I felt the smoke clinging to my face. Darkness. A familiar voice was calling me. What the hell had happened? Everything was going fine, and suddenly...

"Grace!" It was Heather's voice. Oh, now I remembered. Someone chased us, we crashed, we flipped and now we were all trapped in that fucking SUV. Great start for the mission. Just great.

"Grace!" I turned, struggling to keep my eyes open. A flickering light blinded me. She was right beside me, disoriented but moving, clutching a little flashlight.

"Grace, are you okay?" she asked, reaching out for me.

I looked around, trying to make sense of the chaos. Beverly was strapped in her seatbelt, hanging upside down and unconscious, her red curls obscuring her face. Stella was frantically trying to unfasten her. Smoke was seeping in from the hood, making it hard to breathe.

"Grace, look at me." Heather gently touched my face, and I tried to focus on her. Her skin was smeared with soot, her left cheek marred by a few cuts. Her eyes were red and watering.

"Can you move?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think so." I answered, trying to steady my breathing. "My neck's killing me, but the rest seems alright."

"Okay, listen up. You see that crack in your window? I need you to kick it, hard. We gotta get out of here."

I nodded, turning to the window. My leg drew back, then slammed into the crack with all my strength. It spiderwebbed further but didn't break.

Fuck. The smoke made my limbs feel like weak threads.

"Try again, you can do it!" Heather said.

I kicked again. This time, the window shattered, sending shards of glass raining down.

"Well done! Let's get out." She said.

I wriggled through the broken window, careful not to cut myself on the jagged edges. As soon as I was out, I turned to help Heather. She was already halfway through, but moving slowly, shakily.

"Careful." I said, holding her steady as she stood.

"Girls, I need help over here! This damn belt is stuck!" Stella shouted. "I need something to cut it."

Heather and I quickly scanned the wreckage, searching for anything that could help. "There!" I exclaimed, pointing to a shard of metal debris lying just a few feet away. "Try using that!" I grabbed the metal and passed it to Stella through the window.

Stella wasted no time and began sawing at the seatbelt. After a few moments, the belt finally gave way, and Beverly slumped forward. Stella caught her and eased her down.

"We need to get her out of here," Stella said, glancing nervously at us. "They won't be far behind."

Heather kicked the driver's door open and helped Stella lift Beverly, who was slowly regaining consciousness.

"What the hell is going on?" Beverly muttered, her voice groggy.

"Thank God, Bev," I said, relief flooding through me. "Drink this." I handed her my water canteen while we propped her against a tree.

"This better be alcohol, girl." she said, taking the canteen.

Her sense of humor was intact; a good sign. But a large, swollen bruise marked her forehead and right eye. She'd taken quite a hit; we'd have to keep an eye on her.

Stella came over, her left arm covered in scratches. "Bev, can you walk? We need to get the hell out of here," she said, kneeling next to her.

"No problem, I'm fine." Beverly stood and took a couple of shaky steps before collapsing to the right. Luckily, Heather caught her.

"She's not fine," Heather said.

"I am!" Beverly protested.

Suddenly, a shot pierced the air.

"Shit! They're coming," I said. "Come on, we gotta go." Stella grabbed the backpacks from the SUV while Heather and I helped Beverly to walk.

We moved as fast as Beverly could manage. It was clear she couldn't push herself any harder; we had to keep her energy up. If she wore out in five minutes, we'd all be dead.

The forest was like the inside of a beast, dark and treacherous. Lucky for me, it wasn't unfamiliar territory. But we had to be very careful. Sharp stones, dead trees, and cracked earth were deadly traps for those who decided to move too hastily. I knew it all too well.

"Over there, follow me." I said to the group, leading them away from the areas hit hardest by the acid rain. It was easy to spot; you could hear it in the sound of our footsteps. If they were dry and hard, it meant the ground was dead; definitely not a good place to linger. We needed to find a cave or some thick vegetation to hide in. Heather flicked her flashlight on and off, guiding me through the darker patches. Stella walked tense, constantly glancing back.

After a while, the gunshots grew fainter, thank goodness.

"Hey, time to stop." I said.

"We're not far enough." Stella insisted.

"Beverly can't walk anymore. If we stay silent, they won't find us." I reasoned.

"I think we should keep going a little further." Stella said.

"To where? We barely see anything. We're wasting energy, and Beverly needs to rest." I explained.

"I'm good, guys. I can keep moving." Beverly interjected, though her breaths were ragged and she looked exhausted. 

"No, Bev, you're pushing yourself too hard." I insisted.

Stella pursed her lips angrily and then glanced at Heather.

"Heather, what do you think?" Stella asked, frustrated.

Heather took a moment to assess the situation. Despite being quiet the whole time, she had followed my orders without a single complaint, which struck me as odd.

After a brief moment of pondering, she glanced over at Beverly, who was breathing heavily. "We'll wait until daylight," she finally decided.

"See? I really think it's the best option." I said. 

Stella sighed, clearly unhappy. "Fine, we'll rest here. But we need to stay alert."

I nodded at her and then helped Beverly sit down. "Easy," I said as she let out a few groans of pain.

I also sank to the ground, finally letting all the exhaustion hit me. The forest around us was eerily quiet; the only sounds were our ragged breaths and distant gunshots.

"What the hell happened?" Beverly asked.

"That's a good fucking question." Stella said.

"They knew who we were. They knew where we'd be." Heather said.

"Yeah, but how?" Beverly asked.

"Someone told them. Someone from inside the wall." I said.

Heather nodded.

"I can't believe there was a leak!" Stella said.

"I can," Heather replied. "There are Phoenix infiltrated everywhere these days."

"Still, I think this is alarming!" Stella said.

"Plus, if they knew we were coming, they probably know where we're heading." I added.

"That's true. We can't follow the planned route, damm it!" Stella agreed.

"And we don't have the SUV anymore," Beverly said.

"All the planning for nothing! Fuck!" Stella whispered.

"Yep, we're fucked." Beverly echoed.

An uncomfortable silence followed. The atmosphere felt heavy, as if the night itself weighed on our shoulders. I saw the despair growing in their eyes.

"Hey, don't get discouraged yet. I know this place like the back of my hand. Once it's light, we'll figure out our next move. For now, let's rest," I said.

Heather nodded and sat down on a rock a few meters away. "We'll take turns keeping watch." She said. "I'll go first. You all try to get some sleep."

"Are you sure? I can take the first watch." I offered.

She shook her head. "I'm not sleepy anyway, and we need you fresh tomorrow to lead the way."

She was right. I was the only one who knew how to navigate these lands without any fancy technology. Still, her trust in me was surprising.

Stella took a seat on the other side of Beverly. "Okay, wake me up in a couple of hours."

Beverly rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a sweater, using it as a makeshift pillow. "As for me, don't wake me up unless we're suddenly transported to a paradise beach." She said with a grin.

"Sure, a paradise beach it is." Heather said.

Beverly fell asleep almost instantly, unlike Stella who tossed and turned for a while before her breathing finally evened out. I closed my eyes, trying to block out the torrent of emotions from the past few hours, but every rustle of leaves, every distant sound, kept me on edge.

I glanced at Heather. She sat calm and serene, her silhouette outlined by the faint moonlight, her hair cascading down her back. Despite the grime and cuts, she exuded a calm strength that made me feel safer. It wasn't new; everyone felt safer with Heather around. That had always fascinated me about her from the beginning.

Suddenly, she stood up and went over to Beverly, who was deeply asleep. She leaned down and touched her forehead, a worried look flashing across her face. It seemed she was checking her temperature. After a couple of seconds, she moved back to the rock where she had set up the watchpoint.

She was worried about her. So was I. Beverly falling asleep so quickly wasn't after an accident was definitely not a good sign. Hopefully, she'll feel better tomorrow, but checking on her during the night was a smart move. Well done, Heather.

I tried to sleep, but all my efforts were in vain. So I quietly got up and approached her. Maybe Heather could take my turn and sleep in my place. When I reached her spot, she turned to me, our eyes meeting, and for a moment, we just stared at each other.

"You should be asleep." She said.

"I'm not very sleepy... Is Bev alright?" I asked, glancing at her.

"I think so. But she took a hard hit. We need to keep an eye on her; she's not the type to complain." Heather said.

"Yeah, we'll take care of her. She's really strong." I said, settling next to her. My arm accidentally brushed against hers.

Silence.

"How are you?" I asked. "You've been in your 'all under control' mode, but how are you really doing?"

She didn't look at me.

"I'm fine." She said flatly.

"Let me see your face." I said softly, gently guiding her cheek to face me so I could examine her bruises and cuts. She blinked nervously under my direct gaze.

"We'll need to disinfect that in the morning." I said, pointing to a deep cut next to her right cheek. "But other than that, you're okay."

"Just like I told you." She said and moved slightly to the opposite side, leaving a bit more space between us. I guess she was uncomfortable which made me feel sad. 

Silence.

"By the way... I wanted to say thank you." I said.

Heather frowned confused. "For what?"

"For getting us out." I replied. "I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been there."

Heather shook her head softly. "I wouldn't leave you behind."

"I know that. But still, it's important to say it." I said with a smile.

"Well, thanks."

We both looked up at the stars above.

Silence.

"It's been a while since I could see stars like this." Heather said, admiring the night sky.

"Enjoy it then, they're not going anywhere." I said with a grin.

She smiled, but it was a sad smile. "You know what I like about stars? They see no walls. No matter which side of the world you're on... stars will always be there."

My heart skipped a beat, and a warm feeling spread in my chest. I had missed the profound, sensitive Heather.

"That's beautiful." I said.

"It's also sad." She added.

"Well, I see it as a healthy reminder." I said.

"What do you mean?" Heather asked, looking at me, a sparkle in her eyes.

"Stars remain free, and so should we." I said.

"I guess..." Heather said softly.

Silence.

The night sky was stunning in every direction you turned. Heather seemed serene, lost in her own thoughts. She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, as if savoring the tranquility of the moment.

"Do you... have good memories about this place?" Heather asked cautiously.

"I do. A lot, actually. But there are also some painful ones." I said.

"Sorry for bringing it up." She said.

"Don't worry. I can't change the past, but like I told you before, I wouldn't want to forget any of it."

Heather smiled and met my eyes. "You're really brave. I hope you know that."

"Thanks. But I don't consider myself brave. It's just that circumstances didn't really give me much choice." I said.

Suddenly, the sound of an owl resonated through the trees. Heather jumped, alert.

"Calm down. It's just an owl." I reassured her.

"Really? Is that the sound they make?" She asked, surprised.

I couldn't help but chuckle at her innocence.

"Hey, don't laugh at me!" She protested, nudging her elbow into me.

"Sorry, sorry!" I apologized, trying to stifle my laughter.

"It's sad I know so little about this place. It feels unfair." She said.

"Yeah, this part of the world is yours too, you know? Wall or no wall."

Heather turned to me. "When we have time... I'd like you to tell me about it, about the memories you have of this place. If that doesn't feel weird to you..." She said.

I couldn't help but break into a huge smile. I hadn't expected that. It was incredibly heartwarming to feel someone was interested in my past before crossing the wall, especially knowing that person was Heather.

"I can share a memory now if you're up for it." I said.

"Sure." Heather answered, excited.

"You know what my parents used to do when we were stuck in the dead of night?" I said.

"What?" She asked.

"Let me grab your flashlight for a moment." I said, reaching for it. Once I had it, I aimed it at a big rock ahead and started moving my hand around.

"Let me introduce you to Trudy, the swan!" I said, trying to create a shadow that looked like a swan. But it turned out to be harder than I remembered. My dad was usually the one pulling off this trick.

Heather burst out laughing. "What is that? That's nowhere near a bird!" She exclaimed, pointing at my abstract shadow.

"What? That's clearly a swan!" I insisted, trying to improve my performance.

"I don't know, Grace. It looks more like a mutant chicken than a swan." She teased.

"Hey, you're the one laughing at me now!" I said, nudging her playfully.

"I'm so sorry! I'm sure your dad was great at it, but your swan... it's just..." She chuckled again, unable to finish the sentence.

I laughed along with her, realizing how absurd the whole situation was. "Well, I guess my shadow art skills need some work." I admitted, handing back the flashlight.

"Yeah... like a lot of work. But it was cute, though." Heather said, grinning. "Thanks for sharing."

"Whenever you want, Trudy the swan is always happy to make an appearance!" I said with a smile. 

We laughed until the silence settled around us again, thick like a cozy blanket. But this time, the silence felt right, almost comforting. It was like we'd briefly managed to recreate that easy, pleasant bubble from our past, where our connection remained strong and untouched.

Heather stood up. "Well, I think I'm gonna take a nap if you're gonna keep watch."

"Sure, rest well." I replied.

Heather smiled and leaned against a tree.

"Heather." I whispered.

She opened her stunning eyes and gazed at me.

"I'm glad you decided to join the mission in the end." I said.

Her lips curved into a shy but honest smile before closing her eyes. 

The night was quieter than I expected as if the universe was trying to make up for the stress we had endured right after leaving the wall. Stella took over the watch after me, and after a couple of hours, it was already daylight. As soon as the first rays of sun appeared, Heather woke me up, agitated.

"Grace, wake up!" she yelled.

I opened my eyes, puzzled by the nerves in her voice.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Heather met my gaze. "Beverly isn't waking up."

Author's Note: 

Hey, lovely people! What's up?

I'm so excited about how this story is shaping up. I'm enjoying the writing process so much. I don't have any specific questions today related to the chapter, so... I'm curious, what's your best time for sitting and reading Wattpad? Do you have a favorite time, or do you go with the flow of the updates? As for me, I'm very organized and tend to read in the morning and at night. What about you?

Love you SO MUCH! NO JOKE. Hahaha

Ava