When Fiction is Reality

Chapter One

CHAPTER TWENTY

"We're the good guys, you cowards. We don't take orders from you and we certainly do not ask our own to fight people like you!"

"You and you alone, Pheonix, will fight to the first death, and if you receive the title of the victor, you will receive pardon fron Herron, a lifelong peace in store," the giant man yelled in reply to Camp, spitting with his command.

Camp stood with his brothers, the fighters willing to stand up for their rights to freedom in their land, but oposed to fighting in unfair conditions. Camp wouldn't admit that he was afraid, but he was trembling on the inside, though it could have been anger. Herron's army was much larger than the Phoenix brothers' could stand to inform their own warriors of. It wasn't fair, but the term seemed childish. If Camp Phoenix lost the battle against Herron's first choice fighter, the Phoenix's and their people would start a war and it would end poorly, Camp was afraid.

"Tell Herron, we do not accept the challenge-"

Ugh, backspace backspace backspace backspace backspace backspace....

"Tell Herron," Camp began with a sound of fierceness in his voice-

Ew, no. Backspace backspace backspace backspace backspace backspace....

"Tell Herron we will not fight. We will protect our people and we do not seek to end lives, we only ask-

"Bella!"

Oh, gosh. Lord, help me.

"Bella, are you up!"

"Great," I say to myself, not loud enough for anyone to hear.

I just know Mom's going to make me stop writing and then where will Camp and his brothers be? Up a creek. Well, they technically aren't going anywhere right now, anyway. Might as well take a break and answer Mom before she comes to my room and sees the horrible mess of junk food I've made.

"Mom, it's past lunch! Yes, I'm up!" I yell in answer, and then I hear the footsteps.

Before she comes to my room, I close my computer and leave it lying on my bed as I exit my bedroom and meet Mom halfway down the stairs. "Need somethin'?" I ask her.

"Yes, or well, no," she answers. "You do."

"I do?" I ask.

"You said you wanted to get some new shoes before Monday," she says, "Well, it's Saturday."

"Oh! Right," I say, gazing in the direction of my bedroom, longing to read and write and create and love Camp a little more before I have to put it away for the night...in nine hours... Hm. "Sure, I have plenty of time to write, lemme go grab my shoes and my phone real quick and I'll be down in two shakes of a lamb's tail."

"Yeah, I'm going to say you have plenty of time, Bella, it's only one o'clock," she says as I hurry back up the stairs and to my room.

My shoes I find under my bed and in a corner under a jacket I won't be using for months -they're never in places that make sense- and my phone is on charge with one hundred percent and a million texts from Trin, my best friend.

"Hey," I answer her texts, not really reading them quite yet -I'll save them for when I get in the car.

"Did you even read my texts? Cuz I think when a person sends you a book of texts, you are capable of replying with more than HEY," she answers.

"Okay," I send back with a smug smile and don't reply again until I'm in the car, waiting for Mom.

My phone rings as soon as I almost press send.