Vivienne sat up quickly as if awoken from a nightmare. The sound of branch breaking echoed in her ears. The room was dark, the only light was coming through a glassless window.
She listened carefully, trying to catch any other sound, but nothing except a rustle of tree leaves reached her ears.
Her breath slowed down, but she wasn't ready to put her guard down yet. She slowly stood up from her bed, hoping the floor wouldn't creak under her feet.
When she left, she didn't close the door behind her not to make any noise.
It was lighter outside than in her room with moonlight seeping through the trees. A cold wind brushed her hair off her shoulders, making a chill ran down her spine.
She sighed, mumbling about being paranoid before she turned ready to return to her hut.
She gasped silently, seeing a dark figure not ten steps away from her.
She wouldn't have recognised him, but he took a step closer, stepping into the light. His blond hair glimmered like tongues of fire.
His mouth moved, but she couldn't register the words he was saying, too shocked to see him there.
She stood frozen, drowning in the sound of her heart beating. It made her wonder if he heard it too. And if he did, why wouldn't he stop?
He stopped two steps away from her with a malicious smirk that showed off his yellowy teeth.
She trembled under his piercing gaze, his blue eyes ice cold.
She told herself to move, but it was like her legs didn't understand. They remained glued to the ground, feeling like jelly. She trembled under his piercing gaze.
"What are you doing up?" he asked with his head tilted.
"I..." The words died on her tongue. "I heard a sound." Vivienne knew she sounded like a complete idiot, but for the moment she was glad any words made it past her lips. "It woke me up. I wanted to check it out."
He hummed as if her words pleased him somehow.
"Then, here I am."
He took a step forward, whereas she took one backwards.
"What are you doing up?" she mumbled, but it was so quiet around them that he heard her.
"I'm on a walk."
"All right," she gulped. "I won't interrupt you then." She moved, heading for her hut, hoping to get as far away from Ben as quickly as possible.
She walked past him when he caught her wrist in a tight grip. He leaned down, his breath hitting her ear.
"I could use some company," he murmured.
She tried to get her hand out of his grasp, but he was too strong.
"I need to get some sleep," she gulped. "Big day with the builders tomorrow." She tried to smile, but it came out weak and was wiped off her face as soon as she glanced at him.
"C'mon, Vi," his tongue clicked. "It's not like they need you there anyway." He put his palm at the side of her head, caressing her hair.
Normally an insult like this would make her scoff and walk away, rolling her eyes along the way. But at that moment she couldn't even look at him.
"Ben, let me go, please." Her gaze was focused on the ground.
"Let's have some fun, Vi." He cupped her chin with his hand, forcing her to look at him. She did for a short second before she whipped her head out of his hold.
A mischievous glint in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by her. Something inside her was telling her what he was planning on doing, but it was like she couldn't understand it.
Before she could do anything he tugged harshly on her wrist, bringing her to him. Her chest crashed against his, and he leaned down, bringing his lips to her neck.
She tried to push him away, but he didn't even budge, and instead, smirked against her skin. She cringed, realising her resilience satisfied him.
He let go of her wrist, his fingers moving to the hem of her shirt, digging his fingers into her hip.
"Give in to it," he mumbled against the skin of her neck, ignoring her struggles.
He lifted his head and dove in to kiss her, but she blocked his face with both of her hands.
"You shuckin' tease!" He grabbed both of her wrists and pushed her until her back hit the tree.
Tree bark dug into the skin of her back, scratching it, but Ben didn't care for the whimpers that left her mouth. He brought her hands up instead.
"Behave like a good little girl you are," he warned.
If she weren't so scared, she would have puked right there.
"Ben, don't do this," she cried, but it only made his smirk grow wider.
She could barely see anything through tears that gathered in her eyes, her vision more blurry because of the way her body was shaking violently.
Her mind was all over the place trying to figure out a plan to escape. And then she remembered all the advice Minho gave her.
She was sitting by the pond with Minho and Newt, who was doing some exercises for his leg, while Minho bragged about one time he escaped a griever.
"I remember the shucking thing chasing me and I only had a little dagger with me," he said. "I took a chance, and mid-running turned around - not stopping - and threw it at his head! I turned tails and run without seeing if it hit him, but judging by the shucking screech it made, I'm pretty sure I at least grazed it."
Vivienne heard Newt chuckle and she turned to him to exchange knowing smirks.
"Hey, stop with it, you two!"
"Sorry," they mumbled with grins still on their faces.
"You should know, Vi, doing anything to a griever's way harder than to a guy." Well, she'd never doubted that but decided to tease him a bit anyway.
"Oh, really. How would you know?"
"C'mon, you knee him in the nuts and the guys down. But I have never got enough time to see if grievers even have those."
"Why? You interested?" She raised an eyebrow at him daringly.
Trying to blink away the tears, she noticed Ben leaning down again. She did exactly what Minho would do if he knew where griever's nuts where. She raised her leg and kneed him as hard as she could in her state.
"You-!" Ben shouted, taking two steps from her and covering his injured area. A frown appeared on his face as it reddened.
Vivienne had no idea how long it would take him to recover, but sensing she was free, her mind unfogged and she did another thing Minho taught her.
She hid her thumb inside her fist and went straight for his nose. The punch left her knuckles numb, but it was worth to see him stumble further. He ducked, trying to cover his nose, and Vivienne took it as her chance to run. She passed him, but seeing him bent forward she couldn't stop herself and kicked his behind.
She watched him land on his face with relief.
She didn't wait for him to stand up and ran instead. She knew she couldn't go back to her hut since it would be too easy for him to find her. She knew she wouldn't get away again. He wouldn't let her.
It didn't take her long to get out of the deadheads, and she was greeted by the sight of the homestead.
Her legs almost took her there, but her mind stopped her for a reason that had yet not been understood by her.
She ran in the opposite direction, looking back a few times to see if Ben was not in sight.
When she turned her head a small building was before her, and she got in without thinking.
She couldn't see anything in the dark, but the place smelled like death (or so she imagined it could smell like it). It smelled of droppings and rotten meat.
But she didn't care for the odour as much as she cared for calming her breath. She listened for a second and then two. Only sound of flies bussing interrupted the silence. She was alone.
Relieved by the discovery, she decided with her hands in front of her to go further into the building.
She didn't bump into anything, but her leg slipped on something spilt on the floor, and she landed on her hands in a puddle.
Its strong smell reminded her of metal and rust.
She was covered in it from head to toe.
She brought her hand to her eyes and rubbed her fingers.
The realisation hit her hard, and she almost vomited.
It was blood.