Found

Chapter Nine: Raven's Choice

I wake suddenly from a nightmare.

I sit up. It's been a week and two days since we escaped. They still haven't found us and that is starting to worry me. I'm afraid they're waiting for us, planning something that Josh and I won't be able to get ourselves out of, even together.

"Raven, you alright?" Josh whispers quietly, half asleep.

"Yeah," I whisper back. I lay back down and let Josh put his arm around me. I grasp his hand in mine and go back to sleep.

I open my eyes and smile. Josh is sitting in front of me, staring at me.

"Hey," I say, quietly, still smiling.

"Hey." Josh smiles back. I sit up, ignoring the pain in my back.

My back still hurts, it is healing though, the black vein is gone. And I can stand again. Josh says that it will take a while for my body to get used to walking and moving around again. My arm is still broken. Josh was also given pain killers from the doctors at the Medical tent though, so the pain is not unbearable.

I stand up, Josh gives me his hand for support and I take it. I put all the weight I can on his hand to push myself up. It hurts to put weight on my legs, but Josh said that would go away too, he said it's just the muscles readjusting. I take a few steps, relying on Josh to support me and he does. I wobble a little bit but after a few steps, I let go of Josh's hand and walk on my own. I smile, exhilarated that I'm finally back to normal. Josh gets up from where he's sitting and hugs me from behind. I turn around on my own and kiss him, happy to be face to face with him again. Glad that he no longer has to lean down to kiss me.

"I love you," I whisper in his ear.

"I love you too." He whispers back.

I hear something outside. After I took those first few steps and Josh and I talked for a while, Josh went out hunting for our dinner. That was about an hour and a half ago though. He should have been back by now. I stand up, using a log as support. I walk to the edge of the cave and peek outside.

"Josh is that you?" I say softly. The next thing I know, I feel a sharp pain in the back of my neck, I blackout before I can see who it was.

I awake in an arena.

"Hello?!!" I shout. It's night. I am alone.

"Raven?!" Josh is standing at the other end of the arena. I stand up and see him, surprised to see me. I start to run. Faster and faster, like I'm running for my life. I run straight for him.

When I reach him, I jump into his arms, grateful that he is okay. I kiss him so hard, and I never want to let him go.

"We're in a sim, again aren't we?" Josh asks me.

"I think so." I answer, sad to say it. Suddenly, two swords, a bow, and a quiver appear in front of us. I pick up the bow and quiver. I swing the quiver over my shoulder so that it rests on my back. Josh picks up the sword nearest to him and puts it in a loop on his belt.

"What do you think the weapons are for?" Josh asks.

"Why else, there is something out there." I answer, looking out into the woods surrounding us. "And they're going to make us fight it." I clench my fists out of anger. "I'm betting I know who's behind this."

"Who?" Josh asks, confused.

"The same person who's behind the Box, Max. I'm betting he's behind all of it, getting captured, all of it, he's the man who almost killed me because of the whipping incident."

"Let's wait and see. I'm sure they just wanted us in a sim because they're taking us somewhere and they don't want to have to deal with us fighting them."

"That's true, but I'm not giving up on that hypothesis, alright?"

"Okay." Josh picks up the other sword and hands it to me. I take it and put it in a loop on my belt. "We better find some shelter for the night. C'mon." Josh gives me his hand. I take it and follow him.

We've been wondering around for what feels like an hour. I can see all the stars above and find them peaceful. I've forgotten how much I love the wild, the thrill of it all, especially when I'm with Josh. It's just, when I'm with him, I feel free, from all the world's problems, it's like all the conflict in our lives goes away. I just, I don't even have words for it. I don't think I could ever say how much I love him. And I think he knows just how much.

We finally reach a cave of sorts. Just as sunrise comes. I walk up to the shore of a lake in front of the cave we found. I sit down and just take in the beauty of it all. Josh comes and sits next to me.

"What ya doin'?" Josh asks.

"Thinkin'." I answer.

"What about?"

"Us." I pick up the diamond pendant that he gave me and hold it tightly in my hand. "Josh?"

"Yeah Raven?"

"You wanna go swimming?" I get up and run towards the lake. I get deep enough that my toes are barely touching the bottom, Josh comes chasing in after me, making big splashes. I laugh harder than I have in a while. I smile so big that, I'm afraid my mouth may fall off. I know that we are in a sim, but I don't care. I don't care that at any moment something or someone could try and kill us. The only thing that matters to me right now is that Josh and I are together and that we're happy. Josh looks at me, his arms around my waist pulling me close. I take his face in my hands and kiss him lightly. He kisses me back softly.

I let go, letting just the sparks I feel between us get brighter keep me in reality. I hold his face in my hands. Letting the air just pass between his face and mine, keeping his bright blue eyes on mine.

"Someone's watching us." Josh whispers still staring at me. His eyes go back and forth watching mine. He hugs me tight, probably looking behind us to see if the person watching us is visible. I close my eyes and enjoy his embrace forgetting the reason why he's giving it to me.

I feel a sharp pain in my hand and when I look down, there is a stun dart imbedded in my flesh. I feel the foreign substance start to flow through my veins. Josh feels me go limp, supports my body, and the last thing I see is Josh's eyes, black and soulless. Did he help the person who just shot me?