Chapter fourteen

Still having no idea what happened or where I am going, I walk through the woods, weaving my way in between the fallen and broken trees that go on for miles.

My legs feeling like jello, I sit down on one of the fully fallen trees next to me. The forest is completely silent; the rumbling from before gone.

"HAZEL! Hazel! Where are you?!"

Standing up quickly, I spin around a few times, trying to find out where the voice came from before responding. It could be an enemy soldier that picked my name up from someone who called my name during the battle.

Locating where the voice came from as it yells again, I make my way back to the place I was just at, where the explosion happened.

Hiding behind a fallen tree, I carefully peek my head over the edge and look at the people calling my name. Letting out a cry of relief, I jump over the edge of the tree and run towards Emmet, Charlotte, and Refco who are all looking over to me.

Stopping in front of them, I smile. "You found me! Thank God! I thought I was never going to get out of this forest." Emmet is looking at me, I frown on his face. "What is it? Aren't you glad I am here? Emmet?" He walks past me, heading towards the middle of the flatten and ground, the one place with the lonely flower.

Turning my gaze towards him, I see what he is looking at. It's me.

But that can't be true. I am right here. I am not dead! I am standing next to him!

"Emmet? Let's get her back to the castle." Charlotte carefully walks towards Emmet who us now kneeling next to my body.

"I AM RIGHT HERE! EMMET! Please! I am right here!"

Crying next to him, I try to touch him, my hand just goes right through him.

"No... No.. No! I am not dead!"

Blackness. Everything is black. I can't see anything. There a light awhile away. I want to go to it but I can't. I can't get up, I have no strength.

Am I dead?

I can't be. I was just alive.

People always talk about death is being in a dark place with a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe I am dead. But I don't want to be.

I want to go back to my friends, my family. I want to go back.

But, I guess I can't. Not in the place I am in right now. It's impossible.

Feeling the strength leave my body, my eyes close and then there's darkness, no light at the end of the tunnel.

Is this it for me?

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She can't be dead. The doctors say she has a chance of living. There's no way she's dead. She just can't be. She'll push through, I know it.

Pacing around the medical bay, I learned today that Artanis was moved to his rooms a few hours after we left. He said it was too boring and loud. I can't blame him though, it is pretty loud. As if it is boring, being a patient here is boring unless you're unconscious, like Hazel is.

Charlotte left the medical bay a few minutes ago, complaining she has a lot to process. Maybe she isn't taking the whole Hazel-might-be-dead thing to well.

As for me, I have been here for the last hour. Pacing around, taking my fingers in my leg. I really have to stop doing that. The tapping distracts me too much. I can't focus on anything when I do it.

The doctor told me and Charlotte Hazel as a very small fighting chance. It's not a big chance but, the doctor said she's healthy and she should push through.

"That's good... She'll push through. I know it." I've been mumbling stuff like that to myself for the last ten minutes, convinced it'll make her wake up faster. I know it won't but it doesn't hurt to try?

Turning around as the medical bay door opens, my mother, the Queen herself, walks into the hospital like smelliness of the medical bay.

"Emmet. You can't pace here for the rest of your life. Please, come eat. You had a long day and you must eat. You fought many soldiers and now you need to rest and recover."

Shaking my head at her, I walk over to the chair next to Hazel's bed and stare at her before once again, getting up and pacing. My mother starts to walk to me, holding out her left hand. "Emmet. Please. Come with me. You can come back tomorrow." Shaking my head I back away from her. "I need to be the first one she does when she wakes up." My mother walks closer to me, despite me walking away from her. "You don't have to be the first one Emmet. Please just come." She almost has me against the wall, I have to get out of this position. If she gets me that's it.

"Emmet. Come on! You need to-" Running to her, she backs up and almost falls out of fright. As I run past her and to the other side of the medical bay, I watch as my mother picks herself up and stalks out if the medical bay, turning around once to glare at me.

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Hazel almost dying hit me hard. I don't even know why. I want her dead.

Maybe it's just the fact I could've died too? It could be that. Or maybe I really would miss her if she died.

Laughing, I think about what I just though. There's no way I'd miss her. She's taking the person I love. And, to top it off, she has the power I should have.

Sitting down on my bed, I take a shaky breath in and out. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts u decide I am going to check on Artanis.

Getting up from my bed, I open my door and head out, shutting it behind me. Walking straight down the hall, I take a left and walk for a few seconds before coming face-to-face with Artanis door.

Knocking gently, I hear a slight groan from inside, and I carefully open the door, peeking my head in. Artanis is sitting up in bed, leaning against the headboard, his hand wrapped around a glass of water that is about to spill on him.

Running to him, I take the glass of water from him, wiping down the side of it that has water dripping down. After cleaning up, I carefully hold the glass op to his lips, letting him drink slowly from it. He pushes the glass away and slowly starts to kay down once again.

"Artanis? Are you okay?" There's a small movement from under the blankets he is curled into. Slipping the blankets over his head so I can see him, I ask again. "Are you okay?" Artanis slightly nods and covers himself back up. Sighing, is it next to him.

"I hope you recover soon Artanis. I miss you."