Peace.
That was what I remembered first.
Peace.
Before all the chaos.
Before the world awoken.
Peace.
One simple word.
I remember thinking all I wanted was peace.
Then reality hit.
Not in softly and calmly.
Full on and in darkness.
And the one thing I remembered most when I woke. The prickling sensation at the back of my head and everything felt wrong. Very wrong. Like an itch that I couldn't just get rid of.
I lifted my hand and felt my way to where I assumed the back of my head was. Where my hair met my scalp was also where I felt a warm and wet sensation. Almost sticky in places. Not sure what exactly was going on there. It wasn't like I could see.
Darkness.
I gulp caught itself in my throat.
Why couldn't I see?
A rush in my ears, a stabbing pain in my side when I tried to breath.
Where am I?
What's going on?
Why can't I see?
The unknown terror plunged its way in, setting the fear go and allowing it to plague my thoughts.
There wasn't even a whisper of a noise to suggest ... anything.
Am I dead?
The squeal of metal grounding against each other bought me back to reality. I slammed my hands over my ears to drown out the noise. It made my eyes water, it scrapping against every nerve ending I had.
With a click and a whirr, the space around me jolted upwards and I was thrown off-balance to the ground in a bundle of arms and legs. I stayed there on the ground, frozen in fear of what may happen next. There was still no light, but from this angle I heard the low grinding of cogs at the floor kept rising upwards. Harsh sounds of chains and pulleys, like the workings of an ancient steel factory, echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls with a hollow, tinny whine. The lightless elevator swayed back and forth as it ascended.
Red light exploded into the room, lighten up everything under an ominous light. I gasped in terror at the tall shadows that towered over me. I scrambled from the centre of the room until my back clashed with the corner of the metal cage. I soon came to realise that the shadows around me were just large crates piled up high.
That didn't stop the terror.
I huddled my legs into my chest, the swaying of the room leaving me with a dizzying headache. A pit in my stomach drains all the emotion from me, turning my stomach sour with nausea. I clasped my hands around me head to provide something to help.
Nothing.
It only made it worse.
A tightness in my chest soon followed.
A trickle of sweat bead at my temple. It was cold in the room, but the flushes of heat would say otherwise.
I peeled my fingers from my sticky head to find that they were trembling with no control. My throat dried up, my tongue begging for water.
I gasped for air. Nothing came. I almost choked on the little bile in my dry mouth.
What was going on?
Where am I?
Every second that past, the feeling intensified. The sinking feeling digging itself deeper with each turn of the cog.
I couldn't even remember what to do to help myself.
I couldn't remember ... anything. My name, age or what I looked like. Nothing came to mind.
The tightness squeezed itself in my chest, forcing out all the oxygen in my lungs.
All I remembered was moments ago.
Help.
Time passed slowly. The noise a torture at the back of my mind. Eventually I forced myself to focus on something more than where I found myself. I peeked up from my legs and in the red light I dimly made out the dark markings on the crate nearest to me. They were closely placed together, but only one single word.
WICKED.
That single word sent my mind racing, my heart beating faster than it already had. The sinking feeling worsened to the point I believed there was no end. A sense of impending doom filled me, overwhelmed me. My head spun and the sick feeling returned with full vengeance.
The cause, no idea. All I knew that it was bad.
With a groan and then a clonk, the rising room halted with such force that it threw me out of my spiralling head into a sprawl on the ground. I scrambled myself back into position and waited.
A minute passed. Two.
The room swayed less with every moment until it halted completely stilled. Everything feel silent and I was left to listen my heavy breathing.
The waiting was the worse part.
Why was I here? Was I stuck here forever?
The feeling to scream itched, but it formed a lump in my throat. Frozen there in fear. I almost felt like I was trapped inside my own body.
A loud clank rang above me. I sucked in a startled breath. A straight line of light appeared across the ceiling of the room. It expanded with every count of a second. A heavy grating sound revealed double sliding doors being forced open from above. After who knows how long in the red light, the brightness blinded me and I darted for the nearest hiding place I saw. I tightened the grip on my legs and tried to get the shaking under control.
I heard the thump of ropes on the top of the furthest crate. I squeezed myself further into the corner when I saw a figure jump from the top and land with a heavy thud on the crates, the area rocking with his entrance. The boy (tall, skinny with black hair that glistened in the light) moved forward and bent down from the crate. He inspected a few in front of him. He did this for a few moments, scanning each box as he went past.
I didn't dare move a muscle hoping that he wouldn't spot me and...
I kept watching the boy with intent. With every inspection, he got closer to my hideout. At one point he stopped completely and inspected a particular box more intently. The boy traced his hand over the edge then pulled it away with a disgusted look on his face. "Why is there blood on this one?" I heard his scratchy voice murmur.
He shook his head, wiped his hand on his trouser leg and carried on with his inspection. At one point, he came dangerously close to where I hid. Still all the while he continued with what he was doing.
As he brushed past, our eyes met for the briefest of moments before he carried on to the next pile behind him. He turned his back. I held my breath. The world stilling. My heart pounding. No reaction came from either of us. I stayed perfectly still, not letting a breath escape me. He continued with his inspection, unfazed that we had locked eyes.
Then. "What the?" The boy jumped up from his inspection and darted back to me hideout. He stuffed himself fully into my hideout, showing of his deformed nose and disgusting teeth.
I pushed myself back as far as the walls would let me. His whole persona frightening me to the point passing out may have been the only option.
"What's takin' so long?" a voice called from above us.
The boy stared at me in disbelief, his mouth hanging partially open like a fish. He then shook his head, turned his head and shouted upward. "I ... I ... girl."
"What?" came the reply.
The boy stood up and pointed a chubby finger my way, still looking upwards. "There's a girl here."
A commotion erupted above, loud voices entangling with each other. I covered my ears with my hands, the noise to loud. Too much. Heads popping over the edge of the wide square opening made me sink in further.
"Stay out," the potato-nosed boy barked at a few boys how were starting to edge toward the rope. He turned back to me, the expression on his face a cross between bewilderment and 'what the heck do I do now?'. His first reaction was to take two steps forward. I immediately rose from the floor and shook my head furiously at him. My lips completely sealed. A rush of light-headiness overcame me and I steadied myself on the metallic cage wall behind me.
He stopped in his tracks and stood up straight.
"Look, I'm gonna give ya two choices here. One, you come out yourself without any problems. Or two, I drag your arse out of that corner myself." The boy gave me a hard stare. I felt myself shrinking away from him. He held out his hand, three fingers pointing straight up. "Three ... two ... one."
I jumped off the wall and scrambled over the boxes until I stood in the middle of room. Eyes pierced every part of my body. I knew I was being watched intently from above. I whimpered, grabbing my arms and wrapping themselves around me tightly.
"'kay. Now get out." He pointed to the rope where above it a cluster of boys crowded the top.
I shook my head in disagreement and backed myself to the furthest corner away from him. I was not going up there.
"Oh no you don't." The boy lunged forward and griped my arm firmly. "I ain't playing no games anymore." He jerked my arm from my waist and dragged me behind him toward the crate with the rope.
"Adam" A boy above pointed to himself. "Yes, you shank. Go get Alby. He'll want to see this."
The boy shoved another beside him and disappeared from the top.
The potato-nosed boy faced me again, anger raising in his eyes. "You're gonna climb up that rope. No fuss, no nonsense. I'm not in the mood to hall you arse up there."
I cringed away from him. He still held my arm. There was nothing I could do to escape him. He clearly meant his threat. There was no denying that fact. The thought of disobeying him seemed to come up with only horrid images. Going up that rope bought worse ones with it. I knew in my gut it wouldn't end well, but staying in the cage was not an option that I had. Not like I had one anyway.
"Don't let her in there!" echoed in my ears. I jumped back from the boy and fell to the floor with the boy releasing my arm with the reaction.
"Oh for the love of," the boy groaned. "Fine you want to be difficult we'll do this the hard way."
He lumbered up to me, grabbed me by the waist and swung my body over my shoulders. A stifled scream escaped me and I attempted to wiggle myself free. The grip around me only tightened as a result.
The boy did his best to scramble up the side of the crates with me in tow.
"Ben," he strained, "grab her."
I felt further hands around my waist as I was hoisted from the potato-nose's shoulders, up the side of the walls and out of the place I had found myself in. I was roughly placed onto hard ground, my elbows scrapping against loose stones in the process. The light from above was much stronger out here, blinding me at first. I shut them and covered my eyes with my hands. Soon, it became easier to see when I peeled back my finger tips to take in where I found myself.
"Look what we got 'ere laddies," the boy named Ben said with a smirk. He towered over me, the full height of him blocking out the sun. "A little girl."
"Finally, something interesting has been sent," another boy said with a snigger. A few boys elbowed him and joined in with the laughter.
I shuffled backward away from him. A violent tremor shaking my body. "Don't come near me," my voice croaked at him.
The boys sneered. "At least she isn't mute."
You don't belong here.
Sharp electric painful stabs pricked at my nerve endings at the nape of my head.
Get out!
I winced in pain.
The boys roared with laughter, distracting themselves at my amusement.
I scrambled back. The words setting me on fire. I didn't give them a chance to react. I forced myself up from the floor and sprinted away. I hadn't thought further ahead then go. I hadn't thought of a direction to go, let alone where an exit would be. That was until I saw a very large dark opening right in front of me.
Shouts erupted behind me as the boys tuned into what was happening. At first, they laughed at me for running away. They soon realised where I was headed.
I closed the distance a lot faster than I expected. I crashed into a small curly-haired boy who went flying to the ground along with the contents of what he was holding going with him. I didn't stop to apologise. I only ran faster and harder.
Get to the exit.
Escape.
Run.
I heard loud thumping behind me. It only made me push myself harder.
I raced passed more boys, who were dumbfounded at first. But soon dropped their tolls to partake in the chase.
"Don't let her get into the Maze."
Not far.
I was in reaching distance.
Come on.
You're going to make it out.
As I came to the threshold of the exit, the same prickling sensation erupted in the back of my head.
"Wipe her mind!"
My feet caught one another in a tangle and I was thrown to the ground. The prickling in the back of my head intensified to a searing pain. The epicentre at the back of my head. I flung my hands in the where it hurt the most and applied as much pressure as I could to it.
A scream, deep inside of me, pierced my lungs. All I could think about was the pain and the redness I saw when I tried to open my eyes.
All of it at once.
It was too much.
And eventually I had to let go.
***
"Don't let her escape."
"Take what you need and get rid of her."
"Chiroyoko grab her!"
"Please don't kill me."
I woke up as if an 'on' button had been pushed, as if new electricity circulated in parts of me that hadn't before.
A strange feeling.
I didn't feel like I was damaged, but that rush sure made it feel like I was.
A soft creaking sound from the bed stirred me awake. Forget about the feeling of being alive, it was replaced by the feeling of a tonne of bricks weighing down on my head.
I tried opening my eyes. The grogginess won that round. I sealed them shut, the feeling overwhelming. I even attempted to raise from the flat surface I found myself on. A wave of nausea overcame me and I felt myself crashing back down with a thud and a creak.
A groan escaped my lips. Every joint in my body hurt. Not a single one not complaining.
The bed, which assumed I was lying on, swayed to one side when I levelled myself on it.
I startled myself with the sudden falling movement. The bed rocked further, knocking up and down with the floorboards every time I tried to gain control of it.
Stop shaking.
I gripped the edges of the wooden frame and wished it would stop rocking.
Please. Stop.
I exhaled a large breath. It knocked against the wooden floor for several moments then settled itself.
Great. A wonky bed.
My eyes snapped open, the crust snagging on my eyelashes on the process. I did my best to wipe it away to stop flakes falling it my eyes. There was only so much I could do.
First, bright light flood in them again. I squinted and covered my eyes. Once they readjusted, I bore the place I found myself.
A plain and simple room with a wooden table to one corner with a single chair tucked underneath it. There a pair of boots lazily sat next to each other by the leg of the table. On the table rest an assortment of items: a large bowl, a discoloured cloth hanging of the side and a very peculiar-looking object that I had no idea what it was. Above the table, in the wooden wall, was a large square window with no glass in it. More like a hole than a window.
Very strange.
A thumbing headache distracted me. It wasn't enough to cause pain, but it was enough to be a nuisance. I raised my hand from the bed to my head and felt a rough material that wrapped itself round my forehead. With my fingertips, I traced the material until I reached the nave of my head. Searing pain shot down my back and straight into my head the moment I brushed the area. I hissed as a reaction and clenched my eyes shut, tears forming at the corners. I dropped my hand immediately and tried to breath the pain away.
A gasp from the other end of the room snatched my attention away from the pain.
"You're alive," a boy exclaimed from the doorway. He rushed into the room and dropped the objects he was holding onto the table. "I mean awake ... you're awake!"
I sat up in the bed and tried to back away from him. The sudden appearance of the boy sending me straight on edge. My eyes widened in fear. The same thing was going to happen again.
"No no no no." The boy flung his hands up in the air. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry. I just thought you would never wake up."
I tugged the sheet up over me to form some sort of defence against him. My eyes darted from the boy to the open doorway.
"Look." He backed away from me. "I mean no harm. I'll give you space."
The boy slowly backed out for the room, his hands still in the air. "There's food on the table. Eat it, you'll need it. You've been out cold for days. I'll come back later."
He grabbed the handle of the door and quietly shut it behind him.
I waited for a few moments, expecting him to return.
The smell of the food clouded my judgement. I sniffed the air. My stomach growled in protest of waiting. I eyed the door before I let the sheet slip from me. I leant on the side of the bed, it rocking and creaking with the movement, and swung my legs over. I lifted myself from the bed and padded to the table. There I found a bowl with a strange brown liquid steaming inside of it. It looked unappealing with various small bright objects floating around the middle of it. But the smell.
My stomach growled. I buckled over with the intensity of it. Hunger was not a word I would use to describe how desperate I needed that strange liquid. I lifted up the bowl, along with the silver object next to it and returned to the bed. Instinct told me to use the silver object – spoon – to scoop out the brown liquid – soup. The first mouthful was something I had never tasted. The flavours melted into my mouth. The warmth of it feeling my belly when I swallowed.
The next was not savoured as much as the deep hunger took over and I devour the contents of the bowl until it left me with an unpleasant feeling in my stomach. A cross between hunger and nausea.
"What do you mean she's awake!" The bowl fell to the floor with a clatter at the noise. Footsteps pounded beneath me at the sound of the dropped bowl. My stomach dropped. Blood rushed into my ears. I scrambled back onto the bed and tried to get myself under the covers to hide myself from whomever had shouted. I already knew there was no escape from the room. I didn't dare try the window. The tips of trees already gave away that I wasn't on the ground floor.
"Alby stop," I heard the boy from earlier exclaim.
The footsteps grew louder with every passing moment. I tucked the sheet under my chin and curled into a ball, my eyes staring at the door waiting for it to swing open.
"She's not ready to see people," echoed from the other side of the door.
"Don't care."
A bang on the other side of the door made me jump. I tightened myself further, drawing my legs closer into my chest. I wished the nightmare would end.
"Listen, storming in there and demanding questions won't work. She's already scared. You saw her when the shanks dragged her outta the Box. She wouldn't have run without being spooked." There was a pause. "Alby, mate you going in there may have the same reaction. Who knows what might happen? Let her come to terms with everything. Slowly. It's the only way."
"You have three days to sort this mess out," the gruff voice of Alby informed him.
"Three!" came a squeak.
"Do ya want none?"
"No I'll take three."
"Good that. We'll have a Gathering then."
I heard the footsteps of Alby walk away as he retreated down below.
From the other side of the room, the door clicked open and a small apology was thrown in.
***
I woke with an ache in the crook of my neck. I rubbed it with my hand as I uncurled myself. Remind myself not to do that again. I stretched out my limbs as far as they would go, the stiffness going with them as I arched my back. A small groan escaped as I did it.
The sheet fell from my face and I noticed through the window a green and blue hue streaking the sky with flecks of golden accompanying it. Fresh was the word I would have used to describe it. Fresh as in a new day dawned upon us. Sunrise.
My ears perked up at a clatter of noises from outside. My heart raced, the blood pumping through her veins.
Grow up.
I dared myself to take a peek out of the window to see what lay below. I drew myself to the other side of the bed, the floorboards creaking as it tilted. I waited for a moment, hoping that that no one heard me below. I took a breath in then out and attempted to stand up. I immediately fell back on the bed, my legs giving out under me.
I lay still for a moment. I definitely made a large amount of noise. No one came rushing up. I tried again. This time with more success. I shuffled to the window as light as my feet would take me. I stop just before my head could be seen and ducked down. I dragged the table away from the area and snuck up and over to see.
Strange was the first word I could think of to describe the place.
The next was the occupants. I noticed several boys milling around the entrance of the building, a few chatting amongst themselves, whilst others ate.
There was one question that I had. Where were the girls? There seemed to be more than enough boys here. In the furthest past, I spotted the boy I had met yesterday walking around an edge of what looked like a garden conversing with another with golden-hair.
I scanned the area further and my eyes laid to rest on an area surrounded by concrete with large doors built into the floor. That must have been where I came out of, the area looking familiar from here. The rest of the place was huge. The gardens, a forest of trees bunched together in one corner. I swear this place was acres long – whatever that meant.
But the part tat made my stomach drop was the thing set behind the trees and most of the adjoining area. Large grey slabs of walls towered over the area, almost ten times the height of anything in the area. The seemed to joined together seamlessly in a perfect square around the area. Each side, that I could make out, was split in the middle by a large dark opening as tall as the walls themselves.
I gulped. Where on earth was I?
"Have you organised the supplies yet, Newt?" the gruff voice of Alby echoed upwards. I crouched down in case that he spotted me in the window. A golden-haired boy turned to face Alby, who now came into view. He was a broad-shouldered boy, with hair cropped close to his head. Surprisingly he was normal clothes: black t-shirt, jeans, trainers. Somehow, I hadn't expected him, or the others to be dressed like that. Or I just really didn't notice too now.
"On it," Newt replied. He slapped yesterday's boy on the shoulder and limped away back into the vast space.
Alby brushed past the remaining boy. Something must have been spoked as the boy's eyes flicked up to the window and connected with mine.
Busted.
I edged away from the window before I could see the reaction and did my best to get back to the bed before ...
Dunno.
Footsteps sounded below me then up what must have been a flight of stairs. They stop just as they got to the door to my room.
There was a light tap on the door.
I didn't respond. I didn't know how too. A lump in my throat stopped me.
A minute passed and the door clicked open. A head peeked around the corner to face of the boy. He looked sixteen. The age I would have put him at. His face not fully formed to be anything older. "I'm sorry, you didn't reply." He edged himself in further. "I just came to see if you were alright."
I nodded.
A smile crept on his lips – a goofy one where all the teeth showed. "Excellent." The boy was fully in the room now. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I ..." He brushed a hand of over his uneven hair. "... got excited. You see we've never had a girl arrive before."
He locked eyes with me then quickly dropped his gaze to his feet.
"I'm Jeff by the way," he said still not looking at me. "I'm one of the Med-Jacks here."
I nodded, though I doubt he saw it. Jeff shuffled around on his feet, unsure on how to carry on the conversation. I certainly wasn't.
"Um ..." he stuttered, "Uh ... so ... what's your name?"
Name.
My name.
I hadn't thought about that.
It hadn't crossed my mind.
I was taken aback.
The feeling in my stomach returned. I pulled my legs up onto the cot and hugged my knees.
Why couldn't I remember my name?
"Don't panic," Jeff said. "You're not the first person to forget their name. It'll come with time. That's why we call the newest members Greenbeans – Greenie's for short. It will come back. I promise."
I stared at him. He seemed certain in what he said.
"Anyway, you must be hungry. Breakfast is being served currently. You can come with me..."
I shook my head furiously.
"Okay, I'll go grab you some food and a change of clothes cause the ones you're in are pretty dirty. Then I can check your wound. Sound good?"
I nodded. The Med-Jack seemed to be trying to help the situation as best he could. He didn't seem like one of those boys that I had first encountered.
"Good that," Jeff said with another smile. "I'll be back in a sec."
It wasn't long until Jeff returned again with a two-plate full of food, water and a bundle of clothes tucked underneath his arms. It was impressive to see him juggle so much with two pairs of hands. "Here." He placed one plate on the bed. "I know it doesn't look great, but it's better than nothing."
I glanced down at its contents. The food, I had seen it all before. The fluffy yellow thing in the corner, round little shapes covered in a yellow liquid, long strips of pink meat taking up one side. I just couldn't remember what they were all called.
Upon my inspection, Jeff handed to me another silver object. This time it had four prongs poking out the end – fork.
I used the fork to poke at the food. I moved it around the plate, trying to determine which part I was going to tackle first. Steam bellowed from the top. At least it was warm.
"Beans, bacon and egg," Jeff informed me. He pointed to my plate. "The bacon's tough at first, but you get used to it after a while."
I stared at him whilst he ate, shovelling each mouthful of food into his mouth. Despite what he said, he seemed to be enjoying it. Then copied suit and soon enough I was glad for the return of the warmth in my belly.
Soon enough, the plate of food disappeared and was eager for more. I dropped the fork onto the plate and lifted to Jeff. He shook his head in dismay. "No more for you. Don't want ya being sick and everything. It's a nightmare to clean up."
I placed the plate back on the bed and huffed in response.
"Don't get like that. Clint ordered me too. You can have words with him if ya really desperate."
I kept me mouth shut.
Jeff finished his plate, came over and placed it on top of mine. He wiped the corner of his mouth the end of his shirt.
He briefly turned back to the window, glanced through it then faced me again. "Coast is clear, everyone will be doing their jobs. You need a wash. I ain't gonna dance around it, but you stink. And not in a good way. If ya were a boy, we would have washed ya and already have you shoved in the shower the moment you woke up. Cause ... you know ... you ain't we had to wait. Which I think has been a little too long. Now I ain't gonna drag you there cause I don't want a fuss but I really ... no ... strongly advice you going into the showers and getting changed. I have spare clothes for you to change in." Jeff pointed at the pile of neatly folded clothes on the edge of the bed. "The owner graciously gave them to ya. The trousers may be too big but the shirt can make do."
I stood up to grab them the pile. Jeff crossed the side of the room and bent down to pick the pair of boots from the corner of the room. He threw them up high and straight at me. I hadn't expected him to do it, instead I threw my arms up to protect myself as they collided with my arm and fell to the floor in a bundle.
"Erm..." he stared at her, my arms still up from the attack. "I did not think that would happen."
I rubbed the area that the boots collided with me, a small red mark forming above my elbow. That's when I noticed dark smudges on my forearm against me pale skin. I twisted my arm further around to inspect it closer. The tip of my fingers brushed over the markings. They were faint, almost hard to read. But in the dark lines read a message: 'trust no one'. My eyebrows furrowed together as I tried to piece together what exactly that meant. I glimpsed to Jeff, who was still standing on the other side of the room.
"We were hoping you would tell us what it meant. Whatever happened to you before you came up must have done a number."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued to find out what he meant.
"I don't know," he said, reading my expression. "No one knows what happens to them. Your memory is wiped. But what I do know is that it's not everyday that a Greenie comes up that is a girl with a very clear warning on her arm and her clothes drenched in blood. It's very strange. Something terrible must have happened before. What's your guess?"
I tugged at the collar of my t-shirt and pulled it down into eyeline. I hadn't noticed it before. There were no mirrors in this small room. But the discoloured white shirt that I was wearing was stained a very deep colour of red. Most of it located on my back and apparently my braided hair.
"Clint and I checked the wound. Looks like something was stuck in ya that was ripped out with force. There two small holes in the back of your head just below your skull. Not deep that it could kill you, but sure made a lot of mess. Which means..." he pointed at the door, "to the showers stinky."
The collar of my shirt was still in my hand. I took a quick whiff of my armpits and ... boy was he right. My nose wrinkled from the smell. I reeked so badly it was embarrassing.
"Come on," Jeff hurried me. I snatched the shoes from the floor and shoved my feet into them, not bothering with the laces. I grabbed the pile of clothes from the bed and followed Jeff out of the room.
I hesitated at the doorway. Jeff had already gone down a few flights of stairs. I peered round the corner. He had stopped and waited for her. "Look," he reassured her. "This is the hardest part. Once you step out, everything will get easier from there."
I let his words sink in. The followed him down the stairs to outside of the building. The sky was a lighter shade of blue, the sun peaking over the edge of the walls which seemed so much higher now than they did from my window.
I glued myself behind Jeff, following his every footstep. We passed a series of benches located to the right, where two boys where cleaning the tops of them. One looked up and did a double take.
"Hey Jeff, is that the–" Jeff waved his hand at the boy to cut him off. I hid myself behind him, hugging my bundle of clothes as we briskly walked away from the duo to our destination.
"I'll fill you in later," Jeff hissed back to the boy as we rounded the corner.
Round the back of the building came into view another smaller building shrouded in a dark shadow. Jeff walked straight to it and barged the door open. He looked around. "Sorry, it gets stuck sometimes." He put his hand up to me. "Let me check if there is anyone in here. Wait there."
A moment goes by. My eyes fixated on the open doorway. I shuffled on my feet as I waited patiently for him to return back out. I snuck a glance over my shoulder as a shiver run down my back. I noticed how oddly quiet it was behind me. There was no sound from anywhere. It felt like there should have been something.
"All clear." I jumped from my skin. "Sorry about that ... again. I need to stop doing that."
Jeff held out a large towel in his hand. "This is for you. I promise its clean." He motioned to the door. "There are cubicles for toilets and showers. Turn the nob to the left for hot water. Be careful. It can get really hot if ya turn it too far. I don't want to be dealing with burns as well. Shampoo and stuff are on the shelves. Take as much as you need, just put it back neatly afterwards. We may look messy but we try to keep things neat and tidy. Anything else?" He tapped his chin. I motioned to me hair. He gave me a puzzled look, then his eyes widened. "Brush. I'm sure there's one around here somewhere. I'll try and find you one in a bit."
I took a step forward to the towel. "Don't be too long. Someone will need to use the toiled soon."
I nodded and entered the building with the towel slung over my shoulder. Jeff shut the door behind me. "I'll stand guard. Shou if you need anything."
The room was dark, drips of water echoing off the concrete walls. The smell, well it wasn't the most pleasant of places to be in. Damp had certainly settled in the room. But at least there was somewhere to wash.
I found the nearest shelf and placed my clean items on top of it. I next located a toilet, not realising how much I needed it, and entered back into the room. I went to wash my hands and looked up. I came face-to-face with a sharp blue-eyed girl staring back at me. The girl in the mirror was almost devastatingly beautiful, with rich brown hair messily braided behind hair (the braid caked red). She had a pert, straight nose, sharp cheekbones and a soft mouth with badly cracked lips. Freckles littered her face with an almost sun-kissed hew bursting from her skin underneath the cake of dirt and blood smeared across her face.
I stepped back and took the girl in the mirror in. Thin, athletic build. At some point the girl must have eaten well, but the soft curve of her waist and hips were jaunted. Something traumatic must have caused that to her ... to me.
Clarke.
It popped into me head.
"Clarke," I whispered, testing the name on my tongue. My voice was croaky and quiet.
"Clarke," I said a bit louder, a crack as a spoke.
A moment flashed in front of my eyes. An image of black raven hair and a whisper of a conversation: "don't listen to her, she doesn't know what she is talking about".
I blinked once. Then twice. The moment faded.
Strange.
I cast my eyes away from the mirror, I didn't want to look at myself anymore.
There was a rap on the door. "Hurry up will ya. I don't want to be standing here all day."
I double checked all the doors in the room. Then stripped myself and stepped into the closet shower cubicle with no window. I unrevealed the bandage from my head and started to pull apart the messy braid from the back of my head.
Jeff was right. The water was hot. The temptation to stay in here all day nearly overcame me. It was exactly what I needed. But I didn't want to upset Jeff any further.
I turned the water off as soon as I was clean and rubbed myself down with the large towel. I shook my hair out, trying to towel dry as best I could, and changed into the fresh clothes that were given to me.
The brad had to remain on, there was no option for that. However I gladly took the fresh boxers shorts over the ones I came in. And by chance, the boxer shorts just about fit me, it resting dangerously loose on my hips. I didn't care. There was no way I was going to put on dirty underwear. I tried the trousers, but found that they immediately fell down the moment I let go of them.
I gave in and put my old dusty ones on.
One look at my old shirt and I knew I was putting the new one on even if it didn't fit me. It was discoloured white, like mine, but smelled fresh with a hint of ... I couldn't but a name to it.
I slipped my feet into the socks and my boots and pushed the door open to greet Jeff on the other side. "Just leave them in the box." He pointed to the corner of the room with a bundle of dirty washing in it. "They'll get washed by somebody."
I threw them in. I face back to Jeff, waiting for the next thing I had to do.
"Turn around," he told me. I gave him a puzzled look. "Not in a weird way. I wanna check the wounds."
I pun on my heel and lifted my wet hair from my back.
"They don't look infected," I heard him say "Seems like the swelling went down. Turn back." I followed his instructions. "How's the head feeling?" I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know what that means, but I'll take it as not dying."
He shot a look over his shoulder. "So..." he dragged, "Alby knows your awake ... he wants me to take you to see him."
I stepped back into the building. "Sadly, you don't have a choice in the matter. It's easier to get it done now than having him chase after you. Mainly cause he's normally in a better mood in the morning after the first meal."
I considered rushing back into the building and locking myself into one of the cubicles. It was like he read my thoughts. "Don't make this difficult. I've already had my ear chewed out already by him. All you have to do is go there, listen to him rant for a bit. Then you can safely lock yourself away in your room. It won't take long."
I stared at him.
"Come on, give me a break," he pleaded with me. "I'm trying my best here."
"Promise?" the word squeaked from me. He double took in astonishment. "Promise it won't take long."
A small smile snaked on his lips. "I promise. I'll even tell Newt to wrap things up when Alby gets to into one of his rants."
I nodded. No matter what the writing on my arm said, I had to at least try here. That much a gauged from the brief encounter with the boy.
"I'll take you there now, it won't take long to gather everyone." He motioned for me to follow, and I trotted close behind him all the way to Alby.
"Oh," Jeff stopped as we turned the corner. "I forgot to say. Welcome to the Glade."