Chapter 16
Becca stares at Banshee incredulously.
She had been right about someone framing her, but Victoria… He killed Victoria… It’s been him the whole time.
She feels a wave of stupidity wash over her. Why didn’t she realize this sooner? How long…?
She looks at the mask in her hand for a moment, then drops it in realization of what she holds. It’s the face, the mask of the man who has haunted her and followed her around her entire life.
“You,” she says in an angry, trembling voice. “It’s been you all along… You’re the one that got me banished, you’re the one that killed that man, that killed Victoria…” She looks at her hands, the image of them covered in blood flashing before her eyes. “You’re a murderer.”
Banshee stands up and smiles. Becca can see where the knife she had thrown at him that day had cut through his shirt and into his shoulder, and where it’s starting to scab over.
“Becca, Becca, Becca,” Banshee says quietly.
“You’re insane,” she whispers as she backs up, feeling Eduard behind her. “You’re insane.”
“And you’re not far off.”
“What?” Becca asks as Banshee takes a step towards her.
“We’re all just a little bit of crazy, Becca Reed,” Banshee says in a low tone, eeriness dripping from each syllable.
“I’d say you’re more than just a little—”
“DO NOT INTERRUPT ME, BECCA REED!” He screams, and Becca trips, sending her body into Eduard, who catches her. He says nothing, doesn’t even look down at her as he holds on to her, but he keeps his eyes trained on Banshee, watching his every move.
Banshee smiles, the cut side of his face stitched up. It reminds Becca of a skeleton. He’s just a skeleton of a man with no sympathy—or maybe too much sympathy…
“If you think anyone is sane, you don’t know them well enough.”
“I know you well enough to know that you’re the epitome of insanity,” Becca hisses, not knowing what else to say to the man.
He laughs. “Thank you.”
Becca glares at him.
“Oh, Becca Reed,” Banshee says as he walks forward, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “We live in a mad world. An insane world. In this mad world, only the mad are the sane.”
“You killed people, Banshee,” Becca spits as she stands up completely. “That’s not something a sane person would do!”
“Or would they?” Banshee smiles. “Obviously, you haven’t looked around you. Obviously, you haven’t asked enough questions. Why don’t you ask questions, Becca? Why don’t you see what’s going on around you? Why do you agree with it? Why do you fall into slavery?”
“It’s not slavery, Banshee. Now leave me alone!”
“I’ll never leave you alone, Becca.”
“Leave me alone!”
“Becca.”
“Go!”
The man smiles a disgusting smile, a smile that sends chills up Becca Reed’s spine. What is wrong with this man? And why does he follow her around and pop up in places he shouldn’t be?
“I’ll leave you alone, then, since you wish it,” he chuckles. “Just know that one day you will be alone.”
Becca’s breath stops in her chest. Fire seems to take its place as she jumps forward with her hands outstretched. She pushes Banshee down and hits him in the face with her palms, not knowing how to fight correctly. Banshee lies still with his back against the leaves and doesn’t fight back.
Eduard’s hands grip Becca’s shoulders and haul her off of the man, who stares up at the leaves attached to the very much alive trees above, a smile slowly spreading across his contorted face.
“The dreams, Becca,” he says. Banshee sits up suddenly and looks at the duo standing before him with an insane smile. “The Dreams, Becca. Don’t forget the dreams.”
“What?” She yells as she twists out of Eduard’s hands. Inside she’s fuming, but outside she doesn’t know how to express it. Her body trembles with hatred and with anger…
“Remember the dreams.”
“What dreams?” She says as Eduard places a hand on her shoulder. Vignette dances around her vision as she tries to catch her breath.
“The dreams, Becca… the dreams…”
With that, he’s on his feet and running the opposite direction of the Maskless’ little camp. Becca takes off after him, hearing the protests of Eduard follow behind her. The dreams… she has to know about the dreams. Why does she have to remember them? What about them? What’s so significant of something her subconscious made up while she was sleeping? Why remember the stories her brain strung across her eyelids. Why remember something so insignificant?
Banshee is gone.
She stops in the middle of the forest, not knowing where she is, not knowing where she ran to, where she is now. She doesn’t know the way back. She doesn’t care about going back. All she wants is answers. All she wants is out.
But something inside of her pulls toward the city, toward Quill. Something wants justice inside of her, something wants change. She doesn’t want life to be this way anymore. She doesn’t want anyone else to hide behind the masks given to them their entire life. She doesn’t want to be afraid of the government anymore. She doesn’t want to be afraid of punishment. So she won’t be.
Eduard’s footfalls get louder as he approaches her.
Becca turns around, a new pair of eyes looking out from her eye sockets. A new brain, a new way of thinking blossoming from inside of her skull.
“Let’s do it,” she says, wiping the mud from her face. “We head into the city now.”
“Are you sure?” Eduard asks, doubtful.
Becca nods, the fire still burning inside of her. “As sure as the sun rose this morning. Which way is camp?”
He points back behind him. “That way. But, Becca, look at what—”
“I don’t care. Let’s get this over with.”
“Becca, it takes more than a day—”
“I. Don’t. Care. Eduard. Once we get this started, we can’t stop. We keep pushing through as soon as I get that mask on and go into the city, and we won’t stop until we bring Quill down.” Becca starts to head in the direction of the camp.
“We can’t do that until we understand him, Becca.”
“I know that. That’s what I’m going to do,” she says as she peeks over her shoulder at him. “And then I’m going to break him.”
“Becca—”
“Come on. The longer we take, the more time they have to find us.”
They reach the camp. Nixon, Mikey, and Twitch all look up as Becca stops at the edge of their bedding. She tells them the plan and reaches into her bag, taking out the woman’s mask. She had placed it so that it wouldn’t get damaged.
They get the things they need together, planning to get everyone else when they head into the city. Becca slips on the white clothing she has, a long skirt and a long-sleeved shirt, and ties her hair up in a bun. She and Eduard make their way to the edge of the forest with Nixon trailing behind to deliver the message of the plan to the rest of the Maskless.
Becca takes one last look at the city she grew up in before slipping on the mask and tying it behind her head, the biggest sense of cockiness and confidence she’s ever had slipping into her step as they walk towards the city.
Here I come, Quill…
Becca Reed smiles to herself, feeling the gun against her back and knowing she’ll be victorious. Knowing she has the opportunity to change the world.
One more small thought slips into her brain before she dismisses it as a stupid thing to doubt.
What if nothing changes at all?