Twenty Fifty-Six

-23-

Hey guys.  I'm sorry I went so long without an update.  Please read the author's note at the end of the chapter.

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It's dark in our cave now, and we're finally safe.

But I can't stop replaying the events of the day through my head.  The day haunts me.

We ran for a really long time.  My ankle is absolutely killing me.

When I was to distracted by leaving Quinn and Aria to die, Tristan pulled me along to safety.  The bullets ceased for a bit, and in those precious moments, we got organized.  Tristan told the other four what had happened.  Mitch and Kendra took my backpack and Tristan's backpack, and Tristan picked me up.  I just couldn't run anymore, and he could tell. 

We started running again, me on Tristan's back and we tried to put as much distance as we could between us and the government helicopters. 

They came back soon enough, armed with more bullets.  We were really close to the forest at that point, so we ran as fast as we could. 

Under the shelter of the trees we caught our breath.  I was out of breath too, not from running, but because I was terrified.  Tristan took his backpack and mine from Kendra and Mitch, and we walked through the forest. 

We found this cave just as it was beginning to get dark.  I was shivering, just like I was early in the morning, because I stupidly left my fleece in my bag.  Jay checked out the entire cave with a flashlight, making sure that nobody and nothing was in it. 

We put our bags in there, and I collapse to the ground.  The exhaustion, hunger and pain had caught up to me.  Tristan sits down beside me, holding me.  Jay and Greyson go look for some fire wood, while Mitch and Kendra take inventory of the supplies in our backpacks.

Now that we've stopped, my mind goes straight to Aria and Quinn.

"Tristan.  They're-th-they're gone," I say through my tears.

"I know, Amber." 

It's then that I realize that Tristan is in as much pain as I am.  I wrap my arms around him, and we hold each other, my face is buried in his shoulder.

"Amber, you're freezing cold!  You're shaking!" Tristan exclaims. "Kendra, can you pass me her fleece?"

"Yeah, of course.  How's your ankle doing Amber?"

"I don't know."

"We should probably check it out," she says.

"Greyson will want to see too," Mitch tells Kendra.  "Let's wait a bit."

I pull on my warm fleece hoodie, and immediately relish in the extra warmth.

Tristan wraps his arms around me again to keep me warm.  I don't know what I'd do without him.

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Greyson and Jay return with some wood to make a small fire.

Mitch passes them a pack of matches, and once we have rocks set around the wood so the fire doesn't spread, they light the fire.

The light and warmth greatly helps increase the morale in the cave.

"How's your ankle Amber?" My brother asks me.

"I don't know."

"Does it hurt?"

"It did.  I've kinda gotten used to the pain."

"Amber!"  Greyson throws his arms up in frustration. "Do you want to be able to walk again?"

"Greyson, I was just trying to get to safety. Would you rather I be like-li-like Aria and Quinn?" I scream.