Sequel: Rendering Flames
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Wanderlust

Thirty

I was shoved ahead, my feet tripping over each other. My hands were bound behind my back and I was following behind a family, another woman, and a man who couldn’t speak but only tremble. It was a small line, border patrol marched around us. They were stiff as I looked around at my surroundings in the deep unknown forest. We were being herded like cattle, being thrown out of the inside territory.

I didn’t know anyone else’s story beside my own, my head still reeling from the electro therapy. It had been a few weeks, being held up in a tiny chamber and being tortured to leak anyone else who was disobeying Kruger. Even if I did know anyone else, I wouldn’t have told them. My wrist was scabbing over and stung a little less every day. It was hard to keep a straight thought, it was hard to speak even. The therapy had really done a number on some of my motor skills but every time I fell behind, I got hit with a baton.

The family in front of me would peek back at their daughter, Lily, every so often. Even if it earned them a slap or a hit from one of the patrols, they had to make sure their daughter was with us. Sharp pains pulsed through my head and I found it hard to walk in a straight line, earning me another shove.

I could hear water as we approached ahead, my mouth foaming in dehydration. It was cold outside, but I was only provided the clothes I had been wearing for the past few weeks. As we broke through the line of trees, I saw that it was a stream but it stretched further in width than most. The water was fast and slightly frozen looking. The border patrols were bundled up, wearing thick rubber boots as they crossed the stream easily. I dreaded having to think any more besides just simply walking but I knew I’d have too when I saw Lily’s father stumbled a little.

I waited as the people ahead of me crossed little by little. Lily scooted back from the edge of the water. She ran into my legs and peered up at me with watery eyes, I cautiously edged her on.

“Come on, girl!” One of the guards yelled to her and she jumped a little, stepping forward.

Her foot dipped into the water as she trekked forward, sloshing through the water as I started behind her. The water was painfully cold, my feet going numb and prickly almost instantly. Lily moved slowly and I wanted to just pick her up and move her along but I would get shot if I even touched her. Her parents encouraged her but her Mother took a hand to the cheek and shut her mouth instantly.

Lily’s foot slipped and she fell into the water. I reacted by trying to bend down and pick her up but my hands were bound and I could only water her struggle to regain her footing. Everyone looked panicked but the guards just stood there, watching. The current picked her up easily, carrying her downstream.

“Lily!” Her mother called down to her. Her parents ran after her and the silent man stood idly but the other woman ran after her as well.

Chaos broke out as the silent man wrung his hand free suddenly, charging at a patrol with his back to him. I struggled against my restraints and couldn’t even slip my hands to the side. How in the world did he get out of those?

A gunshot rang through the air, grabbing my attention as my feet carried me out of the water. The silent man struggled with the one border patrol, the others racing down to grab Lily’s parents as another went after the woman who was after Lily. I watched him drag Lily from the water, seeing her tossed aside. The woman screamed as the man turned and slit her throat savagely. Lily’s cries could be heard and I ran to her, letting her grab at my pants leg to pull herself up. As she got to her feet, she ran away. I looked around and saw everyone fighting someone or running from one another. I knew these weren’t Kruger’s most experienced patrol members, these types of thing are like paper work for most. This should be easy for them.

I ran after Lily, hearing more gunshots ring out as I heard Lily’s parents call her name. I turned as I saw them running after us, two patrols on our tail. They fired at us as I tripped over my feet, landing against a tree root. I laid still, watching Lily’s parents whiz past me as I tried to keep my baring’s. The mountain was right on top of us and I saw Lily disappear into a small hole. Her parents followed instantly without thinking. One of the patrols stopped and yanked me up as I watched with worried eyes, seeing the other run after them. He climbed into the hole, firing off gunshots I couldn’t hear. I heard multiple screams being cut off as I was dragged away.

“Pete!” I heard the border patrol yelled to his partner who was standing over the silent man’s body.

How I had been so unfortunate to survive this mess?

“Is this the only one left?” Pete asked, cleaning his knife one.

“She’ll be easy to take care of,” he muttered, digging in his front pocket for something. He pulled out a small syringe and uncapped it with his teeth.

“We can’t administer that until we get her to the drop off point!” The man holding me scolded him.

“We can’t take any chances,” Pete shot back. “We’re already going to be in the icebox for a week for this mess.”

Suddenly Pete grabbed my neck and I tensed up, struggling as I felt the needle scrap against my skin until it pierced through. Instantly it burned in my veins and my vision went white. I had a hard time keeping my mind in check as I heard them talking. Suddenly I went limp, falling into a black hole I wouldn’t ever dig myself out of.


“Dahlia?” I jumped at the voice, “are you alright?”

My eyes opened quickly, meeting my own stare in the bathroom mirror. I don’t remember getting up to go to the bathroom. I shook my head, a raging headache making me grab my head in agony. I fell into the wall and Jay jumped in front of me to support me.

“What happened?” I groaned tiredly, but almost in pain.

“The light from the bathroom woke me up and I saw you were missing from your bed and you didn’t come back for about an half an hour so I came to check on you,” he felt my forehead.

“I don’t feel so good,” I churned my stomach turned over dangerously into my throat as I dry heaved.

“Okay,” Jay hurried nervously, guiding me to the toilet.

I slid down to the floor, leaning against the toilet bowl as he went and shut the bathroom door. “I don’t want to wake anyone else up.”

“You don’t have to stay,” I winced as a familiar pain shot through my head.

“No, it’s fine. I couldn’t sleep anyways.” He lowered himself down onto the floor, sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him.

“I thought,” I suddenly heaved again, a small amount of vile and mucus making its way up my throat, “sorry.”

“You’re a little feverish, maybe we should take you to the infirmary,” he started to get up.

“No,” I shooed him away. “I was having a nightmare about Lily.”

“Again?” He asked and I knew that Jaden had told him about my run in with the hallucination about a week ago.

“This was a memory,” I drawled out, wiping my mouth with my sleeve. “I remember everything about her, how I knew her.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked cautiously.

“No.” I felt my eyes water at the memory, knowing now how she died. I knew why I went to that spot specifically. It was because I’ve been here before.

“Do you want to talk at all?” He asked, obviously trying to distract me.

“If you do all the talking,” I bargained as I turned my head from the toilet.

“I can do that,” he almost let out a sadistic laugh in the process. “Mila and I, we’re not talking much really.”

“Again?” I raised my brow at the always happening drama between them.

“She blames herself you know? She thinks she could have prevented you running off if she would have watched you more carefully or something. I told her it wasn’t her fault, even after knowing why you are the way you are. She’s just not having it and again, she’s blocking me out. I’m over trying to help someone who doesn’t want it.” He looked down at his folded hands, staring intensely at them.

“You’re right,” I sighed, feeling lightheaded. “It’s not her fault, it’s mine.”

“You couldn't help it though—,”

“Please, don’t try and make what happened out to be some type of pity session for me. I’m over that just as much you are with helping, Mila.” I shut my eyes as I felt my skin clam up.

“It really isn’t your fault though,” he quietly added.

“And it isn’t your fault that Mila is self-blaming,” I opened my eyes to look at him, “just give her time. I’ll talk to—to…”

“Dahlia?” I heard Jay asked worriedly.

My eyes fluttered repeatedly, passing out in reality this time.
♠ ♠ ♠
This is some what of a filler chapter, nothing develops in the chapter. I had a bad spout of writers block with this story and was slammed with a bunch of school work as well. I wanted to do the Lily bit though and get that going and have some other familiar face in the chapter too. I've gotten some answers to my question last chapter to include more other characters or Kruger's story a little bit more. I'll definitely do that. I have other things that are going to happen so I'm kind of stuck on how do piece it together nicely to do so but I also love showcasing Dahlia's mental issues that she's having and how it's really going to take a toll on her for awhile.

Sorry for the wait though! I'll update every week or week and a half at the latest. It really depends on if I can't get through this block I'm having. I suppose it was eventually going to happen though.

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Avec l'amour

-Mel