Chapter 1

Author's note: I originally started this story but it just didn't seem realistic. Also it was very emotionally detached so I changed some stuff around. Same title, I'll be good, but different oc. Same warning apply: child abuse, rape, smut, violence, death, etc. Read at your own risk!

Playlist: Arsonist's lullaby by Hozier.

Til it happens to you by Lady Gaga.

I'll be good by Jaymes Young.

Little bit by Lykke Li.

Cold. That was one word that perfectly described the Sky Box. It had the poorest conditions on all of the Ark. The least amount of oxygen, poor electricity and heating, barely functional plumbing. Home sweet home. Or at least it was for Aria Winters.

She spent much of her limited days pacing the tiny, dark cell she called home. This was one of the worst cells in solitary, it wasn't an exaggeration either. It was where they sent the worst offenders, which apparently was what Aria was. She was a cold hearted murderer after all or so the Council thought.

She paced her cell most of the time, surprised she hadn't worn a ring in the floor by now. She had been here for four years after all. Other times she counted. Counting was something she always had done to soothe herself or at the very least distract herself.

Count the strikes, count the hits, count the blows, count the whips, count the cuts. Count them Ari, count them.

She shook her head viciously as if that could get rid of the memories. The familiar burning sensation started up on her back as if the memories of the blade had resurrected it. She scratched idly at the scars, not caring that it didn't help.

Count Ari, count until you don't remember.

She had gotten to 532 when she heard Octavia's voice. She and Octavia had become friends long ago when Ari discovered that they could hear each other through the walls. She had comforted the slightly younger teen when she was brought in crying and fighting the guards.

"Stop, you can't do this! Please, please just let me out. I didn't do anything wrong!" The cries cell on dead ears as even Ari could hear the dull thunking of the door locking. Poor girl, she thought. She sounded close to her own age but she had no way of knowing since she couldn't see her. She could hear the girl's sobs through her wall as she moved closer.

"Mama take this badge from me..I can't use it anymore. It's getting dark..too dark to see. I feel I'm knocking on Heaven's door. Knock, knock, knocking on Heaven's door. Knock, knock, knocking on Heaven's door. Oh, knock, knock, knocking on Heaven's door. Knock, knock, knocking on Heaven's door."

The sobbing slowed as she sang, becoming a soft sniffling as she took a deep breathe to continue.

"Mama put my guns in the ground..I can't shoot them anymore. That cold black cloud is coming around and I fell I'm knocking on heavens door. Knock,knock,knocking on Heaven's door. Feels like I'm knock, knock, knocking on Heaven's door. Knock, knock, knocking on Heaven's door. Feels like I'm Knock,knock,knocking on Heaven's door. Knock, knock, knocking on Heaven's door. Knock,knock,knocking on Heaven's door."

She sang as much of the song as she could remember, her voice dying out on the last moments. She heard nothing but silence on the other side. Finally a soft hiccup was heard and then, "I'm Octavia." She smiled softly to herself.

"Aria."

"Ari?" Octavia's voice was melodic as it chimed in slightly muffled by the wall. Ari moved to where it sounded like Octavia was sitting. It was odd how quickly the two had become best friends when they had never seen each other in real life.

"Yeah, 'Tavia?", she asked softly. The nickname was one she was permitted to use, she would never forget the girl's vehement protest to being called O. She had understood when later it was explained that her brother called her O. It wasn't needed to be said that she wanted to hold on to that.

"Something's going to happen today. I can feel it," she responded happily. Ari felt her brows crumple in confusion, what could happen? "What are you taking about?" "Something big is gonna happen." She didn't bother responding, deciding to let the girl have her hope. Maybe she would see at the end of the day, nothing special was going to happen. How wrong she was then.

The sound of the door opening made her flinch, she watched warily from her corner as two guards appeared in her cell. They stood stoically by the door, not even bothering to look at her. One stepped forward and spoke, "Prisoner one-seven-one-three, please face the wall."

"Why?"

He didn't seem to appreciate the question as his jaw clenched. She felt a small rush of victory at annoying him which was gone as he repeated the command. "And if I don't?" The other guard stepped forward holding a shock baton threateningly.

"Alright, alright, jeez!", she exclaimed as she rushed to stand. Once she faced the wall she was given another order, "Hold out your right arm." Her brows furrowed in confusion but she complied, albeit slowly.

Pain shot up her arm as he clipped on the device, which embedded deep in her arm. "Ouch, dammit!" The exclaim came unexpectedly and the guard looked at her in disapproval. She sent him a look as if to say, 'What?' With a sigh and a shake of his head he grabbed her arm. She was roughly drug from her cell where she could see other kids being pulled from their own.

With an anxious glance to Octavia's cell she soon saw it was empty. Other children around her were in various states of panic. Some were fighting their guards, struggling hard to get away. Others cried and pleaded not to be killed. Few went willingly, seeming at peace with this. Others still were unconscious. Ari wasn't sure where she fit into this jumbled mess, she was too confused to do much.

It was possible they were all dying but she knew to use her head. There would be a public outcry if they killed off the population of delinquents before their eighteenth birthday. And why would they have given them the bracelets? She was too curious to fight so she let her guards lead her to a dropship, patiently filing in with the other criminals.

The guard who had seemed disappointed in her language was the one to strap her in, tugging it so tightly she could scarcely breathe.

He gave her a few cryptic parting words. "Good luck down there."

One question repeated through her mind, Where the hell were they going?