Minds: Book One

Chapter Eighteen

        I looked down at my chest expecting to see blood, but I saw nothing and I felt nothing. I looked over at Alice who was staring at the ground in front of me with a horrified look on her face. I looked down and my heart dropped. River was laying on the ground covered in blood.

        “RIVER!” I screamed as I dove down and scooped him into my arms. I heard another gun shot go off but my attention was on River. My father shot at me when I thought he wouldn’t and River jumped in front of the bullet and saved my life. My best friend sacrificed himself for me. I looked down at his bullet wound, he got shot in the chest. River looked up at me. His face was pale.

        “River don’t leave me, stay with me please.” I said between sobs. A tear fell down onto River’s cheek.

        “We were supposed to be best friends for life. River you can’t leave me.” I said. River gave me a small smile.

        “Isaac… I’m sorry.” River said with a voice barley above a whisper. The light left River’s eyes and he went limp in my arms. I pulled his body close into my chest and started to cry even harder. I began to rock back and forth. Small cold hands were on my shoulders.

        “Isaac, we have to go.” Alice said in a soothing voice. I laid River's body down on the ground and turned towards Alice. I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my face in her chest. She just held for me a moment and let me cry. She began to pull me towards my feet.

        I looked over at the door and saw my father’s lifeless body on the ground. Alice walked over to the rest of the files, pulled out a lighter and lit them all on fire. We watched them all burn for a few seconds. I covered River’s body up with a blanket I found in the desk.

        “We have to go.” Alice said in a sweet voice. I took her hand and let her lead me out of the room, leaving River’s and my father’s bodies behind. It began to get hotter the closer we got to the exit. Piper must have successfully completed her task as well. There was a terrible smell in the hallways, Piper definitely successfully completed her task.

        Alice led me out the back door and where we found hundreds of people. Most of them were patients that were in ROIM, they all had terrible cuts and bruises all over them. We found Kayla and walked over to her.

        “Where is everyone?” Alice asked. I had to lean on her so I wouldn’t fall down. My whole body felt numb.

        “Still inside. Piper and Adam completed their tasks as you can see. We are still waiting on Richard, Nick, Adam, Piper, and Bentley to come out.” Kayla said in a nervous voice. “Where is River?” She asked. I started to cry again almost falling down to the ground. Alice held me up and rubbed my back. A few minutes later Piper and Nick came running out of the back door. They ran up to us.

        “Where is Richard?” Kayla shouted. Nick shook his head.

        “Dr. Maston shot him.” Nick said with a strained voice. Kayla yelled out and collapsed into the ground. She started crying into her hands and Nick kneeled down next to her. He gently rubbed her back.

        “Bentley didn’t make it either.” Piper said in a quiet voice. I was surprised to hear the sadness in her  voice. Adam came running out of the back door with someone in his arms. He ran over to us. He was carrying a small girl in his arms. He set her down and she looked at all of us. She looked about sixteen years old. She had one green eye and one blue eye. She was basically just skin and bones. Her skin was covered in so much dirt and dried blood I could barley see what her skin tone was. She had long matted ginger hair. Her clothes were filthy. If Adam wasn’t holding onto her I doubt she would have been able to stand up on her own.

        “Who is this?” Piper asked. When the girl spoke her voice sounded as if she had not spoken in years.

        “My name is Grace.” The girl said. Alice and I looked at each other with wide eyes.

        “What’s your name?” Alice asked. She looked at Alice.

        “My name is Grace.” She said with a scratchy voice. Alice looked back at me.

        Do you think this is the girl that Scarlett was talking about? Alice asked. I slightly shook my head.

        I think so. I said. I had so many questions for Grace but I didn’t have any energy to ask any of them.

        A few hours later Nick and Piper pulled two buses out of ROIM’s garage and started shuttling the patients back to the Safe House. Kayla, Alice, Adam, Grace, and I got on the last bus and went back to the Safe House. Grace had fallen asleep in Adam’s arms in one of the seats, Alice fell asleep in mine, and Kayla fell asleep by herself in another seat. I turned around to get one last look at ROIM.

        “Bye River. You’ll always be my best friend. I love you.” I whispered.

        Together we all left ROIM behind us.