BREATH . OF . LIFE . ~ { ReGenisis Chronicles Book I }

Chapter Five [Part 3/3]: Power and the Freedom of Choice

                      -Kate Andersen-

"I just want a choice in what I do, where I go... the ability to figure out who I am without someone telling me what I'm supposed to be." I murmured on, my eyes closed where my heavy head rested on Griffin's shoulder.

He made a humming sort of noise, his free hand brushing my hair away from where it had fallen into my face. I looked up at him to see a light amused expression. It surprised me enough to make me sit up. He dipped his hand into his pocket to collect something. He pulled out a closed fist and held it in front of me, waiting. I put my hand out, palm up and carefully he placed cold metal against my skin. I caught a flash of red before he forced my fingers to close over the object gently.

"What's this?" I stared at my closed fist, smaller than his so I could see the end of his red penknife sticking out on one side.

"Power, and the freedom to choose." His answer shocked me as I drew my hand in and opened it to examine the little knife. "You had the choice, yesterday, to fight back or run. Although, no one told you the second was an option. You took it anyway, instead of risk taking a life."

"Instinct." I countered, my mouth running dry.

"Instinct for some is to freeze. To fight, for others. Regardless what instinct tells us to do, we have the ability to rebel against it or let it control us." Griffin was almost smug as he observed me, my expression still locked in wide eyed wonder of the knife before me as its significance grew. "Sometimes it does overtake us, others, like yesterday, it becomes a part of a choice that defines people for who they are."

I offered my hand forward, ready for him to take the penknife back. He shook his head from side to side, his hand making mine spark as he pushed it back towards me. "Keep it," his voice firm.

I closed my fingers over it and held it close to my chest. "Thank you."

He pulled a crooked little smile just then and went to lean forward, my breath quickening in anticipation. Then he paused, an inch between our faces, just as Rin walked into the kitchen. Griffin huffed a heavy, disappointed sigh and sat up straight to attention. Whilst the ever silent Rin shot him a raised eyebrow look. I hadn't even realised she was back in the house. I felt my heart sink.

 Rin had a little bag at her side that my eyes drew to as I turned to her. When the contents smell hit my nose, my head started to spin. Stale blood, my own, I shuddered.

"Put these on, we're going for a walk." She ordered tossing the bag onto the table in front of me.

My eyes were wide on it, inside were the clothes I'd been wearing when I'd been killed. Flashes of the three faces around me, the shine of a knife before it dug into my flesh. The sear of its edge running across my skin. The hot, wet feeling of my blood pulsing out of my veins. The way my head started to grow light, my vision greying.

"Change in my room." Rin's cold voice broke through it, making me jump in my seat.

I lifted the bag with shaking fingers and walked from the room, feeling the excess adrenalin warp through me. Mimicking the light headedness of blood loss, the undertow fast instead of heavy.

As I got out into the hall I heard Griffin's voice.  "I'll get my coat."

"No, you're staying here."

"Are you bringing her back?" A tense note.

"That's... undecided." Level but hesitant.

"I see," Defeated.

My heart clenched, sending a sharp, shooting pain through my body. I ignored it and kept going. Walking into Rin's room I slammed the door and sank to my knees. The bag in one hand, Griffin's knife in the other. I didn't want to go back. I didn't know if I wanted to stay here either.