Meraya woke up to pitch blackness. Her head pounded as she tried to figure out where she was. There was the squeaky sound of steel cables slowly but surely moving this box upwards. Meraya moved to her hands and knees, feeling around the area around her. She was completely enclosed in what felt like a metal grate. Her hands found wooden boxes, nailed shut so they were of no use. Sighing, she stood, using some of the stacked boxes for support. Meraya turned her head to the left and right trying to see. Her eyes had adjusted so now she was able to see the general shapes of objects. The box was nearly full, for what she didn't know.
The box slammed to a stop with a loud screech throwing Meraya off balance and throwing her onto her hands and knees again. Her heart rate picked up at the unknown destination that awaited her. Just then, a sliver of blinding light cracked in a straight line above her. Meraya shielded her eyes with her hand, scooting back behind some boxes from the unknown.
Voice floated down to her as the light encompassed more and more of what used to be the ceiling. The doors slammed to the ground once they were fully opened.
"Hey, where's the new greenie?" a voice called out. It sounded young, but definitely male.
"Maybe we didn't get one this month." Another disembodied voice offered.
"Nah, we always get a greenie."
"Maybe they're scared and hiding. Hey little greenie you scared!" a gruff male voice cackled at their own joke.
Meraya grimaced as her eyes adjusted to the light. She didn't understand half of what these boys were saying at all. She kept her place, hidden behind a few boxes as faces started to encroach on the opening.
"Everyone, shuck it and be quiet. You're scaring the greenie. Newt, find em'." A new voice came, clearly the leader. It held total authority with every word. Meraya could hear the feet shuffling as people moved back. Feeling a little more comfortable, she stood.
Newt hopped down into the box. His eyes scanned the area looking for their new greenie. They got one every month and today should be no exception. A movement to his right caught his attention. "Oi greenie we were just looki…." Newt's voice caught in his throat as he realized exactly who, or more importantly what, their new greenie was. "Alby! Get down here. You're not gonna shucking believe this!" Meraya winced at the sudden shout, shrinking back from the boy with thick, dirty blonde hair.
Before she had time to react, a tall, muscular black boy hopped into the box making it sway slightly. "What is it Newt?" he asked sounding annoyed. Newt just nodded in Meraya's direction and Alby froze. Meraya looked between the two stunned boys. Apparently they were shocked to silence by her, for what reason she didn't know.
"Whatcha lookin' at?" Meraya mumbled, her naturally defensive nature showing. She frowned, crossing her arms and backing up from the boys.
"You-You're a girl, greenie." Newt stuttered, still coming to terms with this new development.
"Yeah…duh." Meraya said matter-of-factly.
"We've only ever had boys come in the box, greenie." Alby explained. "Look, just come on up, we'll explain everything. And maybe we'll figure out why they sent a shuck girl here."
Meraya stared hard as the black boy, the leader, pulled himself out of the box. Newt nodded to the opening, expecting Meraya to follow. She stood her ground, eyeing the opening critically. Her mind counted through the endless scenarios awaiting her out there. Anything could happen but she was better off out there than in this box. Finally, Meraya followed the black boy out, Newt just behind her.
As Meraya surfaced, there was a collective gasp from the crowd of fifty or sixty boys. Shouts of "It's a girl!" and "Wow!" or "I call dibs!" echoed out from the crowd. Every boys face was filled with wonder, none having memories of what a girl looked like or ever having met one, but they knew one when they saw it. Alby stood tall, in the center of the group. His face was stern as he spoke. "No one comes near the greenie until we sort this out." No one dared challenge him as silence fell. "Now get back to work!" Immediately there was a mad dash for all corners of the….wherever Meraya was sent. Only a few people stayed to empty the box as she was led by the large black boy to a rather haphazardly built building.
