"the day that she thought she died was the first time she started to live."
in a future where the United States has fallen, replaced by the controlling government known as The Order, a hidden conspiracy ties together three people, and a revolution b...
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The wound on her wrist seemed to burn with anticipation. She felt the sudden yearn to scratch the healing cut. It could be a chance to run. She wondered for a moment what would happen if she sprinted into the hall, shoving by the other girls. It was a fleeting moment, that disappeared into nothingness. Something that she would never be able to do.
The officer stepped aside, holding the door open for her. "This way, please," he said. "Follow the line." There was a hint of pleasantry in his voice, as though he was trying to be kind; it was surprising.
Red felt herself hesitate to follow his orders, and regretted it as soon as it happened. She knew that she had to do what he said, but a part of her was holding back. The officer looked at her, his face changing from boredom to annoyance. He slammed the clipboard against the door.
"Get in line!" he yelled.
The girls walking down the hallway glanced over quickly while passing by, their eyes peering into the bedroom. They didn't want to experience the same fate as Red. She quickly walked past the man, slipping into the formation of the other Agents. It was an odd image to see: the narrow, white hallway that held many doors with last names engraved in the middle. The women wore the same clothes, fully black, clashing brightly against the white surroundings. The only men in the hall were the Order officers; Sparrows could only ever be women. Red liked to think that it was a sick joke.
In that moment, she felt like a rat within a maze. A rat in a maze can be free to go anywhere it may please, as long as it is still in the maze. Red realized that she could stop, turn around and run. Search and search for that golden exit - and then what? There was no life outside of the Sparrow Facility. No family was waiting for her in another district. No one would know if she disappeared, if she happened to escape from Gilded. She held her hands behind her back. Her nails scratched against her skin, the quick moments of sharp pain acting like a bell to bring her back into reality.
Don't let them grind you down.
Don't let them grind you down.
I'm whittled.
Don't let them.
Don't.
Red turned down the hall, feeling more like a machine than a person. The hallway was opening up to the Sparrow's training auditorium. It was meant for early morning physical training but was mainly used by the higher level Sparrows. Her heart rate spiked, banging against her chest cavity. Red pinched her skin, eyes darting around hesitantly. There was a makeshift stage placed in the middle of the auditorium, and a few rows of chairs set up in front of it. The girls were taking seats in rows, all holding cold postures, except for their eyes. Red could always tell the pain in the eyes, and all of the girls seemed scared.
She took her seat next to a girl she didn't recognize. Someone who probably trained in another building. Red began to wonder if these were going to be her last few minutes alive. Red already felt like she was buried.
