"What do we do?" I yell at Anna, even though she's right beside me.

"We get to those doors and we get people out."

"They're all standing around the front doors, and the back one is locked with no was to get to it at the moment."

"Then we find a way!" Anna hold out her arms, making the gun belonging to the soldier in front of us fly towards the ground.

"Oh, no, okay not expected!" Bree screeches as one of the Chosen doubles in size. "He's like the opposite of Cara!"

Erik and Jason go at the giant at the same time, sending him into a convulsing, burning mess. He goes back to his normal human size within two minutes. Meanwhile, I watch Jen fill the lungs of another soldier with heavy black smoke.

Is this what happens when people are threatened? Do we all just turn into ruthless monsters, fighting back in the same way the enemy fights? Sure we're the good guys, but what about their families? I don't want to die. I would rather they all died than us. Yet, it doesn't feel right. It feels so inhuman.

A few of the chosen just carry guns or knives like the soldiers, because their abilities aren't of use now. I know of some of them that wouldn't be helpful now. That one with the ability to see emotions, or the girl who can see in the dark. Theres the guy whos got incredible hearing, like he probably knew we were coming when we were a mile away. Where is he? I look around. Oh, he's dead. There was also someone who could breathe underwater. That definitely wouldn't help right now. Or the guy with X-ray vision...

Looking over, I see that something previously blocking the way to the back entrance was removed. Or destroyed. Either way, I can go inside and get people out of there. I can skip the fighting.

I run towards it as fast as I can, dodging anything in my way the best I can. Everytime I see someone reach behind them, into their pockets or jacket a feeling of utter terror runs through me. A gun is small, it can be kept in the palm of a hand. It could be hidden anywhere. Why can't they be the size they used to be? Nothing comes my way though, that is until I'm about a bus's length distance away from the building.

"Hey, not so fast!" A boy jumps up behind me.

"Oh, I will go fast," I turn around and start walking backwards. "I'm trying to save people."

"But they'll be okay." He frowns. "They said they're going to be fine."

"They lied."

"No! I can't... I can't afford to believe that this is for anything but good!" His red hair is streaked with blood, and I don't think it's his.

"Yes you can," I say quietly as I stop walking. "Come on, help me let them out. It will be okay."

"I can't." A tear slips down his cheek.

"It's okay to be scared." I start walking backwards again, feeling uneasy by his unstable mood.

"I don't want to be scared!" He yells at me, focusing his attention at my head. And then it starts to ache, and burn, and it feels like my brain is literally melting.

"What did you do?" I whisper, trembling. "What is this?"

"That's why my fear feels like. I'm afraid to hurt people and I'm afraid not to."

"Am I dying?" I ask pitifully.

"I don't know." With that, he leaves me, crouched over by the edge of the building, just a few feet from the entrance. Just a few feet.

This is worse than the pain from the memory implants, and I thought that would kill me. No, I can't stay here waiting for someone to see me and kill me. I need to get in there and save people.

Wincing, I stand up. Tears fall down my face without me being able to stop them. It's just a bad headache. Just a really, really bad headache. I walk over to the door and sit down beside it. Miraculously the pain starts to abate and the spots flashing across my eyes disappear. Putting all my strength into it, I pull at the door knob. After seeing that I am definitely not that strong, I try to kick it in, but I'm too dizzy to stand up straight.

"Aria!" Melody runs over and catches me as I rock back and forth. "Are you alright?"

"Open the door please," I whisper. "We need to get in."

"It's real bad out here Ari. Real, real bad. I'm scared," She sighs.

"I know Mel, me too. Please, we need to get them out of there."

"Okay." She lets go of me, pausing for a moment to make sure I'm standing up right on my own. She then proceeds to burn through the door knob with acid, humming to herself with a shaky tone. Melody. Sweet, innocent, happy Melody fighting for her life. None of this should be happening.

"Are you okay?" I ask, knowing the answer already. None of us are okay.

"No," She answers in a high pitched voice, her back still turned. "Not really."

"Me either. Let focus on helping these eliminated, okay?"

"Yes. Helping them get home again."

"Helping them get home again," I repeat what she said, speaking in a hushed tone.

"There." She pushes the door open. "Aria?" She turns back to face me.

"Yeah?"

"Do you miss her still?"

"Carrie?"

"Yeah." She raises her eyebrows quickly. "Her."

I don't think she meant Carrie really, but rather than pressing it, I just answer her question. "Sometimes. But she's been gone for a while, and she's not dead. I've been so busy. I haven't had time to miss her too much."

"I get what you mean." She nods. "Okay. We... we can go in now."

"I kissed Nate!" I say, stalling. I don't know why, but even though I want to help them more than anything, a part of me is dreading walking into that building.

"You? Oh. You did. Okay." She gives me a thin lipped smile. Not at all what I expected her reaction to be, but I guess she's not Jen, so she's not going to freak out the same way. But she's Melody. Melody gets excited. Really excited.

"Yeah. I was nervous."

"I bet! Come on, let's go in."

"Yep." I follow her through into a dark hallway, only lit up by the open door and the tiny lights on the ceiling about the size of a quarter and about a foot apart, two on each side all the way down the hall.

"You should probably shut the door," She whispers. "In case they come and see we've gone inside."

"Good idea." I reluctantly shut the door, not wanting to lose the comfort of the easy way out. Light still shines in through the hole in the door knob that Melody dissolved.

"How do you think we're going to get them safely out?" Melody asks. "I mean, how were they contained?"

Contained. Like animals, or prisoners. Well, I suppose in a way they are prisoners.

"I don't know how to describe it. But we'll figure it out once we get to them." 

***************

So, what do you guys think they'll find when they get to the eliminated Chosen? Oh, guess what!? I have a new book called "Stories of the Chosen" which will have scenes told from some of the other Chosen's POV's. Hope you enjoy reading them! 

I've LOVED the #InfiniteFanContest entries so far!! The deadline is March 5th, so you all still have plenty of time to enter :) I'm excited to read more entries. 

Fangirling time: Have you read the newest chapter of 'Renegade' by TjaneBooks?! 

Ohhh and I can't forget to mention, you should all check out Black Ink by 7WeeksOfWinter. It's an alternate universe world where your 'soulmates' last words appear on your skin when you die.