Marina

Marina was an orphan, of a sort. On her own for as long as she could remember, in a way. Scavenging for food and, when times got desperate, stealing food. She remembered one of the boys that she used to play with. She also remembered how he had left her all alone one day, to defend herself. She had been caught, called a thief, but Levana let her off the hook. She had given her everything she had ever wanted. A home.

She remembered when she was on earth, how joyful she had been. Her past was a foggy blur, never to bother her again. She remembered the sea, she remembered how when she swam in it she felt safe, as if it had always been her home. The beautiful creatures she saw were like close friends. She remembered that joyful feeling of being happy for once, and she remembered how that had been viciously taken from her when she woke up in Luna prison and found out that Levana was off her throne…

The floors were damp and gray and the walls were black. There was no lighting, so until Marina's eyes got used to the darkness, she wouldn't have been able to see her hand if she held it up in front of her face. The guard tossed her in a small, dark cell. "You'll be moved into a larger one later," and with that, he left. If she was moved to a different cell, that would be the second time they will have moved her. More people were being put in prison by the day. It was dreadful out there.

Marina was starving. When were they going to bring her food? Soon a tray and water were brought up, but as soon as she saw the mush on her plate, Marina lost her appetite and the water looked as if it had come from the sewer.

Now she was alone with her thoughts. She could finally think. Miarina wondered where the true Lunar queen was.

Levana was the one who let her forget her past and let her go to earth, to the sea. She couldn't even count all of the favors Levana had done for the people of Luna, yet everyone remembered her as an evil witch. Nobody ever did anything to help her. Marina hated the people of Luna for that. They don't know Levana's backstory; they shouldn't judge her.

When Levana had ruled, everything had been like those rumors said they were. No wars. Not one! All had been peaceful. Levana was in hiding now, but she would come back someday, and she would rule again…

Rose

Rose was free. She didn't know what to think. She couldn't even imagine a life outside of this prison anymore. She sat up from her bed as a guard came in. Excitement boiled up inside of her. Once she was free, she would be able to have a life again. She would be able to explore the moon again.

The guard must have seen the hopeful look that had crossed her face, for he laughed at her, and tossed another girl in.

She didn't understand. She was supposed to be out of this cage now. She called for the guard, but apparently since she still broke the law, she was still a criminal. Why had she even tried? She had long before learned that nothing in prison was in any way fair. Life was unfair. She turned back to look at her new roommate, and she immediately looked like a threat.

The girl was in nothing more than a bathing suit. She had tanned skin, as if she had spent a lifetime in the sun. She must've been on the run for a while. Long, black hair swept down her back. Rose looked away as she saw her emerald green eyes. Well, not really emerald, a bit bluer than that. And dark, very, very dark…

She caught the girl looking at her and tried to use her glamour to get those eyes off her. Nothing happened. She must be a shell, thought Rose. She was immediately disgusted. Not with the girl, but with the guard. With everyone on Lunar.

The girl had probably ended up in prison for no more of a reason than because she was a shell. She hated the way shells were treated. Her mother had been a shell...she should have lived a good, long life… Wait. This girl was in prison, even though she was a shell. That wasn't right. Shells were supposed to be executed, not put in prison.

"Are you a shell?" asked Rose in a voice that she hoped was brave-not weak and terrified, as she actually felt.

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?" she replied, her face completely neutral and impossible to read.

"I just get a funny feeling that you are a shell", said Rose, who was trying to remain strong in front of this mysterious girl. No need to act weak in front of someone who looks like they could probably snap you in half, she thought.

"A funny feeling", the girl thought out loud. "You seem pretty sure and you wouldn't know unless you-" She stopped, realization hitting her. Rose's gut plummeted. The girl did not seem happy at all. Rose was expecting the girl to get really mad at her, but instead she took a deep breath and faced Rose. "My name is Marina. What is yours?"

Rose's jaw dropped. She was nothing if not surprised. Marina had dropped it so quickly! Didn't seem at all upset anymore about Rose trying to take control of her with the powers that all Lunars are born with-unless you're a shell. But there is a twist to being a shell. You can't control anyone, but no one can control you.

It took Rose a while to register a response to Marina's question. "My name is...R-Rose", she stuttered, taken by surprise, she had totally dropped the act of being stronger than she actually was. Marina nodded. "So, how do we get out of here?" she asked. Rose just shook her head. She had tried to escape many times. She had never succeeded. It seemed like so long ago, when she had been drawn to escape like a magnet. How long exactly had she been locked down there, surviving off of the horrible food and dirty water they provided her with in this cell?

Right then Rose remembered why she had asked Marina if she was a shell. "How did you get here?" she asked. Marina frowned, not too fond in the change of subject. They stood in silence for a while. Just when Rose thought Marina was never going to answer, she heard the other girl sigh. "If you really want the truth," she says,"here it is: I stole." That one word rang inside of Rose's head, stole. She was absolutely horrified. People used to steal from Rose and her mother, until the...incident.

"How did you get here?" asked Marina. Her reply was immediate. "My mother was a shell and I protested when she was being executed." Rose blinked. That answer had been forced from her mouth. "You're not a shell." she realized. She had not been directing that at Marina- she had just been thinking aloud, but the girl still replied. "No, but I can't be controlled, either." Rose was extremely confused at this. "That isn't possible." she said. There were the gifted Lunars, who could control people, but also be controlled, and the shells, who couldn't control people, or be controlled. You can't be a mixture. That has never happened before.

Marina laughed. "No?" she asked. "I'm living proof that it is possible!" Rose shook her head. This girl made her uneasy. Very uneasy.

"Now", said Marina, snapping Rose from her tangle of thoughts. "Let's go back to my earlier question." Her voice was super jolly now, and it put Rose on edge. "How do we get out of here?" asked Marina, her face completely innocent. Rose stated all of the ways she had tried to escape that she remembered, not even trying to fight the girl's firm grip on her mind. Marina stood tall, tapping her chin, deep in thought, trying to figure out a way to get out of this wretched place. A guard stopped at their cell, interrupting Marina's thoughts. Those emerald eyes gave a suspicious sparkle as Marina saw the guard. A sign that Rose would later realize meant that Marina was up to something. As the guard stepped through the doors, he stopped, still holding the door open. Marina stepped out, and gestured for Rose to follow. Unsure what else to do, Rose stepped in front of the bars, and gave Marina a curious glare. The guard stepped back, locked the door, and gave Marina the keys through the bars, duct taping his mouth and giving her the roll for good measure. Right, thought Rose, the alarms don't go off unless the cell is empty.

She had asked so many people to help her, and now she was finally going to escape.

One girl she had asked reminded her so much of herself. Short blonde hair, big blue eyes, innocent looking, but Rose had still been locked in that cell. The girl had not helped either. Ever since that event, she had told herself, you can't rely on anyone. You want to get something done right? Do it yourself. She was having second thoughts on that now; Marina was helping her, even if she was a filthy thief. She wondered how long their delicate alliance would last. If they even had one.

The two of them crept down the hallway towards the exit of what had been Rose's prison for so long, and in some odd, horrible way, her home.