The End

Chapter 1

"'Gale? Gale. Come on, buddy, wake up.' Those were the first words I heard. I thought I was dead, those peacekeepers, the fire, everything, I thought they'd shot me, or the place had exploded, I don't know, anything, I just thought I was dead. Then some guy found me, I don't know who, they didn't hang around, but they knew me, they must have known me well, I guess, or they knew my bow, or, whatever! They woke me up, but they left, I couldn't move, moving hurt too much, talking was the same, I could just lie there and wish for the pain to stop. That was everything, there was nothing outside the pain, it was my world. But, I guess you know how it feels." I look over at the scarred girl in front of me, sitting there with worry in her eyes, this hairless girl, who I'd scorned not so long ago, Madge Undersee looked right back at me. I don't think I looked that different to her, scarred all over and completely bald. "I guess you know the story from there, someone finds me after a few hours and I'm rushed to a hospital. It was days before they let me wake up, a week before they let me have a mirror, several before they told me that someone had thrown something into the house and made it explode." I glanced at her again, then looked down to the floor. ". Wa-was it worse for you? With no one there, just on your own?" Madge nodded, looking down towards the floor and her eyes glazing over slightly. "Madge, it's alright, I'm here, nothing's gonna happen." I reached over and patted her hand gently, making her start. "Sorry, I forgot, no contact, right?"
This time she shook her head. "It's not that, it's just, it always hurts, but it didn't, everything hurts, Gale, but it didn't."

"You mean you've healed? We'll have a party! I'll find some berr-" I stop, mid-sentence as I remember I'm not allowed outside. "Maybe no berries then." I finish sadly.

"Maybe they could find some berries for us, something nice?"
I shake my head. "It wouldn't be the same. Madge, can I, can I hear your story?"

Her eyes harden. "No. Never. No one. Ever. Don't ask again, however much you want to. I won't tell."

"I won't ask, Madge, never again, I promise." Everyone had guessed at her story, she had been found in the woods, crawling and nearly dead, burned from head to toe. It was a wonder she was still alive, the fires had destroyed everything else, except her. She must have been walking to Victor's Village, because she wasn't at the meadow, but why would she go there? I shouldn't think about this now, later, or never, not now. Then the bell pealed and the pair of doctors walked in to take us back to our beds, with me scowling all the way.