Chapter Eleven

The next thing I remember after that is waking up in a tent. I realised I had been washed and medically attended to, as I was covered in bandages. I tried to sit up but found I couldn’t, because it was too painful. My whole body ached and I couldn’t move. I soon found I didn’t want to, as tears formed in my eyes as I remembered. Luke was gone. He was dead, gone; never to be seen again.

I couldn’t handle losing him. He was my best friend, my soul mate. Later that day a physician came to visit me. They told me I had been unconscious for a week, and that I was lucky to be alive. I didn’t feel lucky to be alive, and at that moment, I truly wished I was dead.

I stopped eating, or at very little for the next few days and I wouldn’t talk to anyone, not even Ryan who came to visit me every day. He seemed to understand why I wasn’t talking and didn’t try to push me. Instead he told me everything I had missed, and told me we were going to go join another battalion in a few days, as we were now down he numbers of men. I felt tears form in my eyes knowing most the men I’ve spent the last year fighting beside, are now gone.

“Charlie,” Ryan started four days after I had woken up.

“Don’t.” I said and he looked surprised, as that was the first word I had spoken in four days.

“What?” Ryan asked worriedly. “Charlie, what is it?”

I felt a fresh stab of pain at hearing the nickname Luke had given me. “Don’t call me Charlie.” I said looking at him through blurry eyes. “MY name is Charlotte.”

And from that day forth I was Charlotte. I tried to act more like a lady, and I wanted to leave the army, go home…not that that place was home anymore. The only place I had truly thought of home was with the soldiers I loved, my companions. Now there were only a handful of us left, and we were put with another group of soldiers. I was now surrounded by strangers. They didn’t like me so much. For a few reasons, first I was female and not only that but a noble female. Secondly, everyone had believed in my bad luck magic, but it had failed them that night Luke died, so nobody believed me anymore. They were suspicious of me. I guess the fact that I didn’t talk much anymore didn’t help me make any new friends.

I still didn’t know why my magic failed me that night. It had never failed me so much as it did that night. And I hated myself for it. If I hadn’t failed Luke wouldn’t have died. He’d still be alive now, and I wouldn’t have lost half my soul.

“How does this lead to your death?” Juna asked. ‘Does your magic fail you once more?”

“No.” Charlotte replied, then looked up. “Don’t worry, I die soon. In the story, that is.”