The Blame Game

CHAPTER EIGHT

I threw up. Like, literally threw up. I've never really been one for blood or pain, and all of this has just made me sick to the bones. The others bandaged Victoria up because I couldn't bring myself to look at her. She was extremely weak from blood loss, much as April is, and we struggled to think of a way to get down. Luckily, we realised that the carriage was almost at ground level again, so we waited until the perfect moment, and then we all jumped off. By the time Li had run off to find another wheelchair and returned, the sun was high above the tree line. We saw no sign of David, and I slowly began to feel that this was finally over. I've never been more wrong.

We decided we should head towards the main road, try to find some help. As we began our journey- we were only about five hundred metres away from the gravelled road through the forest- I started to notice that for some reason, my vision was getting blurry.

"Hey guys? Is it just me, or are you guys getting tired too?" I ask. I would expect to be tired, but this feeling seems... wrong.

No one answers me, and I can't tell whether it's because they're too tired to answer, or mad that I didn't help save Victoria in the end. Guilt clouds my thoughts, and I can't bear to look at anyone else. I would've saved her, really I would. But it was just that she was in so, so... so much pain.

I glance up quickly to see Li who is pushing Victoria's wheelchair. Victoria has fallen asleep, as has April who is being wheeled along by Brodie. They have grown extremely close, April and Brodie. How is it that I'd never noticed until now?

Sierra stumbles beside me, and I reach out to steady her, only to wind up on the grass. Brodie is leaning heavily on April's wheelchair, barely able to stand upright. And it's then I notice the fog rolling around our feet. Poisonous fog? I think. Brodie falls to the ground, and Li staggers around for a bit and joins us in the grass. Alaska is the only one left standing- literally- but her energy is visibly draining. The world seems to be swaying, but I manage to hold my concentration long enough to see her fall too. I relax- against my will- and my eyes start to drift closed. Out the corner of my eye, I can see a massive fog machine just to the left of us, hidden between some tents. And David is standing next to it, a gas mask over his head. He's poisoning us to death. I think. And it's the last recollection I have before darkness surrounds me.

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My body feels like lead. Why? No, no time for questions. We need to get up. I think everyone is here- wherever here is- but it's hard to tell, it's so dark. I can just make out forms... There's Li, propped up against Victoria's chair, and Brodie against April's.... No, wait. Sierra is missing. He's probably already started her torture. She'll be dead before we even find her. Wait! Alaska is missing too. That doesn't make sense. What's that I can hear? Mum?! Dad?! No, they're dead, I can't hear them. But I can hear people. People I know. Who are they? I can't see them, it's so dark in here. They're calling for us. Looking for us. I should call out to them. Why can't I talk? This is so weird. No! They're going! Their voices are fading. Please don't go! Wait! I'm so tired. No. Don't fall asleep again. Don't..... fall........ asleeeeee.....................

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I wake with a start, jolting out of my induced slumber. I spin around, looking for Sierra and Alaska. Brodie and Li are already awake, whispering to one another. They stop when they see me. Li gazes at me, a look of fear and sadness in her eyes.

"They're gone. He took both of them. Here's the note he left." She says, passing the note to me slowly.

I snatch it out of her hand and read it through quickly. This is what it says;

I didn't think you'd have the guts to do what you did.
I'm surprised.
But the worst is yet to come.
Two have been taken, Sierra Porter and Alaska Rositta.
You can find them in a tent but do hurry.
They have a time limit, as has everyone else.
But there's a catch.
Only one can be saved.
Try saving both, and they will both die.
Save none and they both die anyway.
Who is your favourite?
Choose carefully.
Good Luck!

"Shit!" I yell, slamming the palm of my hand on the floor beneath me. I don't know why, but I suddenly feel energised and powerful. Ready to face anything. I'm done running from this psychotic murderer.

I look up, and suddenly notice the door. We're inside some kind of shipping container or something, but that's not what bothers me. The door is open, and outside, the world is dark. We've been asleep all day. I remember waking up, hearing people calling for us.

"He hid us here while they searched the grounds for us." I say to Brodie and Li. April and Victoria are still out cold. "Are they..?" I ask, pointing to the two girls.

Brodie shakes his head quickly. "No. The gas just affected them more because they were already weak. They're just sleeping. Probably the best thing for them."

"What were you saying? About people searching for us?" Li asks me, standing up slowly.

"I woke up, heard voices. I couldn't see anyone, but I could hear them yelling, calling our names. Then I fell asleep again." I say quickly. I stand up, stretching my legs. We need to go, find the girls.

Brodie and Li look at me, then nod, understanding. They arrange themselves and the girls and then nod when they're ready to head out. I walk out first, glancing around at my surroundings. The tent directly opposite us is lit up, so I head towards it. Li and Brodie follow me, pushing the two wheelchairs.

The note claws at my mind, holding my immediate attention. Do we really have to choose only one? Or is it possible to save both? We could try, at least. A horrible thought is nagging me, right at the back of my mind. Who do I want to save? I push it away. I want to save both of them, obviously. But if it really comes down to it, who will we choose? How can we tell their family what we did? 'Oh sorry your daughter is dead, we figured the other girl's life was more important'. No. I will not let either of them die. There has to be a way. There has to be.

We enter the tent, and I take in the scene. The girls are standing in plastic tanks suspended over either side of a huge pit that's about five times deeper than I am tall. The sides of it are smooth, I notice, so no one could possibly climb out. Heat rises up as the embers in the bottom of the pit smoulder. The girls seem unharmed, and they have no tape on their mouths. I ask them what we're supposed to do. Sierra answers me.

"You can only save one of us. There are buttons over there behind you. The blue one opens the door to my tank, and the red one opens the door to Alaska's tank. But!" she yells when Li moves to press the buttons. "But if you press the blue one, my door will open and Alaska's floor will retract and she'll fall. If you hit the red one, I fall. If you hit them both, we both fall. If you don't hit any, we both fall anyway. There is a timer." she points across the room. There is a large digital clock suspended between the tanks, counting down from five minutes. How unexpected.

Alaska is staring downwards, at the embers below her. I can see her visibly shaking, and my heart sinks. I can't do this to either of them. Suddenly the screen on which the clock is counting down goes black and David's face appears.

"Who will you choose?" He asks us.

I look behind. My mouth falls open as I see April awake and standing. Brodie supports her body weight, so she isn't actually standing by herself, but she is out of the wheelchair.

"I want to volunteer myself to save them both." She says. "I'm going to die anyway."

Brodie clutches at her arm, tears welling in his eyes. April is weeping too, and I am shaken again to see how close they've become. To Brodie's credit, he nods slowly, supporting April's decision. I could never do that if I were in his position.

But David shakes his head. "No." he says simply. "Choose."

But who do we choose? We obviously need to decide. Better to lose one life rather than two....... Oh my god, I sound like a monster. How can I do this? The others must be experiencing this too. I turn to look at them. Brodie has lowered April back into her wheelchair and they are whispering with one another. Li is kneeling beside the groggy Victoria who has seemingly just woken up. I see her eyes widen considerably as Li explains the situation to her. Brodie stands up and faces the screen, his hand on April's shoulder. But before he can speak a single word, Alaska speaks up.

"Save Sierra." she says.

A/N: Hey, I'm sorry it took so long for me to post this chapter, I kept getting sidetracked. The rest are following quickly though, I just need to get some feedback from a very important person before I post the next two chapters. :) As always, thank you for reading, and DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!! I hope you're enjoying the story :)