Destruction

3. Warm Welcome

Athena

"Wanna explain what happened?" I wince as the door slams shut with a boom, leaving me trapped in the study with Lawrence.

"I-"

"Wait you don't even need to explain." He rubs his hand against his face in mock surprise. "You got cocky again, didn't you? Thought we'd wait for you to return before we put the shutters down?"

"That's-"

"No,no,no." He walks around to stand right in front of me."Shh, I understand, you never wanted me to take control. I know that you were 'in charge' of this little group here before I came along, and now that I'm here you find it hard to follow the rules. It's only normal,but I ask for one thing that you except me, except my leadership and that you don't defy me. Because if you defy me, it makes me look weak, and this." He indicates around him with his hands. "None of this is possible."

He turns his back on me and walks around to his fold-up chair behind his massive mahogany desk. "You can leave now Athena, but go straight to your room and don't come down till dinner this evening."

He dropped his to the paperwork on the desk. I stand there bewildered, "You are seriously sending me to my room without any food? Please can't you do better than that??"

"Leave. Now. Athena before I make your punishment worse." He waves his hand at the door to hurry me along.

I shuffle to the door and make a big deal of slamming it shut loudly and quickly to make him jump, then walk swiftly to my room, while enjoying the curses coming from the study.

I enter me personalised security code, that opens my bedroom door. Eight digits long and it changes every week and you always have to memorise it and then burn the paper it was delivered on. This was meant to allow us our own personal space, but of course Lawrence had all the codes, to every room, nowhere was safe.

My room was plain, standard issue. I'd been forced to move out of my old room which was in the perfect position to have a breathtaking view of the sun as it set each evening. Into a dull, shoebox of a room which was filled to the bursting point with my bed, a wardrobe and a fold up chair (which was permanently folded because it would take up all the floor space otherwise). However, under the bed is where I keep my treasure trove of mementos, things from my past that weren't burned or sold, things that were still mine. Although that didn't mean much, it consisted of a few books with tattered covers and watermarked pictures.

The slammed behind me, I slowly peeled of the clothes I'd put on the night before and left them by my door for cleaning. Being on room arrest meant that I wouldn't be able to take a shower, not a massive problem because I'd managed to clean myself up pretty well in the river, after considering that this might be a possibility. I was more concerned about staining my faded white sheets, and due to the blast from the past that was last nights nightmare, I needed to rest if I had any hope of going out tomorrow.

Hours seemed to pass I drifted in and out of conciseness, my body demanding that I make up for my disturbed sleep. Images fluttered into my brain like photos thrown across a table, memories I wished I could remember and some I wished I couldn't. The pounding on my door brought me out of dreaming state.

Slowly I willed my limbs out of bed and shuffled the meter to my door. I pulled the door open to be greeted with a fist in the face as my visitor carried on knocking.

"Shit!" I grab my face and move backwards.

"Well, that's what you get when you go missing all night. Where the fuck have you been Athena?"

I look up through tear filled eyes to see Jude, one of the original orphans, standing in front of me. At 6ft3 there weren't many people taller than him in our little society, however he wasn't exceptionally muscly so he looked less intimidating, his soft green eyes and sandy coloured hair also helped to finish of the look.

"Well." He makes a beckoning motion with his hands.

"I went out for a walk, you know nearer the main city to see how it's changed and I ran into some early risers and got into a fight. By the time I'd finished I knew the shutters would be down and because i wasn't meant to be on duty last night I didn't know where to find everyone."

"Why do you keep going back there?" The anger is suddenly obvious in his eyes.

"Ah-"

He grabs my shoulders and shakes me gently to force my head up. "They're not alive Annie, even if they are? They're no longer human, you know that? Please stop going back." He pushes the hair back off my face, slowly examining for any damage caused by his fist.

I slump in his arms, my shoulders drop and I heave a sigh of relief. "I know, but sometimes I just that instead of being burned they'd been turned. That way they'd still be alive." I turn my head so he can't see the tears that fall.

Jude shifts awkwardly, sensing my need to be alone, he walks almost silently out of my room and encourages the door to close with a quite click.

Glaring at where he just stood, I raise my head and stare out of the A4 size window. I want out. I can't do this anymore.

I need to leave.

Now.

Jude to the right >>>>>>>