The Glade

The Builders

It's dark,

I hear Dean's whispers in my ear as his hand slides down my body, I feel the air trapped in my throat. The cold press of metal on my throat, when I scream, it changes. My screams turn into Dean's, and instead of cold metal, I feel the heat of the flames lick at my skin. "Anna! Brianna!" I hear Gally call to me and I blink rapidly, my heart pounding as I wake up in Gally's bed. "Are you okay?" Gally asks and I let out a mix of a sigh and a laugh, even though nothing about this is funny.

"Is anyone?" I ask, my eyes sting with unshed tears and I curse at myself internally. Gally doesn't look at me, he only stares at the floor, "We will be, but right now we need to get to breakfast," Gally tells me, and I stand from the bed "Okay," I tell him and he lays a hand on my shoulder as we head out of the homestead. He doesn't say it, he won't, but I hear him all the same. "I'm here, you're okay," Gally doesn't vocalize his feelings much, he's more for small gestures. 

I let Gally lead me out of the homestead and toward the cooks and the smell of delicious food. As we move in that direction, many guys avoid my gaze and path. I feel overwhelmed by my new reputation and have to force myself not to look towards the burned stake. "Gally!" I hear someone call and we see the only other builder running up behind us. "George, hey," Gally greets and I struggle to find my voice. Gally's hand on my shoulder seems to tighten "Hey George," I say trying to be polite and incorporate myself into the conversation. 

George smiles at me, not forced but genuine, as if a smile can erase the darkness of the world around us. "How you doing today Brianna?" George asks, but I know I must look horrid after a night of crying and four hours of sleep. "I'm fine," I tell George and he nods "I'm not," he tells us and I furrow my brows "What's wrong?" Gally asks "I'm still trapped here and, I haven't had breakfast," he tells us. The way George smiles you'd think he's making a joke even though being trapped here is no joke to us. 

Frypan and Leo the other cook are handing out severings for each of us, George, Gally, and I then move to a clearing since the only picnic table had been taken. "You guys really have to build another table," I tell them and Gally scoffs "Yeah let me just add that to the list of other one hundred things we need to get done," George laughs at Gally's remark and falls back onto the grass. "What's on the top of the priority list today, Captain Gally?" George asks and Gally rolls his eyes in annoyance at the nickname. 

"I told Winston we'd fix the fence," Gally relays, I listen to them go back and forth as I push the eggs around on my plate. "What are you doing today, Anna?" Gally asks and I hum slightly thinking over what needs to be done today. "Well, I'm mostly just going to be helping Zart in the gardens today," I tell them "What if you worked with us instead?" George piped up not moving from his position laying in the grass. "Me, a builder? What would I even do?" I joke and Gally barks out a laugh causing me to cut my eyes at him. 

"She could hold the post steady while we nail into it," He jokes and I scoff "And just for that, I won't help you," I tell him and Gally rolls his eyes and grabs at his chest pretending to be hurt. "What will I do without you?" he asks and I push his chest, and he falls onto the ground next to George. For a moment I feel better the three of us laughing until Frypan rings the bell signalling the start of the work day. I pull myself onto my feet and sigh "I guess you'll have to figure it out, Gally. I'll see you guys at lunch," I tell the two of them and I hear the two of them call after me.