GLORY AND GORE ━━ F. ODAIR

17.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
hope of morning

" my hands are stained, and they'll never be clean again "

I couldn't control the tears that raced down my cheeks, or the way my throat closed up every time I looked at Flora's body lying lifelessly on the dirt. Her mouth still agape and eyes wide open. It was stupid, really. She was trying to kill me, and yes, I still felt guilty.

Like a murderer.

With the hem of my torn up shirt I wiped the tears off of my face, the sound of the hovercraft became louder and louder. Meaning I didn't have a lot of time. I grabbed her sword that was lying on the dirt and started to walk away, resisting the urge to look back at her body.

The adrenaline coursing through my body had since gone, making the throbbing pain more noticeable. Each step was like another hit to head, each breath was another punch in the stomach.

In the distance, Piper was sat down at our small camp, knife in hand waiting for my return. I couldn't help but smile as I saw her waving her arms in the air.

I pulled Piper into a tight hug, clinging onto her jacket and burying my head in the crook of her neck. She ran a hand down my back, rubbing it soothingly.

"I'm so happy your safe, what happened out there? I heard the cannon and I-" Piper began to ramble.

"I killed somebody, Piper, I didn't want to but I had to. Flora, the girl from Eleven," I cried, hot tears staining her jacket.

"You did what you had to do, it's okay," she whispered into my ear,letting me go and handing me a full flask of water, "all yours," she smiled sadly.

I poured a little out onto my palm and massaged it into my face, trying to clean all the cuts as best I could. I swished the water around in my mouth, spitting it out onto the snow and creating a patch of pink.

"You didn't take your knife back?" she asked.

I shook my head, "I couldn't, besides, it was just a knife. Did you put more cream on your leg?"

"I did," she nodded, "I don't know if I applied it right or not, it wasn't bad at first but my leg is burning."

Flora's words replayed in my head, "Do you still have any left?"

Piper nodded, sticking her hand in the snow and pulling out the jar, there wasn't a lot left, but it was something, "What's the purple? Do you know?"

She shook her head, "What's wrong?"

I slammed the jar down, "Nothing, it's nothing. Why don't you get some sleep, maybe the pain will fade?"

"Alright, are you sleeping too?" She asked, laying down on her side.

I nodded, "Yeah, I am. If anything happens, wake me up, okay?" She nodded and turned her head away, closing her eyes and attempting to fall asleep.

I laid down on my side, using my backpack as a makeshift pillow. For some reason, I couldn't get Flora's words out of my head, was she just trying to throw me off? She could have been watching us for ages and seen Piper's condition, taking a guess that she wouldn't have much more time left. I had to hope that was the case.

I'd never get her out of my head. Wherever I went, she'd be there. In my dreams, when I wake, there was no forgetting.

I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around myself as I tried to fall asleep. Stray tears slowly ran down my cheeks and over my lips, I could taste the saltiness.