Snippet #1619885

[One Week later]

Ali hadn't slept all night. The few times that week when she had managed to fall asleep, mostly due to exhaustion, she had been haunted by nightmares. She had gone to the desert a couple of times, mostly to see if Jake had gone by. Strange as it may be, she didn't think anyone else would understand how bad this was for her. It didn't really matter, no one had heard from him there. She had overheard one of the guards, Eddie, telling Sean that he had seen Jake at the memorial.
Anyone labeled as a traitor, as Jake was, was to be killed on sight, but the man said he just didn't have the courage to kill Jake in that moment. In the man's own words, he was 'on his hands and knees, sobbing'. Even so, Sean had warned the guards that if Jake was seen around camp again, he should be eliminated. Even if Crys had spared his life, he should know better than to come back. That's just asking to be killed.

Lying in her bed, she could hear the sounds of people leaving their houses and of the guards switching shifts. The day was starting and she had just struggled with sleep all night. "Fuck it." She muttered, sitting up and getting ready to leave as well. If it wasn't for the fact that Instructors were the highest ranked assassins aside from the leaders, which meant they had the authority to issue order to actives and punish those who disobeyed the leaders' commands, and the fact that it was such a critical moment for the Pack, she would have considered asking Evin to let her leave. Or just... Leave without a word. Even though the urge to just drop everything and run was still there, Ali had done a pretty decent job of suppressing it and making herself useful.

As she finally left the cabin she could feel eyes turning her way and shook her head. The past few days she had been a little intolerant with people, so she assumed they were waiting for her to snap again for whatever reason. Surely, a reason would present itself sooner or later, for now... She was just going to get some breakfast and go on with her duties as usual.

Entering the dining area, more stares. She ignored them and sat at a corner with a bowl of something that looked like porridge and didn't really taste like anything she could recognize. She just ate it for the sake of not starving and washed it down with water. Suddenly a almost whispering voice came to her ears. "Hey."
Ali looked up from the, now empty, bowl to face Sean. "Hey. Need anything?"
"Yes, and no." He shrugged. "I don't know, you looked a little... Lonesome, sitting in the corner." He stated. "I do have something to ask you though."
"What?" She asked, not really wanting to talk.
"Hum... Well... Did you go through Crystal's things Ali?"
"Why do you ask?"
Sean chuckled. "Look, it's fine if you have, I just need to know if it was you."
"Yes I took some things." Ali answered. "Personal things, nothing really too important."
Sean sighed. "Okay, well, that's all I needed to know." He said, standing up.
"I noticed, you haven't been sleeping there though."
"Can't leave my 13 year old siblings alone in the house, now can I?" He chuckled. "I don't think we would all fit in Crys' old room."
"Right.." Ali mumbled.
Sean nodded as he walked past. "Look, we all miss her, but we need to move on. Life doesn't stop when someone we care about dies."
Ali lowered her head and muttered. "Well, it sure as hell should."