Flame ➸ John Murphy

1

Four gray walls were West's company's for years. She'd stare at them. Talk to them. Even dance with them. The occasional visits from guards warmed her heart, even though they wouldn't stay longer then a couple minutes. West sat in front of the wall as she stared up at it. Humming a tune to herself, she waited for her lunch.

"Hello Reginald." West smiled as she heard the door open behind her. "It can't be lunch already."

Her voice dragged off as she turned to face the door. Instead of her usual guard, there were too men she had never seen before. Quickly she stood and moved to the corner of her room.

"You're not Reginald." She frowned.

"He's with someone else." The man spoke in a monotonous voice.

West looked at the men up and down. She realized one had a small case that he was opening. Inside seemed to be metal cuffs.

"Prisoner 293 face the wall." The man with the cuff spoke as he moved towards the girl. 

"No. What is that?" West asked as she pushed herself further into the wall.

"Hold out your wrist." The man ignored her.

"It's not my time yet. I'm still not 18." West protested as the man grabbed her arm.

Looking at the metal cuff, West saw needles sticking out from the inside. She swallowed deeply before yanking her wrist away. Her fist found its way to the mans nose while the other man pulled out his weapon. With adrenaline pumping through her West hit the other man causing him to fall to the ground.

Running to the cell door she pushed it open. West looked around to see every person from every cell being lead out by guards. She hasn't seen that many people in years. Her mouth fell in awe, momentarily forgetting about the guards after her.

"What is she doing out here?" a voice called making West turn her head.

Another guard stood at her cell door as the two men stumbled out of it. Seeing her leaning against the rail, the guards hurried after her. West moved her feet down the hall as she pushed passed other guards and prisoners. She didn't know what was happening to them all, but she knew it couldn't be good.

West slowed as she neared a large group of guards she knew she wouldn't be able to get through. Even though her pace slowed, the men behind her didn't stop running.

An electrifying pain spread through West's body as a guard brought a taser to her back. Her body shook before falling to the ground. Black dots clouded her vision as two men helped pull her to her feet.

"I knew it wasn't lunch time." She quietly mumbled to herself in anger.

A man clamped the bracelet onto her wrist. West winced at the pain of the needles stabbing into her skin before letting her head fall. She let the men pull her week body through the prison.

"She's a fighter. I'll bet she survives on the ground." One of the men said.

The ground? I'll die there!

West began trying to move from the men's grip, but they held on too tight. Her body wasn't recovered from the shock allowing them to drag her right into a drop ship.

The guards placed her into a seat before strapping her in. As West began to regain feelings and the black spots left her vision she realized it was too late. The ship was already speeding away from the ark.

West let her eyes roam around the ship, looking at the faces she vaguely recognized. Like a blurred memory. Her eye landed on two boys strapped to the wall next to her. Their faces were full of worry as they looked at each like it was the last time they'd see each other.