Chapter 5 - So many similarities

My head hits the ground hard. I was tackled by this girl. Her light brown hair was in a braid on her shoulder, and her pale skin has freckles all over. She has a bloody nose, hazel eyes, a piercing that goes through her bottom lip, and has on a maroon hoodie that reeks of old blood. She stares at me as she sits down on my stomach. She takes my wrist and her face lights up. She also has the tattoo but has fewer vines than me. Her wrist has two vines, only two shots. Taking my chance, I kick her as I roll her off of me. With me on top of her, I glare into her eyes. I 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 be tougher than her. I have more vines than her. Yet, I feel almost.. 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺. She doesn't fight back, like she gave up. Like she doesn't have anything to fight for.

Some men pull me off of her and others grab the girl. We are pulled apart. I get a set of "better" cuffs. They look newer and have a shorter chain than the other set, my wrists are basically touching. She gets chains, my old cuffs. Once her cuffs are on, she is pulled to her feet roughly. She gives me a glare of dissatisfaction. Like she expected me to risk my own life to save her own. She yells out to me. "Help me! I don't wanna die here. Not now, not after what I've been through! Not after living in that shit show!" Her voice gets deeper and louder as she goes on. Movement catches my side view, I turn my head and instantly regret that I did. Bodies. Blood. Gore. Flying. The new girl is ripping people up like they are paper, throwing them like they are little dolls, and she is just like the 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 I found at my house. The chains did nothing. They are dangling from her wrists, broken, and missing parts. Her clothing is ripped to pieces and all over the floor. If she is a two, what would I look like? Her and I make eye contact. Her eyes narrow, she growls at me, and starts walking towards me.

"Protect the eight at all costs!", someone yells out and men start shooting and charging with swords. Adryan picks me up without warning and flings me further away from the 'R.O.S.E.'. I skid to a stop and look up to see him running to the 'R.O.S.E.'. I reach out for him but he is out of my reach.

"Adryan! Come back!" He either doesn't hear my plea or doesn't want to listen to a 'R.O.S.E.' But it doesn't matter since he didn't turn back around. 'Adryan.. please.' My eyes fill with water and everything is blurry. One gunshot was not like the rest. It was closer to me. It was louder. There was a scream from the 'R.O.S.E.'. There was cheering and arms were around me. Then I heard, what I can only describe as a whisper, in my ear. It was too quiet to hear but it sounded like a question. I wipe my eyes the best I can and look to see Adryan's face by my ear. His chin on my shoulder. His head resting on mine. His arms are wrapped around my waist, and his gun is on the ground. Blood is running down his forearm, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 blood. I look around to see where Atlas is. There is a huddle of men around a tent and another huddle around the fallen R.O.S.E and the men who were killed. There are so many bodies. So much blood. I hear cries, pleas, and trembling voices. I start to stand up to get a better listen but Adryan holds me down.

"You're not going over there. Not in 𝘩𝘦𝘳 dress."

"Her?", I question.

"Can't you read? The tote clearly stated 'hers'. Those were my ex-fiancé's clothes.".

"I can go change if you want."

"No need, it would be what she wanted. It looks great on you.", he replies. His voice sounds so sorrowful yet there is a smile on his face. "Oh how I wish I could have protected her better." He glances at me. "You remind me of her. You guys are identical and act the same. She was taken by a gan-" His voice is cut off by a groan of pain.

"Stop putting pressure on your arm! What are you doing?"

He laughs. "Just like her."

"Wait here, I'll go get things to treat your arm."

"Don't you dare leave me. That's an order. They won't think twice about shooting you. They aren't in a good mood right now. We lost Atlas and a lot of men. We lost our food tent as well, meaning we have to do rations. Just stick with me." He grabs my waist, with his good arm, and sits me down. His eyes tear up but he has a smile on his face. "And I miss my lover, man. I remember running my fingers through her hair every night as we fell asleep. How she always smelled like the ocean. How she was kind to everyone." A tear runs down his face as he looks at me and smiles.

A group of five men walk up to us. "Adryan," they pause and look at me with tears in their eyes, "and R.O.S.E. We are the only survivors. Everyone else was weak." 'Did they just call the other guys.. 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬?" I can't control my thoughts.

"How could you say that they are weak? They risked their lives for us."

"They didn't risk it for you, they were following orders. The weak die, that's how that world works. That's why Adryan's fiancé di-" The dude in front shuts up before he can finish that sentence.

Adryan sighs. "Alright, we should pack up. Split into groups and split the food evenly. I'll take the R.O.S.E, she will be my responsibility."

"We will stick together. I'll split the food, but you won't make it with that arm." The group of five turn around and head for the food tent. Adryan's and my eyes meet. He looks complexed.

"You don't have to take me along." I speak up, breaking our eye contact.

"It's not safe out there for you. I wouldn't feel right leaving you." I stand up and pull him to his feet. For a moment there is a memory, and in another it's gone. It was a.. dance. The Viennese Waltz. A party. I'm brought back to reality, leaving the waltz behind, by cold hands on my shoulders.

"Are you alright? It's time to go." Adryan has a book bag over his shoulder and a gun sling on the other. No instrument to be seen.

"Wait you're forgetting something!" I rush into the tent and pick up the instrument case. "All ready! Lead the way!" We start walking. I carry the instrument with my cuffed arms. Following Adryan only a few steps away.

"Here is the deal. We have food for about a week. Clothing for around the same. We won't be coming back to the camp nor the ravine so that means we need to find shelter. I think I know a place but not sure if there are R.O.S.Es." He glances over his shoulder then turns back around. "Why did you even want to bring my violin? Did you think I'd play it?"

"Well I was kinda hoping you would. And I don't think you should leave it behind." He laughs but in a kind way.

"Okay Amelia- I mean.. Indigo."

"Amelia? Amelia Miller? Is that.." I pause, "your fiancé?" That name sounds so familiar. Like I knew them, like we were close. Adryan keeps quiet.

"You know," he stops walking and turns to me suddenly. I bump into him and he keeps me from falling. "She would have liked you." He smiles as he turns back around to continue walking. "Do you actually know your surname? Out of curiosity." Now that I think about it.. I don't remember half of what I should. Like how I got on that sofa, and my surname.

"I don't, my memories are a blur. Do you.. know yours?"

"Of course I know mine," he pauses and laughs. "Cruz. Adryan Cruz."

"Such a pretty name." I smile knowing he was comfortable telling me his full name.

»»----------　❈　---------««

"Here it is!" Adryan opens the front door of a 2 story motel and holds it for me. Before walking in, I look around the outside. The windows are broken but there is wood covering them. The exterior is a gray stone with dark green moss in the cracks. There is a sign over the doorway with the letters falling off and some missing. I walk inside and Adryan follows. Adryan bumps into me as I stop suddenly. Not only do I now notice the height difference between us but also the claw marks over the walls and how the lobby is demolished. The brown tinted brick walls are cracking and falling apart. The dark red runway carpet is torn apart and isn't laying down flat. The keys from the desk are all missing. The couches and chairs are thrown about. Adryan takes a step around me and heads over to the desk with scattered papers over it. He digs through the desk and finds a key for room 𝘉02.

"Just in case. Rooms might not be unlocked." I nod at Adryan and he leads me up a staircase. The dark gray staircase has missing chunks and doesn't have a hand railing. We carefully stepped around the broken parts and looked around the upstairs. It's the same brown tinted stone that is downstairs with the same red runway. Some rooms don't have doors. Some didn't have beds. Some have broken down beds. Some have broken mini bathrooms. Most have no water. Some are locked. 𝘉02 came up on our right. The door was still intact. Adryan puts in the key and turns it slowly. The room clicks unlocked and we push it open together.

The room is in almost perfect condition. The bed covers are folded nicely, the room is well put together, the mini bathroom has water in the toilet and bath, and the windows are just a little cracked. Adryan puts down his stuff, takes out his gun and scopes out the room. He sighs out of relief and waves me into the room. I take the stuff and close the door behind me as I walk into the clean room. As I hand Adryan his bookbag, he stares at me and doesn't look at the bookbag.

"Is something wrong?" I ask, thinking I did something.

"I just can't believe what I'm seeing. It's fine, don't worry about it. Would you like to go change into something more fitting?" I nod and he hands me a pair of leggings and a T-Shirt. I go into the bathroom and he shouts out to me. "You might as well take a bath, just don't take too long!" I close and lock the door and start with taking off the dress for my bath. I neatly fold the dress, put it on the sink and put my undergarments on top. I step into the bath and relax myself.

Once I finish, I look around the bathroom and notice towels neatly folded on a shelving unit. I take one and towel off. Starting with my hair then my body, then the mirror. I finally get to take a good look at myself. I have a blue-purple eye color and my bright, not dirty, hair grew a lot from last time. My hair is a tad longer than my mid back. I slide on my undergarments. Then the leggings, which flare a little at the bottom. As I slide on the t-shirt, I open the door. Adryan seems busy deep in thought and doesn't hear me open the bathroom door. Adryan hums a song as he sits on the queen mattress that lays below a window. A song that sounds so familiar. I smile, grab his violin, and hold it out to him. He notices me there as I hold it out. After chanting 'play!' over and over, he finally gives in and opens the case. The violin is clean and glossy, and looks like it hasn't been opened in a while. He tunes it, stands, holds it under his cheek, and plays a pretty melody. Knowing the song, I join in on the song.

𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘱𝘴𝘦

𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴, 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘱𝘴𝘦

𝘎𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴

𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘩 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦

𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳

𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴

𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘵*