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THE YOUNG GODS
CHAPTER TWELVE

" I COULDN'T SAVE HER "

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THROWING HER HEAD back, the curly headed girl gripped onto her abdomen with someone's hand covering her mouth shutting her screams. The lights flashed red with sirens blaring through the speakers signaling intruders were inside the building. Tears ran down her eyes as she saw the lifeless body next to her. He looked like he'd been squeezed top and bottom and popped in the middle. He tried to get words out to tell the pair next to him to take care of the little sister he had waiting for him outside the city. But he was already dead, another corpse littering the unforgiving field and a little girl abandoned outside the walls.

"Keep your eyes open, Jess." Rosie spoke keeping herself in check. Her eyes glancing down her friend's body noticing her hands weren't doing enough to stop the bleeding. An idea popped in her head, turning her face to the corpse laying next to her friend. "Keep putting pressure."

Her hands pulled away from the wound and it took all of her strength not to react to the red liquid spilling from her hands. It ran down her arms as droplets of blood spilled on the floor. Rosie crawled towards him making sure no one saw her through the door's window. Gripping onto the bottom of his shirt, Rosie pulled it over his head and a sick feeling erupted in her stomach when she made eye-contact with his open eyes.

Whimpers came out of the girl's lips as she hears footsteps outside the corridor while Rosie placed the shirt on the girl's abdomen hoping it would stop the bleeding, "I don't want to die. Not here."

Rosie shook her head looking down at her walkie-talkie, "you're not going to die, okay? We'll get out of this fucking place and we'll be out of here in no time."

"Tango. Whiskey. Oscar. Alpha. Lima. India. Victor. Echo." Eirene's voice went through their hidden earpieces stating her status hoping someone else was still with her.

A sense of relief rushed into the two girl's bodies as they heard both of their walkie-talkie's going off. It had informed them that someone else was still alive. And soon enough more vocalized their status.

"Oscar. November. Echo. Alpha. Lima. India. Victor. Echo." Jeremy.

"Sierra. India. X-ray. Alpha. Lima. India. Victor. Echo." Maya.

"November. India. November. Echo. Alpha. Lima. India. Victor. Echo." Malikai.

Rosie grabbed her walkie-talkie bringing it close to her lips, "Foxtrot. Oscar. Uniform. Romeo. Alpha. Lima. India. Victor. Echo."

Licking her dried lips, the dark skinned teenager weakly grabbed her walkie talkie, "Tango. Echo. November. Whiskey. Oscar. Uniform. November. Delta. Echo. Delta." Seconds passed by hoping someone else could report back but the soldiers realized no one else was going to. Nine were gone. Deceased.

15 arrived and only six were still standing.

The one in command spoke through his walkie-talkie, "ten, your location. Over."

Rosie looked over her partner noticing her eyes fighting the urge to close. Rosie brought her walkie-talkie to her lips, "she's with me. She's lost a lot of blood."

"Your location, four."

"Second floor. Left corridor, closet." Rosie held onto Jessie nudging her to keep her eyes open. "Look at me, you're going to be fine. Just keep your eyes on me."

"Roger that. I'm close by." Eirene spoke through the walkie-talkie being a few doors down. "I'll go to you."

Before Rosie could reply, a loud shatter echoed through the room making her realize that they were checking every room. And they were next hiding in plain sight. Standing up, the Latina pushed the shelf against the door blocking the entrance looking for a spot around the small room to hide.

The curly headed tugged on her pants, "behind the counter inside the large cabinets. You'll fit."

Rosie shook her head, "what about you? I need to find a place I could hide you in-"

"I'm dead already." She replied coldly, "but thanks for trying. Now hide before they find you." Rosie flinched when she heard people trying to enter the room. "Now and don't try to shoot anyone. We need survivors."

Rosie jumped over the counter opening one of the empty cabinets closing the doors. She quietly heard Jessie inserting bullets inside her gun before turning the safety off. Rosie shut her eyes hearing the doors open and bullets firing off. Fighting the urge, Rosie wanted to get out of the cabinet and fire the soldiers but she hesitated the moment silence filled the room.

A chuckle erupted in the room, "what a waste of a pretty face don't ya think?"

"What do we do with her?" Thomas. Rosie clearly heard his shaking voice asking what to do with the girl who considered him a friend.

"Just take 'em all to him. He told us dead or alive." A man spoke looking around the room searching for anyone else. Clearly they didn't do a great job since they grabbed a hold of the two bodies and left the room.

Her eyes flooded with tears as she unlocked a new hatred of herself. How coward of her to not help her friend. She abruptly stopped though once she heard the door open once again. The door shut behind as she heard a whisper, "Rosie? Jess? Where the hell did you go?" Recognizing the voice, Rosie rushes out of the cabinet noticing her best friend on the other side of the counter. "This is the last time you fucking disobey my orders Rosie! You could've died!"

Ignoring the anger rushing through Eirene's body, Rosie engulfs the girl in her arms feeling the warmth of her only family left. "I couldn't save her. They took her!"

But before Eirene could reply, she brushed Rosie off pulling her gun out and pointing at the door as she had been able to hear quiet footsteps approach outside the room. One hand raising a finger to Rosie signaling to be quiet. "Someone else is in there."

"How would you know that?"

"Who helped her stop the bleeding, Thomas?" A man whispered outside the closet's door.

"Back door." Eirene mumbled as Rosie silently walked towards the back exit. "When I say go. You go." The older girl walked behind the counter crouching down placing the gun ready to shoot through the door at any moment.

Rosie's heart pounded heavily wanting to be anywhere but here. How did she even end up being part of this riot? "No te irás sin mi, verdad?" Rosie spoke in her native language asking her best fiend if she would leave without her.

"Honey, you're all I got. I'd never leave you behind."