Gravity → The 100 [1]

PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE
MOONSHINE

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

     Aspen Carter was good at getting into and out of trouble. It had been that way her entire life, from the first moment she had nabbed something she shouldn't have in the cafeteria when she was only six years old. It had only been a roll—they were only supposed to have one each—but Aspen had simply wanted another one, so she had grabbed one from a tray when no one was looking. The adrenaline that followed, the thrill of knowing that she had gotten away with it, made her do it again. And again and again and again until it wasn't just a fun little thing anymore; it was something she had to do, an impulse she couldn't really control. Whenever she found she had an itch in her palms, found her fingers twitching, she would go out and grab something. The friends who knew called her stash of stolen things prizes, since it was a miracle she had gone so long without getting caught. It was just a bonus that she treated it like it was her own personal game.

They were piled high in various vents, her prizes. Necklaces, bracelets, watches, earrings. A few t-shirts, one pair of boots, a headband, hair ties. Some things she could get away with wearing, like bobby pins and anklets. Other things were too risky. She had planned on returning everything once news of a thief started floating around, but she figured it wasn't worth the hassle. She was stealing from Alpha Station, so no one was wanting for anything anyway, and no one was going to suspect the daughter of an engineer and a nurse. They just weren't. So she kept at it—though becoming much smarter with it—and decided she would only go out when she needed another fix. When her hands were shaking and she couldn't think of anything else.

That night was one of those nights.

She wasn't going out for boots or jewelry, though. She was out for something much more important. As she carefully unscrewed the vent opening with a pocket knife she'd stolen from the engineer room, she took note of the residence she would be ransacking. No one would be home for hours. There was some dance happening in the mess hall—the Unity Day Dance—and both adults would be there as guards. Aspen was completely at ease as the screws clattered to the floor. She let the vent cover fall too, though she was smart enough to reach out and catch it before it hit the ground. Lowering it quietly, she wriggled out of the vent, having to use her hands on the floor as momentum. It was a tight fit. She'd have to go in backwards if she wanted to put the vent cover back in place, and she didn't particularly feel like finding her way back through the vents backwards after that. She scowled. She'd have to go out the front door. With that thought in mind, she quickly screwed the vent cover back into place before she pocketed her knife and looked around.

She usually didn't steal food from Alpha Station. Jewelry and the like, but not food. While the people were far more privileged in the sense of clothes, food, and medical care, they were also strict about rules and regulations. Her own parents counted their food rations, even though they were given more than enough. It was risky to steal food now, and from a guard's residence to boot, but Aspen didn't have a choice. Her best friend, Nathan Miller, had stolen the guard schedule for the Unity Day Dance from his father, and she knew this room would be empty for hours yet. And her other best friend, John Murphy, was hungry. For him, she would risk it. Perhaps her heart was swaying her more than her itchy palms this time around, but she didn't bother thinking on it. She just glanced around once, then made her way to the small kitchen area and rummaged around for the kind of food she knew wouldn't be missed. Dried nuts that were tasteless. Old and nearly expired vegetables. She didn't dare risk taking any of the rare delicacies rich families on the Ark were afforded. Small bits of chocolate. Fruit jam. Anything with sugar.