I lost grip of Elliott's hand but I kept running, desperate to reach the crying child sitting beside a wall on the edge of the settlement. Her face was black with soot and red with from her bawling. The roar of the fire subsided the further I ran from it until it was almost drowned out by her cries.

She would bring the Traitors to us, but I couldn't blame her for crying. Wildfire was a power that terrified me too.

I threw myself to the ground beside her, needing to comfort her before our survival this far was pointless. With a swoop of my arm I pulled her close, rocking and shushing her into a confused complacency.

"Hey, Skylark. We're safe now, I promise." Lately, promises to her had felt like huge lies, but this one was direly necessary.

"Is Elliott safe?" Almond eyes quivered with tears as she looked at me, echoing a fear that took hold of me.

I set her down quickly and turned to look for myself, hoping to see Elliott right behind me with his frazzled hair and gentle smile.

There, I saw the small dry field between the settlement and the forest. The fire licked closer to the powder keg of the grass. The powder keg he laid on, sprawled flat on his stomach

"No!" Heart pounding, I shrugged off my bag and sprinted for him. He had come back for me but I hadn't stopped to save him. I took a running step toward him, my ankle screaming in pain. I stopped, shrieking as it grew warm. No! I couldn't stop now!

I kept running, screaming for Elliott as my ankle screamed for me to stop. The grass flew by as I ran, an infinite distance that only ended as I threw myself to the ground beside him.

He lay face down, arm outstretched as if to reach for me but I had been too far and now he was hurt and it was my fault. I rolled him over, gasping as I saw his arm.

From his elbow halfway up his forearm stretched a red gash, bright and awful on his arm. I tore my gaze away, looking insead to his closed eyes and peaceful face.

"Elliott, you have to get up." I shook him, hoping to wake him up. A glance over my shoulder showed the fire growing nearer, sending out tendrils to reach the grass we were sprawled on.

He didn't move. He didn't move and we needed to move before we would never move again.

"Elliott, Elliott please." Tears streamed down my face, I couldn't lose him now!

"Mmmm." His mouth opened in a low groan, but it was too late. I couldn't wait any longer.

I pulled him close, barely able to lift him in my arms. Straining, I stood, first with my left foot beneath me and then with my right. My ankle and skin burned with the heat of flames but I could only imagine the pain Elliott was in.

Stumbling, I made my way across the field to Skylark, focusing my eyes on her little form. My knees quaked with the effort to carry him and my ankle was lanced with sharp knives but I kept moving.

"Melanie, what happened?" In my arms, Elliott was awake. His mouth parted in confusion as he realized I was carrying him.

I knelt to the ground quickly, unable to carry him further. The flames were farther behind us now, a far enough distance to stop for a moment as they still hadn't lit the grass alight.

"You-you passed out on me." Wincing, I grabbed my ankle as it stabbed me again. I couldn't carry him any longer.

"Are you alright?" He sat up in concern, all focus shifting to my ankle. Elliott reached out his sooty, burned arm to comfort me and froze. He looked at it, face twisting in pain and confusion.

"I'm fine, let's go. I left Skylark by the wall, she's terrified." My stomach churned, he seemed surprised by the burn. We needed to keep moving before the whole field lit on fire and the burn truly hurt him.

Putting his fist to his mouth, Elliott barked a cough of smoke and fear. His mouth was set in a hard line but I knew he was terrified and keeping a brave face on for me. It didn't work. He rose first, holding out his uninjured arm to pull me up.

As I took his hand, his arm was shaking so hard I didn't think he could pull me up. I started pushing myself up but before I got too far off the ground, he yanked me up.

For a moment we stood face to face, matching with our tear streaked cheeks and sooty hair. Behind us, fire roared as it spread to the grass and grew closer. Grabbing my hand, Elliott ran, pulling me along as the fire was close on our heels.

Against the wall, Skylark watched with wide eyes as the fire grew behind us. Its heat seared my back and its smoke clogged my nose and eyes. Our footfalls were almost silent against the fire's power but my ankle shrieked loud enough to tell me we were still moving.

The distance shrunk; each step brought us closer and closer to the sobbing child we so desperately wanted to comfort. Reaching her was only the first battle as we were both injured and so far from safety.

Lungs burning, we finally reached her with the fire a mere twenty feet behind us. Elliott bent to grab her and pulled her close.

He let out a dreadful screech as his burn pressed against the tiny girl's back. I froze, what if neither of us could carry her?

"Give me her!" The fire was closing in fast and there was no other option.

Elliott passed her to me before grabbing the tarp and remaining bag. He started running, looking back to watch as I started as well. Heat burned my back and ankle as I struggled to keep up. The building ended a few feet away to lead us into the alley we had escaped from, but every step was torture.

Orange flames surged toward us, casting shadows in the early morning darkness. Closer and closer they burned as I tried to run faster and faster. Whirling around the corner, I kept moving down the black pavement and far from the fire I hoped would stop at the city's edge.

"Melanie, wait." I slowed to a stop, looking for where he had disappeared to. Elliott stood to my right, clutching his injured arm at the wrist and staring down at the damage. Yellow flesh poked through, rimmed with red and black. Stretching from his wrist to his elbow, the wound was enough to terrify me. I couldn't imagine the pain and terror he felt.

I limped over to him, unwilling to set down the scared little girl just yet. Bouncing her on my good leg, I tried to shush her as my father had when I was little.

That was not an invitation for him to show up which he thankfully didn't. He had had his fun with the fire, or at least the image of him had. My father wouldn't have done such a thing to me. Right?

"Hey, Elliott." I kept my voice gentle for him and Skylark. "We're gonna be alright but we have to keep moving, I don't think the city will stop the fire."

In the Gathering, factory accidents were occasional and devastating, especially when mechanical failures happened. We all knew someone lost in an accident, even if it was unspokenly forbidden to mention. The settlement would burn just as the factories had.

Hissing through gritted teeth he spoke. "I'll be fine, don't use that tone on me."

I nodded mutely, unsure of how to tell him I didn't think he would be fine but that I was worried about the huge burn on his arm that I had no idea how to fix and neither did he. The fire was still burning and we were back in the settlement of Traitors now and half our supplies were gone and we were both hurt.

My mind whirled as I set Skylark down. She ran over to Elliott, crying for comfort neither of us could give her. It would only be a matter of time before the Traitors would stumble upon us and the nightmarish vision of the two killed or hurt before me would come true before I met my End and doomed my Soulmate and this was all too hard!

Eyes still stinging, tears flowed from them uncontrollably. I collapsed onto the cracked pavement, unable to force myself through the pain any longer. My ankle throbbed, my throat was raw and smoke had burnt itself indelibly in my memory.

I didn't want to remember the acrid smell of fire or the unstoppable heat. I didn't want to continue in a world where forests became torches overnight. The Between was too dangerous.

"Hey, I didn't mean to say that. I'm sorry." Elliott crouched beside me, running a hand through his hair. I met his eyes, seeing the pain and regret that trembled as did tears threatening to spill over.

I coughed, feeling my throat protest. "I--It's not just you." I rested my face in my hands, unable to look at him any longer without the truth rushing out about my father and wanting to leave and all the other things I hid from him.

"We need to hide before the Traitors find us. That's what's wrong." I kept my face covered so he couldn't read me. Half-truths were easier; I was worried about the Traitors finding us but that wasn't all.

"You're right, we need to move." He straightened, tilting his head to the side strangely.

I looked around as well, blood roaring in my ears. The Traitors could be anywhere, drawn to the edge of the settlement by the fire.

"What is it, Elliott?"

"I don't know what it is but something is wrong."

He was right, the only apparent inhabitants of the once brutal battleground were dim memories and stifling silence.

"I don't hear the Traitors anymore." I looked to Elliott for his reaction, but he was already moving away, Skylark clinging to his hand.

Still in the oversized hoodie, she walked along beside him, gray eyes wide as she glanced down alleys.

I stood shakily, unsure of what we would find beyond the outskirts of the settlement. Following close behind, I kept an eye on the burning flames behind us. I tugged my thumb; each step closer to the center of the settlement was a step closer to the Traitors.

Swinging my head around to look behind me again, I gasped. Bile rose in my throat at the terrible sight down the road.

"Melanie?" I dropped my head to the pavement, nausea sweeping over me in an overwhelming wave.

"Keep Skylark there." The lurching of my stomach subsided and I turned to look again fearful that I had truly seen right.

Across the road, people were sprawled in poses of gruesome death that rocked my stomach again. I shook my head, keeping my food down for the moment to look at the other horrific sight.

Pillars of bodies lined the street, their corpses bloodless and as if they could walk at a moment's notice. Those were the Traitors, and I knew who killed them.

"What is it?" Elliott walked towards me. Skylark couldn't see this.

"Stay there, please. She can't see this." I tore my eyes away from the carnage, staring him down. He had to understand that this was no joke.

"Tell me what it is and I will." He regarded me coolly, almost as if he didn't believe something was actually wrong.

My voice was sharp as I responded. "The Gathering was here. The Traitors are gone and it's too awful for her to see so just keep her there."

His mouth widened into an O of surprise, something I hoped meant he felt bad for doubting me. There was no apology so I couldn't be sure he actually felt bad for what he had said.

"We need to get out of here now. I can't let them find me." Fear suddenly rushed through me as I realized what this meant. They had been here and they could come back. I had to find my Soulmate on my own. The Facility wouldn't help me anymore.

"Alright, let's go." Elliott held out his hand to me, the awfully burnt one I could barely look at. It was my fault he had gotten hurt.

 "Together." I took his hand, careful to avoid the bloody and terrible skin of his wrist. I wouldn't let him get hurt again.

A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for reading this far! I have written 33 chapters so far but I've only edited up to this point. I'm currently writing a new novel during NaNoWriMo but I'll post chapters when I have time to edit more. Thanks again, and I hope you're enjoying my story!