This is my second story, please go easy on me. Hope you enjoy.
We were sent here to die. Rather than have us die from oxygen deprivation, they sent us to the surface. Our world's surface was thought to be uninhabitable for 95 years after our ancestors thought it'd be a good idea to have nuclear war, making the earth un-survivable. Or so we had thought.
Chapter one:
"When called, walk in an orderly fashion towards the visiting area."
Visiting hour, every Wednesday from 10:00 – 11:00am. The worst day of the week as far as Adria was concerned. Every Wednesday all of the prisoners were allowed out of their cells (excluding those in isolation) and into the rec area in the chance they would have visitors. Adria had got used to the fact no one was coming to see her. This had been easy once she made peace with the fact her father just didn't want to see her.
The positive part was the chance to interact with the other prisoners as they waited to be called through to see their loved ones. "You never know, Ads" Monty one of her friends from her station voiced, "Maybe he'll come today."
"It's been two years, why would he come now?" she shrugged, picking at the skin around her finger nail. Monty glanced at Jasper who sat next to him, both not wanting the share their thoughts. The truth was Adria would be turning 18 in two weeks and they all knew what that meant. At the end of those two weeks, Adria's case would be reviewed by the council and they would decide whether or not she would be executed for her crimes.
Monty opened his mouth but was cut off by Charles Connors, the head prison guard "prisoner 142!" Adria's head snapped up, had he just called her? Monty and Jasper looked up as well, trying not to show how surprised they were.
"Prisoner 142!"
"See what did I tell you!" Monty cheered tapping his friend on the shoulder "Go on" he added seeing that Adria had still yet to move.
"Prisoner 142, last chance!" Connors called. Charles Connors was not a patient man, and it was clear that he had even less patience for children. He was a slightly rounded man, with large red cheeks, which turned a light shade of purple whenever he yelled. Which was often.
"I'm here" Adria rose to her feet and began walking towards the security at the visitor's door. She stopped and allowed the guards to pat her down, routine security checks. Upon being given the ok she was lead through the door by one of the guards into the visitor's room.
This was the first time Adria had been in this part of the prison. She'd never had a reason to be. The room was pretty much like the rest of the prison, coloured grey with tables scattered about the room. Other prisoners were also scattered around, speaking quietly to their loved ones. Something about the color grey made everyone whisper. Adria looked around for any sign of her father. Nothing. She stood confused until her escort led her towards a table where a mostly unfamiliar man sat. The two sat in silence for a few moments as the guard turned and headed out the door.
As soon as the guard was out of ear shot her visitor leant across the table
"You Adria Harris?"
Staying mute she mentally scolded herself for even hoping that her father would come see her. Seeing he would get no response her visitor continued,
"You're probably confused, there must be other people you were waiting to see."
Again no answer.
"Right…um, my name's Wells" he began again "Wells…"
"I know who you are" finally breaking her silence "You're Jaha's son." It was a statement.
Well's nodded his head slowly, hearing the bitterness in her voice. He should have known not to expect anything else. A lot of people hated his father, and had good reason to.
A heavy silence fell between them, neither knowing what to say. Adria huffed in annoyance, combing a hand through her brown locks. First this guy, not just any guy – the chancellor's son had interrupted her rec time and then did nothing but sit there. Who did this guy think he was?
"What do you want?" she finally relented tired of just sitting there. Wells took a calming breath and leaned even further across the table.
"I need to you to help me get arrested."
"Huh?" Adria mentally slapped herself for her less than intelligent response. Had she heard him right? Did he really just ask her to help him get thrown in the sky box?
"Look there's not a lot of time for me to explain this, but something is going to happen. Soon."
"Something?" Adria's voice was sarcastic. And she wasn't sorry.
Wells sighed. "Yes, and I need to be in here when it happens. Do you understand?" he asked gesturing around the room as he spoke.
"Um, no. Why the hell do would you want to be locked in here?" Adria demanded "Don't you know what happens to prisoners after they turn eighteen? by the look of you, you're not far off."
Wells paused briefly to compose himself feeling his frustration growing "I just need to get arrested."
"I'm not going to get an explanation am I?"
"No"
"Then why should I help you?" Adria was starting to snarl now. What an arrogant tosser.
The dark skinned boy reached into his pocket and placed a small golden ring in the centre of the table. Adria recognised it immediately, it was her mother's wedding ring. Her eyes widened in disbelief, the ring had been confiscated when the council had floated her mother. How had he got it? Adria reached across the table and touched the metal band, as if testing to see if it was actually there.
"How did you get this?" Immediately she was suspicious.
"My father's the chancellor" he offered simply. Adria could see she wouldn't be getting any other explanation, she also knew if she wanted to keep the ring she would have to help the chancellor's son.
"It's not hard you know." She said in fake nonchalance, gripping the metal in her hand as if afraid that it would somehow disappear. Wells nodded reaching back inside his jacket and pulling out what appeared to be a hilt of a knife. Once she had seen it he quickly concealed it again looking around to see if he had been spotted.
"You can't be serious!" Adria exclaimed "They'll throw me in solitary" she added quieter this time as a few heads turned in their direction.
"Five minutes!" called the guard at the door, his eyes sweeping over the room looking for any sign of argument.
Wells eyes flicked towards the guard and back the Adria, a new sense of urgency entered him. This was his last chance to get himself into the space box.
"You won't be there long"
Adria opened her mouth to argue but stopped, seeing the seriousness in his eyes. It was clear that even though he was a jerk, he knew something that she didn't – that not being hard since she had been locked up for the last few years.
"Alright times up, all prisoners form a line!"
The sound of chairs scrapping the floor echoed around the room as everyone got up from their seats, prisoners heading back towards the skybox and visitors in the other direction. "Give me the knife" Adria whispered pushing her mother's ring onto her finger, she didn't know why but something in the back of her mind told her to trust him. The boy reached back in his pocket and as quickly as he could slid the knife across the table, without a second thought Adria picket it up and placed it in the waist line of her pants, stood nodded at the chancellor's son and headed towards the already forming line.
"Next." Adria stepped up, taking a breath knowing that at any moment the prison guard patting her down would find her concealed weapon. She silently hoped that her trust in Wells had not been misplaced and it had truly been sincerity in his eyes. What reason did he have to send her solitary confinement, she had never before spoken two words to the boy. And yet she had chosen to trust him. The word idiot played over and over on mental repeat.
Hands finally stopped on her waist and her shirt was pulled slightly up revealing the hilt of the badly concealed knife, "What's this?" the knife was taken from her waistband and help up by the guard searching her. Two sets of hands came behind her and gripped her arms tightly. Adria didn't fight as she was pulled aside to face Officer Connors, whose face lit up at the sight of the knife in his officers hands. Adria didn't listen as Connors ranted while waving the knife in front of her face, catching the attention of other prisoners as they were rushed through the door.
"...Put her in solitary, arrest the boy" a new sense of dread rested in Adira's stomach and she could only hope that Wells had somehow been telling the truth and she wouldn't be there long. Tightening the hold on her arms, the guards led her through the door and into the mass of the gathered prisoners. she didn't fight as they led her though the crowd. As they carted her towards the solitary confinement wing she caught the faces of Monty and Jasper, as they watched on with the same shocked expression.
