Word count- 1,301

-Zoey-

One camp is free of the Cretins, it's liberating, it feels like the chains unlocked and disappeared. She's never being in a collar ever again. Once Zoey had gotten the power to be free, she had to take it. She was given a chance, Zoey had to take it. She had to save everyone, she would have regretted it, if Zoey hadn't. And she doesn't think she could have lived with that guilt. Zoey just hopes they won't try and follow her; she just wants to be alone. She's not a leader; She's a loner.

They're probably a hundred miles away from camp. They have been following her since Zoey freed them. They think she's their savior. She's no savior; Zoey's just a cretin who wants to be left alone.

Zoey turned around to face them, the look on all of their faces tells her they want me to say something. Give them a kick ass motivation speech, and how they are going to kill them all for what they did. She can't do that; Zoey feels bad she can't. She's not their guy, the leader of the rebellion they all desperately want. "I want to start off by saying sorry," Zoey starts off. "I am not the face you want or need. I am just like you; I slept in those awful conditions. I ate the same bread, and I got punished by them. I got whipped like you when I slowed down in the mines, I was chained worse than a dog. I just want a normal life like you, to be with family and friends, in peace. That's what I am doing, you won't get anything from following me, find you a new, more deserving face for your rebellion," she finishes telling them. All those hopeful faces are gone and replaced by saddened faces, some even with tears. Zoey turned around and started to walk away from everything. She stopped when Zoey heard someone say, "you're wrong this is our rebellion, this is our fight, you're the leader we need and want please stay, lead us." She turns back around to face them. It's Serenity who spoke. "Serenity, no I am not this is your fight, you can be that face, just keep me out of it," she tells her and turns around and walks away. Zoey doesn't stay around for a reply, she just keeps walking.

***

It's been about a month since they all escaped. Zoey was alone for about half that time. It's nice, it's peaceful. No screaming in agony, not freezing to death, it's given her time to think. Where did the others end up? What are they doing to start this war they want? Do they even stand a chance?

Will all of them be free? Or will it be the only ones that will get the chance? They were lucky they got out. Zoey's not sure if everyone else will be as lucky as her.

She gets up out of the tent and starts breakfast. Yesterday Zoey killed a squirrel this morning. She skins the fur off of it after she starts a fire. Which wasn't that hard. There were still warm ambers from last night.

After breakfast Zoey breaks down camp. She doesn't know where she's going. Never been anywhere other than the camp. They never move anyone within the camp. She keeps going north farther away from the hell Zoey escaped from. Towards the afternoon, she started to see a fence, and then her stomach dropped. They were just lucky, people, her people. Cretins being whipped, for slowing down, chained up worse than dogs. Zoey has to help them, give them their chance, it's a big risk to take. She has to do it; Zoey just needs a plan first.

The camp is bigger than the one Zoey was in. The buildings are double in size, there must be more cretins here. She's going to camp nearby for the day, go at night. It will make it easier to break out a lot of volentors. Zoey goes a little farther away from the camp, to make her camp for the day.

Once camp is made, Zoey walks around the camp with her people in it. She goes unnoticed looking for weaknesses in the fence. She sees one right next to the building they sleep in. She put some markers where to go later on. Once Zoey was done pre-setting up, she headed back to eat. Zoey skin another squirrel she killed recently. She makes a small fire to cook, she can't risk being seen. She's nervous. It's not just her life that's on the line, it's theirs too.

***

Nightfall comes, and it's time. Dinner is over for her people. They are starting a head count for bed. They dismiss the lines, they all head into the sleeping quarters. If you can even call it that. Zoey gets closer to the fence, as the guards all disappear. She knows this looks easy, but word could have gotten out about the camp she was in. There are some guards standing guard. They aren't even paying attention to anything that's happening. Zoey plays with the fence. She makes it loose and makes a hole in the fence. Zoey makes a little noise, but they don't hear her. Standing a few yards away she slipped through when no one was paying attention. All of these buildings are shacks with pretty decent holes. Big enough for Zoey to fit through. No one is asleep yet; all of their faces turn towards her. They look at Zoey in awe, word has gotten around about her. "You're the girl who escaped. Are you freeing us?" One man asked.

"Are you leading the rebellion?" Another person asked. She shakes the questions off, and Zoey comes into light. "Yes, I am setting you all free, no I am not the leader. I don't even know if there is a rebellion," she tells them. Zoey uses her powers to break the collars on all of them. They all touch their very sensitive necks. "We need to get going, let's save the others. You have powers of your own, use them as you wish, but do it fast," she tells them. Some of them go out the front door, and release what their bodies begged them to do. The power all bottled up is released on the first guards they see. Zoey goes past them to the next building and does the same. She tells them what she told the others.

Once Zoey liberates all the cretins, they follow her out of the camp. Some of them killed guards, some just followed her. The cretins all unleased different powers, some were violent, some just saw what they were capable of. All made it out alive, at least a thousand. A lot of them wouldn't have much time; they have to run. Everyone for most of the part was able to keep up with Zoey. She's not much in shape but stayed in the front.

***

It's been a few days since Zoey freed her fellow Cretins, and on the first day she told them everything she knew. Of course, this didn't stop the questions flowing, but she answered them as they came. It eventually stopped, some of them left to go find Serenity, but most of them stayed with Zoey. Not everyone wants to fight in a war, some of them just wantwant to be left alone.

They raided an abandoned town to grab supplies, food, seeds, camping equipment, medical supplies, and books. About a thousand of them including Zoey keep moving and packing up camp. That's until they find a perfect place for them to have peace, three football fields big, that's plenty of space for sanctuary.