The Captain's Tent

"Sir," Zooey saluted as she marched inside,

"Lieutenant," he saluted back, walking around his desk and towards her. "Prisoner status?"

"Good," Zooey replied. "I was just getting her something to eat and then maybe a bath later on."

"No screwing around with this on, understand?" he ordered gruffly. Zooey stiffened in anger. "With all due respect, sir, I don't screw around with prisoners." He gave her a look. "Just do your job and we won't have a problem."

He began pacing the length of the tent, his eyes on the floor now instead of Zooey. "There's a mission that I would like to assign to you Zooey," he admitted. Zooey's eyes lit up. She loved jobs, especially dangerous ones with a lot of magic and a little chance of success.

"It's dangerous," he warned. "A huge responsibility."

"I can handle it," Zooey reassured him.

"Alright, report back here after you finish with the prisoner. And remember, no funny business." He looked stern and Zooey gulped. "Yes sir," she agreed, backing out.

Outside Bella's Tent

"Move it!" Zooey told Bella, pulling on the rope attached to Bella's hands.

"I'm not a freaking horse! Just shut up and let me get my balance!" Bella screamed at her. Heads poked out of the neighboring tents to see what the commotion was about, and they shook in disgust as Bella passed them. She sneered back at them and even attempted to bite one. Zooey tugged on the rope sharply, causing Bella to lurch forward and almost fell.

"Sadist," Bella muttered under her breath.

"You have something to say to me, prisoner?" Zooey demanded, dragging her to the woods.

"Yes, actually," Bella began. "First off, you really shoul-"

"Oh I'm sorry, Zooey cut in sweetly, "you must have mistaken me for someone who cares."

"Ooh, angel has an attitude," Bella said stumbling into the woods. "Where are we going, might I ask?"

"The river," Zooey said.



"Why?"

"Because."

"Oh, you know what would have been really annoying? If you had been vague. Cause you know I-"

"Shut up!" Zooey shouted. Bella started to say something else, but wisely kept her mouth shut when she saw the look on Zooey's face. The two reached the river and Zooey turned to Bella and began untying her hands.

"You can run if you want, but it'll be a serious waste of energy. I have a wand." Zooey said, twirling said object between her fingers. Bella sneered at her but walked calmly towards the river, stopping at the edge,

"Well?" she demanded. "You gonna turn around or what?" Zooey reached into her robes and pulled out a bar of soap. Tossing it to Bella, she grumbled "here you ungrateful little brat" and turned around.

Bella caught it and turned it over in her hands. This was nice soap, the kind the fancy ladies bought in the stores. She sniffed it. It smelled good too. Like flowers. Like Zooey, Bella thought in surprise. She was speechless. She couldn't remember the last time someone had been this thoughtful.

"If I don't hear splashing in 10 seconds I'm turning around," Zooey called. Bella quickly scrambled out of her robes and dove into the river, squealing when the frigid water washed over her. Her teeth chattering, she started to soap up her body.

"So are you like a hero back at the camp thing?" Bella asked, surprisingly pleasant.

"What?" Zooey was taken aback.

"Well everyone was cheering you on and seemed to be impressed. I figured you were big shot or something," she clarified.

Zooey laughed. "Uh, no. I'm no hero. I don't even belong…" she let the rest of the sentence trail off. "Never mind."

"No, what?" Bella asked. "Why don't you belong?"

"It's nothing," Zooey insister. "Just wash."

"You must have done something pretty bad to not feel like you belong," Bella mused, scrubbing her hair as she talked. "What did you fuck the captain or something?"

"Ew he's like 50!" Zooey exclaimed. Bella shrugged. "What did you do?' Zooey shook her head vehemently.



"Shit kid, didja kill someone?" Bella's teeth were chattering now.

"No," Zooey said, too quickly. Bella frowned at her. "Perfect little angel you? Killed someone? Oh this is priceless!" Bella hooted, rinsing her hair. Zooey turned around, her face as hard as stone. "you have no idea what you're talking about so I suggest you shut your mouth," she said through gritted teeth.

"Ooh hit a nerve, did I?" Bella continued. "Hmm…an ex-lover maybe? One of the men in the camp?"

"Be quiet," Zooey told her.

"Or a woman?" Belle ventured. "The people seem to be under the impression you like women."

"Shut up," Zooey said, a little more forceful.

"A family member," Bella said firmly. "That always feels the best doesn't it?"

"SHUT UP!!" Zooey roared, causing the woods to stand still. Even Bella was shocked into silence.

"You have no fucking clue what you're talking about so shut your dirty evil slutty mouth right now!" she yelled.

"I only," Bella began.

"You know what?" Zooey said. "I'm outta here. Find your own way out of the woods. I don't care anymore." She stormed off into the trees, leaving a frozen Bella behind.

13 years earlier

"Zooey Evelyn Marshall get your ass over here this instant," a voice thundered throughout the house. 10 year old Zooey scampered from her hiding place and into the living room where He sat.

"Yes?" she asked meekly. He reached over and grabbed her by the back of the head, bringing her closer. She tired to turn her head away as stale beer breath bombarded her senses. "Get me a beer girl," he barked, throwing her on the ground. "And fix that window, it's getting drafty in here. " The window frame was broken and had a jagged edge poking out of one side where it had the unfortunate experience of being on the wrong end of a frustrated Man.

Her eyes brimming with tears, she ran from the room towards the fridge. Lifting an ice cold beer she hurried back to the living room, wiping her eyes as she went. She would never let Him see her cry. She handed him the drink and started to leave when he said "get back here." Scared for her life, she turned nervously and walked towards the chair.

"This is a light beer," he growled. "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU?!" Zooey jumped at his raised voice and instinctively raised her arms to ward off the blow. It hit her in the stomach instead. Sinking to the 

ground she curled into a ball and started crying. "Get up!" he ordered, kicking her viciously. "NOW!" She tried to rise but every bone in her body felt like it was on fire. She heard the chair creak as he got up and grabbed her hair, yanking her to her feet. She screeched in pain and terror as she was lifted off her feet.

"Girl," he shouted in her ear. "It's time someone taught you to listen to your elders." Zooey cried louder, and wished desperately her mom was here. But she never was. No one ever was. Anger bubbled up inside of her. She didn't deserve this, she was a good kid. He was the jackass. The anger consumed her, blocked out the Man's voice and helped her calm down.

"Let go," she demanded. He laughed in her face.

"Shut up and listen to me. It's time you started pulling your weight around here. I do everything." The vein in Zooey's temple throbbed as she tried to remain calm.

"Let. Me. Go." She tried again. He punched her. With a groan and snap the window frame broke loose and hurtled towards the Man, imbedding itself in his throat. His grip loosened and Zooey fell to the floor, screaming. Blood was everywhere. All over her, the floor, the chair and spurting out of His throat. Zooey couldn't think, couldn't see. All she could do was scream. She dimly heard a key turn in the lock and footsteps click on the floor, getting nearer to the screaming she realized was coming from her.

"Oh my god!" a woman shrieked. "What did you do?" she ran to Zooey and started shaking her violently.

"Mommy," Zooey sobbed, reaching up for a hug, for any touch to let her know that she was gonna be ok. Her mom backed away. "What did you do?" she whispered, horrified.

"Nothing mom he.."Zooey's voice cracked, tears streaming down her face.

"You've evil," her mom told her. "You're an evil monster, and no child of mine!" She ran out of the room, leaving a distraught Zooey in a puddle of her father's blood, crying her eyes out.

"Mommy," Zooey whispered one last time.

Present Day

Zooey sat at the edge of the woods, her head in her hands as she let that memory wash over her. She had gotten so good at blocking out those thoughts and she hated that Bella could bring them back with just a few words.

"Lieutenant Zooey." She looked up to see the captain hurrying towards her. "'Where's the prisoner?" he demanded. Zooey motioned vaguely over her shoulder in the direction of the woods.

"You left her alone?" he shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you? Get your ass back out there and find her." Zooey shook her head, not meeting the captain's eyes.



"Excuse me?" he said raising one eyebrow.

"I can't do it, sir," she admitted.

"What fresh hell is this?" he asked. "Get up and move. That's an order lieutenant."

Zooey hung her head in defeat. She didn't dare disobey a direct order.

Bella

Bella looked for a long time at the space Zooey had disappeared into; sure that it was a trick. There's no way they would just let her go, not after all the fuss with security spells. She took a cautious step towards her robes, muscles tensed for an attack. When nothing happened she sipped into her robe and tied her hair back with some string. She was confused, had that girl really killed someone? She didn't look the type, but then again neither had Bella 3 years ago, although she liked to think otherwise. Lost in her thoughts she began to wander and it took her a moment to realize she hadn't been attacked.

"Weird," she thought, but she kept moving. There was no way she was no going to take advantage of this.

Zooey

Zooey trudged into the forest, the look on her face making it clear she'd rather be elsewhere. What did she care if Bella escaped? The rational part of her knew it would be certain death for the whole camp if Bella returned to he-who-must-not-be-named but she wasn't listening to that part right now. She reached the river and sighed at what she saw. The only thing left was the bar of soap laying on a flat rock close to the river. Zooey hadn't expected Bella to remain but still, it would have been nice.

"Oh sure. She could have re-tied her hands and just sat there, waiting to be captured again" Zooey thought wryly.

What Bella had said before had really shaken her, and Zooey wasn't eager to repeat it. It wasn't that she didn't know she was different, she was told enough times a day that even a deaf person would have understood. She was attracted to girls. She didn't know if it was because he had been treated like shit by men her entire life or what, but boy was it annoying. It didn't help that she found Bella attractive. With her flowing dark hair, chocolate eyes and wild personality it was hard not to.

"I always pick the best girls," she mumbled, depressed. This one was even worse then the last; she was You-Know-Who's plaything. Zooey tore a passing leaf in frustration.

"Calm down girl, she chided. "Find Bella's path, follow her and then worry about everything else."

Bella's "path" looked like a truck had driven through the forest. Branches were bent every which way and the undergrowth trampled as though someone had stomped on it angrily. Zooey shook her head and chuckled then set off.