I trudged slowly uphill on a meandering path. It was impossible to go in a straight line due to the myriad of trees, bushes and protruding rock formations. The pungent aroma of pine sap grew stronger the further I walked, along with the amount of pinecones littering the forest floor. My thighs began to burn from the constant strain of fighting gravitational forces, so I decided to cease my upward climb. I made a sharp right turn to begin walking along the side, and after a few short minutes, I saw an area that looked in need of exploring.

The mountainside turned steeply and dropped further than I was able to see. Across the drop in elevation, the mountain rose again. I thought that it might have been another mountain across the gap, and what I was looking at was a steep, tightly spaced draw. It looked too far to go down into it, so I decided to go up and see if I could get a better vantage point to look further in.

My legs had rested a bit from walking along the side of the mountain, but they quickly burned once more due to the area’s steepness. I was relieved when the ground abruptly leveled out. The tension in my legs drained like water in a bathtub, but I found my lower back took up the role of the main tormentor. I stretched it out a little and continued on. It was only a few more steps before I realized I couldn’t go further.

I was at a cliff, not a massive one, just a place where some of the land slid away. Falling off would probably kill me, but there was a large rock jutting out a little, so I decided to take a seat and enjoy the view. I stared down the closely packed draw, pondering my choices and decisions, the ones I made, and those I had to make.

I could see the tops of some of the trees as their pointed ends swayed in the wind. I could hear the wind pass through the millions of pine needles with a whooshing sound like water, and I thought I caught the sound of actual water in between the gusts of wind. On top of the cliff, the air had less of the pine smell flowing through it, and as I deeply inhaled, it was cold like a mountain glacier. I absently wondered how far off I was considering my location.

My biggest issue was whether I should tell Enzo about my abilities. I felt responsible for what happened to the scout, I wasn’t the one who killed him, but I attacked him and distracted him while Jace finished him off. Jace was my other issue, but it wasn’t just him. I didn’t know how many others were like him. When he killed the scout, I thought he was just following orders. Jace was a bully and jerk, but he was still one of the people who were forced into the camp against their will.

I thought that most of the cadets in the camp were content to be there. I knew most believed they were where they should be, and thought that the cadre was helping or protecting them. But if told the truth and given a choice, I still thought none wouldn’t leap at a chance for freedom. Jace and his team showed me just how wrong that line of thought was. That meant liberating the camp wouldn’t be easy. My abilities would be helpful, but I would have to tell Enzo about it.

My initial, albeit modified plan was dashed when Jace decided I was a traitor and needed to die. I didn’t have another plan, so running into Enzo and the liberation team was fortuitous. If they had liberated other camps, they would have a decent strategy, so I had to do whatever it took to help the others in Camp Walker, even if they didn’t want to be freed. I didn’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t try to help my friends.

I didn’t know how long I was there, but after a while, I heard light footfalls and deep huffing coming up the steep rise. Melody’s head peeked over the petite plateau with a grimace on her face and sweat trickling off her brow. She loudly exhaled when she reached the top, then she saw me, smiled and came and sat next to me. We sat there a short time without talking, just admiring the view and soaking it all in. After a strong gust of wind blew her hair like a flag, she turned to look at me and said, “What have you been thinking about?”

“I don’t know what to do.” I didn’t go into very much detail or tell her all the diverse things I was thinking about, but I told her a few things that I’d been mulling over. Specifically that I wanted to save my friends, but to do that, I would probably have to go back into the camp. I didn’t mention that the real issue was with my power. She turned to me quickly, her dark hair falling over her eyes. “Well, whatever you choose, I’ve enjoyed having you here.”

“I’ve enjoyed being here too,” I replied honestly, and I could see a small smile on her face. She looked striking when she smiled, really smiled, not the fake one that made me feel morose. It was the one that I’d only caught glimpses of when she was with her brother.

“And, you know,” she started. She brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, “Whether you go in or not, I’ll still be here.” Then she looked to me with her large amber eyes, “If you want, I’d like to be here with you,” she finished, putting emphasis on the word you.

“Huh?” I said, ignorant of what she meant.

“God! You’re such a clueless dork,” she said. Then she scooted a little closer to me, and at that distance, I could smell her hair, it was a combination of clean mountain water and pine trees. She moved her face closer to mine, and I finally understood her meaning. Being with her was something I had considered, and her personality kept me on my toes. Even though I hadn’t known her for long, I felt close to her. Some issues might have made such an idea a bad one, although, with her so close to me, I couldn’t think of any. I leaned forward to close the distance between our lips.

Gunshots echoed through the trees, and we looked back towards the camp in the direction of the sound. We were both on our feet and sprinting towards the campground with a singular purpose. I knew this because when I yelled to her, “Where is he?” She replied without hesitation.

“I left him in the tent.”

Melody was right in front of me as we began to slide down the steep decline. She nearly lost her footing and tumbled down, but she managed to get control before slamming into an outcropping of rock. She dodged to the left, then kept running without looking back to check on me. I didn’t blame her one bit, I followed close behind since she obviously knew the quickest way back. I could have found my way, but it would have been a slow process of backtracking. Melody had found me, seemingly without any trouble, a feat that I hadn’t considered until then, so she was clearly knowledgeable with the terrain.

The ground evened out for a short distance, then began to go up at a marginal incline. We didn’t slow due to the slope, Melody even seemed to pick up her pace as the fear for her brother’s safety overwhelmed her. The sounds of gunshots continued to reverberate through the woods as we ran. As we got closer, I could also make out the sounds of yelling interspersed between the cracks of guns. Once we were in sight of the camp, Melody paused. I ran up next to her, and together we surveyed the scene. What we saw was mass confusion throughout the campground.