The Girl

Chapter 1

It was dark. That was all I could tell. Judging from the feeling of the cold floor that was supporting my weight I knew I must have been on some type of metal flooring which was something that confused me as I sat up from where I was lying, to try and remember something about how I had got into the situation I was currently in. The one thing worse than the confusion of not knowing how I got into the cramped area was the fear of not remembering anything at all. I could remember basic things like what food was and random things like bikes and cars but when I thought of people I couldn't place names to faces or vice versa. I couldn't remember my own name let alone my appearance or age so I was left totally baffled in the small box like room. It didn't take me long to realise I had to start trying to remember something if I wanted to ever get out of the strange situation I was in but it was like running against a brick wall that was blocking me from my memories.

I tried for what seemed like hours but was only minutes, trying to remember anything about myself or how I had gotten into the situation I was in but it was impossible. A sharp pain started forming in my head as I tried remembering and then I had to stop abruptly as the pain became to much and I had to crawl into a small ball and hold my head in my hands as I waited for the pain to disappear.

After the pain had subsided to a dull throb I tried to stand up but just as I started crouching and ready to stand to my full height, the box started to move. I was pushed down at such a harsh force as the thing carrying me and everything else started rising and I started to panic, thinking the box would never stop.

The fear of being trapped inside the small space was quickly undermined as I thought of something worse. Crashing. A loud screeching from one of the walls next to me interrupted the worrying for a split second and then all of a sudden the movement stopped. I slowly crawled along the floor of the box until I was in a corner, surrounded by boxes and crates at every angle.

I stayed still and silent as some noise could be heard from outside of the box and somewhere above me where I knew people were waiting. Slowly, a crack above me shed some light into the room, not a lot but enough for me to properly see all of the boxed surrounding me. The light seemed to grow and grow while I could hear grunts from above me and soon there was no roof on the box I was in and I was staring up at a lot of unfamiliar faces.

Some where looking at me but most where looking at something next to me so I turned my attention towards where they were looking and saw a boy lying next to me, with blood all over his clothes and his facial features unrecognisable with the amount of bruises on it. I let out a blood curdling scream as I realised with a sickening dread that the boy next to me was dead.

Everything happened in slow motion after the scream died down. A lot of yelling was happening from outside the box and then a boy dropped down into the box with the fearful girl, followed by a rope.

"Its a girl!" The boy shouted

He had dark skin and was very tall, and looked like he was about seventeen.

"Welcome to the Glade, the names Alby." He said

I didn't say anything as I just stared at the dead boy still lying only a few meters away from me.

"Do you remember anything? How this might of happened or how you got here?" He asked

I shook my head in a silent no and he sighed, after it was apparent that I wasn't going to start talking anytime soon, he grabbed my arm and told me to hold onto the rope that was dropped down from the top of the box I was sent up in. They were both pulled up into the place the boy, Alby said was called the Glade and they were met with at least fifty pairs of eyes staring at me as I slowly crumpled to the floor when another searing pain shot through my skull with enough force to have me clutching my head between my hands again.

I must have been lying on the ground, whimpering in pain for about five minutes until the pain dulled again into small throbs in the back of my mind. After the pain became bearable I slowly stood in front of all of the boys in front of me who looked like they had never seen a girl before, which could be true, I didn't know.

"Where am I?" I asked as I surveyed the area I was in.

"We just shuckin' told you didn't we Greenie. Your in the Glade, and you ain't going back to wherever you came from." A tall blonde haired boy said from behind Alby.

He was attractive to say the least. His hair fell just before his eyes and covered his forehead with no style to it which just made him more attractive. He had dark brown captivating eyes and the only emotion shown in them was confusion. With one look at this boy the girl felt like I knew him. I didn't know how or why but I just knew that they had met before.

"Do you know you name?" Alby asked me

I thought long and hard for a moment before one word seemed to just appear in my mind.

"Willow." I said

The blonde haired boy nodded his head once and held out his hand for me to shake which I did, gently putting my delicate hand in his rough one.

"Names Newt." He said

I nodded my head and then withdrew my hand from his grip so I could turn in a circle to take a proper look at my surroundings. Past the group of boys were four walls that seemed to be never ending as they cast large shadows onto the green grass of the Glade. All around me the boys where staring at me, watching my every move and accessing whether or not I would be a threat.

"If anyone touches the girl or does her any harm I will personally throw you off the cliff myself." Alby said, projecting his voice so everyone could hear.

"But she's a girl!" Someone shouted from in the mists of the crowd.

"And your a bloody slinthead Gally so just lay off." Newt shouted back and I tried to ignored the warm feeling I got when he stood up for me because it wasn't the time to start developing feelings towards someone I didn't know.

Most of the crowd of boys dispersed after that and only a few lingered to get a quick look at the me as I walked behind Alby and in front of Newt. They walked me towards something I had heard them mention called the Homestead. Once we got there I noticed several hammocks hanging from trees and thought I would be sleeping in one of them but they walked past them and into a building made entirely of wood. They led me up a few flights of staircases until they were in one of the rooms.

"This is where Newt usually sleeps and since I am trusting him with you, you two will share the room." Alby said

Newt looked ready to object to the idea but a death glare from Alby cut off any argument he was planning on saying so he settled for letting out a loud sigh as Alby left the room.

"Sorry you've got to share your room." I muttered, feeling the need to apologise for something I clearly had no control over.

Newt just gently shook his head and went to sit on the bed along the wall. I stood in the middle of the room feeling awkward and not knowing what else to do as my roommate put his head in his hands.

"What happened in that box?" He finally asked me

"What do you mean?" I asked while looking at the floor.

"That kid you came up with, was he dead when you were put in the lift?" Newt questioned

I looked up from the floor sharply, staring at the blonde boy in front of me in disbelief.

"You think I killed him." I said as a statement, not a question.

"I just want answers. We have never had a girl in the Glade before and the first time one shows up, she arrives with a bloody dead body by her side." Newt said

I could feel myself growing angrier by the second as I stared at Newt. I wanted to remember, I wanted to get out of this place but most of all, I wanted to find whoever put me here. Feeling the need to get away I stormed out of the room and into the lining of trees that felt like just another obstacle keeping me prisoner in this horrible place.

I didn't stop walking through the trees until I reached one of the large grey walls that was blocking me off from everything else outside. Suddenly feeling very tired, I slid down on my back against the large wall and closed my eyes, trying to think of an explanation for how I had gotten into the box. When nothing came back to me, I eventually gave up and just focused my attention on the long green vines that hung off of the walls, thinking of how easy it would be to just end my life and stop my misery.

I slowly reached up and grabbed onto one of the vines, feeling how sturdy it was and thinking nobody would miss me if I just ended my existence. I stood up from where I had been sitting and walked away from my dangerous thoughts so that I could focus on finding a way out of the Glade. I hoped that somewhere, someone would miss me if I ended my life. My parents, a sibling, maybe I had a boy waiting for me outside of the walls that trapped me in this place. I grasped onto that hope and continued walking out of the trees until I could see all of the boys, each one of them doing some sort of job.

I made my way towards the tall building that looked like it would fall apart at any moment but stopped when a small boy came up to me with a cute grin on his face. He was quite a fat kid and looked like he was the youngest boy I had seen in the Glade so far and even though I didn't know him, I wanted to trust him.

"Uh hi." I said

"I'm Chuck." The boy said with the grin still intact on his face.

"Willow."

"Newt is looking for you, said he was worried 'bout you." Chuck said

I scoffed and rolled my eyes at the idea of someone worrying over me when everyone seemed to hate me, except Chuck.

"Do you think I could stay with you for a while? I don't really feel like seeing Newt right now." I asked the small boy.

The way his eyes lit up and his grin widened made me feel sorry for the small boy, he didn't seem like the type to fit in with all of the older boys and I guessed he didn't have many friends in the Glade because of how young he seemed.

"Your supposed to get the tour tomorrow but I can show you around a bit if you like." Chuck said

I nodded my head and smiled down at the boy, knowing they were going to be good friends. Chuck showed me around the Glade for about half an hour, pointing out all of the buildings and explaining what jobs there were. Apparently there were about ten jobs in the Glade; Builders who made the buildings around the Glade, the Bricknicks who repair the buildings, Track-hoes who work in the gardens, Med-Jacks who help anyone who gets injured and act as doctors, Slicers who work with the animals they use for food, Sloppers who do housework, Cooks who make the food and then there are the Baggers who deal with dead bodies.

"What's the last job?" I asked

"Runners. They go beyond the walls to try and find a way out of this place." Chuck said

I nodded my head and was about to say something else but a loud grinding sound rang throughout the Glade making me cover my ears in hope of drowning out the sound but it was impossible. I looked around myself, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from and what I saw was unbelievable. The walls around me that once had large openings in them were slowly closing. It seemed impossible and defied every law in physics I knew but still, I didn't feel scared. Somehow I knew that the closing walls were protecting me from something I didn't know about.

After all of the walls were fully closed I turned to look at Chuck who didn't seemed fazed by the closing walls at all and instead looked bored.

"They close every night." he explained to me as they walked towards the homestead.

"How long have you all been here Chuck?" I asked

"Well I've only been here for a month but Alby's been here two years I think." He said

I sighed, I didn't want to be here for years I wanted to get out of this place and go back to my parents. I wanted to go back to my life beyond the walls and get answers. I wanted to remember.

Chuck walked with me all the way to the Homestead and then stopped outside of the wooden door.

"I'll see you tomorrow Chuck." I said

"Good that." He said and then he walked off towards one of the hammocks in the trees.

I walked into the Homestead and up the flights of stairs until I reached the door to Newts room where he was pacing back and forth. I tried walking in without a sound but one of the wooden planks under my feet gave me away when I stepped on it and it made a loud creek.

I didn't say anything and neither did Newt as he turned to look at me and then out of nowhere he rushed over to me and embraced me in a hug. I wanted to hug him back and never let him go but the conversation they had earlier made me step back and push him away from me.

"We need to talk." I said