The Girl From The Right Arm

Chapter 7

"Aria! Wake up," someone whispered in her ear.

The girl just growled in disagreement and opened her eyes a crack. "Vince?" she asked tiredly.

"Yeah, it's me. Now come on," he said annoyed as she threw herself back into her sleeping bag.

"We can do that later, too," she whispered and closed her eyes.

"Aria! We have to give the children complete security so that none of the kids have to suffer again. We also have to pack up and travel on.", He said annoyed and pulled on her sleeping bag.

"I'm already awake, Vince." the girl said annoyed and got up.

As always, she had slept outside in the open air. She found it nice to fall asleep under the starry sky and to wake up again when the sun came up. It had a calming effect on her. The girl sat up and tiredly ran her face. Yawning, she got up and pulled a shirt over her sports bra, which she always wore at night. Her black pants were comfortable so she wore them at night. Vince was already standing impatiently next to her and waiting for her.

"Finally," he sighed as she walked over to him. He led her directly to Jonas. Where they always discussed everything.

"Good morning, Jonas." she trilled happily when she got into the tent. But not only was Jonas standing there, but Harriet and Sonya as well. Which surprised Aria. Usually Vince didn't take newcomers to Jonas although they have been with them for more than a week.

"Morning." she nodded to both of them. Sonya hugged her while Harriet just smiled at Aria.

"Morning, sunshine.", Jonas answered and looked up briefly. Then he turned to the radio. She took the map and spread it out on the improvised table.

"We're here," she pointed to the map, "and we have to go there. It's two days by car. If we're fast, only one and a half."

"Which way do you suggest Aria?" Asked Vince. She looked at him confused. "You know the scorch better than anyone else here. You know every city, every ruin, every crank hiding place, probably even every grain of sand.", He laughed.

"How funny, Vince." Aria looked at him annoyed.

"Which way do you suggest then?"

"What do you want? A safe way or a fast way?" she asked as a counter-question.

"Safe way. How long would it take?" He replied.

"Three days. It's a detour and we would bypass all the crank hiding spots. But there would still be the risk that cranks have settled along the path. Besides, if we were out there for three days without enough water, most of them would be dehydrated." she sighed and looked at Vince.

"And the other way?", He sighed and looked at her waiting.

"If we were fast it would only take 24 hours or less. We would have to go through one of the broken cities. If we drive at night, we would drive through there during the day. Otherwise the other way around.", Aria explained.

"Then I would say that we are leaving tonight and going to the safe haven in the hiding place tomorrow evening," said Vince.

"Sure. I'll let Michael know." she nodded and was just about to leave when Vince held her back. "Sonya and Harriet will help you. Show them everything they need to know. Got it?"

"Got it, Vince." she nodded and turned to the two girls who had followed the conversation with interest the whole time.

"I'm counting on you, Aria.", Vince smiled and left the tent.

"On the way to the hospital tent again?" Giggled Jonas.

"Jonas, where else should he go? He has to have his invisible wounds bandaged." Aria laughed. Jonas laughed and gave me a high five, while Vince just grumbled and disappeared.

She gave a short giggle. "Come with me, girls," she said then. Aria waved briefly to Jonas and disappeared from the tent. Sonya and Harriet followed her.

"Why does Vince go into the hospital tent if he's not wounded?" Asked Sonya curiously.

Aria turned to her and looked at her conspiratorially: "Mary."

"He's in love with her?" Interfered Harriet.

"Yeah. But Mary doesn't want to see that and thinks he's only coming to help her. He just wants to be with her." she giggled.

"Sweet.", Sonya commented with a smile.

"Believe me, after three years it's everything but not sweet. It's sometimes quite annoying when you ask Mary about it and she denies everything. There are even bets as to when Mary will finally see it or Vince will tell her that he loves her." Aria smiled.

"How long has the right arm existed?" Asked Harriet curiously.

"Actually since WICKED started tearing families apart. But nobody really intervened. But the way it is now, only since Mary joined us. She used to work at WICKED and kept giving us some information until she finally got out and joined the right arm.", the girl said.

"And how long has she been here?" Asked Sonya.

"Since I've been here. She gave information to the right arm for two years, but she didn't run away until two years later. So nine years ago," she shrugged.

"How many are you?" Asked Sonya and caught up so that she was walking next to Aria.

"I don't know exactly. Never counted. But there are around ten people in the safe haven to receive the children and explore the country and build huts. Here we are about twenty so that we are not easily spotted. And then in many cities. Especially in the last city, most of them are there to watch what WICKED is doing.", Aria smiled.

"Why are you doing all this for us? I mean you sacrifice your life every day by rebelling against WICKED and freeing children. Why?" Asked Harriet, looking at Aria waiting. She stopped and looked at the floor.

"I think everyone has their own reasons for doing this," She looked up again and looked into Sonya's worried look.

"And you? What are you doing here?" Sonya asked.

"I lost my family to WICKED. Sometimes I think I'm doing it out of revenge. But actually I'm only doing it to see him again." Aria sighed softly.

"Do you mean the boy you talked to Adam about in the car when you set us free?" Asked Harriet, "Don't look at me like that, Aria. I just closed my eyes, didn't know that you were talking about such private things."

The girl sighed. "That's none of your business," she hissed and kept walking.

"Well done, Harriet. Now you've pissed her off." Aria heard Sonya talking to her friend.

"Should I go on alone or are you coming?" Aria called to the back.

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