Chapter 5
"The Burrow", as it was called, turned out to be a section of the Maw that was tucked away and used for maintenance before being abandoned.
Many of the Burrow-dwellers side-eyed The Girl as she followed Runaway through the corridors, making her feel more and more confused. She wanted to ask Runaway about their stares, but the thought of engaging in more conversation made her head spin. She would ask him later. She could ask him later, right?
Eventually, they rounded a corner where the hallway broke off into two doorways. Behind both of them were two rooms filled with lines of hammocks and sleeping arrangements made on the floor.
"This is the girl's barracks, where you will be staying." Runaway said, gesturing to the room on the left. Inside, several girls lounged on the floor twisting hair, napping in their hammocks, or sat reading books.
Books. The Girl's heart jumped when she saw them, she had always longed to read one. Dusty magazines and television ads got old very quickly. Never before had she been able to sit and read one cover to cover.
A tall, squat figure wrapped tightly head-to-toe in a shawl emerged from the girl's quarters, her face completely concealed beneath her clothes.
"This is Hunch." Runaway said. "She'll show you around and get you settled."
The Girl turned to him anxiously.
"You'll leaving?" She asked. Runaway nodded.
"I have things to do elsewhere, I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer to show you around. Hunch here will take good care of you."
Hunch's figure bobbed up and down, as if to nod. The Girl reluctantly stepped away from her guide and watched him as he disappeared down the hall. Turning back to Hunch, she followed her into the girl's barracks, navigating her way through the sleeping mats that lay on either side of the floor.
"There should be an extra cot or two in the back. Probably." Hunch said in a quiet and rough voice. She pointed to a corner where some blankets lay. The Girl nodded in thanks and walked over to one, ducking under a hammock suspended from the ceiling before unrolling her mat on the floor by the wall.
She sat there for a moment, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of the mostly empty room. She wondered if it would get more crowded once it was time to sleep.
I wonder how they know what time of day it is way down here. She thought to herself.
Almost as if to answer her, Hunch called, "If you're finished setting up over there, you might as well pick out some extra layers. The temperature drops once the sun goes down, and your clothes won't do a thing. Probably."
"Alright." The girl said, standing up and walking away from her mat. Her mat. What a strange thought.
Hunch led them down the corridor, pausing once they arrived at a small room filled with empty clothes. Most of them hung on drying lines strung from one end of the room to the other, while some lay stacked in a heap by the corner.
A boy with a bright red scarf sifted through the stack, occasionally hanging a shirt or two on the line above him. He turned around at the sounds of the two girls entering the room.
"Hey Hunch, how are the little ones?" He said brightly.
"Oh they're doing alright. I'm here with the new girl. She wants something new. Probably." Hunch replied. The boy flicked his scarf over his shoulder and squinted at The Girl.
"So you're the one I've heard so much about lately. Funny, I thought you'd be taller or something. I'm Barry, what's your name?"
"I-Uh…" The Girl stuttered, put off guard by the question and even more so by the fact that he too seemed to know something she didn't. What was going on?
"Oh sorry, you're probably still shell-shocked. And after what you've gone through, I can't even imagine. You do have a name though, don't you?" Barry asked , returning to his work and glancing at her. She shook her head, feeling a numbing pain seep through her chest.
"It's alright, you'll get one at some point. Probably." Hunch said, shuffling her feet. "Anyway, is there anything good today?"
"Yup! A new haul just came in a few hours ago, the cleaner stuff is over there." Barry pointed to a clothesline nearby where several articles of clothing were.
"Take whatever you like, just know that you probably have to stick with it, we've been a little short on supplies lately." Hunch said as The Girl walked over to inspect her options.
Immediately she was drawn to a bright yellow jacket with a shiny finish. She pulled it off the line and tried it on. It was sturdy and soft on the inside, falling right above The Girl's knees but otherwise fitting. She smiled as she buttoned it up and tucked her mid-lenght hair beneath the collar.
"Nice choice." Barry said from the other side of the room. "I was hoping someone would pick that raincoat, waterproof clothing comes in handy down here."
"'Rain'coat?" The Girl asked while inspecting the triangular hood.
"Yeah, rain. It's freshwater that falls from the sky. We try to collect it from the hull of the ship when it's not too stormy. You can hear it on the walls down here sometimes, it's very peaceful."
"Hmm, rain." The Girl said aloud. The word felt nice in her mouth.
"Hey! That could be your name if you want! It suits you. Literally." Barry said enthusiastically. Hunch nodded. "Probably." she said.
The Girl thought about it. "Raine". Could that really be my name, my definition? Most of the other children also seemed to have random descriptions for names, and it does sound nice when people say it.
Who even was she?
Maybe it was time for her to decide for herself.
"Yes." Raine said.
"That's my name."
Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed that bombshell. The chapters from here-on-out will probably be longer in general but I've started publishing every wednesday at the very least. Leave a review and let me know what you think so far!
Until next time, Happy reading.
-BlackCat