A Scarlet Crown (Scarlet #1)

5. "Maybe he'll help us"

Machine Gun Kelly, Bebe Rexha - Home

One day, Seven hours, twenty-three minutes, and five seconds is how long it's been since I read those words 'Help Me' and it's been playing on my mind. I got no sleep at all, I stayed up, thinking of what I could do, so far I got two options and I don't like either of them.

1. Tell mom and everyone else the truth.

Or

2. Go find him.

There must be something else, I can't tell mom because I promised Aiden I wouldn't and I can't go out, who knows what will happen to me. Nobody crossed the border, the guards are trying to do something from inside, which is clearly not working and is never gonna work.

News has spread throughout the whole town that Aiden crossed the border, well it's more gossip than just regular news, and most people are saying he's dead. Mom refuses to leave the house, Anna is too embarrassed to leave and I am here thinking of a plan, something must've happened, I know he told me not to go after him, but I have to, I have to push that fear aside, that fear of getting hurt, that fear of ending up like dad. If I don't leave to find him, he just might end up like dad, and I can't let that happen, I've lost enough.

Screaming coming from downstairs breaks me from my thoughts, I run downstairs to see mom and Anna talking, well more like yelling.

"Go, Anna!" Anna shakes her head, refusing whatever mom is asking of her, them fighting has become a usual thing over the years, Anna doesn't listen to mom, so mom yells. Anna asks mom something and mom refuses, so they yell again.

"No, I'm not going. Why don't you go?"

"I am your mother!" mom screams "You're just too embarrassed to go out"

"You know what? yes, I am too embarrassed to go out because all my friends are talking about how my brother crossed the border, about how he broke the biggest rule, and if you weren't embarrassed, you wouldn't mind going out!!" Anna yells back, I rub my temples and sigh.

"What's going on?" they immediately turn to me.

"We need groceries and mom doesn't want to go out to get them" Anna explains.

Mom walks towards me "I asked Anna to go get them, but she refused because she's embarrassed"

"I can get them if you want" I offer and mom's eyes soften.

"Thank you love"

"Welcome"

This is perfect, I'll pretend I'm going to the store and I'll leave, I run up to my room and pack a bag. I throw it out of the window cause they'll wonder why I'm going to the store with a bag of clothes. I run back down and mom gives me money for the groceries, I kiss her on her cheek and leave the house, on my way out I grab the bag laying on the ground, and now the difficult part, getting across the border.

I walk to the far end of the forest that's inside our border and hide behind a tree when I see two guards standing in front of the bridge that leads out. Think Farren, think. When I look down, I see a stick, this is probably going to be the worst idea ever, but it's worth a try, I pick up the stick and throw it in the opposite direction of me, hoping it'll make a noise "Ow!" someone cries.

Oops.

"What was that?" the one guard asks the other, they both walk to the source of the noise, and I see my way out. This is my chance, I turn my head to see if no one else is there, when I'm sure there's no one I jog towards the bridge "Hey, you! Stop!" I turn to see three guards running towards me, the two that were guarding the bridge and one with blood dripping from his forehead.