The Great Awakening

Chapter 19

            The crowd’s cheer caused her to flinch. Her hands twitched as well, but they couldn’t move to cover her ears. Her whole body was immobile. Then, her body did move. Her hands became hard balls and her lip curled inward. How could he do this!?

With Jayden on the side of the Panthers, he could easily lead them back to the coup. Everyone there would be killed. Fires raging over the crops, bullets flying into the hearts of loved ones. All for what? A chance to be crowned? Why would Jayden even agree to help him? At this point, she had wished him to be dead. That would have been a better alternative to this.

            After some more quick announcements, the crowd dispersed like ants. None of them seemed to glance over at the girl who was still glaring back at the stage. Jayden was gawking around until his eyes looked straight at her. Her stomach clenched and nearly choked on a breath of air. Oh fuck! She refused to jolt her head into facing another direction, though her features softened. Their gaze only lasted for a small fraction of a second, before he turned away and walked towards Siris. Her lungs released the breath of air that she hadn’t realized she had been holding in, and her shoulders slouched again. That was too fucking close…

            Shit! Jayden! She wiped her clammy hands before she dashed through what was left of the crowd. At the other end was nothing. Where did he go? He couldn’t have gone far… She ran forward, following the path through the huts, but it didn’t take her long to find where he had gone. He had opened a door into a hut, and she stopped behind a dumpster, peering over every now and again until the door finally closed.

            The only sources of light in the den were torches that littered the street, or staying by the houses. The air was filled with the aroma of fried fat and soup. The very thought of bacon in her mouth was enough to get her salivating like a bulldog. Bet the food tastes better than the shitty jerky she had in her hand. Her body shivered as she covered herself in the nearly destroyed blanket. Bet the fires inside felt really nice. She continued to chew the jerky as she watched the door from the rooftop.

            Hands shaking and stomach rumbling, she reached over and patted her pocket for more of the jerky, but there was nothing left. Her body hunched forward and she let out a heavy sigh. The wafting smell of bacon lingered in her nose, beckoning her to come join the others. But she wasn’t like the others. She was there to bring Jayden back, dead or, in this case, alive.

            The door finally opened, and Jayden stepped out before walking left. She stuck to the rooftops and the darkness concealed her entirety. Minutes into the walking, he turned into a dark area where he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Her eyes widened for possibly the fifth time that day, and her fists curled into round balls. He took a puff and blew the smoke into the night sky. She inhaled it directly, and an itch built up within her lungs as she held in her cough. She swiped away the rest of the smoke with a silent groan.

            Let’s do this…

            She dropped down beside him and swung her leg to his face. He ducked underneath, allowing her toes to hit the wooden hut with a thud that shook the wall. Punches flew from her arms, swift and clean, but each one missing. When did he become so fast? Her arms already began to ache and her breaths became shorter. The lack of food was finally catching up to her. With a sluggish punch, he swiped it off to the side and pressed her against the wall, elbow against her throat. She put all her remaining strength into pulling him off, tugging at his arm while lungs ached for more air. “J-j-j…” Her face became cold and blue and the rest of her body became numb. The hand tugging at his arm loosened its grip and her vision faded until it was nothing…