drai. You did not escape?" I asked, sighing.

"I did, but there were many wardens outside," Drai scowled. "I was so close. Within feet of the helicopter! How about you?"

"I went another way," I answered. "I did not get that far, either. There are so many wardens now..." I frowned gently. Drai sighed.

"Stop talking," The warden commanded and roughly shoved me into my old room. I growled, but I was too tired to fight back. It would be better to make a plan and bide my time. Drai was in the cell next to me, and we whispered sometimes over the past few days, but we could not think of anything.

Alice still floated in my mind, haunting my subconscious. I wondered if she really believed everything I said. I really hoped she did not. How could she, as I felt sure every time I looked at her my true feelings were painted on my face? But judging from her reactions, I knew she did. I regret those words I had said in spite, and now they have come to bite me.

I found myself chanting lowly, whether it was out loud or in my head I did not know, but for innumerable days on end the same words echoed within my cell.

"If only I had a second chance," I whispered, voice cracking. "If only we all had a second chance."