From the Ashes

21

"'The only real
prison
is fear, and the only real
freedom
is freedom from fear.'"

- Aung San Suu Kyi

_____

"Bear," Jasper suddenly called,"Have you seen Harper?"

Looking to Tangerine, who sat on the bunk next to her, Bear thought back to when she'd last seen the quiet warrior.

"Last time I saw her was when we got back here from the presidents office," Bear pointed out.

Her eyes suddenly widened, arms twitching, clenching the bedsheets as she looked to Harpers bed. It was untouched, as if no one had slept in it the night before.

Turning back to Jasper, her teeth began to grind against eachother in an anxious manner.

"Did you see her at breakfast?" Bear quickly asked.

"No," Jasper said, his face paling.

Turning to Tangerine, the other girls face paled at the sight of Bears worried expression.

"Have you seen Harper today?" Bear asked.

"No," Tangerine realised,"I haven't..."

Looking to Jasper, who stood in between their bunks, Tangerine turned so that her legs dangled off the edge,"Has anyone?"

"Monty and Miller haven't seen her since Dante's office," Jasper realised.

"Shit," Bear breathed out, snarling at the security camera staring at her with its blood bathed light.

Sitting up right, Bear slid from her seat on the bunk bed beside Tangerine. Looking to the others, as she made her way towards the door, she grimaced at the sight of Harper not being there with the rest of them.

"I'm going to go see if Noah... or Reese has seen anything," Bear reassured, smiling awkwardly at Monty, who seemed shaken at the thought that on of their own had disappeared.

Walking towards the main hall, Bears hand kept creeping up to the back of her neck, as her baby hairs seemed to spike up in fear. Every turn she took, made her stop to listen for footsteps.

She felt as if she were being watched.

"Have you seen Harper?" Bear asked, sliding into the seat infront of the puzzle, at Noah and Reese's table.

"Harper?" Reese wondered,"No, sorry..."

Noah looked at Bears eyes, that looked to be suppressing a panic, as her eyes overlooked every girl with dirty blonde hair in the canteen. He could tell that something wasn't right, for he had never seen panic in her eyes like this before.

"What's wrong?" Noah asked, leaning his elbows on the unfinished puzzle, a piece subconsciously fidgeting in his fingers.

"Harpers missing," Bear whispered,"Ever since we got back from Dante's office... she went out last night to go get some water and never came back."

"Someone must have seen something," Noah stated.

"No one," Bear sneered.

Huffing, she leaned back and brushed her hair back in agitation.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get angry," Bear sighed,"We're just worried about Harper..."

Standing up, Bear yanked at her skirt in aggravation. Turning to the camera closest to her, she swung the middle finger up at it, not caring what looks she was being given by the other people in the canteen.