The Feeders. #Wattys2015

Chapter Five: Watch me!

"Number 37, Riley Vangart" i said as I got to the front of the line. Nate was behind me and my mom in front, he ushered me on behind her, it's my second day, and after yesterdays, tense, strange and extremely exhausting day, I am not looking forward to it. We were informed by a guy with a megaphone on our way through the gates that our names have been updated in the register book. I gladly threw the crumpled and sweaty pass into the bottom of my sack forgetting about it.

Today as we were a little earlier we stood it the middle of the car, where you would originally have found seats, only they had been ripped out to create more space to stand. I fell backwards against Nate's chest as the train came to life, he gasped in shock and my mom's hand reached out to balance me. I felt a blush creep up my face, I could not stop my brain from recalling the events of yesterday afternoon, Nate's strong arms had carried me off of the train car, and as he sat me down on the cold metal bench, my eyes opened to see him and mum staring at me. On the walk home his hand had brushed mine several times sending jolts of electricity up my arm and down my back, and when he whispered his goodbyes, his eyes lingered on my lips.

Suddenly the train screeched and came to a halt. I was thrown again. But forwards this time, feeling Nate's body crash into mine, his arm looped around my waist holding me secure. "oh olease, not today..."mom whispered, we were stopped on the bridge, 30 feet in the air, looking down on a dried out river.

Then an officer came from the middle cart and into ours, his hand finding the emergency exit button as his eyes stayed on us, and our eyes watched the door open in fear.

"Number 98, Wilma Vandross" he shouted looking around all the terrified faces "come forward" he yelled his voice echoing around the tinny car. No one moved, but a few people looked to the back of the car just behind us, I turned a little, seeing out of my peripheral vision, the little old lady from yesterday the one who spoke a bit too much, she was beginning to tremble. "Step forward or I will dettach the whole car!" he was screaming now. His fist clenched and waggling in her direction. She stepped forward, her lips in a straight line, but her eyes teary. "you are being punished, for your loose lips" a twisted smiled found its way onto his face, and I realised now, looking at him properly for the first time, that he was not at all old, maybe 17, 19, similar in age to me and Nate maybe, only I have never seen him before. He flicked the blonde hair off his face.

"Please... I didn't mean anything I said, I'm not even sure what-" the blonde jerked her toward the door, but she pulled back on his grip falling to her ass in the car. She was crying now, and other people began to weep, I wanted to speak out, and I could feel Nate behind me, wanting to step forward, but something in moms eyes warned me not too, so my hand found Nate's and I willed him not to do anything, maybe we would make it worse.

"Please, please, please, please....don't do this, please" the woman sobbed over and over again. The blonde pulled a baton from his pocket and beat her around the head with it, her nose pissing out blood, onto the floor of the car, it went in all the grooves where seats had previously been bolted, spreading out till it was almost reaching my feet. I felt my stomach heave as I turned to bury my head in my mom's chest; tears were coming down her face now too. But she pried at me to let go.

"You! Girl! Turn around and watch this, because this!" he screeched pointing his baton in the broken face of the bleeding sobbing woman "is what happens when you talk!" he ripped her up from her crumpled position on the floor by her arm. "Watch me" he boomed, looking around the cart now, he met my eyes as he scanned the group, his eyes looking almost sorry, or just a little bit interested. Nate went to take a step forward and I grabbed his hand causing him to take his position before the boy noticed. It's her, or it's all of us. It's her, or it's my mother. It's her or it's my best friend. The blonde found my eyes again as released his hold on the elderly woman, letting her fall to her death, I looked away eyes scrunched waiting for a sound, waiting for the noise her body would make as she plummets and lands against the hard, dry soil. But the doors were closed, and the train started to move again, I heard uproar in the front carriage, at first I thought someone had decided to speak up, but then I saw ahead through the glass carriage doors that the car belonged to the officers. They were cheering. No one dared say a word, I don't think anyone could. I felt physically sick. Was this because of what she said yesterday, if so, how did they find out? Were they spying, did someone grass on her? Did she think it was us? I tried to recall the moment before her death. To see if she shot me any accusing glares, only she was too afraid, and my stomach heaved recalling her bloody face. I remember thinking about a week ago, how I am no longer scared of people, how I have nothing left to lose, how I am afraid only of the feeders, but, what I just seen. That was worse than anything a feeder has ever done. And nothing has ever made me want to give up more, just now, I almost lost all my hope. If it wasn't for the warm bodies either side of me, i would have considered throwing myself out there after her.

We had been in the field for one hour when Nate finally spoke up, his hand found mine as I dug around in the soil, causing me to stop and look at him. "This morning, what we seen. You need to forget it." He pushed his eyes looking at me with a pleading lost look. "I need you to, every time I look at you I see the guilt on your face, and it makes me want to hit myself" he groaned clutching at his hair with dirty hands. "There was nothing we could do. If we had stood forward, we would have killed everybody!" his voice choked and tears came to his eyes

"I know" I sobbed "it was her or all of us" I nodded and after minutes of silence I returned to my digging.

"Do you think she thinks it was us?" Nate asked out of the blue

"That what were us?" I asked in confusion

"Who grassed her up, we turned up and she gets thrown off a train" I winced at his words, it's all too real.

"It crossed my mind" I nodded.

"Imagine how it looks" he looked down at his feet "to them" he gestured slightly over to them with a nod. He was right; it appeared that we were the most likely suspects. It occured to me that they were gonna try and make life harder for us now. or they would steer clear altogether. i really have no room for any more enemies. i have been hiding away from the feeders. Now the officers, and some of the townspeople are going to get thrown into the mix. I wont make it to my nineteenth birthday, im sure of it.