Author's Note: Here is the introduction to an idea I have for a story following Group B. As Group B was a group of girls instead of boys, I envision there to be some differences in group dynamics and storyline.


She wasn't sure what she expected. She didn't even know if she'd had an expectation.

The metal room shuddered as it came to a stop. Her body jolted violently, but the deafening screeches ceased.

For that much she was thankful. But panic still gripped her limbs when she tried to think. She couldn't remember anything about herself. Not family or friends. Not a home. Not even a name. But she remembered that she should have those things. She knew those things were a part of being human.

To keep her mind off what she couldn't do, she focused on finding a way out of the room. She had tried all the walls already to no avail. But now that she had stopped moving, she could finally stand. She climbed on top of one of the crates in the dark room with her and slid her palms around the ceiling. It was made from the same iron material as the walls. She felt for a latch, a handle, something that might open it. She found nothing. She pulled on the grated ceiling. Nothing. She pushed against it. It gave somewhat but almost immediately hit another wall above her, allowing it to open only a couple inches. In frustration she slammed the grate against the wall. Instantly grinding and clanging sounded around her, and a sliver of light appeared above her. The sliver grew as the wall slid apart in two directions. She covered her eyes from the blinding light with an arm. She stepped down from the crate and backed against the wall, wary of any danger that may lie outside the room.

Surrounding the edges was a group of about thirty girls. Some seemed to be her age. Some seemed older, some younger. The crowd of girls met her with quiet mumbles and curious stares. Some grinned. Some frowned.

One girl muttered something through a crooked smile to someone next to her. The pale girl was the tallest of the group and stood confidently with arms folded over her full chest and layered, raven hair falling past her shoulders. The shorter girl next to her elbowed the taller one sharply.

One girl stepped to the grate and hefted it open. She immediately noticed her red-hair and slim build. The girl squinted down at her with dark, nearly black, irises.

"What do you want?" she growled to the red-head.

"I'm just trying to help," the girl replied through a chuckle. She slid down onto one of the crates then dropped to the floor.

"I'm Sonya," the girl explained carefully, placing a hand on her own chest. "Do you know your name?"

She couldn't find it. She searched her memory, thoughts swirling around her brain with nothing to latch onto. But she couldn't find it. The basest aspect of her identity, she couldn't find.

"It's alright. You'll remember soon enough," the red-head encouraged her with a wide grin. "Let's get you out of here."

Cautiously she approached Sonya who had climbed back out and now offered an arm down to her. She clambered up the crates and grasped Sonya's arm, finally climbing from the small metal room.

She took in the beautiful scenery around her: the lush green grass at her feet, the thick forest to her right, the shimmering pond behind her, the calm blue sky above her. There was even a quaint, two-story, wooden house in one corner. But the drab gray walls, hundreds of feet tall surrounding the area didn't seem to fit. And a strange, small building of the same material squatted next to the hole from which she had just come.

"Okay, everybody get back to work," a dark-skinned girl shouted as she stepped from the crowd. "Cookaids, take care of this food. Got a big night tonight."

The girls chuckled and a few even clapped excitedly as they dispersed to different areas, chattering and laughing. A few jumped down into the room from which she had just come and began hefting the crates out.

"I'm Harriet," the dark-skinned girl addressed her. Her close-cropped, bushy, black hair gave her a serious, commanding air.

"And I'm not sure who I am," she replied. "It's good to meet you, Harriet."

Harriet chuckled.

"Well, then it's good to meet you, too, Not-Sure-Who-I-Am," Harriet bantered. So she did have a sense of humor.

"This is a bit overwhelming," she said, gazing around at the scenery.

"Yes, we know. We've all been in your place," Sonya replied. "We'll do our best to explain. But relative to some of the other girls I'd say you're pretty controlled. Wouldn't you say, Harriet?"

She raised her eyebrows as she addressed Harriet. The dark-skinned girl laughed.

"Yes, I would definitely say so," Harriet agreed. "Remember when Beth came in?"

"You mean didn't come in?" Sonya joked.

"She broke two noses and a few ribs before we realized she was a hands-off kind of girl," Harriet expounded.

"Not so 'hands-off' now-a-days," Sonya muttered towards the ground with a grin.

"Where are we?" Taryn asked in confusion.

"Everything you see is a part of what we call the Grange," Harriet explained.

"And what you don't see is out there past the walls," Sonya said, pointing at the closest towering gray structure. "There's a maze constructed from walls like those around the Grange."

"No one goes out there except our Runners," Harriet said, gazing intensely at her. "No one. It's too dangerous. Do you get that, newbie? Don't leave the Grange. Or you will die. And in here we can't afford casualties."

She nodded slowly, brow still scrunched in confusion.

"Why do they go into the maze at all then?" she asked.

"To find a way out," Sonya answered simply, shrugging her shoulders. "We can't stay here forever."

"I've got to head off," Harriet said, turning away. "I'll see both of you tonight."

Harriet walked off behind them and Sonya began heading towards the wall.

"This way, newbie," Sonya called over her shoulder, a hint of laughter in her voice.

She caught up with Sonya quickly as the tall, lanky girl kept a brisk pace.

"Where are we going?" she asked in confusion.

"You're getting the official Grange tour," Sonya replied with a grin.


Author's Note: Thanks for reading this short intro chapter. Please leave comments!