Jason's POV

"Drop your weapons!" The man screams on top of the high fence. He's in a watch tower.

I glance around at my group. "Do what they say!"

"Jason! We don't know who they are, or their motives!" Scarlett hisses back at me.

"They don't know ours either. We're the ones invading, anyway."

The guns and other weapons are dropped with a clatter. The towering gates open with a loud creak. Guards flood out of it, varying from men and women. But they're not like the guards from The Walls. They don't look pampered or high tech, but regular people with regular weapons.

A girl pokes me in the back with her gun. "Move," she snarls.

"I dropped my weapon, sheesh," I grumble, but obey anyway. I pray that the rest of the group won't cause any trouble. Let's just say we aren't used to following rules.

I have to pinch myself a few times when we walk in to make sure I'm not dreaming. Buildings that reach up to the sky, houses made of stone and paved streets. Something that we could've been if The Walls hadn't kept us contained.

"Wow," I say out loud.

"Keep walking," someone growls behind me. A rifle is shoved into my back once more.

Do that again and I'll shove it up your ass.

But I keep walking. They need to know that we're here to help, not harm.

They single me out as the leader and put me in solitary confinement. The cell is cold and a bit rusty. The only things in the room are a table and chair, and a bed on a short loft.

I sigh. What did I just get us into?

I could be waiting for execution for all I know. They could be shooting all my friends in the head at this very moment. But what other choice did we have?

Kat...

The thought of her hurts. I would kill to see her right now. I wonder how she's doing. Does she really not remember me? Is she in pain?

I grip the mattress. There's no way I'm dying without trying to save her. I'm not going down until I know she's safe, until I know she's out of there. After all, she'd do the same for me.

I lie on my back on the bed, which is surprisingly comfortable. Suddenly, it's very difficult to keep my eyes open. I'm exhausted. I've barely slept throughout the whole trip, and we've walked so long today.

So long...

The silence. So quiet, yet it feels like my eardrums are about to burst. The silence is screaming, screaming at me. I close my eyes and focus on it, the sound of the silence and imagine it filled with birdsong. The soft patter of rain on my cabin roof. Laughter and chit chat among my group. After that, I don't mind it as much.

I see Kat in front of me. Her fair skin glows in the warm sunlight. She's laughing at me, showing that killer smile that each time I recall it makes my knees weak. She's so beautiful, on the inside and out and I've never wanted something so badly. I've never wanted to call something mine this passionately.

"Jason, you're doing it again," Kat pouts.

I snap out of it. "Doing what?"

"Zoning out, staring at me. Kinda creeps me out after two minutes."

"Oh, hah. Whoops."

Kat reaches for my hand and fits hers into it. Her hands are small and delicate, perfectly proportioned for her body.

"Wanna swim?" She asks as we approach the lake that's bathed in a glorious sunlight.

"You don't know how to swim," I answer.

She smirks. "Then teach me."

"Sure. But you can't go in wearing that."

"Why not?"

Right. Still as modest as a nun. Well, practically.

We change into shorts. She wears a tank top. When I take my shirt off, it seems to startle her. I grin when I notice how red her face is.

"Something wrong, Kat?" I tease.

She shakes her head, but averts her eyes. I laugh and shove her into the lake with my foot. She stands up in the shallow waters.

"I like this more than boating," she says.

"Maybe you won't suck as bad as you did with boating."

Kat smiles, and I smile back. The scene is fading. I desperately attempt to grab ahold of it, but I'm back in reality in seconds.

Pip, pip, pip...

Footsteps. I sit upright as someone opens the door.

Author's Note:
Yes, I know this is a horribly written chapter. That might have something to do with the lack of sleep... but here ya go! Thanks again to all who have voted and commented, it seriously makes my day!