Schplit

2931

The floor is cold today, it must be raining outside. My blanket is warm though, so I wrap it underneath me. I can't see the clock from here, and there are no windows anymore, so I have no idea what time it is. My guess would be around 3 am.

Oh! We get our lockers today. We get our lockers today!

Lockers are for keeping our pens and blankets in, but we only get them for six years because after that we leave here. I guess six years is long enough. I let out an excited sigh, and turn onto my side. My arm aches from the way I was sleeping, but nevertheless my lips curl into a smile: it's the day everyone is crazy about! It's Locker day!

My locker has a big T painted on the front of the wooden door. I've seen it so many times! Finally I get my own space, rather than putting my things in the community room. We don't even have toilets with locks. People can just walk in and watch you, and they do - even the boys. That's the only time we see the boys but the bathrooms have cameras in and there is a strict rule that we can't talk to them. Oh well, I don't need boys!

It's not fair though, they get lockers when they are six and they get proper names. They get letters of course, but they get names that match the letters. All I know is X is called Xander. Like "zarnder". But with an X. Officially.

I can't think of a girl name that goes with T. There's a few boring names like Tia but that's to too short for me.

A familiar ear-splitting din coming from the clock stops me dead in my train of thought. The alarm. It must be 4 am, not 3. Two hours to get ready before we get our lockers! Everyone wakes up, stretches and folds their blankets but I like to be quick. I spring up out of my "bed" and pick up my orange toothbrush. I don't know why Matron Carter is so obsessed with us keeping our teeth so clean, but she decided to really splash out on toothpaste this year.

After my teeth are cleaned I go to the toilet before everyone else comes in. The boys wake up half an hour after us because we have to clean the corridors before they come through them. So, after I've been to the toilet, I skip down the corridor and pick up my mop. Time to start cleaning.

----

The queue is short, I'm one of the the first here. The corridor is all clean (no thanks to any of the other girls) and I'm actually happy for once.

I don't really speak much with many people, just a few like K, I and R. R, Rachel she calls herself, is my best friend. We talk often, mostly about our parents. How we think life will change. But we only pretend, we know it won't, not ever.

R is nowhere to be seen at the moment. I guess she is waiting for Kiera (K) so I'm not bothered. Her loss when I get my locker first! There is only three or four people in front of me, and one is getting their key right now. I'm almost at the front!

Being alone makes me really think about my mum and dad. I never met them because they died in a "fire". Somehow, all our parents died but matron Carter and the Leader survived. I wish I could have met them.

My mother had my tiny ears and blue eyes, I'm sure of it. And I got my Roman nose from my dad, I know that for sure. I've seen pictures of people from the last generation here, and I'm sure I can see a bit of me in one of the women: my eyes, my ears, my hair colour, my chin. Even perhaps my tiny feet. They give us a picture of our fathers when we turn four, but when you ask about your mother terrible things happen to you. The leader takes you away and turns very mean.

I'm at the front now. The other people have got their keys, now it's just me. "Letter?" The lady says.
"T."
"Right. You know where the locker is, child?"
"Very well, yes."
"Here is your key. It only works for your locker and if you try to use it on anyone else's you will be punished. Understand?"
"Yes miss." I take the key and turn away. As soon as I'm out of her sight I start to run.

My locker is so big! I could stand in it. The wooden door is heavy though and I'm not sure I would be able to get out again. My stuff will definitely fit in here. Wait...

Tucked down the side of the door is some paper. And a silver chain, a tiny and thin silver chain. I pull the paper out and slip it up my sleeve, subtly I hope, so the cameras won't see. I'll leave the chain there for now.

I turn away and lock the door back up. I then walk out of the locker room and back to the bedroom. Finding my bed, I pull the blanket, toothbrush and hair brush into my arms and begin to walk back to my locker.

As I walk, I think. Every room has a camera in. Every room's camera will see me if I try to open the paper. All except one.

The cupboard under the stairs.

A great place to open the note! Except, when you get thrown in there you're left for days with only porridge and water. I don't really have many friends, but I've heard all the stories about when D got put in there. She almost starved. She talked to a boy, and then started kissing him too. The boy didn't get punished, as usual: the girls always get the blame. I don't want to do that, but I guess I'll have to.

I reach the locker room. As I shove the blanket and other things in, I pull the chain loose and slip that up my sleeve too. Then I close my locker, knock on it for luck, and run to the toilets.