Lost Soul

Chapter Five: Weary Travelers

I blink once, then twice, then thrice. I blink again, for good measure. If I keep blinking, maybe they'll reappear.

I finally tear my eyes away when Ava calls my name. I go to her and gather her in my arms again, moving on autopilot over the hill, where my friends are waiting for me.

Rae lunges, checking my injuries. "Are you okay?"

"What happened to Zoey?" Will asks, as if I know.

I wave my hands in vague gestures, then shrug, then wince.

He nods along, as if I'm making sense.

"Did you get 'she exploded' from that?" Alex asks, leaning closer to Erick.

Erick nods, silently.

I shrug again.

Rae swats my leg. "Stop. I'm trying to get this to not bleed until I can give you stitches."

"We need a plan," Will says, peering into the trees stretching in front of us. "We-."

Before he can continue, something metallic grinds through the air.

We all cry out and cover our ears until the booming noise dulls to a thudding.

"What was that!?" Ava shouts.

Will's eyes widen and he straightens. His head snaps up over the hill and he stands. "The walls! They're closing!" He clears the hill in one jump, sprinting for the closing dome.

"Will!" I shout, finally shaking my shock.

I follow him over the hill.

"Raven!" Rae shouts, but doesn't follow as I chase Will towards the dome.

The soldiers are all screaming, throwing themselves across the threshold as the walls come crashing down, sealing us out.

"NO!" Will screeches, slamming his hands into the metal. "Let me in! Let me in!!"

I grab him, but he smacks me away and I stumble to the ground.

He kicks the wall. "Open the door!"

A window opens at the guards' booth.

"As soon as we have the doors operational again, you will be shot for treason!"

"Will, we need to go," I snap, tugging at him.

Will sobs, slamming his palm against the door a few more times. "I promised," he hiccups.

"Promised who!?"

"My-my brother," he sniffles, giving the door another kick for good measure.

I blink. "You... have a brother?"

He sobers, as if he realizes he didn't mean to share that. He goes silent and looks up at the guards. "We need to go."

"What? Will! Talk to me!"

He begins marching back to the others.

"William Allen Woods, get back here!"

He waves me off as I approach. "I'll find him one way or another, Raven. Drop it."

"Why didn't you tell me!? I could've helped!"

He turns on me so fast I run into his chest. He jabs a finger into my face. "That's why I didn't! You always think you can fix everything Raven, but news flash, you can't! I didn't want you to. This is my fight, not yours, so stay out of it!"

I stand there, clearly in the soldiers' line of sight, as Will marches back to our friends.

Rae demands answers out of him, then comes to my side. "Are you okay? What did Will say?"