A shot of adrenaline ran down my spine as I thought about one of the boys walking in on me showering. It took me a few days to work of the courage to come shower after I arrived. "Hey, I'm in here," I shouted to the unwanted visitor.
"I know," stated a familiar voice from behind me. The sickening, sadistic toned voice made my stomach lurch. I spun quickly and grabbed my towel that laid next to me to cover myself.
"Gally? What the hell, get out," I shouted at him with rising fear making my voice quiver. Though he was incredibly wasted, he caught on to the slight fear in my tone.
"Why are you so scared of me, green bean? I never did nothing to you."
"What? You pulled me out of a tree just this morning." Gally took a step forward, his face only a few inches from mine now; I clutch the towel closer to my chest. "whatever, it doesn't matter, you need to leave. Alby said no one-"
With an exaggerated eye roll, he cut me off, "Alby doesn't have control over me. He's-He's not the boss in the shuck place. The creators are but screw 'em." Gally's breath was making me sick to my stomach but he leaned in more before I could get away from him. He put his hands on the wall behind me and leaned in. I turned my face away from him to try and get some fresh air and avoid him spitting on my face anymore than he already has. "You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."
Beginning to tremble from the brisk air in the bathroom but mostly from fear, I responded trying to brush him off, "well, to be fair, none of us can even remember any other girls, so technically I-"
Gally slams his palms into the wall behind me causing me to jump and clench my jaw, "enough, can't you take the compliment?" I took a shaky breath to answer him but instead I balled my fist and slammed it into his left eye socket. He stumbled back holding his eye with his hand. "you bitch," he muttered as I dove towards the doorway. My hand seized the doorknob, as I began to turn it, He grabbed my bicep and pulled me to him, "Why are you so scared of me? I just want to talk to you."
I tried to wiggle from his grip, but his grasp tightened, his nails bore into my skin. I turned to face him abruptly and put my nose right in his face. "We can talk when you're sober and not assaulting me while I'm naked. Now, let go of my arm and go to bed."
"You just want me to leave, is that it? Why don't you like me? Huh, Greenie? Why don't you want to dance with me like you danced with Thomas?" He spat out his name with vicious hate as his anger grew. I squirmed, trying to get away from him before his temper could grow anymore but his grip was too tight, "well, forget them." Before I could try to talk him out of pummeling me, he threw me into the wall beside me and put his hands again on the wall next to my head. Moving with abrupt force and speed, he pressed his lips on my own. I didn't move; I was frozen to the floor beneath me. Regaining myself from the shock of his actions, I pulled my knee up which landed squarely on his groin as I brought my elbows up then down rapidly n his arms. He seemed dazed as he fell to the floor with a loud thud.
I darted outside the bathroom and ran to the homestead and up to the room I stayed in after my night in the maze. Locking the door behind me, I rolled up into a ball against the wall on the cold floorboards. After an hour or so of shaking and crying helpless tears, I decided that if I was going to be stuck in a shitty maze run by psychopaths without my memories and haunted by horrific nightmares every night about the outside world, Gally was not high up on the list of things I was going to spend time being afraid of. I found my old clothes where I left them and changed, climbed silently down the stairs and went to bed.
The next morning I was shaken awake gruffly by two chubby arms, "you really did it now, Greenie." Chuck released his grip on my shoulders and stepped back waiting for me.
"What's going on?" I spoke with a heavy tone of sleep.
"Gally called a gathering, said you attacked him last night for no reason and gave him that black eye he's been icing all morning." Rage built inside of me but I knew that if I wanted to survive Gally's wrath at least until I become a runner, I would need to accept my punishment and not argue.
Pushing past Chuck, I entered the gathering hall where the keepers still trickled in. I took my seat against the far wall and waited for the meeting to begin.
Alby entered, calling the gathering to order and things proceeded like last time. The keepers that had my side before, stuck with me but Gally told a compelling story so his followers voiced themselves thoroughly. He told them that I was angry because he had stepped in my way on accident and that I just attacked him. I bore my eyes deep into the creaky wood floor panels, refusing to look at anyone, all I could do was sit and listen. When it was my turn to speak, I lifted my head and met Gally's smirking face. Tears began to fill in my eyes but I refused to let them spill over as I spoke, "I have nothing to add." Gally's head tilted as a face of confusion formed on him. He was clearly ready for an argument. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of it.
My punishment was to stay in the slammer for two days. Alby couldn't seem to wrap his head around the idea of me spontaneously attacking him without cause so before I left the gathering hall to my cell, he pulled me aside and whispered, "we'll be havin' a talk later."
Zart tossed me roughly into a cell then left while chuckling to himself.
A few hours passed by before Alby made his appearance, "okay, Green bean," he started while taking a seat on the other side of the rotting door. "What really happened?"
"I was taking a shower last night when he came in and pinned me against the wall, he was really drunk. He was angry that I didn't dance with him or something like that. Then he," I drifted off, not wanting to tell Alby about the kiss.
"What did he do next?" Alby spoke with an aggravated tone, but I couldn't tell if it was directed at me or Gally. I stayed quiet, if I started anything with Alby and Gally, I'm not sure he'd win, then we would all be screwed. "What happened?" Alby repeated his question but this time through gritted teeth to suppress the anger and tension I could feel boiling in him through the door.
"He kissed me," I answered then rapidly spat out, "I don't know why. I didn't kiss him first or anything, it surprised me and he is disgusting so I punched him off so that's how he got that black eye. Please don't tell anyone, I don't want to start anything." I paused waiting for Alby response to my rambling nonsense. After five minutes, he still hadn't replied. "Alby?"
Suddenly there was rustling on the other side of my cell door then Alby spoke, "I'll be back." His gruff tone made the anger in his voice intensify.
"Alby! Please don't say anything, it's not worth it," I pleaded. If Alby did anything to Gally, his gang would surely try to overthrow Alby or at least attempt it and I sure as hell didn't want that to happen.