"So, what's our first step?" Andriette said abruptly as she threw a pebble to the river. Her brown eyes looked back to Nyla, who was squinting under the blazing sun.

"Glad you asked," she approached the three, baggage and different kinds of tarp, wood, and makeshift bags under her arm. "We're heading out."

"Hold on, to where? Exactly?" Layana questioned, heart skipping a bit. 

"Away from here, I'll tell you when we get there." Nyla threw a bag at her. Layana caught the bag, but was thrown to the ground by its sheer weight.

"What about Cathy?" Mason asked.

Nyla fixed another bag and shoved it in Andriette's arms. She remained silent, a thoughtful look on her face. After a few silent seconds, she finally said, "no."

"What do you mean 'no'?" Layana nearly shouted, throwing the bag out of her face.

"No, meaning whatever you have in mind wouldn't work," Nyla shook her head from side to side, face still fixated in a calm small smile. 

The three, however, were petrified. Layana remained silent if not for the way her jaw tensed. Mason had his brows creased over sad eyes, and Andriette scoffed. They all had the same thoughts in their heads, though the person they thought was their ally didn't turn out to be a traitor, she did become a slowly rising problem for their plan. But even before the horrified troop managed to retort, Nyla had already beat them to it.

"I know you may not agree with my plans, but this is the only way. Don't you realize how hard it is to get out of that place?" Layana recoiled slightly as Nyla looked right at her eyes. She averted her gaze, scared she might see too much.

"We can't act without thinking, especially now. We'll have to get out of here and lead a full life outside," Nyla looked at Andriette, who was chewing her lip with much thought. Layana gave her a sideways glance, eyes wavering at the thought of Andriette giving in.

But Nyla wasn't done yet. "This is my promise. I promised I would save as much as I can for my father--who's gone now," this time, she looked closely at Mason. Layana's palms dripped, this woman has scarily good intuition.

But now she could see the two souls wavering. Nyla wasn't the only one good at reading people here. Though it didn't help her situation at all, she knew she's got them thinking more into her side now.

But Layana couldn't give up, not now when she's just starting to gather courage for Sally and Cathy. And just as she expected, Nyla's eyes focused on her unwavering ones. Layana stood her ground.

"And I know they mean a lot to you, but we're not even sure they're still alive. And if we go back to them, imagine what more lives we pay?" Her voice shook her to her core, and the soft smile on her face sharpened with shadows casted by the sun. Nyla was starting to look more sinister now, her face so close to Layana's she could feel her breath fanning against her cheek. Layana fought the urge to push her away, but something in her told her to submit, to just go with it. There was no way she could convince Nyla to change plans.

Oh, but she isn't the only one who can act here.

Layana let her eyes widen, letting the sun shine up her obsidian eyes. She looked directly at Nyla's eyes, understanding fairly evident. 'I get it now.' Nyla looked relieved, sighing and pulling away slightly. Layana smiled, Nyla smiled. Layana spoke in a soft tone, casting her eyes away. "You're right...maybe we were too naive."

Maybe they were more alike than they thought.

~~~

Layana didn't notice the coldness of the night before now. She shivered, hands rubbing up and down her arms. The calm moonlight broke through the forest canopy and spilled over her dark hair.

After they're little misunderstanding that day, the four decided to move the travels tomorrow, since the sun had started setting. That evening, they simply hung around the clearing. Layana, Mason and Andriette talked about their plans, and managed to solidify their decision on living their previous goal behind. Layana was outraged, she could see they, too, were conflicted. Sally was one of their family, Cathy was one of their family. Ian was.

But as Layana tried to decipher the mess in their eyes, she could still see the grief, the longing. So why are they giving up too quick? 'It's just more logical,' Andriette had reasoned. She didn't look at Layana's way when she spoke, and she kept her face away from the moon. 'I don't want to lose any more.' 

'What did Mason say?' Layana had asked, 'surely he can't just leave Sally and Cathy behind?'

'He was the one to convince me,' Andriette's voice was soft, whispery. She still didn't look her way, 'we're just hoping in Nyla now. What's done is done. He doesn't want to feel that fear again.' With that, Andriette's fading voice retreated back to the back of Layana's head, permanently branding itself into her being. 

Still, Layana was infuriated. She couldn't believe how...Layana stopped herself from saying more she'd regret. She didn't want to hate them, in fact, she wanted to hate herself. But she's trying her best, can't they see? I'm going to try my best, thought Layana at that moment by the river. You don't want any more gone? Then we'll save one more, and ask for help for the other. I don't care if it takes me more than I have, I'm not letting anyone leave me again. 

I won't lose anyone ever again. 

She faced the others with a sad smile, a lie fixated on the twinkle of her eyes. 

Though Layana was pretty sure they were suspicious by her uncharacteristic decision, she managed to make it seem that she was indeed in on leaving Sally and Cathy behind.

But more than that, it was a day spent planning and secretly gathering materials and tools. She had also contemplated on asking God for reassurance, but ended up not doing so anyway. She had brashly concluded that the Lord will be okay with what she's planning on doing, it is for the good after all.

She tightened her hold on the dagger with a large ruby on its hilt. It slid on her leggings' waistband, slightly poking her thigh. Layana awkwardly adjusted it so it wouldn't accidentally puncture her thigh and kill her.

She exhaled, looking up at the moon and said a silent prayer. With her heart leaping, she held her breath and started sneaking past sleeping Nyla under the tree.