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six . . . unchangeable actions ( october 27, 2149 — mount weather )
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"MONTY'S BEEN MISSING for two days. Harper longer than that." Jasper spoke gravely, his voice tearing at his throat like shards of glass to skin. Maya sat beside him, Cullen in front of them after they had just finished breakfast — not that any of them ate anything. The news of Monty's disappearance two days ago had knocked Cullen sick, the only thing she was able to consume being water.
Jasper's hands were shaking on the table top, urging for Cullen to reach across and take them in her own. She wanted nothing but to offer the boy comfort at such a devastating time, but she couldn't find it in herself to move. Her hands stayed frozen on the grip they had around her water glass, forest eyes watching the water ripple whenever Jasper's twitching limbs knocked the table.
The shaking in his hands stopped as he looked temperamentally across to the girl. "We all know where they are." Said Jasper, referring to the Harvest Chamber on level three.
"I checked the Harvest Chamber last night."
"So check it again." Jasper enforced, voice slightly raising and calling for nearby residents to look to the trio. The boy shrunk down in his chair, as Cullen's grip around her water glass tightened. She hadn't uttered a word since her and Maya had joined Jasper, because she didn't know what to say. She hadn't a clue what words would help Jasper in a situation like the one they were in — comforting people was never her specialty, Cullen had come to realize. Her best bet was to stay quiet until spoken to, so that she didn't give Jasper false hope that they could find Monty, because she truly didn't know if they would. "They took my best friend. What would you do if it was Cullen they had taken?"
Not even the mention of her name could draw her attention away from the water. She didn't want to dispute with Jasper on this — she couldn't help him, no matter how much she wanted to. Cullen was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, because there was nothing she could do to stop Jasper feeling this way. She wanted to reverse what her people were doing. She wanted the delinquents out of the mountain, because she knew that no matter how dangerous the ground was, it was safer for them all there. But her wants weren't going to be answered by anybody.
