Chapter Eleven ~ Aspen ~   I stared straight ahead, unmoving. It was all I could do. It was all I’d been doing for hours now. My head was swimming with so many thoughts that it all jumbled together into indistinguishable white noise. A fresh supply of tears filled my eyes, but I blinked them away. I could practically still feel dad’s hand on my shoulder, squeezing firmly.  “You’ve made me proud, Aspen.” He’d said. “She’s getting the help she needs.” It was all just so....there wasn’t even a word for it. At this point, I was mostly mad at myself for being naive for so long. This had all been happening the whole time, and I genuinely thought we were curing people. Or at least trying. It turns out I was very, very wrong. And stupid. 

  Chapter Thirteen ~ Aspen ~   I marched into the room, practically seeing red. I don’t remember feeling this angry, ever. Five hours. I had been locked in that disgusting place for five fucking hours. I was proud of myself for finally getting out, yes, but my rage was much stronger. I didn’t stop until I was face to face with my father, the man I’d watched go crazy in front of my eyes. Or, rather, the man I watched finally unleash his crazy in front of me.  “That’s my girl.” He leaned back in his wheeled office chair, hands clasped against his stomach, a proud smirk on his face. I wanted nothing more than to punch that smirk right off. My hands clenched into tight fists. A girl can dream.

Chapter Fifteen ~ Aspen ~   My body was stiff, each step taking more effort than the last. We were almost at the tree line now. The journey to get here had been rough due to the stubborn guy at my side. “Can you please just cooperate?” I gasped out, giving Will a pointed look.  It was weird seeing him outside that cell. Good, but weird. He was a real person now, not just a caged stranger I’d been keeping alive for a few weeks. He seemed to be doing better somehow, with more energy than I’d ever seen.  “Not a chance.” He quipped back

Chapter Seventeen ~ Aspen ~   I moved through the trees slowly, counting my steps as I went. I had never taken the time to look around during my trips to see everyone underground. The forest was truly beautiful in its own way. Some kind of animal ran into my path, and I jumped back. I watched it run away, wishing I was free enough to do the same.  There were so many things holding me back. My obligations to dad, to E, to practically the whole world were beginning to weigh on me. I felt as if the fate of all the sick was in my hands. Technically, it might be. I played with the half full syringe as I approached the hole I’d gone down several times too many already.  I’d made a silent promise to bring the serum to Jax. I knew it was impor

Chapter Nineteen~ Aspen ~  I woke to the sound of laughter. The muscles in my neck protested as I stretched away the sleep. Surprisingly, it’d been the best night’s rest I’d gotten in a while. I blinked a few times to clear my eyes and sat up. The sleeping bag around me pooled at my waist before I slid my legs free. I made my way toward the entrance of my tent, which was actually Grey’s tent, and peaked my head out. I stopped to watch the source of the happy sounds, a small smile pulling at my lips.  Gracie was playing with two young boys. They were running around, trying to catch each other but mostly just falling over in fits of giggles. Seeing them so carefree reminded me of why E wa