– MOLLIE ROVIA –

➳ "HENRY! Henry, come on."

Enid, Addy, and I ran up, finding Henry alive and well, and standing outside of an old cabin.

Immediately, Addy started to apologize, to my surprise. "I didn't want to tell her, but I—"

"Just... Just go," Henry quickly cut her off. "Tell them we weren't here. Please?"

"Henry," came my warning tone, stepping forward. "What is going on?"

He avoided eye contact with me until he looked up and answered, "She doesn't want to go back. Her mother... Her mother hurts her."

"Henry, if there was something I could do to help her, I would," Enid tried to convince him, stepping up next to me. "No one wants this. But, Lydia, she... She doesn't belong to us. Okay? Alden and Luke do. Her mother has them. She'll kill them if we don't give her back."

Henry seemed to be in denial, shaking his head and stuttering out, "No, th-there's got to be another way..."

Enid quickly shook her head and claimed, "There isn't. I'm sorry."

As much as I wanted to defend Henry and the girl, Lydia, I couldn't because I knew what was true deep down. He didn't love me anymore.

"No," he breathed out, still clearly in denial. "It's not fair. It's not right."

"No, I know it isn't," Enid reassured, taking another brave step forward. "But, it's something we're just gonna have to live with."

"How?"

Enid took a deep breath before explaining: "When I was about your age, I... I saw my parents die. It changed me. Became... all about surviving somehow." She paused to take a breath. "And, then, someone else close to me died. Someone special, with a big heart. He left me a letter, reminding me that just surviving, it isn't living. And, it took me way too long to get what he really meant."

I already knew who she meant by mentioning the letter someone left behind. My mom keeps this memory box of some sorts around. She keeps it up in her closet, stuffed behind some things. I found it once and, inside, still in the envelope, was a letter from someone named Carl. The envelope and letter were just a little rusty but still readable.

Another step forward, Enid concluded, "You live with it by staying who you are. By not letting the bad things change you."

Henry's bottom lip quivered for a moment when I finally stepped forward and asked, "Do you love her now?" My own lip was starting to quiver with tears in my eyes. "Do you, Henry?"

He avoided eye contact with me until he finally said, "We were never truly together, Mollie. You and me."

I closed my eyes for a second as tears fell down my cheeks, feeling someone come up behind me and grab my shoulders. I assumed it was Addy trying to comfort me, surprisingly enough.

"What?" I cried out, letting the tears fall. "What do you mean?"

He gulped, and turning to now look at me, he took a deep breath out first. "We were only pretending — because we were the only two kids around."

Pretending? I... I couldn't believe it. This was him breaking up with me. He didn't love me anymore. I wasn't as crazy as her, apparently, and maybe he lived for the adventure now.

"Yeah?" I breathed out, crying. "Well, it felt pretty damn real to me."

Then, with that said, I spun around and stormed off without them in tow. I heard Enid and Addy call out for me, but I didn't stick around to watch my heart shatter even more.

I decided to just go back home by myself, and if anything were to get me, I would probably be okay with it. I've lost my uncle and, now, Henry, too. What was next for me?

My insanity, if I had to guess.

—

– TESS ROVIA –

➳ I spotted someone walking towards Hilltop and realized it was Mollie, but she was all by herself. When she came in the way she left through the secret passageway, I was right there to greet her.

Her eyes were puffy and red, and she practically shivered; although, it wasn't that cold outside. I tried to grab her, but she walked right past me.

"Mollie," I called out her name, concern written all over my face. "What's wrong? Where's the others?"

She sniffled, and with her back still to me, she rubbed her arms. It took a few moments, but she finally started to speak. "He doesn't love me anymore..." She turned around and faced me with fresh tears in her eyes and going down her cheeks. "Mommy, why doesn't he love me anymore?"

I didn't know what to say, so I just widened my arms out, and she dove right into them. I held her in my arms and tried to keep her warm while she was here. From what I could gather, it was likely that Henry liked Lydia now; and not Mollie anymore.

She was experiencing her first ever heartbreak; and, right now, it was the toughest thing for a girl of her age to be experiencing.

- - -

➳ WHEN Lydia finally returned with Henry and the girls, Daryl and I were the ones to escort her back to her mother. Although we didn't want to hand her back to her abusive mother on a silver platter, we had to — especially because we needed Alden and Luke back alive and well.

The gate opened, and Alpha stepped forward, wanting to claim what was hers. The skinheads holding our friends captive also stepped forward with them in hand, ready to exchange our people.

Without speaking, Alpha started to show real emotion — I believed for a moment — and Daryl let Lydia go, who walked right down to her mother. Alpha nodded, and the skinheads finally released our friends but kept the cloths in their mouths and wrists bind behind them.

They ran up to everyone standing at the opened gate, ready to get loose, while Daryl and I remained down there with Alpha. Lydia cautiously approached her mother, appearing how truly afraid she was of her.

"Sorry, Mom," Lydia apologized, breathing this out. "Thanks for comin' to get me."

I gulped when waiting on Alpha's next move. Would she embrace her daughter or say nothing at all, resulting in walking away? Daryl and I silently stood there, waiting on their next move.

Then, without warning, Alpha reached her right hand back and slapped Lydia viciously across the face. I didn't know what it was, but something snapped right inside of me, and I started to run towards Alpha. However, before I could even make a single step, Daryl was there to hold me back.

"No," I grumbled under my breath, trying to fight out of his grip. "No, let me go!"

Maybe it was the motherly instinct kicking in or the abused child who was still trapped inside of me. Either way, I was livid.

Alpha pulled Lydia into her and quietly addressed in her ear, "You call me Alpha, like all the rest."

She let go of her from their pitiful moment of whatever the hell that was, and Lydia glanced up at her mother through her messy hair. "Yes, Alpha."

Fuck this, man.

Nevertheless, Alpha smiled at us before taking her daughter and leaving with the rest of her crew. Daryl remained to hold me back until they were well out of sight, fearing that I had more ammunition to use against them.

- - -

➳ LATER on that night, I lied in bed — which used to belong to my brother. I focused on the ceiling above me and remained quiet.

Tara Rose slept next to me, rolled up in the sheets, and slept peacefully. I sat up and switched on the light beside the bed and glanced over my shoulder at her. I was thankful she could sleep, unlike myself. Mollie was in the next room, in her own bed, and probably crying herself to sleep.

Meanwhile, I stood up and placed my bare feet on the somewhat cold floor underneath me. I walked over to the backpack, which I had brought with us when we came here the first time.

[ Insert the song "3 Rounds And A Sound" by Blind Pilot here ]

I opened the backpack and reached inside, finding what I was looking for and pulling it out. It was somewhat heavy, but it was totally worth bringing it everywhere with me.

I walked back over to my bed and sighed, noticing the dust on top of my memory box. I swept it off, but it wasn't enough, so I had to blow on it, and it finally came off. I smirked and opened the box up, noticing all the little things I had inside.

I reached inside and went through the things until I noticed the rusty envelope at the bottom of the box. I grabbed ahold of it and brought it out, analyzing the outside of it, with my name printed on the front.

I dusted it off and turned it over to the back, picking up the flap and taking the paper inside out. It was still folded up and in somewhat perfect condition, considering how long it has been since it has been written on.

Unfolding the letter, I opened it up and reread each and every word on the paper. I could almost remember his voice, trying to imagine him saying these words to me; as if he were standing right here in front of me.

I was trying so hard to remember his voice, but it was starting to fade, and it hurt so much. Then, right when I got to the end of the letter, I read it and heard him say in my mind, "I love you, Big Sis."

The corners of my mouth widened, and I found myself actually smiling, hearing his voice for the first time in a very long time. He was still here, always with me, just like he promised.

I gently shoved the letter into my chest and held it there with me for another moment longer, feeling it to be close to my heart. I still remember his voice, and I was beyond happy about it. He was still here, though, this is for sure.