The Union

by Leah Vernon

They were never going to let it go, never planned on sharing the wealth, as they say, so they had to be exterminated. Sometimes, you have to be just as treacherous, even more so to win the game.”

“The human mind is an interesting phenomenon. You can rewire and condition it however you please, but there’s always a chance that a spark will ignite. And when that spark ignites, it soon becomes a blaze. Uncontrollable and wild.

“In order to destroy or control, one must know the mechanics of their opponent, their motivations. What drives them to reach a specific goal. You must understand their psychological makeup.

“A wise woman once told me you have two choices in this life: be strong or be killed. This world serves weak women on platters.”

“You are more than what they say you are. You are more than your traumas. Promise me that you will repeat this when you are tired, lost, when you feel like you can’t go on.

“Promise me that you will not survive, Saige, but that you will thrive.

But I had never looked at the bigger picture; my vision was always clouded by one idea. I failed to notice the signs of their weaknesses and my own strengths.

I had a much bigger goal, but I kept asking myself, at what cost?

“It’s better to die free than live the life of the dead,”