"She should be fine, I hope..."
"Sherbert, why would you do that? It's so unlike you! Sebastian, you should have stopped her!"
I could hear different voices of different genders and tones all around me.I don't know much, but what I do know is that the people these voices belong too are NOT my friends!Blinking open my eyes slowly to see a needle that's been inserted into my left arm connected to a solution of some sort. I try to move that arm, but it doesn't respond. I move my eyes over to see what else is going on. Sebastian, Rain, Harriet, Owen and Shelby are all present.
"W-what? N-no, why..." I choke out which seems to get their attention.I try sit up, but I'm pushed down by Owen and Harriet.
"You're okay now, Valerie." Owen tells me.
"You got tangled pretty hard out there to then be knocked out..."Harriet whispers.
I can feel a semi-uncomfortable pillow slipped under my head to go with a pillow that's already there to help prop me up. Trying to focus my senses, I glance back to Owen and Harriet. A small bright light makes me squint my eyes. Owen pulled a pen light from his pocket. "Can you see okay?" He asks me. I shake my head 'no' and I see him reach to something out of my distance and next thing I know, a light that had actually been on above me has been dimmed.
"That better?"
I nod my head."Good, good."
"So are you going to apologize to her, Sherbert?" I hear Harriet mumble. "W-who-who's Sherbert?" I question. "That... would... be... me. I-I don't know if you've heard Miss Harriet here, calling me that before." I hear Shelby stutter and she has a pet cat on her lap. Since when did she have a pet cat?
I try to sit up again. Owen and Harriet help me out this time, but I push them away indicating I don't want their help."Why'd you do it?" I ask while holding a hand to my forehead that's now pounding.
Shelby rubs her arm and looks away from me. I see Harriet shake her head in clear annoyance.
"So you're going to attack me and not offer an explanation why?!" I snap. The girls turns head to look at me and I see a look of anger in her green eyes. She jumps up and I see her pull out a shovel from a holster on her back and point it in my direction. "I don't OWE you anything!"
I hear Harriet gulp next to me and step back a bit. Owen looks shocked. "Mum, Dad!" He whispers. "Okay sugar-pie, that's enough. Uh... It's time for dinner actually. Let's get you some. Does your cat, Declan want some milk?" Rain questions in a lighter tone, standing up and guiding Sherbert from the room who carries Declan in her arms, away.
I turn and glare at Sebastian. "Oh, don't give me that look, Sprout."
I just cross my arms. "Okay, okay, okay, people. Let's stop... fighting...?" Harriet stammers. I take a good look at her and it dawns on me. "You!" I shout.
"Me?!" She say's looking a taken back.
"Yes!"
"Listen, Valerie, I know what you're thinking and -"
"No! Just shut up! Because of you, me and my friends are trapped here!"
"I'd keep that attitude of yours in check If you can. Because I can tell you now it won't be getting you far with us, or me." I hear Sebastian threaten and he has a bunch of my hair pins, including the one clip I had that stood out.
"Those are mine!" I cry. "Okay, okay, just stop there, Valerie. I can tell you're feeling pretty angry, hurt and betrayed which is understandable, but if you'll allow me to offer some kind of explanation, I can -" Owen begins, trying to intervene.
"Agh! Just get this whatever is in this needle out of my arm and I'm going!" I yell. Even Sebastian looks shocked now. He better be scared of me!
"Okay..." Owen says shortly and he removes the needle from my arm. "It was water I was giving you."
I say nothing. "Eh... I'm hungry too. I'm going to go, uh... follow 'Mum' and Sherbert. Bye!" I hear Harriet announce suddenly before backing away slowly, then running from the room as fast as possible.
"Harriet!" I hear Owen panic. Now, it's just him, Sebastian and me.
"Can I explain?" Owen questions. I just glare. "... I'll take that as a 'yes'"
He grabs a nearby chair and sits down. "That is Shelby, but sometimes we call her Sherbert. She can be uh, rather troubled somedays... I apologize for her attacking you like that..."
"Is she apart of the 'let's screw with our members' for fun?" I hiss. "Uh, yes. Yes, she is. We did have another Guard before, but... well Shelby replaced her so to speak and said 'Guard' was de-emoted."
"'Replaced her'? Who was 'her'?"
"Oh, you've met her, Sport. She's doesn't seem very fond of you, heh. Can't say the same for her teammate and cousin though, Avery. Usually well behaved, but since 'your' arrival, I'm not in a good mood."
I sit there feeling shocked at what I'm hearing. "You know what? This is all too hard for me! I'ma just go..." I trail off sliding my feet to the floor. "Wait!" I hear Owen call and his hand grasps my arm.
"?????"
"You can leave the Hospital, but take it easy... If you can. It was reported earlier by one of the Guards that you passed out in the dining hall, apparently in the woods and to just be knocked out now... Well, and considering the state you and your friends were found in, in the place we call a 'gate-way', I'm glad you all are... okay, to say the least. You haven't had an easy time since arriving here."
"Uh, no! I don't 'faint' regularly, not ever!"
"You sure? I know your type well, Valerie..."
"...." I narrow my eyes a bit and let my mouth drop a little. "Just... take it easy, Valerie, okay?. Sebastian, her and her friends since coming here haven't had a real chance to ease into life here and now were pushing them to compete in a sort of tournament for fun is determinant to each and everyone of their physical health and mental well-being, wouldn't you agree?"
"What?!" I hear Sebastian ask, perplexed. "I say we should give them a few days to get some strength back, rest and put some weight on. They aren't going to be at... their best to go out there and compete."
"Agh, fine."
"Well, there you have it, Valerie. You and your friends, try and get some strength back and rest well, eat, drink. All that stuff."
I nod and take a good look at Owen and he has a warm smile on his face. I can't resist blushing and feeling like my chest is beating a million miles a minute. His so... different to his group, not heartless. Rain is condescending, Sebastian is underhanded, Shelby... She's just hurtful, and Harriet is just two-faced?
"Valerie?" Owen speaks up, clearing his throat. "Sorry, tired." I apologize.
"That's okay. You take care all right?"
"Yes."
"Great. You have a nice night, okay? I... Well I'm hungry and I've got some food waiting for me with my name on it too, heh." Owen laughs, standing up to walk out the door. It's just me and Sebastian now. I gulp and look at him. He has a smirk on his face.
"Sebastian...?" I whisper slowly.
"Valerie." He says back to me, likewise. "You better be careful here, Sport. Because, take it from me. People around here, let alone on other teams to you are not your friends. They are only looking out for themselves, heck1
They are not even looking out for their team-mates. If you think you and your band of friends are going to stay tight close and knitted, you think wrong, heh. You'd be surprised how easily even the best of 'friends' will turn against each-other if it means an advantage, or a way to 'get ahead' so to speak.
Take this advice from me, you'll need it and don't even think of trying to get one up over me or my family, 'us.' We won't stand for it. Come." And he grasps my forearm, pulling me to my feet and leads me down a corridor that were no longer in what looks like a hospital. The further we go, the darker and colder it gets. There's almost no windows now. I see cobwebs are everywhere. I don't like cobwebs, they remind me of the way the orphanage was run before Princess Sophie's Mother's reign ended.
"What is this place?" I ask. Sebastian gives me a look and keeps walking. He has his hands behind his back and just keeps walking. "Do you remember my wifey trying to teach you a lesson?"
"Not exactly..." I whisper, not wanting to speak to loudly. The way he said what he said is... unsettling.
"Stop here." He commands all of a sudden and walks over to a door. We are at the end of the hallway. "Do you know how far down we are, Sprout?"
"Down? As in under-"
"Underground? Yes."
I gulp. I see Sebastian just smirk at my fear. "Are you cold down here?"
"Yes." I respond, trying not to show fear. "That's cute, Valerie. Trying not to show fear, makes you almost as cute as a young woman we used to have here. And by the way, we don't like members wasting food or being ungrateful for what we give them. Now, walk ahead of me. There's something I want you to see."
If he thinks I'm going to show my emotions, he has another thing coming!
"And, I'm not here to help you get ahead. Anything you need done or want help with, learn to do it yourself or ask someone who is a friend. You're an asset, were not. This afternoon was a rarity as I was feeling charitable."
I just keep my mouth closed. "Quiet? Good. You've learnt to keep your mouth shut. If only your 'friends' or the other members here were as smart as you. Now!"
This man might officially be worse than Sophie Ender's mother... Sebastian walks over to a door and lays a hand on it. "Take a look, Sprout, go on."
I walk slowly up to it, to see a small viewing window is built into it. I need to stand on my tippy toes, but I manage to look in and what I see chills me to the core.
"It's Avery!" I gasp, turning to look at Sebastian. I look back up and see her huddled on a camper bed with only a thin blanket and a floppy pillow. She is shivering and I can see her skins blue, but face red from crying. It's somewhat dark in there too...
When Sophie's mother punished people, she never it took this extreme...
"W-why?" I manage to choke out. All this cold air down here has now frozen my voice box and breathing a little. "It's simple. Others are not supposed to help others out there. You're better off looking out for only yourself here, Sprout. Helping others will only bring you deceit and treachery."
All I can do is try not to shake and I try to keep a straight face. "Go on, you can cry."
If he thinks that I'm going to giving him the satisfaction of crying, his got another thing coming!
"You're a resilient one, Valerie despite thinking you're not. I can see it in your eyes. You wish to guard your heart and all the emotions, thoughts, desires and most of all... Your fears you keep locked up inside. Now, you've seen what happens when people don't 'play games', our game in particular, let this serve as your warning not to test me again."
"I understand, I'm very sorry, Sebastian." I tell him.
"Apologetic? Good, good. You'll go far Sprout from now on, oh... but, eesh... I just worry that you may go back on your words. I said you were resilient and I'm not sure our little chat is enough to solidify 'things', so perhaps a demonstration of what we can do will concrete it for sure."
"What are you talking about?" I manage to get out, but it's too late as Sebastian seizes my arm and pulls me to the door next to where Avery is and pushes it open. "Goodnight, Valerie!" And he shoves me in, locking the door behind me and I hear his cackles fade as he seemingly leaves.
"No!" I shout standing up and running the door, pounding on it, but I don't think it does any good. I turn to the direction Avery should be in and shout her name and earn no response. Soundproof? They'll let me out in the morning, right? Us... out? Samantha tried to warn us about this.
I look over to the camping bed with a floppy pillow and thin blanket of it's own. Guess I have no choice, but to try and sleep through the night. I head over and curl up into a ball, trying to imagine and dream that I'm back home in the orphanage, surrounded my friends and classmates, under the protection of Sophie's democracy.
She, Solayo and everyone is probably worried about me, Louis, Kelsey and Cloud having gone missing and to top it all off, Louis, Kelsey and Cloud don't know where I went after being transported to Hospital. Oh Core, I hope Sebastian isn't going to hurt them!
It's hard not to stop the tears from falling and sliding down the corners of my cheeks. It's been so long now and all the feelings I was keeping bottled up, come flooding out and I cry myself sleep eventually while tracing my finger along the camping bed's metal frame. As I do, something scratched into one of the bricks that makes up the walls of this room has a name, 'Scout Hayes.'
I'm guessing this cell used to be theirs and they were released or they are... I gulp, daring not to even think of the alternative outcome.
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