Hands gripped at Clarke, burning into her skin costing her precious seconds that she'd never be able to get back. Inside the airlock her father stared, his face a blank canvas devoid of feelings as he watched his daughter swing her arms at the guards posted. The voice counted down, the numbers a background noise that Clarke couldn't hear over the screaming. It wasn't until she was recklessly pressing buttons to make it all stop did she realize the screams were coming from her.
It didn't matter though. No matter what she did. Night after night, she lived through this. Again, and again and again. Every time she closed her eyes her fathers resigned face floated through her subconscious until Clarke screamed herself awake.
Abby had stopped coming in to check on her daughter. Clarke screaming in the night was a common occurrence and the girl had her fathers stubbornness. She refused help each time her mother come in, though she knew the woman sat outside her door until Clarke could force her to stop crying.
That night Clarke couldn't take it anymore. If she never slept again, it would be too soon. She wrapped herself in her father's old sweater, the edges threadbare and falling apart like everything on the Ark did. She sat in the quiet, curled up tightly. Waiting and listening for Abby to walk back to her own room. The room that woman use to share with Clarke's father.
As soon as she heard the retreating footsteps Clarke got out of bed, got dressed and quietly left their compartment. The good thing about her mother being on the counsel meant that sneaking out didn't need to be quite as sneaky as others her age. Their compartment was larger and Clarke didn't have to worry about the woosh of the door alerting her mother to what she was doing.
Clarke didn't really know what she was doing. The only real friend she had that was her age was Wells Jaha and he wasn't exactly the sneak out at night type. He followed rules, planned every action three steps ahead. Something Clarke had done herself until tonight. Being a good Alpha Station occupant hadn't saved her father, why in the world would it save her if the counsel figured out she knew what she knew.
She meandered the first night Almost getting caught quite a few times when she forgot to take into account the rolling guard rotation. She knew about the rotation, probably better then most kids in Alpha station did, and yet she had forgotten about the guard completely until one unit was practically on top of her.
It wasn't a particularly graceful maneuver, she pretty much just climbed into a trash unit to avoid them, but it worked like a charm. If she gave a damn about the Ark, she might have mentioned the lax in security to her mother. What would it matter though, since they'd all be dead in a few months anyway?
The ache in her bones told Clarke that she had been walking aimlessly for far too long. It was going to be morning soon and her mother would not be too happy to find Clarke not in her bed. She turned on her heels ready to head back to their Compartment when she heard the noise. It wasn't loud but considering the part of Mecha station she was in it was unexpected. Clarke walked this way to avoid the Guard rotations. Nothing was in this wing, which made it safe from any type of monitoring. Yet she heard the soft petals of laughter. Instead of heading back she followed the noise. Walking through some very tight spaces until she come upon a very well-lit corridor that opened into something else. All noise stopped when she came into view. Kids and teenagers of all ages stopped to stared at her, some glaring daggers into her skin, other merely shocked to see their spot had been compromised.
Clarke was decidedly uneasy. She said nothing as they stared, her fingers pulling on a loose thread just to have something to do with her hands.
She recognized several of the kids her age from class. They were from all over the Ark, farm Station, Mech, even Arrow who didn't normally interact with the rest of the station. How did they all get here and avoid the guards?
"Great, Well Party Station is officially dead." A boy from her earth history class said, finally breaking the silence that had followed Clarke showing up. Clarke chuckled at the name, mildly amused for the first time in weeks. "Are you going to Narc on us?" He spat out, scornfully glaring at Clarke like she was the destroyer of dreams.
"Well if I did that, I'd have to narc on myself too." She offered up, her tone light hoping to put some people at ease. At the moment she felt like she was about to be lynched.
"Calm your ass Murphy." A girl said, speaking up and appearing from the shadows. Her dark skin glowing in the artificial light. There was a playfulness about her that made Clarke feel less like she had the weight of the entire Ark on her shoulders. Plus it was nice to see the boy who obviously hated her roll his eyes and looking slightly uncomfortable. "She's obviously a Delinquent like us. Come sit with me Clarke."
Clarke walked over to the girl, slightly hesitant. It didn't surprise her the girl knew her name. She and Jaha were notorious. Kids of the elite, kids her own age didn't quite enjoy that which was probably why she was as close to Jaha as she was. Like finds like and all that.
As Clarke sat next to the girl, the slight buzz of people talking started again. Not quite as care free and loud as before, but Clarke was thankful for it.
"What is this place?" She asked as soon as she sat down.
"It's exactly as Murphy said. It's Party Station." She girl answered with a slight laugh. Her arms going wide as if the movement itself would explain it.
"I get the premise." Clarke answered a bit shorter then she probably would have had she gotten more sleep. She almost felt bad for snapping, but the girl's eye lit up. "I just meant, hell I don't know exactly. I never thought there was anything down here."
"That's what we wanted people to believe." Clarke's brows furrowed. The more this girl explained the more confused Clarke found herself. She seemed to speak in riddles and normally Clarke was good at them but now it was all over her head. "It's almost time for morning rounds. You are a long way from Alpha station. Why don't you come back tonight, and I'll explain."
Clarke nodded, noticing for the first time that the few people that were still here were quickly moving out. She stood up, ready to do the same when she turned back around for a moment. "How do you know I won't just tell my mom about this?" She asked the girl, who just smiled sweetly, her thin lips stretching over her teeth like an animal that had been caged far too long.
"I don't, but I figured you wouldn't be this far into the Ark at this time of night without a good reason. And that reason is completely you own, but it gives me faith that you aren't what everyone believes you are." She smiled again, softer this time. "See you tonight, Clarke."