Prisoner 0004C

10 Seconds After Aliyah's Flashback

I hear heavy footsteps slugging up the corridor but I remain silent and still, my thoughts still on a little gap-toothed eight-year-old and a revolting scarf.

I am aware of the tears trickling down my face and as the footsteps grow louder I quickly wrench my uninjured hand out of its slumber and wipe the offensive moisture off my cheeks.

Finn hobbles into the Mess Hall, sheepishly followed by Hallie. Finn is looking worst-for-wear; his eye is swollen up already and bloodshot, his face a patchwork of bruises and groggily wiped at blood dries around his mouth and nose.

He hobbled right up besides me and collapses into a bench. Hallie awkwardly walks around to the other side of the table and gingerly perches at the side of the table, her curly Afro slightly disheveled.

"They've finally decided to call each other by their real names," Finn croaks out, and I'm surprised to hear a tone of bitter resentment in his voice. "They now think it's stupid to still be calling each other by prisoner code."

Hallie smiles softly at me, a slightly guilty expression on her face. I guess she hasn't forgotten how she called me '0004C' so harshly after the Watcher's message. Nor have I, actually. "I guess we started that trend, Aliyah."

I glare back. I'm tired, sore, hungry, and now my wrist is paining me awfully. I'm so not in the mood for forgiving and forgetting.

"Ida and Jayden have teamed up to pressure Will to hack the Watcher quicker as well." Hallie continues, ignoring my piercing stare.

Curiosity overcomes my anger and I grunt out, "Ida? Will and Jayden?" but already a brief idea of who those names might belong to are forming in my mind. Will is surely the bespectacled boy. And who else would be screaming if not that blond bitch.

"Ida's the blond chick, Jayden is the guy that got Exterminated with us and Will is the mega nerd." Hallie explained, and my suspicious are proven correct. I nod my understanding to her, and look away. All I want to do is take a long, dreamless and undisturbed sleep. Maybe I'll wake up and the Exterminations haven't even started yet, and this is just one big fucked up nightmare. With that comforting thought I stand to leave.

Hallie immediately jumps up. I can tell she wants to be in my favour again. "Need help with your hand?" She asks me, gesturing towards my broken wrist. I think of turning down her offer before realising I can't wrap the wrist successfully with only my right uninjured hand. I nod at her and she grins, illuminating her pretty, wide features with her straight white teeth, which is such a contrast to her satiny, cocoa coloured complexion.

"We're gonna go," I mumble to Finn. I want to say thank you for saving me, but I feel weird and awkward around Finn now, like some unspoken barrier has formed between us. He inclines is head slightly in acknowledgment to my words, his brown, puppy-dog eyes downcast and gloomy. I can see the fight has caused some emotional bruising as well, and we leave him to his thoughts.

We walk back towards the Hull, a uncomfortably thick silence between us. Today has seemed to be made up of uncomfortable silences. I almost wish for Finn's company. Although there is some form of stale air between us at the moment, our silences have turned into a mutual understanding that the other wants to be left alone, not this awkward tense silence between Hallie and I.

She leads me into the Hull. Prisoners are milling around and shoot dark looks our way when we enter. Ida is pacing back and fourth, back and fourth beside the glasses-wearing Will, tossing her white-blond sheet of hair grandly. Jayden is sitting close by, eyeing Ida in annoyance.

When we enter Ida swivels her head our way and immediately bounds over. "It's taking for fucking ever!" She moans at Hallie, ignoring my existence completely.