Blue Flames //Divergent Fanfic//

Running Away

Chapter 21:

Natalie's Perspective

    I jump over a log, and Dad jumps over it too. I have tears streaming down my face. I don't want to go, but this seems like the only choice. I don't even know where Mom is or if she's even alive. The thought brings a terrible noise gurgling from my mouth.

It sounds like a moan and a scream at the same time. I don't look back at Dad. I thought I could push through all of this, but it just keeps getting more difficult and more people are dying. I don't know if any of my other family is alive. The men are interrogating people to see if they have seen me before, and if they say no, they die. All of those people's deaths. My fault.

I am running to one of the men that's in the woods to turn myself in. I don't care if I die, or if I'm a hostage. If it means keeping more people from dying, then I'll do it. But Dad doesn't want me to go. I see why, though. Mom said I am his whole world. I scream at myself, and Dad is panting. I'm crying to hard to be able to see where I'm going. I feel something grab at my foot, and I fall to the ground.

    "No!" I shout. I blink tears from my eyes, and see that a thorny vine caught my foot. Dad comes up to me, and grabs me by the arm and lifts me onto his back. "No, put me down!" I yell. "NO!" he yells. He's running, and my nose keeps hitting his shoulder because he's bouncing.

My eyes are filled with tears, and I'm too tired to leap from his arms. "Mom" I croak before I fall asleep into Dad's shoulder.

    I wake up in a bed next to somebody, but I don't know who. I'm laying on somebody, who I assume is Dad. I look up, and see Mom hooked up to breathing tubes and sleeping. I hope she's sleeping. I sit up from Dad's arms and lay closer to Mom. She wakes up and sees me.

    "Natalie" she croaks. Tears run down my face as I hug her as tight as I can. I cry into her shirt and Dad wakes up. I see Dad's tired blue eyes and he's staring back at me. "I didn't know if you were alive." I say sniffing.

    "Me either." she says crying. "Would you like to tell your Mom what you tried to do?" he says. She looks down at me and I bite my lip. "Just let me go." I say. "Where?" she says. Dad whispers in her ear, and Mom looks horrified.

    "Why would you-" she says, but starts to cry before she can finish her sentence. Why would they let me go? I need to go. But Dad will keep a close eye on me. "Mom, I'm sorry. It's just that, this is a better way for things to happen." I say.

She looks at me with a horrified look on her face, and lets out a moan that sounds like she's throwing up, and yelling at the same time. Why did I tell Dad about this? I should have lied, and left the cave that night. But, something held me back that night. Mom's words racing through my mind. Dad's advice. "You are his whole world." she said to me that night.

 No, I can't think of that. I'm doing this for a reason. To protect them. Dad cries loud enough that the doctors in the hall hear him, and I see them peeking through the window. I stop crying, and remember that I have to leave. I'm going to leave tonight. Lie.

    "Mom, I'm sorry. I can't leave you. Please let me stay with you tonight. I don't want to be locked in a room by myself." I say pretending to wipe a tear. I should be crying.

    "Fine, but if you pull anything..." she says drifting off. Dad stares at me. Hard. He knows I'm lying. He knows I'm lying. Busted. "I won't." I say. 

    We fall asleep after we eat dinner, and I'm pretty sure Dad is going to stay awake all night to watch me, but when I look over, he's cradling Mom in his arms.We ate dinner pretty late, and we all fell asleep at about eight. I wake up again at three in the morning.