"We can't all get out."
"Then I'll stay. For you. Run while you still can."
It all started with that yellow flower. The yellow flower in the room of the boy who'd tried to escape. Yellow was a colour Bethany had never seen. From the second the fou...
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Bethany took a step forward as the ceremony started. The nine bishops were preparing for those who'd broken the rules and laws to be smeared before the eyes of those who'd doubted things. Bethany hadn't done anything wrong, but apparently she had to watch the smearing since the bishops thought she was doubting them.
She remained in the trance all the people at Dema were in, all but the ones in line. Her eyes stayed where the bishops wanted them.
A blonde girl stood next to her seemed very upset as the brunet stepped up to a bishop. He seemed quite confident about himself, though he was going to be smeared. He looked right at the blonde next to Bethany and nodded slightly. It confused Bethany a lot.
"He's my boyfriend." The woman told Bethany, in reply to the confused facial expression.
"I'm sorry, did you say boyfriend? We're not allowed romantic relations here." Bethany replied, her eyes tearing from the smearing and instead going to the blonde.
"The bishops allow them at times. Tyler and I are allowed. I'm Jenna, by the way." The blonde told Bethany.
"I'm Bethany." She replied. The two then continued watching the ceremony, Jenna trying her hardest not to cringe at the sight of the light in the eyes of her boyfriend being put out. Bethany had never noticed how dead all eyes looked until she'd seen Tyler's go dull. It was upsetting to say the least.
It was like she was suddenly more awake. There was something more than what she had been told, and she had been told a lot. She probably knew more than anyone else at the place, but suddenly she felt like she knew nothing at all.
She left the room later with Tyler and Jenna, the dullness in his eyes seemed duller compared to the spark in Jenna's. How could her eyes be so bright? How could she seem to not be blank like the rest of them? Bethany couldn't answer that. She knew that something had changed though, she wasn't sure whether or not it was good or bad.
"Tyler? Tyler, Wake up." Jenna shook Tyler's shoulder slightly once they were away from the bishops and their smeared servants. Tyler seemed blank to Jenna's words as her hands softly fell upon his neck. "Tyler."
"Jenna, what are you doing? Are you trying to remove the smear?" Bethany questioned, her eyes wide. She had never seen anyone try that before. The black marks usually disappeared on their own once the criminal had been shamed enough. "What is your full name?"
Jenna turned to look at Bethany with a slight glare. She shook her head and looked at Bethany with kinder eyes. "I'm not going to tell you."
"What? Please Jenna." Bethany begged. She couldn't report Jenna to the bishops without knowing her full name. She needed to get it out of her to her somehow. She needed to stay loyal to the bishops.
"No. You don't want to report this. Give it some time." Jenna replied as she rubbed the black marks off Tyler's neck. It frustrated Bethany but she just watched. "Wake up." She repeated.