in which a girl with a heavy burden tries to find her way through the trials and torments of the earth they've come home to.
OR
in which she must rebuild.
EMBERS
JOHN MURPHY
DEATHLIES 2016
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN T...
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F I V E
The speckles of guards, holding their guns up, as she approached wasn't intimidating to her, as it should've been. Somehow she didn't fear their fire. She didn't believe they'd shoot her. A lone girl, looking too much like one of the delinquent kids they'd sent to die for them to open fire.
The gates opened and several of them rushed out to meet her, headed by a stern-faced, blonde woman.
Althea wobbled on her feet, slightly overwhelmed but happy. Happy to see the faces of these people, her people. The people who had fallen from the sky just like she had all those weeks ago, just praying that they weren't going to be obliterated in a ball of fire, clinging to life.
And, even now, they clung to life in a bid to survive the trials of the ground.
"Who are you?" The woman asked her, looping an arm around her to hold her up. She must've seen the stumble. Though Althea did not hide it, the woman seemed to be the perceptive sort.
"Althea Barnes," She replied, dry-mouthed.
"And you are one of the delinquents, yes?"
"Yes."
She nodded to the other two guards. "Bring her in. She's one of us," She confirmed, helping Althea into the camp.
"It's alright," She said as they made their march. "I've walked this far, I can walk the final stretch. I'm quite capable."
The woman hesitated, but must've seen the determination in the girl's face for she nodded and released her, remaining close by should she need to be caught.
"And who are you?" Althea asked, filling the gap between them with words.
"Major Byrne," The guard replied, rolling her shoulders beneath her uniform. She turned to one of the other guards with them and murmured, "Fetch Kane. He will want to speak with her."
The guard nodded and jogged ahead, calling for them to bring out Kane because another survivor had emerged, not that they'd been looking for them. Althea was sure of it. She would've been found if they were. Instead, she came to them. Bitter.
As soon as they entered the Camp Jaha, all eyes were on her. Seeing the name of the camp made something inside of her twist. For all he'd sacrificed, he was still the man who'd sentenced many more to their death.
And she'd witnessed every single one of them.
Kane was there, arms folded across his chest. He walked to meet her, already forming a thousand questions in his mind. It was written all over his face. Althea wasn't sure she had all the answers he wanted to hear.
"What's your name?" Was his first question. An easily answered one.
