ONE | The Attack

XAVIA

It was a few minutes to seven when I woke up. I had less than an hour to prepare for school, so I rush into the bathroom to take my bath.

"Xavia!" my mom called and I popped my head out of the bathroom, wiping the water from my face.

"Don't tell me you are just taking your bath? Do you know what the time is?"

"I am so sorry, mom. I will be out soon"

"Your breakfast is on the table. I am leaving for work"

I nodded. "Bye mom"

I returned to the bathroom and quickly took my bath. I got dressed in my uniform and headed to the dining room to eat. Alaila walked in with her bag clutched to her back.

"You are just eating?"

I rolled my eyes. "Come join me"

She sat down beside me. "I already ate. You should eat fast. We don't have much time left". I nodded, filling my mouth with some bacon. "Easy". She chuckled. We suddenly heard gunshots and the spoon in my hand fell. Alaila stared at me, her hand shaking vigorously.

"T-they are not here to attack us again. A-are they?"

I blinked. I could not tell her if it was an attack or not. This wasn't the first attack we had. Just a few days ago, they had come to take a few of our people away.

"What is going on?" I wondered.

I stood up from the chair and walked to the window. Outside was already filled with smoke and I could hardly see what was happening. I blinked. There had not been great smoke like this, since they have been coming. Alaila ran towards me and peeped out of the window. She moved backward and fall to the ground, weeping.

"My mom, my dad, my brother" she wept bitterly.

Hearing her say those words, I couldn't stop myself from crying too. My mom had gone to work too. We suddenly heard a bang at the door and Alaila held my skirt.

"T-they are not here to take us, are they?". I was shivering vigorously to answer her. "X-Xavia?" she cooed. "T-they...". She stared at me in tears. "D-do you think they will kill us?"

I could not console her because I was in fear too. Fear that if we are to get caught, we could either get killed or sold into slavery. I blinked quickly and told myself to be brave. I bend and held Alaila's hand.

"We have to run, ok?" I told her but she shook her head.

"W-we can't... I-i can't... W-what if we get caught? What if we are killed? W-what if our families are dead?"

I shook her vigorously. "Alaila! You have to put yourself together. If we don't leave now, we might not be able to find our family". She stared at me and I nodded. "It won't be long before they get to this place. Please, let's run to a safe place"

She stood up, holding my hand. I took her to my room and opened up the door that lead outside. I had checked through the window to be sure there was nobody outside before opening the door.

"Let go," I told her and we ran out.

We ran as fast as we could, hiding behind anything we see. We were a few meters away from leaving our town when Alaila fell and she screamed so hard. I ran back to her and noticed she had wounded herself.

"I-i am hurt. I-i don't think I can keep going. Y-you should leave"

I pulled her up. "We are leaving together"

"What if we get caught?"

"I won't let that happen". I wrapped my hand firmly around her neck and held her by her waist. "Just follow my lead"

Alaila's injury slowed us down and she insisted that I leave her alone and run away but I was adamant to go with her.

"I can't leave you" I kept telling her.

"Xavia, please leave" she cried. "I won't forgive myself if you get caught"

"I am not leaving"

Alaila pulled herself away from me. "Leave, Xavia. Please leave". I wept. I could not imagine leaving her alone. "Please go". She pushed me forward. "I won't resent you, Xavia. You have tried your best to save me"

"I-i can't..."

She picked up a sharp object lying on the floor. "If-if you don't go, I will kill myself"

She had a serious look on and I knew immediately that she meant what she said.

"Then can I hug you?". She nodded and I pulled her into a hug. "I will find a way to save you, I promise"

Alaila waved at me, as I run away. I was just a few distances away from her when I heard her shout. I turned to realize she had been captured. She stared at me in tears, gesturing to me to run away as they were already coming. I turned and took a few steps forward. I stopped moving and shook my head.

I-i can't let them take her. I can't let them take just her. I will not forgive myself if she is taken away. Alaila has been the only friend I have. She is also like a family to me. After my dad died, I was left with just my mom and Alaila. A lot of people blamed me for my father's death and stopped their children from being friends with me. But despite all the warnings from Alaila's mother to stay away from me, she kept our friendship.

How will I face her mother? To tell her Alaila was taken while she was with me? What if it takes longer than I had expected to save her? What if she dies before I was able to find her? Will I be able to forgive myself?

I sucked in some air. "I-i am sorry, mother" I muttered and ran back to meet her.

**

They made us sit on the floor while they wait for the rest to be brought in. Alaila would not stop crying and I could tell she was in pain from the injury she had but she looked angrier than in pain.

"I-i am sorry" I muttered.

"Y-you should have run away! You should have left when I asked you. Why did you return? Why?"

I hugged her and wept. "I-i am sorry, Alaila. I just could not watch you being taken away while I run away"

She pulled away from the hug and stared at me. "Do you think I am happy you came back? What about your mom? Do you want her to be alone?"

"I could not imagine you being alone over there either. I can't watch you suffer"

She sighed. "I-i just wished you were safe and I..."

I placed my finger over her lips. "We are in this, together". I stared at her wound. "I should tell them to attend to this"

I made to stand up but she pulled me back. "What if they shoot you?"

I sighed and raised my hand. "You over there! Why is your hand up?". Alaila pulled my hand down but I raised my left hand. He walked closer to us. "What do you want?"

I pointed at Alaila's leg. "C-can my friend get some treatment? She won't be able to walk with this"

He stared at the wound for a while and then stared at me before gesturing to another man, who moved closer to us. He whispered some words to him. The other man moved closer to Alaila and pulled her up.

I held his hand. "Where are you taking her to?"

He stared at me in surprise, but conceal it quickly. "What are you doing?"

"W-where are you taking her to?"

"Do you not want your friend to get treated?"

"I-i want"

"Then where do you think I am taking her to?"

Alaila pulled my hand away from his. "I don't think he meant any harm"

I stared at her and she gave me an assuring smile. "C-can I go with her?". He stared at me. Alaila stared at me too. "I-i just want to be there with her. I promise I don't have any plan in mind"

Alaila gave him puppy eyes and he groaned. "I will let you go with her but if you try anything funny, I will not spare you"

I nodded. "I won't do anything funny"

"Follow me"

I held Alaila and followed the man. We were taken to a tent. There was a woman dressed in nurse's cloth.

"Take care of her" he pointed to Alaila.

"And she?" she pointed at me.

"She's her friend". The nurse smiled at me and I smiled back. "I will be outside waiting"

"Sit down, while I attend to her," the nurse said and I nodded.

I sat down on the available chair, tapping my foot slightly. I watched her attend to Alaila's wound.

"It's a minor wound. She will be fine" the nurse assured me. "I will give her some drugs to help her sleep". She gave Alaila some drugs and helped her settle into the bed. I watched Alaila sleep and I sighed. "The attack must have taken a toll on her," the nurse said.

I nodded. "Yes it has"

"You should get some rest too. I will talk to Jack. He will let you two rest here. We should not be leaving until next tomorrow"

"Are you human?" I asked when she made for the door.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes"

"Where you captured too?"

"No, I was born there and have been living with them since then"

"Are you..."

She placed her finger over her lips. "Shh". "Enough of the questions. You should get some rest"

I crawled into the space beside Alaila and lay down. The nurse left the tent and I closed my eyes, drifting into dreamland.

**

Alaila felt better after receiving treatment and I felt happy about it. I had worried she might not be able to walk though the injury doesn't look deep and serious. It was soon time for us to be taken away. I had tried to find my mom among those that had been captured but she wasn't there. Alaila's family was not with us too. I soon realized they had only taken young girls and wondered what they want to do with us.

"Do you think our family will find us?" Alaila asked me.

I placed my hand around her neck. "If our family doesn't find us. I will find a way of saving us"

She wept. "I miss them. I miss my mom, and my dad. Even my annoying brother"

I wiped off her tears. "I know they miss you too. I will make sure to keep you safe, ok?"

She nodded. "Ok"

A few men came to us and asked us to make a straight line. They tied us up in twos and asked us to follow them in a straight line. The journey was shorter than I had expected. We got there in less than six hours on foot. As we entered the gate, my jaw dropped. It was a place I had never thought I will be. The houses looked so beautiful they made me forget about my worries. I wasn't the only one who was taken aback by the beauty. I could hear them muttering some words in excitement.

"It-it's beautiful" Alaila whispered and I nodded with a smile.

Watching the beautiful houses slowed down our movement.

"Move!!!" a man yelled at us and we moved quickly.

We were directed to a place. It was a big room that looks like a hall.

"Sit" another man ordered.

We all sat down on the floor. "What are we going to do with them?"

"We will wait for the Alpha's order"

Alaila poked me. "What are they going to do to us?"

"I don't know" I whispered.

"The two of you should keep quiet" he pointed at Alaila and me.

"The Alpha is here," a man announced and I looked up.

A man walked in. He walked closer to us and his eyes landed on me. He stared at me and I could bet I saw a surprise look on his face.