𝑻𝑹𝑶𝑼𝑩𝑳𝑬 , john murphy

ii. hating game

chapter two

THE DAY STARTED AS THEY ALWAYS DO. Guards enter, take Anastasia to mealtime, put her to work for a few hours, another mealtime, and then back to bed.

Being familiar with the schedule was useful for Anastasia because she was never caught off guard.

So, when a loud beeping rang through the skybox, Anastasia was understandably surprised. Even more to her surprise, two guards entered her cell at least twenty-five minutes earlier than usual (twenty-five being her educated guess based on the broken clock across the hall, anyway).

"What's going on?" She asks tentatively. With no response, she's ripped off of the bed roughly.

"Let's go! Face the wall!" One of the guards grunts, forcing her toward the wall without giving her a chance to move herself.

"Jesus!" She says with a sharp inhale. "What is going on?"

"Are you resisting, Prisoner 077?" He asks as he places a metal cuff around her right wrist.

"What? No—"

The guard kicks her foot out from under her, sending her flying to the ground. Anastasia groans as she's then flung upward by her arm and dragged to the hall.

She says nothing as she takes in the view in front of her. Every skybox prisoner was being dragged, pushed, or kicked out of their cell.

But toward what?

Where were they being taken?

"They're floating us all, right? To save air for the rest of you?" She asked the guard who was gripping her forearm tight enough to leave a bruise. He doesn't answer.

The prisoners are forced into a single-file line, Anastasia can't see in front of the dark-haired boy in front of her. She didn't recognize him, but he seemed intrigued enough to turn around and talk to her.

"Hey, I'm Finn," he introduces himself with a friendly, maybe flirty, smile. His long hair falls to each side of his face, parted in the middle.

"Anastasia," she replies, "Do you know where they're taking us?"

"Nope," he shakes his head, "Anywhere's better than here."

She doesn't respond. After another moment, he looks back at her again.

"Wait. . . Anastasia? You're the girl who was dating Wells Jaha, aren't you?"

His use of "was" throws her off.

"We are dating," she informs him. He opens his mouth to speak, closes it, and then opens it again.

"He's dating a criminal? Wow. . . I'm impressed," he smirks. Anastasia furrows her brows, trying not to let her annoyance show. Did this guy have nothing better to do than talk her ear off?

"Keep it moving!" A guard's voice booms as they reach their destination: a drop-ship.

"What the hell?" She hears someone yell out. Various murmurs and jeers can be heard from all around her.