I turn to the guy who said that. He was one of the ones who held me back from going in there and talking to her. He’s the one I elbowed in the chest to get in there.
“Some chick? Some freaking chick? That chick is Eenralla Land—the daughter of Ream Land—the Leader of the Rebellion, genius. I got her here, and now she acts like she doesn’t know me! Like I’m some stranger! Only known her for one week… pssh!” I pace. What else is there to do? I can’t think. Not here. Not in this hallway. I have to go find her. Talk to her. Somehow.
Is that possible? Would they tell me where she is? Would they let me talk to her?
Of course they would. I’ve lived here for years.
But what if they don’t?
“Hemmings,” I hear Smoth say, putting his hand on my shoulder. I glare at him. “Hemmings, slow down. She’s gone through a lot. She doesn’t need another person to upset her.”
“I need to talk to her,” I say. “Now.”
“I don’t think—”
“Now!” I shout. I’m too tense—too on edge to be nice or to listen to anyone. To care about anything else. I need to talk to her, and fast. If I don’t… If I don’t then she won’t stand a chance. The Rebellion won’t stand a chance. We need her, I… We need her here. We need her to fight and to be on our side. She can’t do anything in the place where people don’t want to fight. She’ll go insane. She can’t not fight. She’s been fighting ever since I met her. She can’t give up now. Not now. Not at all.
“Okay, okay… Fine. Your funeral.” Smoth says, backing up. “Go see Evan. He assigns everyone their room and keeps a list with him in the back of the cafeteria.”
So I do. I bust through the doors and scan the back wall. There they are. The doors. Where Smoth told me to go.
I march through the noisy cafeteria and fling the double doors open. They hit someone. I’m too angry to say anything, to care. I keep walking.
A man in his forties walks out from behind a door on the side. A man I don’t know. I walk up to him, huffing.
“Are you Evan?” I ask him.
“Yes,” He says calmly. “You must be looking for Eenie.”
“Where is she?”
“In the testing room.”
“Get her out of there, now. I need to talk to her.”
“I’m afraid I can’t. She rushed in there by herself.”
“Where is it?” I demand.
“Black door all the way down. You won’t be able to get in.”
“I can try,” I mutter.
I sprint down the hall and to the door. I jerk on the handle to try and open it. It doesn’t budge. I hear a loud crash and a voice. Eenie’s voice.
A low hissing sound takes over the room, and I hear the shuffling of her feet.
The poison.
“Eenie!” I start to bang on the door. “Eenie, whatever you’re doing, stop it! Stop now!”
I hear something hit the floor.
Her body.
I bang harder.
No. No. She can’t… I can’t protect her! No!
“Eenie!” I shout again. As if she can hear me. “Eenie…”
“I told you,” Evan says, walking up behind me. I stop banging. “Don’t worry. She’ll be all right. She’s strong. Different. She’s in their hands now, and they’ll take care of her.”
“No they won’t,” I spit through gritted teeth. “They’ll test her and push her to her limits until they’re satisfied. I’ve seen it done. And she’ll keep going until she can’t go anymore. She’ll keep her mind on one thing, and pursue it. Just like when I first met her.”
The day I didn’t understand how important she would be to me in the future.