Darkest Minds: A Burning Red

•part two•

6 years later.

The wake-up bell rang loudly throughout the camp, groans could be heard all around as they got up. "Fuck this is early." Stephanie cursed, jumping down from her bunk.

"You say that every morning Steph." Ruby chuckled lightly, tired herself. They placed their shoes onto their feet, trudging out to mess hall.

"I hate this shit." Stephanie complained, like every morning, as she choked down the trash they were being fed.

"Gotta fuel up for the sweatshop." another girl reminded her as they finished the food, if you could even call it that.

The sweatshop, the daily labour, was one of the rare places where boys and girls weren't separated. As they shined up the guards shoes, they paced around to bother them.

"Do you know how to shine shoes?" a guard got up onto Ruby, standing directly behind her. She looked utterly disgusted and humiliated. "I've been watching you Missus Daly."

"She's doing it right." Stephanie snapped as the guard got too close for anyones comfort.

"Aren't you super smart." the guard now stepped up to her, Stephanie didn't back down.

She let out a breath as Ruby shook her head. "Yeah just like every other green in this room, I guess inhaling a whole bunch of shoe polish killed whatever braincells you had left." Stephanie spat at him, making direct eye contact.

"I'm sick of this attitude of yours, treating me with disrespect." the guard told her off, seeing Stephanie scoff at him.

"Like you disrespect every girl you take to the punishing room." Stephanie spat right back at him, she stood up as tall as she could.

The guard huffed loudly, letting it go. "I'll let your bullshit slide today, feeling nice." Stephanie let out a sight of relief, going back to her shoes.

"Dickhead." Stephanie cursed, thinking only Ruby heard what she said.

"What was that?" the guard yelled, yanking her hair as hard as he could. "Wanna repeat that bitch?"

Stephanie bit her tongue before turning and kicking him in the groin. She tackled him as other guards came to get her off, Stephanie had a lot of fire inside of her. "Dickhead! Dickhead!" she chanted loudly.

Everything went black after another guard shot a taser into her back, taking Stephanie out.

"Steph?" a woman's kind voice spoke as she slowly regained consciousness, sitting up. "Honey are you okay? What do you feel?"

"Asshole hit my face!" Stephanie groaned as she felt a sharp pain under her eye. The woman passed her a mirror, she immediately spotted a bruise under her right eye.

"It'll heal." the woman calmly spoke, Stephanie was in a hospital bed in a cage. "My name is Cate."

Stephanie hated doctors. "Stephanie." she replied coldly, this wasn't her first trip to the doctor's.

"They're doing a second round of testing tomorrow morning." Cate explained quietly as Stephanie looked up to her. "They know what you are."

Stephanie looked scared as Cate handed her a key to the cage. "I can't escape, they'll know."

"Meet me in the furnace room at 2." Cate mumbled before standing up and leaving the cage. Stephanie was so confused as she lay there, not knowing if she should trust Cate or not.

Soon enough the time came, Stephanie slipped out of bed and unlocked the cage. She made a run for the furnace room, not seeing any guards around. Nobody was around at first, so Stephanie got suspicious and was about to turn back.

"Stephanie?" Cate's voice called out, putting her hands onto her shoulders. She jumped and turned around to face the woman. "Change into these."

Stephanie quickly took off her clothes, putting scrubs on instead. She threw her old ones into the dark room, following Cate our a back exit. "What is going on?" Stephanie questioned as she was shoved into a backseat.

"Getting you out of here." Cate replied firmly, slamming the driver's door. "Your name is Elizabeth and you have a cold." she tossed an I.D into the backseat as she drove up to the gate.

"Identity please?" a guard asked at the gates, Cate swiftly handed hers to him. Stephanie was shaking in fear, not wanting to lose control. "And hers?"

"Um." Cate reached back, taking the fake from Stephanie. "Here's her I.D."

The guard muttered something. "I need to see her face." it was pouring rain all around as Cate refused.

"Elizabeth is awfully sick, she shouldn't take off her mask." Cate reasoned, smiling at him as she held the guard's arm.

"Elizabeth, your face." the guard snapped as Stephanie stayed completely silent. Tensions were rising as both girls looked for a solution desperately.

"Come closer." Stephanie whispered seductively, making the guard lean into the car. She suddenly took the front of his jacket, her eyes turning red as she covered his mouth. "I will burn this whole fucking place to the ground, so let us out."

The man grunted and struggled against her before nodding, opening the gate. Stephanie leaned back in her seat, completely relieved as Cate sped off.