The Circle

7.Roof Access

"Everyone up. I expect you all in the training room in 5 minutes" I hear Isaac shout.

I look over at the digital wall clock and read it's only 5:00 am.

Is he serious. I debate whether or not to risk his wrath for a few extra minutes in bed. I decide no I don't want to risk it.

Groaning and moaning I go to the bathroom and have the quickest shower in human history, while getting ready I look at my back to see the healing wound. It's scabbing over so the bleeding has stopped. Thankfully.

Walking out with partially wet hair and a scowl on my face I imagine ways to make Isaac suffer for waking me up at this ridiculous hour. As we all line up Isaac tells us what's on the agenda for today - guns.

"Now I want you all to look at the guns. You will get to know you're gun inside and out, you will clean it, assemble and dissemble it. You and the gun shall be one. But know this, we only use guns if necessary. If there is no other way you can disable your opponent then you use deadly force. This is why we show you the guns first then hand to hand combat. I want you all to be able to handle your guns blindfolded. If they jam you know how to fix if. Everything." He tells us walking in front of us recruits in a very instructor-like manner.

He then demonstrates how to dissemble the gun and reassemble it within a minute. His skilled hands move fast and skilfully. We all stand and stare watching the master-mind at work and we start to gain a more understanding as to why Isaac is the leader of The Five. Isaac then places us in groups of two and assigns us to a table from the group set out in the room.

"Sean and Kyle table 1. Alex and Kayla table 2. Jake and Kira table 3" I tune out the rest of the names being called as I make my way over to table three to my assigned gun.

"Have you ever held a real gun?" Jake asks me slightly bewildered.

"No have you?" I ask

He shakes his head and we both look back at the guns.

"Ok there's going to be a challenge at the end of the day. After some time with your guns we will set a timer which pair can assemble their guns quickest"

"What do they win" someone asks.

"Points for the tally" Isaac responds pointing to the chalkboard in the right hand corner of the room with each of our names. The only names with any points beside them are mine and Kayla's.

Ha! Just us girls.

I look over to her table and smile at her, she winks back and I laugh unable to hold it in.

"Something funny Kira?" Isaac asks me in front of the team.

"Just how most of the guys here think both me and Kayla won't stand a chance and here we are, the only ones with any points" I tell him honestly.

"Not for long midget" I hear to my left and as I whip my head in the direction nobody meets my eyes. Pussies.

"Get on with you're guns everyone. You have 5 hours to memorise and get used to them before we begin our test"

We all silently try to dissemble our guns, after many nicks and near pinches I finally start to get the hang of it. As Isaac walks round the class giving some recruits helps and telling some off I grow nervous as he approaches mine and Jake's table. My hands start to shake from apprehension and I pause.

"Hey you alright?" Jake asks slightly concerned.

I nod, mumble a yeah and blame numb fingers. As Isaac comes closer I calm myself down and reassemble my gun.

I look up and find Isaac at my table, he picks up my gun and dissembles it.

"Faster" he demands and places his arms crossed over his chest in a waiting manner.

I do as asked and reassemble the gun in the fastest time ever. I grin up at Isaac and his face is just as stoical as ever.

"Why the long face? Cos' that was wicked fast" I ask him slightly agitated by his impassive expressions. His lips quirk up slightly at my eccentric language but he still stands calm and silent. I huff and get back to work on my gun slightly wincing at the blisters and small cuts made from the pinches and chafing.

3 hours later and we're told to stop whatever we're doing and dissemble the guns.

"How do you feel about winning something for a change?" I jokingly ask Jake.

"Ha ha. But you're right we are so gonna win this" he tells me and we high five.

As we're told the rules we all intently listen.

"You will be as a pair but working solo. You fix you're gun you're partner fixes theirs. Once both of you're guns are done you just shout done and step away from the table. I will then come over to you and check to see if they are correctly assembled. The winners receive 5 points each. 3, 2, 1 you may begin"

We all silently begin assembling our pistols. The tension is thick in the air and nobody talks or looks away from the task at hand. With only two more steps to go I become excited and I know I can win if I just push faster.

"Done" I shout

"Done" Alex shouts a millisecond behind.

I turn to look at his gun and see no real problem, I look into his face and see him smiling, we turn back to our table trying not to laugh and smile but it becomes difficult as we hear people moaning and trying to finish their pistols. Isaac comes to check our guns and finally after around a minute of checking both he speaks.

"Gun not accepted" he says pointing to mine.

"What the hell. It's perfect" I defend.

"No it's not" he tells me.

"This is bullshit!" I shout "I cleaned it, assembled it, dissembled it, bled for it. It's perfect and I'll show you" I go back to dissemble and reassemble it and after finishing I turn handing him the gun.

"Check that" I tell him.

After checking it through he nods and says "Now this is assembled correctly".

I nearly scream with frustration "THATS HOW I DID IT BEFORE"

"Sorry Jake" I whisper before walking away too angry to face Isaac.

"Where are you going?" he shouts.

"Anywhere but here. Do what you want it's not like I have anything left" I shout back and continue walking out of the room.

I walk through the maze of halls and find myself back at the hall with the arrow pointing to the lift - to freedom.

I follow the arrow and arrive at the lift, praying nobody sees me I press the call button and wait patiently for it to arrive.

As it arrives I pray again for the cart to be empty - my prayers answered, it's empty and I walk in to the silent lift. I look over the buttons and decide to go to the roof.

As I ascend the floors to the roof I reflect on how infuriating Isaac is, and only to me! I suppress my anger and walk out of the lift to the roof access door, pushing it open I step outside for the first time in a 3 days. The longest time I've ever been stuck inside. Back at housing 105 I was always outside with Katie and Jade, playing hide and seek, pranking the sisters or even the other girls. It was always outside.

I spent a lot of nights on the roof of housing 105 wondering about the world and how it came to be like this. Always fighting for our next breath, never living in the moment. Never being able to enjoy life for the constant fear of either catching MK-175 early or fear of outside the colony. I wish the world was different - like before. Even though The Circle tells us the world was not a nice place I can't help but feel as though this world isn't nice, in fact it's depressing. The limited choices to how we live our lives. We try to make the best of the 21 years of life we're given but sometimes just because your alive, it doesn't mean you're living.