"Stop the clocks, stop the cars.

Tell your dad at the plant to come home.

Do not smile. Do not sing.

Close your eyes and go to bed.

I forgive, I pretend not to smile

cause I am stronger than you.

You're transparent and glasslike."

~Carpark North 'Transparent and glasslike'

Chapter 2: Hide and Seek"

January 5, 2021

I hated school. Ever since I remembered I have hated school. Not because I didn't enjoy learning. Or because it was such a fucking monotony. I just hated all those kids. All those stuck up, materialistic, 'it's all about me' kinda girls. And all those guys who thought they could have anything and anyone thanks to their good looks and/or money. My school was very diverse. You could take your pick. I belonged to the poor and weird group, so naturally my days never really went smoothly.

As I walked out of my science class, I collided with someone who was walking down the hall with a group of his friends. I dropped all my books on the floor and heard them all snicker, as I kneeled to pick them up.

"Now sweetheart, get it together or there won't be much left of you in three months from now." the guy I bumped into teased me with a mischevious smirk on his face. "wouldn't wanna see such a doll go too soon."

"Fuck you, Marvel." I snapped, getting up from the floor and storming off, ignoring whatever it was they were yelling after me. See what I meant when I said I hated school?

I made it to my locker and angrily opened it, almost breaking the lock. "Stupid, nasty ass, rich little douchebag." I murmured under my breath, throwing all my books inside carelessly.

"Nice language, little girl."

I glanced to the side and glared at the boy who was standing next to me, leaning against the lockers. He was tall and muscular and looked like any other jerk in school. And yet the smirk on his face was amused and warm, not mischevious. He had blonde hair and intense, blue eyes. I found myself staring at him for too long so I shook my head and turned my head away.

"Seems like you're fed up with shit being the way... shit is." he said, his smirk growing wider. I allowed a small smile to curve my lips before glancing at him again.

"Failed English class, didn't you?" I joked, closing my locker.

"No, but it was close." he grinned. "So listen, feisty." I rolled my eyes. "I'm not trying to hit on you or anything, no stress. I just heard your and that punk's little word exchange back there and figured you would be interested in something I'm about to offer you."

"Yeah?" I said in a voice full of doubt. "What would that be?"

He smiled mysteriously and as much as I didn't want to think of him that way, he was very nice to look at. That I couldn't deny even if I wanted to.

"Ever been out on a Purge night?" he whispered, piercing me down with his intense eyes.

"I, uh," I stuttered. Why the question? "No."

His smile faded just a little bit and then he looked around to make sure no one was trying to eavesdrop on us. I furrowed my eyebrows at his behavior. This guy was intriguing. But he also made me feel uneasy. What was it that he wanted to offer me?

He suddenly leaned closer to me, his hand placed on the locker above my head. I could feel his breath on my face. I fought back a blush and looked straight into those blue eyes of his;

And one smirk later...

"Wanna change that?"

March 21, 2023

7:12

From previous years, I sure have learned one thing when it comes to the Purge: if you stop moving, you're dead.

And so I didn't. Ignoring all the fatigue and diziness, I never stopped. I made sure that I was always moving at a pace faster than a jog. I stuck close to the buildings, avoiding open streets cause that was just like asking for someone to come and kill me. My head felt like exploading and I could swear my heart was about to jump out of my chest. I had never wanted to be home as much as I did now.

I heard multiple gun shots in the near distance so I quickly turned into the dark alley on my left and hid behind one of the trash containers, panting heavily. Next came a few panicked screams and then, the already familiar to me, roaring of motorcycles. And then I saw two men running down the street before the gang of masked guys I had seen before caught up with them. I put my hand over my mouth to muffle any noises my heavy breathing was making. The two man tried to escape but they had no chance. I watched a couple of guys get off their motorbikes and grab them. I expected for them to take out knives and stab those two right there and then. But that didn't happen.

Instead a white truck suddenly arrived and the two men were picked up and thrown into the back of it. I furrowed my eyebrows quizzically. Where the hell where they taking them?

The two men begged and screamed but nobody listened. Shortly after the truck door was slammed closed and the gang was gone. I couldn't help but wonder who they were. What were they going to do with those people?

I didn't need a mirror to know that my face was white and glistening with sweat. All of a sudden I felt really sick so I squatted and threw up on the ground in front of me. I cringed at the unpleasant taste, then slowly dragged the back of my hand across my mouth.

"Fuck," I gasped, tears filling my eyes when I truly began understanding just how bad my situation was.

No weapons. All alone. 11 and a half hours to go.

March 20, 2021

2:13 pm

I didn't know why I was doing this. I really had no clue. I guess I had decided to go with it simply because for once in my life I was doing something exciting. Different. It was like a shot of adrenaline. It was quite a change from how I used to live before. I felt like I could do whatever I wanted.

"Ready, little one?"

I turned around and faced the guy in front of me, allowing myself to glare. "I will be if you stop calling me a little one, Cato."

"Sure thing, little girl," he smirked, handing me something that looked like a machete. I rolled my eyes, but said nothing, as I took it from him. "no worries, it's not real."

"Too bad." I said, twirling it in my hand and sending him a dark look.

"Easy there, tiger." he said, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "I wanna live."

"Then shut up and let's do this." I snapped impatiently.

And so we did. Like on every weekend, we were in the school gym, training for something that I was yet to experience. Cato sure knew how to fight. He knew many tricks. He knew how to move fast enough to avoid getting hit or injured. It was like a dance. Before long I knew how to dance along to the beat with him.

At one point during our training session, Cato thrusted his machete forward and I spun around quickly. In a matter of few seconds I disarmed him. His machete flew across the room, hitting the wall with a dull sound. He watched his weapon fall to the ground, then I felt his eyes land on me. "Nice job, feisty."

"What is it with you and all those nicknames?" I huffed in annoyance. I liked the guy. I did. He was something else. He was clever and ambitious. Talented, as much as he refused to admit it. He treated me with respect. I was really starting to see a friend in him. But man, was he not a pain in my ass at times.

"I don't know." He smirked. "Call it me being creative."

I laughed, walking away. "You mean annoying-"

Something huge hit me out of the blue and before I knew what was going on, I was already on the floor, face down. I felt my hands being held together behind my back and his warm breath on my ear before he whispered: "One final advice for tomorrow, little girl," he said, making goosebumbs cover my skin. "Watch your back."

He quickly rolled me over and I was now staring straight into his amused eyes, my hands now held above my head. "They won't care how pretty you are, they'll try killing you anyway."

As soon as he said that, his smile faded and he looked like he caught himself off guard. I frowned, because it was the first time since we'd met that I've seen him look so serious all of a sudden especially after throwing a harmless compliment.

His hand held both of mine in captive as he had me pinned down. But he wasn't looking at me at all. I could tell his mind was somewhere else. He had this absent look on his face and for the first time I actually became worried for him. So worried that I even decided to ignore what he'd just said.

"Cato, you alright?"

He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. We stayed like that for a minute maybe and then he got off of me and got back on his feet. "Hope I didn't hurt you." he said, offering me his hand. I took it, frowning, and he swiftly pulled me up.

"I'm fine," I said slowly, my eyebrows still furrowed. "what's wrong?"

He put his hand on the back of his neck, looking strangely troubled. I didn't understand his behavior. I wasn't sure what to think and truth be told, I wasn't sure if I wanted him to tell me.

"Look, Clove.." he whispered, locking eyes with me. "I want you to think twice before you leave the house tomorrow."

"What?" I gasped in disbelief. He couldn't be serious. It was his idea in the first place.

"I mean it, okay? You don't know what it's like out there. People are fucking animals."

"Then why the hell would you waste time training me if you're gonna try and talk me out of it now?"

"I didn't expect I'd start feeling so responsible for your life, Clove." he blurted out so fast I almost missed the message. I took a step back, shocked to the core, but said nothing. I let him continue: "I'm the one who put you into this! Okay? And if you die out there tomorrow, that'll be on me, too."

I looked away, feeling sick all of a sudden. I guess I didn't think much of what could actually happen if I followed through with the plan. Seemed like I didn't do much thinking at all. "You said you guys only go to rich neighborhoods. Nobody else is there-"

"Clove, you make it sound so easy, when it's not. Just because nothing has happened to me so far doesn't mean this time won't be different. You can't predict shit when it comes to that night."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I snapped, my blood boiling. "You could have told me all that three months ago when you first introduced me to this brilliant idea of yours. We would've saved a lot of time."

"I didn't say anything because I want you out there with me tomorrow!" he yelled, making me flinch. "I do! You're a good fighter and you're passionate about teaching those fucks a lesson they deserve. I want you to go with me. But that's just fucking selfish, ain't it?" he turned his back on me and cussed some more under his breath, running a hand through his hair. Silence filled the room for a good minute before he spoke again;

"I can't."

"What?" I asked him, my voice dry and cold. Who the hell did he think he was?

"You shouldn't go out there tomorrow, you can't." he said, glancing at me over his shoulder. "You should stay home. I'll see you Monday."

And with that he just began walking away. Just like that. I fumed.

"What the hell was the point of all this then?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I realized I felt somewhat used and betrayed. I couldn't just let him get away with that. "What was the point of all those speeches you've been feeding me about making a difference?! About how we have the right to fight for justice after it had been taken away from us!"

Cato stopped walking and so did I. I watched his shoulders move up and down fast as he breathed faster than normally to keep up with his pounding heart. "Talk is cheap, Clove." he said, his back still facing me. "It doesn't mean anything."

"Then what did you come to me for?" I laughed with irony, even though I was far from being amused. He let out a deep breath and finally turned around.

"We look for people who are willing to risk their lives to show the world just how much we disagree with the system. We look for those who aren't afraid to not make it through the night." he told me with a pained look on his face. "When I first saw you, I thought you were like that."

"I am."

"Yeah, you are." he admitted reluctantly. "But I don't think you want to be like us."

"What are you talking about?"

"It all sounds great when I talk about it, ok? You probably have visualized us as this rebellious group of young people marching through the city, waving flags and protest posters around. But trust me," he lowered his voice to a whisper, taking a few steps toward me. "that's not the case."

I looked deep into his eyes, searching for answers, but he was no open book. I barely knew the guy. He knew hardly anything about me. And yet, here he was, sounding concerned about my life. He was the one to come to me with that offer and now, three months later, he suddenly was having second thoughts?

"If that's true, why'd you ask me to join you?" I asked, sincerly curious. Because at this point I really had no clue what was going through that guy's mind. He seemed to have lost himself, as well, looking as if he wasn't sure what his problem was anymore.

"Honestly?" he whispered, looking away. "I don't know."

March 21, 2021

5:00 pm

I nervously played with my fingers as I stood in front of a door, debating with myself whether I actually wanted to go in that apartament or not. After last night I wasn't sure. All those things that Cato had said; was he just trying to be all protective or was he only trying to scare me? I didn't know anymore.

See, I was the type of person that did not like changing plans. Whenever I decided something, I would always be very eager to follow through with it. I had made my decision weeks ago and have been determined to fullfill the plan ever since. Cato had invited me to join them tonight and I was sure as hell I didn't need his permission at this point. And so I lifted my hand and firmly knocked on the door three times, then waited for someone to respond. And I didn't have to wait long.

A tall guy with sandy brown hair and brownish eyes opened the door. As soon as his eyes landed on me, he put on a smirk, showing off his dimples. "Why good evening, princess." he drawled, trying to sound sexy. "Name's Finnick. You must be Clove."

"And you must like pain." I snapped, referring to the nickname he just gave me. My half-hearted threat didn't really have the desired effect on him, because all he did was laugh.

"Come on in then, killer." he said, moving aside so I could walk past him. I just sent him a glare, then walked inside, ignoring Finnick's attempt to check me out. I looked around and saw at least a dozen of people, dressed in similar black, sport outfits. Some of them were just standing around, chatting; others were sitting on the couch by the table where all kinds of weapons had been lied out. From pistols to swords and knives. At the sight of them I felt a quickly growing lump in my throat.

I was really going out there tonight..

"Yo, Cato!" Finnick's voice rang out from behind me. "Someone's here."

I noticed him almost immediately; he was standing by the window, checking out the gun in his hand, accompanied by some girl I don't think I've ever seen before. As soon as he heard Finnick, though, his head shot up and his eyes found mine. We stared at each other for a little while and then he said something to the girl, before making my way over to me.

"You came." he said, lacking that famous smirk of his he always used to greet me with.

"Yeah," I nodded, my eyes daring him to start some shit again. "did you think I'd chicken out?"

"Nah," he said with a laugh. "girls like you don't come around."

My face slowly broke into a smile but it quickly faded when Finnick came back into the picture.

"Hey, princess, want a sugar cube?" he asked, tossing one up in the air before catching it again. "I mean, they're supposed to be for the coffee, but considering we're all about to head outside on a Purge night, I think it'd be pretty wise to grab everything sweet in sight, don't you think?" he winked at me suggestively, ignoring Cato's glare.

"Sure," I said in an extremely fake sweet voice. "but if you keep this up, that sugar cube will be your last meal."

Finnick laughed before slapping Cato on the back. "You sure know how to pick them."

Having said that, he strolled away, leaving Cato looking pretty embarrassed. "Ignore him, he's a douche."

"That's okay, I'm sure he knows where he can stick that sugar cube." I said, smirking at him and making him laugh.

"As long as he can run fast with it, I don't care." he joked, looking down at his gun. "Come on, let's get you some weapons."

March 21, 2023

7:45

Blood of the innocent splittered on the streets. Screams of the poor and homeless echoed around the city, making chills run down my spine. I was terrified. There was nowhere to hide. Gale's place was still quite far and I couldn't run as fast as I wanted because I began stumbling across more and more people which was affectively slowing me down.

I was thankful to Cato that he had taught me how to fight and handle weapons. But then again, if it wasn't for him, I would not be stuck out here with no weapons. I wouldn't have been out here to begin with.

This time wasn't like the last two times I found myself out on the streets, purging. This time I had no one to watch my back. This time I was on my own and I had no plan because being here was never my intention. How did this happen? How could this happen?

A horrifying scream startled me and before I could locate where it came from, I saw a man falling from a third-story window onto the ground, no more than ten feet from me. I gasped in shock and took a few steps back, feeling my hands start to shake. Then I heard some footsteps behind me. Yet when I turned around, no one was there. An empty wine bottle caught my eye. I quickly picked it up, feeling rather pathetic knowing that that was all I had on me.

I walked close to the wall of the building next to me, counting steps as I got closer and closer to the end of the alley. I knew someone was out in the street close to me so I lifted my arm, bottle at ready. I could almost hear my own heart beating wildly in my chest. I felt like I was suspended between life and death in that moment.

And it would soon turn out that that feeling was very correct.

As soon as I peeked my head from behind the wall to check the street, something hit me across the head. I fell on the ground, dropping the bottle in result. It crushed into pieces right next to me. As I blindly tried to get up, I felt agonizing pain cut through my arm. I couldn't hear anything. My ears were ringing and everything was a blur.

It almost seemed like minutes had passed by before I finally heard yells somewhere far in the distance right before I felt myself being picked up. I began struggling but the person holding me from behind just lifted me up in the air so that I ended up kicking my legs around in order to try to get myself free. He was too strong, though.

"Get off me!" I screamed. At last, my vision cleared up and I was able to see more moving figures in the darkness and to my horror, my eyes found the white truck that I had seen before. "No! Get the hell off of me!"

"We got one more!" the man holding me yelled to the rest who were busy grabbing two other homeless guys that had been hiding behind trash containers. I started struggling even more, feeling something hot and wet flowing down my hand. Suddenly, I was thrown onto the ground roughly right by the truck. "Get her inside, I see one more over there!" the man who grabbed me shouted at somebody else. Before I had the chance to even think of getting up or crawling away, I felt someone's hands on my arms again. That person picked me up and I frowned at his mask-covered face because there was something off about him; his grip was simply too gentle and despite the mask he was wearing I could tell that he was staring at me intensely.

"Get your fucking hands off of me!" I cried out, trying to push him away. His grip on me tightened and then he roughly pulled me closer to him, making my eyes grow wide in surprise. "What the-"

"Be quiet!" he whisper-yelled, his chest moving rapidly against my own.

That voice. Where did I know that voice fro-

"Cato, we're behind schedule, let's go!"

My body went cold. His name coming out of that guy's mouth hit me so hard that I became dizzy all over again. I looked up and in the eyes of the man in front of me. His clear, blue eyes stared right back at me and instantly, I recognized him.

Cato.

A/N: I hope you guys liked it and please, share your thoughts with me!

Special thanks to "Somebody knows" for reviewing! :)