SOLDIER
book one
It's been 97 years since a nuclear explosion radiated life on Earth and life support on The Ark is now failing. In a desperate attempt to grant the citizens of the SpaceCraft more time, 100 juvenile delinquents are sent down to the...
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AS Vivienne and Murphy now trailed ahead of Bellamy and Wells, the silence between them grew tense, Murphy's earlier harsh words still lingering in her head.
Vivienne had braced herself for the skepticism and judgment of the delinquents, but their words still stung. It was one thing to expect their mistrust, but quite another to feel the weight of their assumptions, especially when they didn't really know her at all.
Growing up with friends like Clarke and Wells, and enjoying the perks of her father's position—like a larger apartment and extra rations—she knew what it was like to have privilege. But behind that facade, Vivienne carried burdens no one saw. No one understood the darkness that had overtaken her life before her arrest, how her family had unraveled, and how everything she knew had fallen apart.
Murphy kept a close watch on the blonde girl beside him, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What's the deal between you and Wells?" he asked, breaking the heavy silence that hung between them.
Vivienne hesitated, keeping her gaze on the uneven path ahead. She wasn't sure if Murphy was someone she could open up to. "What do you mean?" she finally asked, unsure of his intent.
"Just that," Murphy continued, "you two seem to know each other pretty well."
The blonde shrugged, though her mind was racing with emotions she had tried to bury. "Yeah, we were. A long time ago," she answered, her tone heavy with nostalgia and unresolved tension.
"What happened?" Murphy pressed, his curiosity growing as he assumed the privileged would group together yet here Vivienne was, walking at his side and hanging off Bellamy's every word.
"I got arrested," she said simply. "Yesterday was the first time I'd seen him since."
Murphy's brow furrowed. "When were you arrested?"
"Four years ago. I was thirteen," she replied, her words carrying a weight that spoke of years of untold stories.
"And he didn't visit you?" Murphy asked, his voice softer now, as if trying to understand.
Vivienne shook her head, the memories flooding back to her—memories of her first night in the Sky-Box, and the silence that filled her cell.
It was eerily quiet, so quiet that Vivienne could hear the echo of every thought swirling in her head, each one reverberating in the confines of her cell. Her exhausted eyes remained swollen from tears, refusing to stop, while her trembling hands tried to grasp desperately for the memory of her mother's touch. But all she could see was the crimson stain of the guard's blood, etching its mark on her small, trembling fingers.
The door to her new room clicked and jarred open, her Grandmother walking in with two guards posted close behind her at the open door.
"Gran!" the small girl cried out, her voice echoing through the stark room, but she remained collapsed on the floor, unable to move. Her grandmother hurried to her side, concern etched on her face as she knelt beside her.
