Running With the Wave

Chapter 55

Hunter:

I walk through the prison hall to cell fifteen. The cells aren't filled with women anymore: they're filled with the men that still want to imprison and kill the women. Who, if let out, would at least try to do just so. I pass Darh, in cell nine, some other of the old Authorities in the cells behind me and ahead. I'm head of the Authorities now. I finally reach the last cell, and peer through the barred window. I see the window ledge where I've been told Era used to spend all her time on, and a terrible sadness sweeps through me. I reach into my pocket and rub the wave shaped stone. After Era died, I went back to the cell where we spent our last hours together. I found my hoodie and the stone, and both of them I always had with me. The hoodie still smells like her. I tear my eyes away from the ledge and look for the cell's sole occupant.

"Sebastion..." I call into the room.

My little brother gets up from the corner he was sitting in and walks over to the door. His hands grasp the bars and he pulls himself as close to me as he can get.

"You called?" he asks sarcastically.

"She's dead." I say shortly, "Are you happy now?"

Sebastion doesn't say anything for a bit and I can tell he's surprised. Finally, he says:

"I aimed for you, not Era. I didn't stick around long enough to see who I hit."

"Do you regret that she's dead."

"No." he answers plaintively.

"Why?" I whisper, "Why can't you understand?"

"As yourself that, big bro." he hisses, "Why can't I understand?"

"Because you don't want to."

"Because Father knew what was best, and you can claim all you want about knowing about love and all that crap, but that doesn't change the fact that you murdered your father. And I don't believe a traitor."

I look at him sadly.

"I'm sorry, Sebastion." I whisper, "I'm sorry for you."

I turn and walk away, feeling his eyes burn a hole in my back.

* * *

Two days later Sebastion hung himself in his cell, leaving a note scratched onto the wall for me:

Hunter,

You say I don't understand love. Maybe I don't but I thought you might have some left for me, and you did. You came to visit me. But you made me realize that what I've done is too terrible to live with, and I'd rather be dead than go mad and live in a dark cell for the rest of my life.

I want you to know that, even while I betrayed you, I still loved you.

Sebastion