Chasing Violets

Reprieve

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---------------------------------------------------------------3 MONTHS AGO--------------------------------------------------

"Holy fuck? You haven't seen me in almost 2 years and thats the first thing out of your mouth. Holy Fuck?! I thought we had something Violet, but clearly--"

I cut off the blue-haired she-devil with a rib-crushing hug. Her heady cinnamon scent caught my nose, sending my head into a dizzying spin filled with colorful memories. The time we sniped the raccoons from the trees hanging upside off the windowsills. Or the time we tried to outrace the possums through the forest. She was almost as good at archery as I was, and I only had my violet-eyed powers to help me out. She was just naturally gifted. My best friend who was ripped away from me. My one true sister. Amya Williams was truly back. I smiled widely at her, my eyes shining like spotlights with unshed tears.

And then my smile faded as I remembered the circumstances surrounding us.

"Amya, how'd you come back? How'd you escape the Refined and the Officials and all of this crazy crap?"

I saw the smile drop off Amya’s face, and could even hear it shatter against the ground. Happiness is a fragile thing now isn't it?

"It was pretty hard actually," she began. "They actually did capture me at first. But luckily, my best friend taught me how to kick ass." She offered another fragile smile, one I returned with pride. I remembered the sessions we spent together four years ago, my mother and I teaching the spunky blue-haired Amya how to fight. Her hair had been just past her shoulders then. She'd been really good. She learned fast.

"But it wasn't until I got my hands on the bow when things became easy for me. Any Officials that started to become a threat took an arrow to the throat. It was about two days before I started to realize I should go looking for somewhere to lay low. More and more officials were showing up at the places I was at, and I almost got caught again. So I decided to swing out of there. I overheard a Officials News Update saying that there was a special person down here in Louisiana, Uncurable #1. When I heard that it was a girl with an uncommon hair color, I knew it was you. So I packed my bow, my small personals and I hopped a train out here. You wouldn't believe how many Officials and Refined are out there at any given time. I spent most of my time in the carry-on shelf of the train because the Officials patrolled everywhere. They are like the police against everything that is remotely human."

She stopped to catch her breath, and I thought it over carefully. Amya knew a lot about the Refined but the change hadn't even been that long ago. How did that pan out? And while I knew Amya knew I was tough, I also knew there was a lot of things she'd left out. Important things. Then there was the imminent problem of my departure. I needed to find my brother, and I needed to keep Amya safe. These two warring factions raged within me.

Just take her with you. She'd go anyway, and you just got her back. You don’t want to lose her again, do you?

But what if she doesn't want to go? And besides, the best way I can keep her safe is to keep her in a safe house. She can't be walking around the country with me. I'm Uncurable #1. I'll put her life in even more danger. I need her to be protected

You are the best protection she has. There is no reason not to ask her. Now stop being a wuss and talk to your best friend.

*OK so maybe it wasnt a war. Maybe it was more I didn't want my best friend to come risk her life for me. You'd have the same discussion with yourself too, wouldn't you?*