Don't Kill Your Heroes

Chapter 4

At the common centre, the helpers had sorted Maya into a short line, first checking that she didn't have any bombs or something like that on her.
When she came out clean, they put her in another line. This line had more people then Maya had thought it would.
Kids age 13 to teens age 18 were filling the line. Though Spine is the biggest city left, they're population is still quite small. Only beating Reiches by eighty-seven people. The actual population only about maybe two hundred and fifty people.
Maya closes her eyes, not believing all these people would probably die in this competition. That even she would probably die in this competition.
But I have a reason. Maya thought to herself.
Then Maya realizes it, that they all probably do too. Whether it be money problems or family problems. They all have there reasons for coming here, just like she did. What makes her any different from them.
Maya was strong, she could fight pretty well, she was fast, and she even knew how to survive and do some first aid. She had the skills, but are they enough to win her the competition? That she could only hope for.

At home, after her trip to the common centre, Maya sits on her old, slightly ripped bed in thought. Her mind going on and on about how she might have a chance if she tries hard enough, but there's also a small voice telling her she can't. That she will fail, and die, and leave Aiden and Jade to take care of themselves. Maya couldn't let that happen.
A few times she would absentmindedly turn and look at the clean, paper form on her dirt covered dresser. She know she had to fill it out, hand it in and then wait for them to call on her to the common centre for maybe the last time ever.
Maya's train of thought broke when her father walked into her room, his boots thumping loudly on the floor boards.
Maya looks up at him quickly, not wanting him to see the form yet until she knew what she was going to say to him about it. How she would tell him about leaving to save him and Jade, but also leaving to possibly fail and die.
Maya looks out the window, realizing that it must be late if Aiden's home and sees that the sun was almost setting. The last few hours had felt like minutes to her.
Maya looked back at Aiden just as he started to talk. "I got another job." Aiden tells her. "One that won't pay too well, but it'll be more then I make at the shop nowadays."
Any amount of happiness Maya had left in her fell, she freezes slightly, her eyes quickly glancing at the form then back at her father.
Not yet. She tells herself and then nods at Aiden, trying to hide some of her shock.
"I'll get one too." She lies. "One at the small bakery up the road. They offered me one a few days ago." She says, then sighs as part of her act. "I'd said no at the time because I thought we were okay with money." She tells him, feeling horrible after she said it.
Her fathers face drops a little bit he tries to hide it from her. Maya regrets saying what she said but knew she had to for her plan to work.
"I'm, uh... Going to go for a walk, okay." Maya tells him, still feeling bad and needing some 'fresh' air to help her calm down. "I really just need to think."
Aiden nods and Maya slips past him, moving quickly and leaving him standing alone in her door way.

As Maya walks, the slightly cooler then before air feeling nice in her lungs, her mind kept buzzing and going over things on hyperdrive.
Maya inhales the beautiful air, trying to calm herself down, wishing she could just forget the competition and the need for money and just relax out there forever. Sadly she knows that won't happen. 

Maya walks fast, so lost in thought she's not even sure where she's going. When she finally notices where she is, she jerks to a stop, almost falling over as her momentum tries to keep carrying her. Maya starts to shake slightly as the memories flood back in. The bad ones she ties to forget.
The lonely factory building stands tall in front of her, the front half of the bottom floor wall taken off, leaving an opening to where...
Maya closes her eyes and pushes all the coming memories away. She didn't need more stress in her already stressful life.
She turns around and tries to keep walking, but even in a different direction, the memories still follow. Maya can't walk any longer, so she heads home. Her peaceful walk was ruined.
Maya sighs heavily as she heads home, not wanting to be there, or out here, or anywhere really.