LOGINShare
Prologue
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Prologue
~ Lexa ~
It was a normal day. My mom was working downstairs, and I was upstairs in S’s room. We were playing with dolls like we did every day. S always had the best dolls. She was rich, and my mother and I, well we lived in a shack in the woods. So, needless to say, I enjoyed coming with her to work every day. And like any big moment about to happen, there was no way to know what would come next. So, when the sirens went off, I grabbed S’s hand and we ran down the stairs together. It wasn’t till we reached the bottom, did some grab me, yanking me away from S.
“She should die with her mother!” I heard someone yell, along with a chorus of agreements as they pushed me around a crowd that scared me.
“She’s just a child!” I heard my mother yell from somewhere, but there were so many people around, my eyes couldn’t find her.
“Mom?” I called out in panic as they drug me away. “Mom? What’s happening? Where are you?!”
It wasn’t until I was thrown into a cell in the deepest of basements that my mom and I were reunited.
I hugged her so tight, and I didn’t even realize it would be the last time I ever got to.
“Listen, honey, we don’t have a lot of time. But I need you to be a big girl. Don’t be afraid, okay?” There was panic in her voice, but she tried to keep it out.
“What’s happening, Mom?” I tried to be the big girl. I tried to push away the feelings.
“It’s okay, Lexa. I just need you to remember a few things. First, you need to get a message to the others. Tell them what’s happened, and that they are all in jeopardy. Pack a bag and go with them. Don’t go with a single person from here. Not even Aspen.”
“But why?” I asked, I felt like I was going to cry.
“They will take away everything you are, baby, so promise me, you will not go with anyone from here.”
“I promise.”
The next thing I knew, I was standing there in the cold as the rain poured down surrounded by the people of our country. The Averages were all standing on my side, behind me. The Royals and government officials were all on the other. And on a small platform in front of everyone, my mom was standing, looking fearless. She told me not to be afraid, but I was. She was about to die. And I was about to watch.
Trying to calm myself down, I looked to my right. There was S. My best friend. Standing under her fancy umbrella in her fancy clothes. She was with her family. The family that was killing my mother. The family that was betraying me.
I was ready to run now, and never look back, but something held me in my place. Stuck. Still, except for a single tear falling down my face as they pulled the lever.
Then I ran like hell, and tried to never look back.
Now, I was back, sneaking in the broad daylight. If anyone caught me, I was dead. But the risk was one I needed to take. As much as I hated it, I needed help. And there was only one person who I thought might be the answer. And hopefully, it wouldn’t end in my death.
Related chapters
In Between Lies Chapter One: Aspen
Chapter One~ Aspen ~“Are you ready?”It was an easy question, but one I didn’t know the answer to. Was I ready now? No, not really. Would I ever be? I didn’t know. All I knew was that being honest wasn’t an option. Not being prepared was even less acceptable.“Yeah, dad.” I let a small sigh slip. “I’m ready.”He nodded in approval and squared his shoulders. He was shutting off any last glimmering speck of humanity inside himself before walking through those doors. Did I need to do the same? Could I? They were still people, even if they were sick. He was always so cold when talking about them. I thought maybe they could use some ge
In Between Lies Chapter Two: Lexa
Chapter Two: ~ Lexa ~ “Mom? You’re not trying to cook again, are you?” I heard a familiar voice call out, as I spun a steak knife in and out of my own fingers. It wasn’t as balanced as one of my throwing knives, but still, it felt comfortable to be spinning. As comfortable as one could be when they were at death’s doorstep. “What the hell do you want?” S exclaimed in surprise and horror, sizing me up. I smiled, slightly. “Good to see you, S. It’s been a long time.” People always told me I was too good at my job. I was too good at being cold. Too good at being friendly. Too good at being whatever it was I needed to be. But no one really understood that this was how we survive. The
In Between Lies Chapter Three: Aspen
Chapter Three~ Aspen ~I stood there, stuck in my spot as I heard the back door slam behind her. I simply couldn’t move as I processed our heated conversation. Where the hell did she even come from? I wish she could see that there was nothing to worry about. If her friend was in our hands, he was on the right track. Soon, he would be cured and could move on with his life. He would be better for it. Still the panicked, desperate look in her eyes had me on edge.If she had come all this way, after so long, just to ask for my help when she knew she wasn’t going to get it, she had to be out of options. I was shocked enough from seeing her after so long, but to hear that she has such a negative impression of my family, of me
In Between Lies Chapter Four: Lexa
Chapter Four ~ Lexa ~ We sat around our little unsteady table, laughing like we did most nights. There was barely enough food to fend off our hunger, and what we could save, we had to; winter was coming. Sooner or later food would become even scarcer. It wasn’t like we had any money to just go to the market, like the people who lived outside our woods. It wasn’t like we could get jobs. Not in this country. We were all wanted. Every single one of us within these woods. We all had escaped prosecution. We all had a kill order on us. But we chose to live our lives unafraid. Me, Jaxon, Grey, and Will had all made the decision a long time ago that we were our people’s first defense. Many of the people we were protecting were grown-ups. But they were scared, so they let kids take over. Grey’s little
In Between Lies Chapter Five: Aspen
Chapter Five ~ Aspen ~ I was completely exhausted, practically falling over where I stood. It had taken way longer to find the shack Will mentioned than I thought it would. At this point, the sun was long gone. And I was in deep trouble. I’d told dad I would return his key card in only a few minutes, and now it had been hours. I didn’t know if he’d be worried, or angry, or both. Either way, I didn’t plan on seeing him any time soon to find out. “What do you mean you know where he is?” The guy to my left, the one who’d rudely pointed a weapon at me upon opening the door, asked with an edge. I rubbed my arm where he’d held it moments before. I didn’t blame them for being hostile. I was actually quite shocked at E’s kindness aft
In Between Lies Chapter Six: Lexa
Chapter Six ~ Lexa ~ “You’re being soft.” Grey growled at me. “I’m being human.” I answered, trying to think of what our plan could be. “Lexa, you won’t let them hurt her, right?” Gracie asked, moving from her hiding spot. “Gracelyn, you aren’t supposed to get up until we say it’s safe.” Grey reprimanded, sounding so fierce the little girl practically dropped back into the hole. “It is safe, Grey.” I told them tiredly. This day had
In Between Lies Chapter Seven: Aspen
Chapter Seven ~ Aspen ~ That night, I got the worst sleep of my life. Shortly after E declared her brilliant plan, she went out to check that everything was okay around the site. That left me alone with Grey and, although I was exhausted, I didn’t feel comfortable letting my guard down around him. He was really intense and kind of scary, honestly. She got back soon enough, and I passed out on that dingy couch that had probably come from someone’s trash. Now, I was upright on that same couch, rubbing at the tight muscles in my neck. And, sadly, listening to a shack full of people bickering. “That will never work.” Jax sighed frustratedly, saying the same thing he’d been repeat
In Between Lies Chapter Eight: Lexa
Chapter Eight :~ Lexa ~I didn’t slow down. I honestly didn’t know how. If Will had been there, he would have forced us all to slow down. He would have said it didn’t matter if we’re all dead. But the thing was, he was the one who was captured, he was the one who was going to be dead if we didn’t do something and fast. Ironic as it was, I pushed myself to fly even faster through the forest.I had covered those paths a million times. Most of the time without any shoes. I knew my way. But for some reason, I had a bad feeling today. The energy of the forest was off. There was something bad in the air. What it was yet though, I couldn’t tell.“Lexa!” Someone yelled.
Latest chapter
In Between Lies Chapter Forty-One: Aspen
Chapter Forty-One ~ Aspen ~ Jax and I moved quickly through the dense crowd. We hadn’t talked much on the way here. There was just too much at stake. It was a lot to take in, and neither of us really knew how to handle it. I’d gone into autopilot mode, and I wasn’t planning on turning it off until all of us were safe and this was all over. It’s how I’d survived this long, and I could only hope that it would get me through this too. The market was packed. It was both relieving and incredibly strange to be surrounded by technology again. And modern clothes. I had forgotten how behind E and the guys were. Jax suddenly placed a hand against my bicep, and I stopped walking. “That’s her.” He gestured to a woman leaning casually against a fresh produce stand, and I moved toward her without hesitation. This conversation needed to happen as quickly as possible. There was no telling when the attack would arrive. They could already be there. “Excuse me?” I tried to keep the urgency ou
In Between Lies Chapter Forty: Lexa
Chapter Forty~ Lexa ~I spoke quickly even though I had gone over the plan with S and Jax a thousand times. “You need to try and get into the labs. Show where we were kept. The battle will be one thing but show how they treated us. Why we ran is just as important if not more. Are you sure you don’t need me to go?” “Yes,” S sighed as she packed her backpack with extra rations and clothes. “Do you even know how to work a camera, E?” I sighed too. “No.” I replied. “I’ve never seen one. Except for in the lab.” “You can’t run from this, E. Besides, your ability to manipulate energy will be put to use way better here.” She tried to comfort me. “I really don’t want to stay here,” I confided. “S, your dad already is trying to kill you. We were both in the city just the other day. What if going back is a trap?” “It was your idea, E,” She reminded me. “You said we need exposure. This is how we do it. And you being flippy floppy on the whole thing is just annoying me.”I hated when my own
In Between Lies Chapter Thirty-Nine: Aspen
Chapter Thirty-Nine~ Aspen ~Will looked like he was about to throw up. He turned to go after her, but I moved to catch his arm. “Just leave it for now.” I urged, and he plopped back down onto his chair in defeat. I honestly didn’t know what to make of that situation. If he really did sleep with her and someone else right after, she had every right to be mad. I chewed on my bottom lip as I recalled mine and Grey’s night together just a few hours ago. Yeah, if he did that with anyone else, he’d be dead. I cleared my throat in the hopes of cutting some of the tension. “Well, uh. I have a plan and it might be really stupid.” Three sets of eyes looked at me expectantly and I sighed. “First things first, there’s something you all need to know.” I let my attention land on Grey and prepared myself for anything. I had no idea how he was going to react to the news. We’d never talked about his family. I wasn’t sure if he even knew his mom was
In Between Lies Chapter Thirty-Eight: Lexa
Chapter Thirty-Eight~ Lexa ~S stormed out but the rest of the gang moved out a little slower. Grey ran out after S, but not before shooting me a glare. And Jax came over and kissed my forehead and muttered something about he was glad I was home. And Will tried to move closer and cuddle, but I told him that he was the last person I wanted to see right now. He kept asking what happened, what happened, and I couldn’t tell him. He didn’t know what he did. But I did. I did. And I was never going to forgive him. So, after everyone finally left my room, I found myself sitting in the lobby on the windowsill, taking first watch like I had done every night before I had left. I was exhausted. But I needed a plan to present to everyone with the information I had. Should we stay and defend our fortress? Or should we flee? How could we win this war? I had been fighting it my whole life, and I was no closer than when I started. It was well after 3 am when Grey finally stumbled out into the lobby
In Between Lies Chapter Thirty-Seven: Aspen
Chapter Thirty-Seven~ Aspen ~ I cast E a relieved smile. Confusion shot through me at the sight of her out this far, but seeing a familiar face was more comforting than anything. She knocked dad’s men off their feet and caught up to me quickly. I twisted to get a look behind us and winced. An endless stream of men were coming from seemingly nowhere. E swiped a hand in the air and some kind of shockwave moved through the grassy field around us. With that, everyone following us shot backwards as if pulled by an invisible rope. “Over here.” She called, suddenly veering to the right. I followed suit immediately, trusting where she was leading me. We ducked into the tree line and continued running at full speed. “I’m sorry.” She huffed from beside me. “Not now.” I grunted in return. It wasn’t the right time to have that discussion. For one, we were running for our lives. And two, I was nowhere near ready to forgive her. Or anyone else, for that matter. I could be stubborn to a f
In Between Lies Chapter Thirty-Six: Lexa
Chapter Thirty-six~ Lexa ~I was breathing hard. There was little to no room to go. A stranger was not welcome at the market and I was worse than a stranger. I was a traitor. A no good. A nobody. Nothing was worse than a girl stuck in a cage. But I had much to learn here in the city. Despite how hard everyone tried to keep to themselves, they were all gossips. Harry was getting married this weekend to a girl his mother hated. The poor girl was as nervous as a cat in a thunderstorm. Then there was Jem who was cheating on his girl with Olivia. And the Harrison’s were in the middle of a nasty divorce. But beneath the shallowness there were secrets. And plans that no one was too keen on keeping a secret. But yet they were life changing. And they had to do with my people. “Did you hear Lisa Harris’ daughter is now under investigation?”“Wow, that's really young to be found with the sickness. She’s what? 3?”“It’s disturbing.” “Did you hear about the Carter’s son? They’ve been looking f
In Between Lies Chapter Thirty-Five: Aspen
Chapter Thirty-Five ~ Aspen ~ I woke with a start, bolting upright as my heartbeat painfully in my chest. I assessed my surroundings quickly and tried to slow my breathing. I was safe. I was laying on the disgusting forest floor, covered in freezing mud, but I was safe. I’d been walking for I don’t even know how many days at this point. I needed to find a permanent place to rest, and fast. I’d eaten nearly all of the food I packed, so I wouldn’t last much longer in the elements. Winter was closing in and fast. The temperature was dropping significantly each day. My head twisted to the side painfully fast at the sound of leaves crunching behind me. I was currently sitting with my back up against a tree, and whatever had made the sound was on the other side of it. My heartrate picked up again as I pulled myself up onto my feet and held my breath. I squeezed my eyes shut in an effort to gain some courage before peering around the tree. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that it h
In Between Lies Chapter Thirty-Four: Lexa
Chapter Thirty-Four~ Lexa ~I immediately felt guilty as S ran out of the room, but I was mad. She could have gotten herself hurt. It would not have been hard to tell one of us she could fix it. She’s the one who just a single night before had lectured me on needing to work as a team. Whatever this was, it was not my fault. “Now you’ve done it,” Grey snapped as he exited the room, but I didn’t move. I was still fuming. “Breathe, Lex,” Will whispered in my ear. I shot him a deadly glare. How dare he tell me to breathe? She could have endangered everyone. “How is this different?” Will prodded. He knew he was in dangerous territory with that question, I could tell by his face, but what he meant, I had no idea. “What?” I snapped. I could hear the anger in my voice. “How is what she did any different than what you do every day?” “That is not a fair question, William.” I replied coldly. “Why not?” He questioned, his voice calm with just a smidge of an edge. “You make risky choice
In Between Lies Chapter Thirty-Three: Aspen
Chapter Thirty-Three ~ Aspen ~ I let out a harsh breath as I recoiled back. The hit to my ribs caused a sharp pain to vibrate through my sides and down my spine. I gasped for air and placed a gloved hand against the tender spot. “Geez, chill out.” “Do you think your enemy is going to chill out?” Grey rolled his eyes and lifted his hands back into fighting position. “What does that even mean?” I rolled my eyes right back and tried to catch my breath. We’d been training for at least an hour now and I was exhausted. He wasn’t taking it easy on me, which I guess is better in the long run, but damn was it tiring. And painful. I knew he wasn’t hitting me nearly as hard as he could, but I would still have bruises after this. I took a step forward and tried to land a hit but, of course, he dodged it. He caught my wrist easily and jerked me forward. I lost my footing and slammed into his chest so harshly it knocked the air from my lungs. I placed my free hand against him and tried
