There wasn't much of anything going on at her head right at that moment. Mostly her attention was focused on the firm surface she lied on, every other moment it shuddered, as though being struck hard by something she couldn't see or hear. The smell of moss and rotted wood assaulted her senses and she found herself shivering uncontrollably.
At some point the stillness of her surroundings abruptly changed. There was a bang, perhaps a door being opened? Soon followed by the quiet taps of footsteps. The sudden sound frightened her, and she found her eyes fluttering faster than her racing heart as she tried to open them.
It was dark, that much was clear. A small window, coated in dust and grime, allowed a weak stream of sunlight into the… room? If you could even call it that. The dark space she lay in was formed of cracked stones and a rough, un-sanded floor of wood. Her eyes searched the room slowly, landing on a lump at her side.
The lump shifted, revealing another lump. She frowned as the weak rays of light flashed against... hair. Black hair that fell just beyond the… girl's shoulders. "There you go, nice and comfy now 'eh? Need anything else?" There was a pause as silence coated the air again. "No? Didn't think so."
"Now how 'bout you now…" She watched in mild fascination as the girl swiveled in her crouch towards her now-sitting form. Confused grey eyes met honey brown as a grin split accross the tanned girls face. With a concealed shudder she realized the girl was utterly coated in mud and… blood. The startling red flecks forced a gasp to tear through her throat.
Before she had a chance to scramble back in fear, the girl launched herself forward and held her down. The pressure of her weight caused her to wince in pain. How had she not realized how sore her bones were? How bruised her skin was? "Easy now yeah? Don't need to make all this harder on yourself do ya'? No I thought not."
"P-Please, don't hurt me," She squeaked as her eyes watered. "I don't know anything." Her throat was raspy, but moist. It was as though she hadn't spoken in weeks, but someone must have been giving her water. The thought perplexed her for a moment, weeks? She's been out for weeks? But then her head started spinning and she fought to push down the overwhelming sense of wrongness.
In the distance a slow thumping began at a steady pace. Almost as though someone was chopping something. It only managed to frighten her even more. She struggled against the larger girls grip, but knew that it wasn't going to help. Her body was already exhausted and she'd only just woken up. "Sorry for the fright, bit of a mess ain't I? Well anyway, name's Vani. I'm in charge of you and that mass of muscle over there."
Her eyes flicker as she nods in the other lumps direction. Slowly she takes in the still form of a boy, shrouded in shadows. There's not much that she can make up, but it's clear to her that the boy's breathing. For some reason that comforts her, and she breathes slowly as her heart calms. "Now you're probably a bit more than confused, but I can help you understand, I promise." The girl towering over her smiles reassuringly. "I'll get off ya', but you need ta' promise not to run, okay? You're head's probably still not all that good and your ankles still pretty bruised up too."
She watches as the girl- Vani - shifts, gradually easing her grip off her arms. At the release of pressure, she finds she can breathe easier again. "I won't move," she assures Vani at her searching gaze. With a slight nod, Vani completely released her grip, and she finds herself scrambling to sit up again.
Vani watches as she rubs at her wrists, wincing at how tender they are. "Sorry 'bout that. I forget how strong I am sometimes." She only nods and takes in the sight of her legs. They're covered by a ripped and scraggly pair of pants, and sure enough, her ankle is an ugly mix of fading purple and yellow bruises. "I can help you up."
"Alright," she agrees shakely and lets the girl haul her up. As soon as she lets some of her weight onto her ankle, she almost buckles in pain. But Vani's there to catch her with a sympathetic wince.
"Nasty job huh? Not sure what did it, maybe you twisted it or somethin' but I've done my best with what we have," Vani wraps her arm under her shoulder and starts guiding her to the door. It's a little startling to see the bright light seeping in from under it, and she has half a mind to turn back and curl up again. Sleep seems a lot better than facing whatever awaits her.
Vani reaches with her free hand to open it, but she pauses, hand on the knob. Her honey brown eyes meet catch her gaze again and she bites her lip. "I'm not sure how to explain it to ya', you're the first to wake." She takes a deep breath. It's almost as though Vani herself is tempted to just send the girl back to sleep. Perhaps what's out there is somehow worse than this dark and sickening room. "It's your first day, technically, so I'm guessin' you won't be expected to do much. I'll show you the ropes I guess."
For a moment she wonders how qualified Vani is, it seems as though the taller girl is making everything up as she goes along. "Well, shuck it, let's go."
Suddenly she swings the door open, and the sunlight blinds the both of them for a moment.
MARY
She decides there's something awfully sinister about the whole thing. With Vani at her side, she can't help but gasp as her vision adjusts to the sudden change in brightness. The first thing she takes in, is the absurdly large courtyard they stand in.
The floor is a patchwork of stone and tufts of grass. It's almost as though the place has been here for hundred's of years, but at the same time there's something almost… calculated about it. Like someone built it exactly so it would look like it was that old. "So welcome to The Glade. Over there we've got the Crook."
Her eyes flashed to the direction Vani pointed in. There laid a large wooden home, almost like a barn but far more detailed. From what she could see, the place had two levels, and about a hundred windows. The wood on that building, in comparison to the den she limped out of, was finished and far prettier. "You were in the Scrap. Woulda' kept you in the Crook if it weren't so damn cold in there all the time."
"It doesn't look that cold," she admitted. No, the… Crook, looked warm and inviting. It was then she noticed the figure by it's side, where the source of the thumping was coming from. They were chopping at a large sheet of wood. From this distance, it was hard to tell exactly who it was, but the spiky brown hair was easy enough to distinguish.
Also the bulging muscles dazzled with drops of sweat.
Vani pointed again, and she shook herself out of her daze. "We've got the Bloodhouse over there. Not much to be done with it so far, but there's animals and therefore, a good meal." She had to admit, the large barn Vani pointed at had a peculiar feel to it. She definitely didn't want to visit any time soon.
"Then of course, your Gardens over here. Water, crops, CC's running it all." Vani explained as she took in the vast fields of green and gold plants, waiting to be harvested.
Hearing her name, a tall, skinny girl with thick black glasses waved at them. "Hey Vani! She finally wake up? About time."
Vani scoffed, but sent a short wave back. "Shut up and grow your crops."
CC laughed, her glasses glinting in the sun, and saluted the girl before turning back to her work.
"She's the last of them, but we're waiting on the next lift." Vani's attention switched to a large, gaping, hole in the middle of The Glade. "Anyway, last but not least, the forest. We're still working on a name for that one."
It was last, and definitely not least. The tlush forest must have sprawled miles in every direction to the south-west. She had half a mind to mention how weird this all was. "Big patch of green would work well."
"Oh yeah," Vani agreed with a laugh. "You should be in charge with that one. Anyway, now's not the time. I'm sure you're hungry and wanting some more answers." Vani began to lead them towards a smaller building near the Crook. "For starters, none of us have our memory, so no, you aren't the only one."
She froze at that, not expecting Vani's words. "Okay, but why? Why don't we have our memories? And where are we?"
As she spoke Vani pushed the door to the concrete building open. Almost immediately they were both hit with the delicious smell of freshly baked bread and aromatic tomato soup. "Good question, we've been asking that too." She stood back as Vani rounded the counter, sorting through some of the cupboards until she found two metal plates. "All of us just woke up in this place. You and your friend we found propped up against the Crook when we explored."
"Friend?" She repeated, before understanding Vani meant the unconscious boy back in the Scrap. "Nevermind, I get it. So how'd you get all this stuff? And why are there only five of us?"
Vani filled the plate with soup from a boiling pot before slicing some bread and giving her half. There was a clatter as she slid the plates along the counter, along with a spoon. "Every now and then there's this alarm- scared the klunk out of us when we first heard it. Then about half an hour later the lift arrives. It has supplies, and it also brought up Jordan not too long before you woke."
"That was the guy chopping wood?" She asked, and Vani nodded in confirmation. "So we just… woke up here? With no memory?" The idea unsettled her. She didn't like not knowing things, especially something as big as this. She especially wanted to know why she was so beaten up.
Vani nodded and dipped her bread into her soup before stuffing it into her mouth. "Our own little getaway," she joked lightly through a mouthful of food.
"Wow," she said simply, before swallowing a spoonful of soup. Everything was so weird, she knew what things were, but she didn't remember why. Like, when she'd seen… Jordan, chopping wood, she'd known he was chopping wood. But how did she know that was what he was doing? He could've been planting a tree for all she remembered.
There was a scuffle and both turned to see CC entering the room, wiping sweat from her brow before dusting off her jeans. "You're eating without us? I'm the one who gets you the food Vani. Don't be so inconsiderate "
"Shut your trap CC." Vani stood though, and moved to serve some food for the newly arrived girl. She watched as CC sat down on the stool next to her, and accepted the food with a giant grin. "New girl was hungry."
CC nudged her and winked before scooping some soup into her spoon. "That means new girl can eat, not you Vani. If you're so hungry you can weed next rotation, get your own grub for once."
Vani stuck out her tongue but smirked and returned to her place. "So, does new girl have a name?"
Both girls suddenly turned expectantly towards her. The sudden attention made her gulp to swallow her nerves. She searched her brain for a moment, growing frustrated as easy things evaded her. What was her favorite color? How old was she? Where was she born? But finally she grasped her name. "Mary."
"Mary?" CC grinned. "I like it," she said, at the same time Vani scoffed and said "Boring."
Mary found herself giggling and swatting at Vani's shoulder. "It's better than new girl."
"True that," a new voice commented from behind them all. Almost immediately Mary felt herself straighten, and she licked her lips in anticipation. "And I personally think it's a beautiful name."
Mary finds herself speechless as the boy enters her view. He has a smirk on his face, as though he knows exactly how he's making Mary feel. She finds herself stunned by his deep brown eyes, calming and yet smoldering at the same time. "Please Jordan, that's like.. the only line you know."
Vina's comment suddenly breaks whatever composure the boy had, for he's suddenly turning sheepishly from Mary's gaze. She watches as he runs his fingers through his tangled blonde hair. "Thanks Vani."
Both girls at Mary's side giggle teasingly as he goes to get his own food. Mary finds herself shifting uncomfortably. It's almost like she's intruding. "We love you Jordan," CC reassures but it's counteracted when both Vani and her start laughing again.
"I can feel the love," Jordan comments dryly as he sits down on the other side of Vani. Mary finds her concentration roaming. Firstly to the surprising range of kitchen appliances, then to the large window in the building. Outside she can see the fields of crops and in the distance she can hear the faint sounds of animals as they roam around.
CC continually brushes her knee against Mary throughout the whole lunch. Each time Mary looks up questioningly, and CC gives her a reassuring smile and a whispered "You're doing great." She wonders if her discomfort is so easy to see, because clearly CC has picked up on it.
It isn't that she dislikes Vani, Jordan, or CC, it's more that she doesn't feel… up to conversing with others. Her head's already a mess, and she can't seem to think of a way to contribute to the conversation.
"I'd better get going," Jordan speaks up eventually as he clears all their plates. Mary gives him a quiet thank you as he takes hers. "There's wood to be sawed and buildings to be patched."
Vani flashes him a thankful smile, the first Mary had seen on the girls face. "Take care Jordan. Holler if you need anythin', I'll be showing Mary 'round"
Jordan nods and turns to Mary after patting CC on the shoulder. "You'll get used to it all. It's a lot to take in, but for now we're just working on surviving."
And then he's gone, his muscled form walking out the door.
"He's right," CC speaks up. She too is getting up and straightening out her clothes. "It's best not to think too much, just focus on surviving."
She hugs both Mary and Vani before following in Jordan's footsteps.
Vani suddenly clears her throat and hops off her stool, moving to pack away all the food brought out for lunch. "I was workin' on cleaning up the Crook before. You wanna' help me out?"
"Definitely," Mary says without needing to consider the offer. She'd do anything to get her mind out of the endless circles it'd been running in. "What needs to be done?"
She follows Vani as they leave the kitchen and step out into the world once more. "Well we've got the clean the place up first. There's some leaves and other muck. Then I hope we can set up some of the beds before we turn in for the night." She pauses and Mary does her best not to trip at the sudden cease of movement. "That was the Cookery by the way."
"Good name," Mary says as they pick up their pace again. Jordan waves to them as they pass, and this time Mary waves back. She's excited for a moment when Vani pulls open the door, but then it fades as she takes in the Crook's state.
It's a mess. that's the only way to describe it. The floor is riddled with tipped over furniture and piles of indistinguishable stuff. She has a hard time following the path that Vani must have cleared, and when they finally reach the last room in the hall, Vani sighs. "It's a big pile of klunk, I know. But there's a house in here somewhere, I know it."
Mary is surprised by Vani's optimism, and eagerly rushes to Vani's aid as she begins working through the first room. "Now, there's mostly a bunch of rotted slabs in here, but there's some good pieces. If you find some give me a shout."
And so they begin.
Vani takes the left side of the small room, and Mary takes the right.
She soon finds that majority of the junk piled on the floor is useless.
It takes her hours to clear out all the useless klunk, but eventually Vani and Mary are left with a nearly empty room. All that's left are three chairs that aren't all that broken, two hefty blankets, a bed post without a mattress and five small side tables.
There's also a few other knick-knacks and miscellaneous building supplies, but Mary is more than pleased with their work. "It's pretty now ain't it? Well guess we better get started on the next room."
Mary watches as the girl begins to walk to the opposite room at the other side of the hall.
And as Vani opens the door, a wave of junk flows out.
"Oh joy," Mary mutters but moves to help Vani.
Vani however, is grinning like a fool when Mary reaches her side. She wonders what the girls problem is until she points towards the back of the room. "Mattresses."
Mary is almost surprised at how quickly she moves to start sorting.
The sun is almost about to dip below the horizon when Vani finally calls it a day. They managed to make their way through four more rooms, and Mary was more than pleased by what they uncovered. "We'll call in everyone, get them to help set up the rooms for the night."
"Can I go check on… my friend?" Mary asks, surprising Vani.
She frowns, before her eyes brighten in understanding. "Of course. See if his cuts are closing up."
Mary grins and hugs Vani goodbye before scurrying out of the Crook. It's growing chilly as she moves, her feet tapping against the stone surface of The Glade. Eventually she reaches the other side, and enters the Scrap. Her eyes take a moment to adjust to the darkness, but gradually she creeps towards the sleeping form.
It's easier for her to take in her surroundings now, having had a full meal and lots of time being awake. Mary first took in the boys height, and then his mahogany blonde hair styled into an undercut. "Hey, you awake?" She asks.
When she doesn't receive a response, she slowly pulls back the blankets covering him.
There are cuts, hundreds of tiny cuts dotting his arms and legs, but she's pleased to find none of them still bleeding, and most of them are already scabbing over. Next she gingerly parts his lips with her fingers, checking to see if the boy needed any water. Satisfied by the ruby red of his gums and the small amount of saliva collected, Mary wipes off her hands and returns the blanket.
"Feel better," she whispers before standing and heading out.
She makes sure to close the door again before making her way towards the Crook.
"How is he?" Vani asks as she enters the main room of the Crook. "Still breathing?"
Mary scoffs but nods, moving to help Vani with the chair she was carrying. "He looks alright. The cuts seem to be healing and he is indeed breathing."
"In here," CC calls from the doorway of one of the rooms.
Vani nods to Mary. "I can take it from here, go and get yourself some dinner."
"Alright, thanks," Mary smiles and turns to do just as Vani suggested. Jordan is sitting at the counter when she enters, and nudges over an awaiting-plate of dinner.
She takes it gratefully, already her stomach is growling with hunger. Mayo, ham and cheese sandwiches seem to be on the menu, but the satisfaction of eating is enough to make it taste better than anything she'd ever had. ALthough, Mary doesn't remember much, so that comment may not mean anything. "So- Uh- How're you feeling?"
Mary frowns, wondering when Jordan became so nervous to talk to her. He was fine at lunch. "Better. Tired, but better. Vani's really good with this stuff, you all are actually."
Jordan almost… blushes at her compliment. "Yeah well, we've been through it."
Suddenly, a loud rumble fills the air, and the ground shakes beneath Mary.
For a moment she begins to panic, but at Jordan's calm gaze she relaxes. "It's the walls," Jordan supplies. "They close at night."
"The what?" Mary sputters, and suddenly she's running outside.
For the life of her, she doesn't understand how she didn't notice them before. But there they were. Walls, giant, lurking, walls. Walls that tower high into the sky and cast a giant shadow and- How the hell are they moving?
"Vani forget to tell you didn't she?" Jordan walks up to her side and chuckles. "Big thing to forget to mention."
Mary scoffs. "Yeah. Big."
"How are they moving?" Jordan guesses, and Mary is once again surprised by how they know exactly what she wants to ask. "We don't know, but they close to… keep things out. First night spent here, last night actually, Vani took me to the edge. There was this… thing. You can hear it when you try to sleep sometimes."
Mary gulps, her mind running a mile a minute trying to figure out what he means. "But Vani says she's been here… four nights? She hasn't died yet."
His attempt at humor manages to quell Mary's churning stomach and she slowly makes her way towards the Crook, dinner forgotten. "Thanks Jordan- I- Uh- Better check on the girls."
"Right," Jordan looks concerned for a moment, almost as if he's about to pull her into a comforting hug. He decides against it though, and settles for a reassuring smile. "Have fun."
"Thanks," Mary flashes a half-hearted grin before hurrying towards the Crook.
When Mary arrives, she finds Vani putting blankets on a bed in one of the rooms. She's surprised for a moment, seeing the bed in a room that had been full of junk a moment ago. "Hey jelly bean, what's up?" Vani asks as she looks up from her bed-making.
"Just- Walls," Mary explains helplessly.
Vani frowns, and then a guilty expression makes its way onto her face. "Oh klunk, I'm so sorry. There was so much to tell you about and just- I completely missed the whole the walls move deal."
"Yeah," Mary says and smooths down her hair. "Well it's okay now, I guess."
Vani takea breath, and then walks towards Mary. She slowly pulls the girl into a hug, rubbing soothing circles onto her back. "It's nothing to worry about. I'll make sure to show you the maze tomorrow, I promise jelly bean."
"Maze?" Mary repeats, before shaking her head. "Nevermind, I don't even want to know."
Vani lets out a laugh, before pulling back and pointing. "The washroom is just 'round the corner. Go get yourself cleaned up. Clothes are in a dresser out front."
Mary sighs and nods, slowly making her way back into the main room of the Crook. Sure enough, a dresser sits by the door. She quickly searches through, finding a pair of pants and long sleeved shirt that she guesses is her size before heading to shower and change.
The bathroom stuns her for a moment, as there's only a bathroom. As in there's a line of showers, no walls between, meant for both girls and… men.
Mary brushes off her worries, as there's more important things that require her concern, and hurries to shower. The water is cool, but not freezing, and Mary scrubs at her grubby skin. She spends a minute just standing under the water, letting the liquid calm her tense muscles, before stepping out and drying herself with a towel.
Once she's done she hurries back to the Crook.
Vani is nowhere to be seen, but CC is leaning against the wall waiting for her. "They just left to go shower. I'll show you which room's yours so you can get some sleep."
Mary tries not to think about the fact that Jordan and Vani are showering at the same time. CC shows her to the room at the end of the hall, and smiles. "It's not much, we'll work on it some more of course. Get a good rest Mary."
"Thanks CC, you too," she smiles back as the girl hugs her before leaving, closing the door behind her.
Slowly Mary tucks herself into bed, her room doesn't have a window, but through the cracks in the wood she can make out the moonlight.
She falls asleep with thoughts of moving walls and creeping monsters.
Here we are! Sorry it's been more than a wekk, but it's taken me forever to sort through your apps and decide who's going to fit which role best. Congratulations if your character has made the first 5 main characters, there are still 5-6 more to go, so don't worry if you haven't seen your yet!
It's been difficult, but I hope I've managed to catch your characters personalities well. Make sure to review, and I'll see you guys next update!
Next time: What's Vani going to do when this boy wakes up? And can Mary finally get used to being stuck in a maze?
Thanks for reading and for all your awesome support!
P.S If anyone is interested in beta'ing this story, let me know!