Time is Running Out

Chapter 22

Joy shivered in the still misty air. The night was cold.
 
She walked as fast as she could, with no direction.
 
There is no more point in living, Joy thought. I am alone. I have no more friends. Even if I return home, what will I do? Mom will ground me, and what will happen afterwards? There is no point in returning home. I will stay here. I don’t need anything else. Just to find a place to live out the remainder of my life.
 
Then she saw a dark alleyway.
 
This is where I will live out the remainder of my life. Nobody understands me anyways. It is that I... 
 
Exhausted and too tired to think anymore, she curled up into a ball and fell sound asleep.

✴✴✴

"The heck did she do that?!" Emma snarled.
 
"How do I know?" Rachel said.

"Well, I'm pretty sure we both feel the same way. That we now hate Joy." Emma spat the last word out like it was vermin.
 
"And, Emma… it's not like I ever wanted to be a princess," Rachel mumbled.
 
"I know. I never thought much about the princess part. That's all Joy," Emma said.

"Thanks," Rachel said quietly. "And… I'm sorry. I never meant to… you know."
 
Emma nodded, and they didn't speak for a while. Alden and the others left them in peace; "We are going for a walk. We'll come back later," he said and they left.
 
They were silent for a while longer.
 
"Why did we ever come?" Emma finally burst out. "We don't know where Gemma is, we are stranded here until we get a ticket, Greyling is still trying to kill us. Above all of that, why we came here was to rescue Joy, and she just left us."
 
Rachel didn't reply. She didn't know what she could say to console her friend.
 
For they were friends once more, tied together with their new hatred of Joy.
 
Rachel finally spoke. "We could… you know, message her?" she muttered.
 
"What's the point? It's not like that piece of-- " Emma swore "--will ever reply or come back."
 
Rachel winced at hearing the word.
 
"What? Feel bad for her?" Emma snapped.
 
"No, I just don't like hearing that word." Rachel snorted. "I won't ever feel bad for her anymore."
 
Emma nodded.
 
"Nor will I," she promised.
 
They were silent again. There were no words to describe how they felt.
 
They were that enraged.

✴✴✴

Joy slept on and on without notice of the days, weaving in and out of countless nightmares without needing food or water.
 
It was only when she heard the voice that she woke.
 
"I have found you at last," a cold, hard, mirthless voice laughed.
 
At first Joy thought it was part of her nightmares.
 
"Wake up," the voice said impatiently. "Right now."
 
Joy woke, covered with cold sweat.
 
A figure stood; it was the dead of night.
 
"Where are they?" he demanded.
 
"Who?"
 
"Don't pretend. Your little friends."
 
Joy stiffened. "They are no longer my friends."
 
"I'll believe you when you show me where they are."
 
Joy looked into his eyes defiantly while her thoughts raced.
 
Should I tell him? No. It means betraying my friends! But they are not my friends anymore!
 
"Well?" the figure said impatiently, interrupting her thoughts.
 
Joy looked away. She nodded, twice.
 
A glimmer of victory shone in the person's eyes.
 
"You'd better show the right way," he said.
 
Joy felt the cold barrel of a gun press into the small of her back.