Listed: Book One of The Listed Trilogy

Chapter Seventeen

 Steps

"I'll take the first watch." I tell Lilly and Laila after the moon has risen.

"Are you sure?" Lilly asks. "I can take it if you want to sleep." she insists.

"It's fine, Lilly. I'll wake you up in a little bit so you can take the second watch." I tell her. She nods, but concern is still written on her face.

We stop under an oak tree where the branches fan out, covering the sky. Good, I think, search planes won't be able to see us as easily.

I step around the huge roots, careful not to trip and get hurt. I find a spot in between two large roots and sit down. I watch Lilly and Laila do the same, but they lie down and close their eyes. I wish I could sleep, but I know that I have to stay awake. I have to.

At least an hour has passed, and nothing has happened. I yawn silently, and look up at the stars. I think about Harper, and I wish she could see the stars, too. Wish that she could be lying next to me, fast asleep. Wish that she could be safe, that I could tell her everything I've been through. But I can't. I'll be in Canada soon, and then there's no going back. That's when I realize something. I'll never see Harper again.

The tears are warm and slide down my cheeks slowly, as though they were torturing me. That's when I first hear it.

The sound is high pitched, and sounds like a bomb being dropped from the sky. I look up, and see the light, the gray against the pitch-black sky.

I freeze, and then run over to Lilly and Laila. I reach a hand out when I trip over a root, and pain shoots up my ankle. I want to scream, but I bite my tongue. Tears come slide down my face, one right behind the other. I pull myself with my hands to the base of the tree, Lilly and Laila only foot away.

"This will have to do." I say under my breath.

The plane roars overhead, blinding white lights sweeping across the woods. I breathe slowly and quietly, as though that would make a difference.

The lights come closer to us, and I hold my breath. The light comes over our tree, then moves on. I let out my breath, then my heart stops. The light stops, then comes towards us. All hope drains out of me, and I crawl towards Lilly and Laila.

"Lilly!" I yell, and start to shake her. "Laila! Wake up!" they start to come to, and I pray that we can get out if here.

"Ath?" Laila asks groggily.

"Wake up!" I scream and shake her harder. She bolts up into a sitting position.

"What's happening?" she asks, panic obvious in her voice.

"Wake up Lilly!" I yell at her. She shakes Lilly and yells at her to wake up, but I can barely hear her over the deafening sound of the plane. Lilly sits up right when the search light hits us, and I look up on instinct to see it.

"We've gotta run!" Lilly yells, just loud enough to be heard. Her and Laila stand and make a break for it, leaving me behind with my throbbing ankle.

"Come on, get up." I tell myself, straining to stay calm. I get on my hands and knees, and the put my good foot on the ground. The push onto my foot with my hands, and begin to hop.

I hop away from the blinding light, only for it to shine on me again.

"Laila, Lilly, help!" I scream. I keep on hopping. I'm about to hop into the deep woods when I trip and fall on my face.

My head hits something hard, and pain explodes inside my skull. The light shines on me, brighter than ever, like a break in the sky into heaven.

"Help." I mumble weakly. That's when I wonder if this is worth it. I wouldn't mind at this point if they killed me right now. What, and who, do I have to live for? Then, as my vision starts to turn black at the edges, I see Harper run out from the woods.