A Hard Life

A Hard Life: Ch. 26

I can't stand it anymore. I can't stand it! Jeanine said it herself.

"You are weaker than I thought Kenzie. I wouldn't be surprised if you died soon," she had whispered to me. Those harsh words that she told me, after I saw my sister with her.

Meredith, there's no way this is real. Meredith would never work for her, she told me herself.

My family always knew there was something wrong with her, but we stayed in Erudite. We stayed because we knew we could be better than her, I intend on doing so. Maybe I won't be the one to do it, but someone will.

Right now, I feel like I'm walking towards death's doorsteps. I am doing my best to run away, but it almost seems like this is my fate. I can't die though, and I won't! I will stay alive for my family, my friends, for Kane, and for myself. I will not let this she-devil take my life from me! I will hold on no matter what!

I lay on my side facing the wall opposite of the door, and like usual I have a small pool of blood around me. Scourge is in a heap of trouble when, no, if I get out of here. Quit it Kenzie, I scold myself. Don't think negatively.

I hear the door open behind me and I shut my eyes. Please, just leave me alone! For 5 minutes, that's all I ask! I hear the heavy footsteps walk closer. I think it's Scourge. Why the heck does he even work for Jeanine?! I lay perfectly still and keep my eyes closed, maybe he'll leave if he thinks I'm passed out.

"Kenzie?" a generous voice calls out to me. A voice that I'd know anywhere.

"K-Kane?" My voice comes out scratchy and quiet. I haven't really talked in, what? A week?

"Kenzie!" Kane rushes in front of me and brushes my hair away from my eyes as I open them. "What did Jeanine do to you?"

I try pushing myself up, but Kane has to help me. "She...she did experiments...o-on me. She wanted to know...what the Divergents were p-planning..."

"Ok... Let's go, we're getting you outta here," he picks me up and I hold on tight.

"We?"

My friends running in shouting my name, answered my question.

"Kenzie we thought you were dead!"

"What happened?"

"She'll explain later, let's get out of here!" Kane commands. He would be great as a Dauntless leader. I wonder why he didn't become one.

Kane carries me out into the hallway where guards lay there. More of them come from the other end of the hall, but we're too far ahead. I wonder how they knew which way to turn to escape the building. I have to squint my eyes, it feels like forever since I've seen the sky. No wonder I'm so pale. When we reach the train tracks, the train starts coming right on schedule.

"I can do it," I insist.

"I don't think you can Kenzie."

I plead with him, "Please Kane? It's been forever since I've done something." He gives in and sets me in my feet, then I soon start to fall. Kane catches me and gives me a 'told you so' look. "Alright, alright. Point made."

He picks me up and says, "That's what I thought." He starts running then jumped into a car with me in his arms. The others jump onto separate parts of the train. Kane sits against the wall with me in his lap, and strokes my hair as I curl up and get close to him. I never want to leave him again, he must've been scared pretty badly.

"You're never letting me leave your sights again, are you?" I ask giving him a small smile.

Kane kisses me on the forehead and answered, "Never ever." I finally feel safe and relieved to be here with him.