Only The Brave- The 100

we're on the ground

[CHAPTER ONE]

[THE PRIVILEGED VS THE WORKING CLASS]

The ringing in her ears was overwhelming. She didn't move, or speak, she just watched with her jaw hanging down to her toes and her eyes as wide as dinner plates, full of child-like bliss. It felt as if everything around her was a film, playing in slow-motion as her heart rate picked up rapidly along with her erratic breathing. 

The ground.

She had made it, Margaret Kane had successfully made it to the ground, and she must admit it exceeded all of her expectations. She had dreamed of this day many times over but not once had she considered making it to earth as a punishment. Margaret and 99 other young criminals had been shipped down as a result of their 'expendability' according to their chancellor, and as much as she had despised the man for grouping her with a bunch of savage children, she was overjoyed that she had made it nevertheless. 

Her eyes danced around the greens and blues that filled her vision, deeply appreciating the vibrant colours after growing up surrounded by nothing but bleak greys and blacks. She wanted to explore everything, ignoring the warning signals blaring in her mind, becoming completely unaware of all of the dangers that surrounded her. With her head in a book for most of her life, Margaret admittedly viewed life as a fairy tale and expected a knight in shining armour to always keep her safe while she sat in a tower combing her hair. 

She was snapped out of her euphoric trance by an eruption of laughter from behind her, but not playful. It was taunting  and threatening, fuelled by entertainment that did not seem so innocent. Intrigued, her slim figure floated over and joined the large crowd of criminals. She stood on her toes to see over the masses of people, just to get a glimpse of any action. She didn't want to partake in such poor behaviour, but alas her curiosity always managed to get the better of her.

Although she was of tall build, the crowd around her was far too large and so she simply crossed her arms uncomfortably around herself. Her eyes darting amongst the cheering teenagers surrounding her cautiously, they were dangerous and uneducated people and Margaret didn't doubt they would rip her head off if she looked at them the wrong way. She had never been surrounded by this many people, from what she can recall, never had she even met more than a few people at a time, let a lone 99 blood-thirsty delinquents.

"I got a better idea. You two go, find it for us. Let the privileged do the hard work for a change."

This comment had peaked Margaret Kane's interest. She knew of the social hierarchy on the Ark and she also knew she very comfortably sat at the top. According to her father, 'her people' where the hardest workers on the Ark and hence the most valuable of their society, they made the laws, enforced the laws, and lead their people to survival. By the sound of the crowds agreement, she could only assume most of her peers belonged to lower classes;  janitors and farmers.