Chapter Ten

All these questions keep going on in my head and it is starts to hurt because I am not even sure I could do it. Heck who am I kidding? I can not do something like that. I don't even think my so- called abilities are capable of something like that.

I look and find Bellman smiling evilly at us and some of the guards mirror his look.

Samuel who is by my side looks like he is deep in thought. His usually well combed dark hair was tousled pointing in weird angles, like he didn't even look at the mirror before stepping out of his house.

Elsa on the other hand has a less worry face than any of us. She just stares on like a soldier planning their next line of action.

"Do you have any thing to say before you leave Petran?" Bellman's voice returns my attention back to him.

"Why do you make it sound like you are sending me to my death sir?" Elsa says with confidence.

He stares at her for a few seconds then widens the cold smile on his face, "I admire your courage girl. But, I have more demanding things to do and you already know the conditions and consequences. You have a few minutes to talk with your friends then you may leave." Without waiting for a response he starts walking back to his quarters after giving the guards some instructions which I am sure includes throwing Elsa out if she stays a minute too long.

It was at that moment it hit me -I was going to lose my best friend!

"El?" I question, worry all over my face.

"Shhhsh! I have a plan," she says, pulling Samuel and I away from the prying eyes of the guards.

"Eden do you remember that Passage? The one you made for us to get Mamie?" I nod my head in response.

"Good. I need you to go back to the house and grab a bag under our bed, then meet me outside the walls in about six hours. I will be waiting for you at th-"

"But--I don't understand--what are you trying to do Elsa?" Sam asks, looking even more confused than I did.

"Elsa, you want us to go into the forest?" I ask looking into her eyes to find some kind of confirmation because I knew how much she liked it in the city. She was always worried about people who got thrown out and now she was suggesting we both left.

"Eden, I know what I am doing. I use to be scared and worried but I have thought about it. We will be fine on our own, this place- these people- Mamie was right. They don't deser-" It was my turn to shut her up this time because her voice was starting to shake and I didn't want her to break down right now. I needed her strength.

"I get it El. I will meet you there by night fall, they need to believe you are gone." I stare back into her beautiful brown eyes reflecting my own determination in them.

"Sam, come with us, I know you have doubts about Amazon and its rules. We can figure it out together from the outside. Please come with us." Her voice softens as she holds unto Samuel's hand.

"The guards won't let us step out of the gates when it's dark. I am sure Bellman gave them instructions concerning that. He won't let us leave Amazon until you get back. So how do we meet up with you?" Samuel questions.

"There is a hole, right under the wall not far from our district. Eden made it a long time ago. It's a long story but that's what you will both use to sneak out. I will be on the other side. Please, it's not safe for you here. Come with us."

Samuel looks at her with a confused expression on his face but he nods to her and grabs my hand.

"Come on Eden, she needs to leave now."

I don't struggle and neither does Elsa. She gives me a small smile before turning around to head towards the gates, where the guards were starting to get agitated like our little group was planning to throw a bomb in their direction.

Samuel and I starts heading back to my district as soon as the guards close up the gates after Elsa.

There were so many things going on in my mind, in fact in both our minds because Samuel was also quiet for the duration of our walk.

"I should head home now. There are some things I need to put together before we...before we leave," he says, as soon as we reach my house.

He nods in response and starts heading back without sparing me a glance.

As soon as I get in, I go straight for the bag Elsa mentioned smiling at how thoughtful she has always been. She packed a change of clothes and a water container for each of us with a dagger and a rope. I add a blanket, zip the bag and drop it on the bed, then go into the kitchen and make tea for myself.

I start thinking of where we could go. During our missions we had come across a few open spaces, a couple of days walk from our city which can serve as a good spot to build our cottage. I can even grow a few plants to serve as our food.

Elsa is right, we are going to make it. As long as we had each other and Samuel, of course.

I return to the bedroom to rest in order to pass the time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Eden we can not go back. Mamie instructed us to stay here in the city." Elsa yells at my retreating back.

I am determined to go back to the forest to get Mamie, how can we just leave her behind?

Last night when she told us to leave and Elsa dragged me here, I had no choice. My mind was confused but now it is made up.

If we have to stay here, then she is going to have to stay with us in here or we stay out there with her.

Leaving the compound was not so difficult because during the day, I drilled a hole in the ground near the wall closest to the district we live with the help of my abilities.

I crawl out of the city through the hole and walk straight into the forest towards the little cottage Mamie stayed.

It is a bit far but I know my way around, despite the darkness of the night enveloping the area.

As I walk on, I continue to ignore Elsa's protests behind me.

I know she only wants to do what Mamie instructed her to do, which is to protect me that's why she didn't go back earlier than now and even as she puffed behind me, I know she want to see Mamie just as much.

Soon enough we get to the foot path that leads to the cottage and I start running, my little legs moving very fast.

"Eden! Slow down! What if you badge into her! Slow down!" Elsa shouts from behind me but I refuse to listen as I get to the front steps.

I take them two at a time and push the front door with my two hands. The scene in front of me, makes me stop dead in my tracks.

"No," I whisper and drop on my knees unable to control the tears already flowing from  my eyes.

"Eden what is it? Did you hurt yourself? Wh-- Ma-m-ie?" She rushes towards the woman sprawled on the ground. There are dried blood stains on her head and on the carpet she lays upon. She touches her with shaking hands and turns to me.

"Eden, she isn't moving. Mamie open your eyes. Mamie please. MAMIE!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wake up with a startle, partly because of the dream and the knocking at the door.

I get up slowly and head to the door to see who it was.

"Hey! Why are you sweating like this? What were you doing?" Samuel asks  as soon as I open up the door.

I did not even realise I was sweating. I quickly wipe my forehead with the back of my hands and clean them on my brown pants while smiling weakly at Sam and leaving the way for him to come inside.

"Wait here, I will just get the bag." I hurry back to the bedroom ignoring his questions.

Only Elsa knows about my dreams which are just flashes of my childhood. My head enjoys bringing back the worst of my past. Sometimes I have trouble sleeping, which is why I need special herbal tea once in a while to help me sleep peacefully.

"You have not answered me." I didn't even hear him follow me into the small room.

"I was sleeping," I reply without looking at him, "let's get going, Elsa will be worried." I step past him to the door and wait for him to come out so I can lock the door.

"Is it far?" Samuel asks and I sense some kind of unease in his voice.

"No, it's just by the wall. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am," he replies and starts walking.

I lock the door giving the house a last look before jogging a little to catch up with him.

The boundary walls are not that far from our district, even if I haven't been there for almost eight years now,  I can still smell my little hole.

There is worry all over Samuel. I don't know if it is for Elsa or what we are about to do. He says everything is fine when I ask but the worry lingers on.

We continue walking in silence each of us having mental arguments with our respective minds.

Soon enough we get to the wall and I bend over to remove some weeds that cover the opening of the passage, which is mostly a hole in the ground that goes under the wall and the other end is on the other side where Elsa will be waiting.

"Come on you should go first, so I can close up the hole when I go through." I say to Samuel as I tighten the straps on my bag while getting up and not bothering to look at him.

I hear movements in the bushes around us and before I can make sense of it; a strong arm presses a wet cloth to my face, bringing with it a sharp pungent odour to my nostrils causing tears to flood my eyes.

I try fighting but my muffle attacks soon ends when my vision darkens.