[Discontinued] Not Equal

fourteen//unexpected greetings

I am awakened to the sound of tapping on our door. My eyes fly open, and I sit up in bed, surprised. The tone of the tapping shifts into knocking, and then pounding. Who could be at our door before morning curfew ends? I glance over at Mother and Ellie, who are still peacefully sleeping. I climb down the ladder and open the door wearily.

I am met with several Advisors. They are armed with weapons, and one of them catches my eye. One of the guns that one of the Advisors has a series of small letters printed on the side of the metal. "TRIPLE M16", it says. "What a pleasure." I drawl, fixing my gaze upon the Advisors.

One of the Advisors narrows his eyes. "The Chief Elder's son requests your presence." His arms flex. "Keep in mind that we are watching you."

I hold in my nervousness behind my mask of steel. "Noted," I say, dipping my head. "We should be heading off to him, then." I bite my lip, hoping that my curiosity was well hidden behind the Question turned into a statement. The Advisor narrows his eyes. "No, he is right here."

The Advisors clear to reveal Cole is standing there, wearing a fancy, well-tailored suit. I feel the blush coming to my cheeks, but I regain myself and try to hide it. Cole scowls, but somehow he looks good when he does it. "They insisted on going first, so no one assassinated me." He steps forward, ignoring the protests of the Advisors guarding him. "But your presence was requested by the Male overseer of the fields you were supposed to work at, had I not come."

I grit my teeth, remembering the brutal lashes of the overseer and the burning hot pain in my back and where the whip hit my skin. Suddenly the memories rush back into my head. Eric. My blood runs cold at the mere Thought of him. "Eric," I breathe, my heart racing.

Cole looks at me, his face emotionless. "Yes," He confirms, narrowing his eyes slightly. "He is the highest Advisor, second in charge to the Elders and I." He steps even closer, so close that if I shifted forward slightly, I would be brushing his chest. "I recommend you not stray into trouble again, Maddie." The playful voice he had when we were alone together in his room is gone, replaced by a severe and commanding view. This is the mask of the Chief Elder's son, the one who everyone knew.

My shoulders rise and fall to my heavy breathing. I don't know which one is more startling, the fact that Cole is standing so close to me, or the fact that I have to meet up with Eric. "Yes, sir," I whisper, lowering my eyes.

"Good," Cole says flatly. He turns around without another word and walks away, signaling for us to follow him. I brush past the Advisors and try to catch up with Cole, but his pace is too quick for me.

The car ride is quiet, and I find myself thinking that everything I knew about Cole might have been...wrong. Was he the person I Thought he was? He was the Chief Elder's son, after all. My Thoughts are interrupted by something brushing my hand. My eyes dart down to my hand, and I see Cole, looking at me with a hint of a smile on his face, his hand in mine like he could read my mind.

Once we arrive, we enter a room with substantial golden doors. Eric is sitting at a table like the Elders' table, but not adorned with as many jewels. He sits at the other end of the rectangle table, his hands folded in front of him, his face locked into a sneer. "Well. Maddilyn Carter, isn't it? You have given me quite a lot of trouble. Had you not been his," He jerks his head towards Cole, who is standing right behind me. "I would have killed you by now."

I shudder slightly at his words. "Thank you for your mercy," I say, tipping my head down like I always should have. Eric smirks. "Oh, it looks like you found your manners. It's too bad though, I already scheduled a Check for you, darling." His words send a shiver down my spine. The bits and pieces of memories from when I was a Seven or Six rush back into my head. I remember everything from before, the rose, the sharp pain, the Doctor. But new memories are rushing back now, things that I didn't recognize before. Words, spoken so quickly that I almost miss them. "Immunity." "Possibility." "Rebel."