I barely sleep, the anxiousness keeping me up for most of the night. Even the smallest sliver of hope that I could see Mary again or free Tyler, Alfie, and Molly is all I need to convince me to do this. Whatever's going on with them, no matter how horrific, I need to help. I know it's crazy, I know it's irrational, I know I could die, but that's all okay with me. If I stay still any longer and do nothing, I know I'll go crazy.

Goodbyes are quick, and just like that, we are on the road. On the hunt for Razec. It's me, my mother, Damien, Elliot, Rebecca, Leah, and Kieran. We're all led by Kira, slowly cruising with the hover, her tablet in hand. No one really talks. With the cooler autumn breeze, I feel like I can actually relax a little for once. I gaze up at the trees, different shades of sunset orange, candy apple red, and golden yellow. The sky is pink and purple with the sunrise. Crickets still chirp quietly, although not as many birds are around to sing anymore. When we stop for our first break, I actually have to work to tear my eyes away from the leaves and the sky.

"I've been thinking," Kira announces to us as we take a seat on a fallen log. "When you all go in for Razec, I'll stay on the outside. That way when my people come I can use the darts on you myself and make sure you get into an ally ship."

"Sounds good," Damien says after a large chug of water. "Just don't get caught."

"I won't," She smiles softly, and only then do I notice that she's put in her blue contacts.

"How do those...I mean....do those do anything else?" My mother asks what we've all failed to. "Your species is so advanced I imagine they do more than change your eye color."

"Yes," Kira's face falls, and I feel myself tense slightly. "I know this may sound bad, but I promise it's not that bad. They record anything I want. And I can send those recordings back to the ships. It's convenient and an easy way to update them. But....I can use them for myself too. I can look back on memories without having to get them extracted or copied. I don't have to undergo the procedure we put you all through. And I know what I'm looking at is what actually happened, versus memories that could be tainted based on a number of factors."

We're all quiet for a moment, taking it in. It makes sense, and I don't really see anything to be angry about. It's a little unsettling but not too bad. We have enough trust in Kira that no one questions her. Even if they are suspicious, at this point there isn't much they can do about it.

"I'm gonna have to ask for those if we end up on that ship," Damien jokes, earning a laugh out of everyone including Kira.

We head off again, and this time my mother joins Kira up in front. They talk quietly with smiles on their faces. For the first time in a long time, I see not just curiosity, but true wonder in my mother's eyes. I think about how happy I am to have her with me, and how much happier I'll be when we find Mary.

Nightfall comes slowly, as most of the day is walking through woods and on empty roads. According to Kira, we're close. This means it's time for her to fall back, only being our aid if needed. She hands the tablet to Damien so we can still find our way, but pretty soon we will have to observe the place and figure out a way in. This could be bigger than the Peterson house, bigger than any place any of us have ever come across. And the clock is ticking before the Kofali reinforcements find it.

"Stop!" Leah whispers sharply all of a sudden, and one by one we all freeze. "Does anyone else hear that?" We pause, waiting for the sound to hit our ears. The hair on the back of my neck stands up when I catch the noise. It sounds like running. And gasping. Someone is running from something, but what? Darthra? Outsiders?

Guns are drawn. Somehow, when I was hunting earlier with my mom, the memories didn't bother me too much. But the fear and anticipation of what could be coming our way seems to trigger it all back. I see the horrible images and hear the sounds that accompany them, and in an instant my mind is not present on this earth anymore. I can feel the cold metal of the gun in my hands, the perspiration on my palms and my forehead and the back of my neck, and the heat in my cheeks. But everything else flooding my senses is from the past. Until the threat makes itself known.

A small figure bursts out from the woods and onto the empty road we stand on. I'm snapped back to the present, realizing my quick and shallow breathing and my mother gazing at me in concern. I nod and take a deep breath, turning my attention back to the figure. It only takes seconds, even in the dark, to see that this is a child. Blond hair matted with sweat to his forehead. Dark eyes glittering with tears. An expression of true fear. I start to lower my gun when I remember Ross's words, although crazy but probably holding some truth: sometimes children are used as a trap.

"P-please!" The child begs, choking out a sob.

"What's the matter?" My mother kneels down, immediately letting her guard down. I keep my gun aimed as much as it feels wrong.

"I don't wanna! I don't wanna do it!" The boy comes to a stop, gasping for air and crying.

"Do what, honey?" My mother asks. The kid can't be much older than 7. Younger than Annie, even.

"I don't wanna be a weapon! I don't wanna be a weapon to fight the aliens!" He screams. With those words, a chill seems to run through the air. None of us say anything, just glance at one another. Child soldiers? Can't imagine it would be that uncommon these days. But against the aliens?

Suddenly, we hear shouting close by. Within seconds we are surrounded by a group of people, their guns also raised. We're outnumbered. Easily. And their expressions indicate that not only do they know the child, they will take him back with force if necessary.

"Come on, now, Brenden," One of the men says, his dark cowboy hat hiding his eyes but not his smirk.

"No!" The little boy chokes out, backing up until he's behind us.

"You mind filling us in on what's going on here?" Damien's voice is calm while his gaze is unwavering.

"That's my son," the man replies. "We're just trying to get him to come back home."

"Doesn't seem like he really wants to go back. Something about...being a weapon?"

"Oh," the man laughs easily, waving that thought away. "The kids all tell each other stories. Sometimes the adults say things too. They think it's funny but the kids can get a little spooked. That's all."

"Is it?" Damien arches an eyebrow.

"Look, we don't mean any trouble." Another man steps forward, pointing his rifle at Damien. "This doesn't concern you." Suddenly, Damien stiffens. I look over to see pure fury take over his features. He takes aim with his rifle.

"Actually, I think it does," He states, his voice the coldest I've ever heard it. Looking back at the man, I finally see what Damien sees. A snake tattoo running up his arm. It's him. The man belonging to the group that murdered that innocent blonde girl and everyone she was with. I start to recognize some of the other faces slightly. Last time we saw them, Damien wanted the chance to take them out. It was only Olivia that stopped him, but she's not here.

"Damien, no!" Rebecca reacts quicker than I do, shoving the rifle away before he can pull the trigger. He tries to grab it back, and her elbow slams into his pack, sending a knife and Kira's tablet toward the soil. Everyone seems to freeze.

"They're...they're all one of them!" Someone in the other group shouts.

"No!" Elliot yells back, almost out of instinct.

"Take them." The man in the cowboy hat orders quickly, and his crew moves forward. "Try to keep them alive!" Damien fires, and this time no one stops him. The tattooed man goes down, yet others quickly take his place. My group begins to fire in retaliation, but in the back of my mind, I know it's useless. We're practically surrounded.

If anything, it'll show them that we're not going down without a fight. We won't surrender.

Tyler's words from the day we met ring in my ears. Whatever mental block I have that's making it hard to even hold a gun, I have to fight back. I imagine all the times he stood by my side and we took on every threat, guns in hand. If I can remember all the bad thoughts so quickly, I can remember what it was like to fight alongside him.

I think about Mary too, and how she stuck by me every second until we were forced apart. The way she held my hand when we got taken into the Reserve. The way she supported me when I wanted to leave, and helped me plan my escape. The way she looked at me before she embraced me for the last time. If she were with me right now, she would help me fight back. I know she would. So I imagine her to my left, and Tyler to my right, letting me know that I can do this.

Only seconds have passed, but those moments stuck in my own head made it all go by in slow-motion. Now, everything is back to its blazing fast pace. I hear a scream from our side and my attention is abruptly shifted to the ally on the ground. It's Kieran, facedown with blood streaming from his head. Leah screams again in agony and horror, the sound making my heart snap.

"I told you, try to take them alive! Aim elsewhere!" The man in the cowboy hat snarls.

"Leah!" I cry out to her, trying to force her attention back to the outsiders closing in on her. Watching her choke back a sob and stand, pure fury taking over her features as she raises her bow, I turn back to my attackers. I take aim at the woman coming toward my mother and me and fire. Memories unleash once again, but I try to force them back. I can do this. I have to do this. My life is on the line, and so is my mother's. 

I miss. The emotions are still too strong, the image of an injured Kieran adding to it all. I take a deep breath and aim once more when I suddenly feel a white hot pain in my shoulder for a split second. Somehow, I'm brought to my knees by the force of the blow. Adrenaline is still pulsing through me, but almost instantly, the pain intensifies.

I've been shot.

It doesn't quite register in my mind. I try to stand to keep fighting, but I feel arms holding me down and icy cold metal encasing my wrists as my gun is ripped from my grasp. My eyes struggle to skim the area as the pain gets stronger. We've all been captured. The loud, black pickup truck is here. We're loaded up. The truck starts moving. I hear whimpering, and I look around only to see my mother begging for these strangers to help her daughter. Only then do I realize that the whimpering is from me.

I see Leah, cuffed and laying still on the ground. One of the outsiders mentions knocking her out, but she's still breathing. The boy with her was gone. Kieran. I barely knew him at all, especially with how quiet he was, but even in my pain I think about my memories of him. When we first met and he knew Garrett and I were rebels, choosing to stay quiet and warn us. When he helped keep tension low between his people and mine time and time again. When he took the time recently to help me cope with my failing mental state. And the pain his loss causes me is nothing compared to what Leah feels.

Even as I struggle, even as I suffer, I'm harshly reminded that I cannot stop. I don't want to lose Mary and feel what Leah felt. I don't want to lose Tyler and Alfie and Molly, and feel the pain they are all too familiar with. I have to fight my way out of this. I have to get onto that ship.

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Announcement: I have great news; I've been selected to put my work onto the Radish app! I am so thankful for this opportunity, and I wouldn't have it without your support. I am planning on putting the edited version of The Divide on there, as well as this sequel. My username on the app is ellenolan. If you are unfamiliar with how Radish works, I will be posting chapters to the Radish app first, and then to Wattpad about a month later. This means that if you would like to read ahead, you can go over to Radish and pay to do so. However, you can always stick with Wattpad and read it all for free. It's up to you! Thanks again for taking the time to read my stories, your support means everything to me.

Question for the chapter: I am never giving up on this series, I can say that for sure. But I've got some new story ideas and I'd love to know what you would want to read first!

A: A story about a world divided between the rich and the poor, and the poor only have one shot at a better life. It's disguised as a beautiful and fun virtual reality game, but players soon discover it's horrors.

B. A deadly plague is beginning to sweep through the Earth. One girl and one boy speculate that they may be immune as the disease ravages their boarding school.