Alex was sitting in front of the fire, it was slowly dying, some of the boys were getting really loud and rowdy, Gally's drink wasn't helping. She was thinking about her first month in the glad, when someone popped down next to her. She turned to see who it was. She didn't recognize him at first, he was half covered in shadow. He was tall, but everyone was tall here, besides Chuck, she was the shortest. He was lean but had broad shoulders. He shifted and she saw his face, Matt. He seemed unsteady on his feet.

"You! You must be the She-Bean! Name's Matt! But you can call me...uhh Matt! You look like the angel who saved my life...did you know I almost DIED?!"

"Well it's nice to meet you Matt, I've only been here a whole month now." She laughed at him, they were buddies, but was cautious, boys and that brown liquid didn't seem like a good combo. But he didn't seem to notice her anymore. He was looking into the fire. He started mumbling, not making much sense, talking about 'wanting to get out, nowhere to go. I can't even remember if I had parents.' He kept mumbling but Alex couldn't hear anymore. He turned his head and jumped a bit, startled.

"When'd you get heeeere? Man Shhhe-Bean you iiiss ssssneaky!" His words were sluring together. His eyes getting heavy. He perked up, with a sudden idea.

"HEY!"

He was really loud right in Alex's ear.

"HEY, She-Bean, can you sing?"

That caught the attention of the boys around the fire. All heads swiveled in her direction, expectantly, waiting for an answer. Matt was now more awake, his green eyes watching her hazle ones.

"Please? None of these ugly shanks can sing."

"Umm, well, I don't know. I don't remember" Alex answered quietly. She was feeling shy with all the eyes looking at her. Another boy piped up.

"Please Shanket, try! For us?" Then all at once boys were pleading for her to sing.

Alex closed her eyes, trying to remember if she ever sang before. The pleading sad voices of the boys pulled at her heart. She couldn't remember any songs. Tunes maybe, but not the words,

She squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing her temples, trying to mentally break that stone wall again, she just needed a little whisper of memory fog. With a sharp stab in her forehead, shooting to the back of her skull a few words came trickling out. She recognized the tune as the one her mother sang to her, Newt and their sister in her dream. She opened her mouth and words to a simple lullaby tune came out. The simple song had different effects on the boys. Most just sat there with their mouths open.

The song made Chuck think of a loving mom somewhere, outside the walls, it made him feel homesick and happy at the same time, tears leaked down his face, he was still a child, he missed the mom he couldn't remember. Newt sat there looking absolutely dumbfounded, mouth open, eyes wide. The song felt familiar, and gave him a warm nostalgia feeling inside, it must be one from their childhood. He sighed with longing.

Minho, still sitting up in the treehouse, outside the glow of the fire, was rooted to the spot. A wave of warmth and comfort washed over him, a small sense of safety. He was always locking his emotions up tight. Maybe that's why he was such a slint head towards Alex. His emotions were getting too much so he pushed her away. He'd never felt these kinds of emotions or feelings before. This tiny little fire ball stirred everything up, her simple song made him feel all the emotions at once, and he didn't know how to handle it. He figured better not to get attached, so when this shucked up place takes it, it won't hurt so much. But that's not really want he wanted. He wanted her.

How could this song make him feel like this? Happy and sad, longing and vulnerable.

How can one person have all these emotions at once, they'd explode! I feel like exploding!

He carefully built a wall around his heart, and it had kept him safe for two years. It's not that he didn't care, he did. He cared quite a bit. He just didn't want others to know he did. But this girl made him feel all the emotions, all the time. And this simple song cracked the wall. Alex was steadily chipping away the walls around his heart, and she didn't even know. And that scared the klunk out of him.

The song ended.

Matt whispered "Again. Please. Once more"

Alex's voice wasn't the best considering she didn't remember ever singing, but that didn't seem to bug the Gladers. However the longer she sang the easier and more confidant she became. Pedro, one of the nicer slicers, had somehow got ahold of a real guitar. He started strumming along with her song, and they repeated it for a third time;

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You never know dear how much I love you, so please don't take my sunshine away.

One night dear, while I lay sleeping I dreamt I held you in my arms. When I awoke dear, I was mistaken, so I held my head and I cried.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You never know dear how much I love you, so please don't take my sunshine away. "

When her and Pedro finished a few more Gladers had tears in their eyes. They all hastily wiped them away. God forbid anyone saw them a little emotional. It was quiet now, the rowdy guys had either left or sat listening or had just fallen asleep to the lullaby.

"Thank you.." Matt slurred.

He got up and walked towards the homestead. That broke the spell. And the boys started to get loud again. Alex sighed she was emotionally done with the day. She got up and was going to go to bed. Fry was packing away the BBQ, Chuck had taken Thomas, the Greenie had remembered his name after Gally slammed his head into the sand when they were wrestling. She was starting to think Gally was onto something. Newt and Alby were busy nursing drunk Gladers to bed. And she hadn't see Minho all evening. She was hoping after she exploded on him he would come around.

Guess I may have bruised his huge ego. Guess he needs time to cool off...maybe I do to.

She sighed. Her heart heavy and sad. Her eyes sleepy, she whistled for Bark and headed to The Homestead. She was almost there when she realized Bark hadn't come. She stopped and turned around, she whistled again, waiting. It wasn't like Bark not to listen. She could hear Alex whistling from anywhere. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Her heart started to thump faster. She heard a snap of a twig and the crunch of stones. Pain exploded through her head.

Her world went black.

She blinked, her head was pounding, she tried to sit up but it shot pain down her spine and made her stomach sick. She rolled onto her side and threw up. She lay back down and opened her eyes again, trying to figure out what the bloody hell happened. She remembered singing for the boys and that was it. She blinked again, and slowly looked to her other side. Trees. She was in the Deadheads.

How did I get here?

She couldn't see the glow of the fire or hear the boys at the bonfire. The moon was peeking through the leaves, casting eerie shadows. She tried sitting up, but pain shot through her, black spots dancing in her vision. She put a hand to her head, groaning, it came away sticky and wet. Blood.

"Ahhh she's awake."

Alex held her head as she forced herself to sit up. Her head was spinning making her stomach spin. Everything she saw was twisting and spinning, nothing would stay still, she couldn't focus on anything. She tried finding the voice, she recognized it, it sounded familiar but something was wrong with it. It was harsh, malicious. Out of the shadow of a tree stepped Chris. She knew right away something was wrong with him. He was holding something that glinted in the moonlight. A knife.

"No one around now sweetie." He was playing with the knife in his hands.

"Everyone is too drunk or too busy. And your stupid dog can't help you. Where're your 'boys' , your stupid bodyguards now? Hmm? It's just you and me. I can finally have some fun." His eyes were wild. He was looking at her like a piece of meat and he was starving. An animal looking at its prey. Fear washed over her in hug waves, she wasn't just dealing with a creep, he was crazy!

Alex's head was pounding and it made her dizzy. She tried to stand up. She had to get away from this monster. With inhuman speed he got over to her and grabbed her by the front of her shirt, lifting her up and slammed her into a tree. She cried out in pain as the back of her head made contact with the tree. Bile rose up, burning her throat. She was going to throw up again.

Chris pushed his body right up against her.

"No, stop, please!"

She sounded so weak, even to herself. Her world kept teetering. Alex tried to wiggle free, but Chris was bigger and stronger on a regular day, and tonight he had inhuman strength.

What happened to him?

He grabbed both her wrists, even though she fought back. He pinned them above her head with one of his hands.

"I like you, you're pretty, I remember girls. I remember... I remember YOU. Why do you hang out with the scum of this place? You should be with me. I remember you. You never paid any attention to me then. It was always HIM! You told me no then too...Not anymore. Once I'm done having fun with you, I'm going to kill you."

The hand that wasn't holding her wrists had slid down the front of her chest, and over to her hip. He reached under her shirt, feeling his way up her shirt. She shuddered and whimpered when his hand made contact with her bare skin.

"Stop, please! Don't do this!" She struggled against him, trying to get away.

He just laughed at her and slammed her into the tree again. Her head slamming into the tree. Her vision was fuzzy, she still tried to fight back, but she did not have the strength. Tears were running down her face, she knew what was going to happen to her. She thought she was safe, thought the Glade was safe. Alby had screamed at them again at lunch, thrown a guy into the slammer for smacking her butt...but no. In a place like this, where grownups took children's memories, and placed them inside a prison surrounded by monsters. Where the Creators threw one small girl in the middle of 60 hormonal boys. Where people watched kids die. There will always be someone who wants what's not theirs, who will take what isn't there's. There will always be someone who just doesn't give a shuck, only thinks about their wants and desires. Alex was stuck in a world where the big and strong took advantage of the small and weak. Tears slid down Alex's cheeks. She was alone. She was injured and couldn't see straight, never mind defend herself.

Where were the guys who said they had my back? Where is my brother?

She was terrified.

Chris pushed his body up against hers again, rubbing up and down. She let out a scream. Chris reached into his back pocket and pulled the knife out again, holding it to her neck, forcing her chin up. She had to stop screaming, or he would slice her neck. He ran the tip of the blade up and down her neck, making her shiver, and whimper. She was too scared to move.

"Oh, you like that sweetheart?" He leaned his head in, whispering in her ear " Let's do it again."

He pressed the point of the knife a little deeper, drawing blood, at the same time he kissed her neck. Alex was sobbing and pleading for him to stop. Chris just laughed. He kissed her neck again, his hands feeling up and down her body. He trailed his slobbering kisses down to her shoulder, where he then bit her. He bit her so hard he drew her blood. A lot of blood. She screamed again from pain and fear. She was begging him to stop. He pulled away, only to lean in to try kiss her lips. Her blood was smeared down his chin. His eyes were manic, they were a solid black. He drew close again. His lips made contact, she bit down hard, drawing his blood this time. Alex pushed with the little strength her body could muster. As he stumbled back in surprise he sliced her neck right down to her collarbone. He stumbled enough to give Alex just enough room to slip under his arm and run. Chris let out an inhuman screech of anger.

Her head was spinning, she had no idea where in the Deadheads she was. Her stomach was turning, and it was dark. She tripped and landed with a thud. She scrambled to her hands and knees and threw up again. She could hear Chris screaming at her and storming through the trees. She wiped her mouth and tried to get back up. It was too late, Chris had caught up with her and he was even more angry than before. His face was twisted with rage, he had black veins wrapping around his arms and up his neck. He let out a gleeful whoop as he stood over her, he reared back and kicked her in the ribs. She felt nothing but sharp pain. All the wind was knocked out of her. He grabbed her hair and pulled her up to her knees. Alex screamed and tried to grab his hand. He threw her back onto the ground. He got down and straddled her, he hit her with a closed fist, her head whipped to the side. Pain exploded from her check and up her already pounding head. While she was subdued for the moment, he took his knife and ripped her shirt open.

He was crazy, there wasn't any human left in his eyes, they were wild. He had spit flying from his mouth, he was breathing heavily. He was making angry animal noises, and was drawing his nails down her chest and stomach, drawing blood. The knife in his hand also cut her open in places. She tried to push him off. He grabbed her arm, brought it up and bit her again.

"I saw you. I remember you. It's your fault. You made them! It was you! You told me no before! Before. Before... It was you! You made them! Now it's revenge! You told me no, I don't like no"

He was running a hand up and down her body again. He stopped and was now trying to fiddle with the buttons of her pants. His other hand was tightening around her neck. He squeezed harder, cutting off her airway. She was clawing at his hands. She was going to suffocate. She was alone. And she was going to die.

Chris's eyes were glazed over, and they were bloodshot around the edges and black pits in the middle. He was slobbering, and panting. He had gone from a human to Monster in minutes. Alex's vision was already spinning, and now it was fading, she couldn't breathe. Her blood soaked the ground and ran down her head, matting her hair. The cut down her neck and collarbone wasn't helping the blood loss. Her bite marks were sending sharp stabs of stinging pain through her body. She could feel all the claw marks and knife cuts and her ribs throbbed. Chris was growling and screaming at her like an animal, his face inches from hers. She had no more energy to fight back, she couldn't even stay fully conscious. She didn't have the strength anymore, she needed air. She had given up.

Then there was air in her lungs. She felt the weight of Chris lift off her and the hand that was squeezing her throat was ripped off, leaving more claw marks. She gasped and coughed. Alex heard a few thumps and some yelling. Footsteps. More yelling and then a twang of string being snapped. A wet shunk noise. More yelling. She coughed and threw up all over herself. No energy or strength to move, she kept her eyes closed. Tears still streaming down her face. She tried to move her head to the side trying to hear what was happening. Even moving her head a little was painful. She just lay there instead. Allowing the blackness to take her in and out. She heard a few voices yelling over top of each other. Everything was muffled and she couldn't make out what was going on. She was still laying on her back, shirt ripped wide open, cuts and claw marks and covered in blood.

She felt a hand touch her shoulder. And she flinched and tried to scream. Nothing came out though, her throat was on fire. She tried to get away, adrenaline pumping through her again, she cried, fighting the hands that were trying to hold her.

"Hey hey hey, Alex, it's okay! It's okay."

"No! No it's not okay! It's not! It's not okay! It will never be okay!" She sobbed. Everything hurt. She was beaten, bruised, bloody, threatened, and violated. It definitely was not okay.

She heard a sniff , "Your right Sunshine, I'm sorry."

The voice cracked and another small sniff, "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry Alex, I should have been there!"

She felt something cover her body, something soft. The warm rough hand never left her shoulder.

"We need to get her to The Med Hut."

"What do we do with him?"

"He ain't getting up anytime soon! Leave him for the baggers."

"Ya, they can deal with him in the morning."

"Looks like he went nuts! She's covered in bite marks and claw marks! Like a wild animal!"

"What the bloody hell?!"

"Was he stung? He's not a runner!"

"Someone tell me what the bloody hell happened to my sister!"

"I'll explain later. We also need her to tell us what happened!"

"I got her. Jeff, go get ready, I'll be right behind you."

"Newt! Come on, your sister needs you now let's go."

"Wait, sister? What?'

She heard at least 5 different voices. She tried to focus on each one, trying to place them. She heard one voice, gruff with worry but gentle, right beside her,

"Sunshine, I'm going to lift you up, I'm going to take you to Jeff. He's going to clean you up." That was Minho.

"Come on, let's bloody go before she passes all the way out! And someone better tell me what happened!" That was Newt.

"HEY! Watch her head! I can hear her yelling at me in my sleep, 'watch the head'!" Gally. Gally was here? Why was he here? "Also what do you mean sister?!"

"Newt, we need an emergency Gathering, Gal we'll explain then, right now her safety is the priority. Gally go wake the other keepers.." the was Alby.

She felt strong arms pick her up. She let out a small cry, as pain shot through her ribs and her head.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I gotta move you! I'm sorry Sunshine!" the voice sounded shaky. She felt a hand on her head keeping it from flopping, her head was placed on the chest of who was holding her. She could smell sunshine, and spice and a hint of sweaty musk. Minho was holding her. She let out a whimper, moving hurt.

"I got you sunshine."

She felt movement, and heard some crunching of leaves. he was carrying her through the deadheads, He brought her to the MedJack Hut where Jeff and Clint were ready and waiting. Minho laid her down, but was reluctant to leave. He was still holding her limp hand. Alby came to the door.

"Guys. Gathering. Now. Jeff, when you're done, meet us down stairs. Clint, no one but Keepers in here. And she is never alone. Understood?" Newt and Minho hesitated, not wanting to leave. Clint shooed them out.

"When she's cleaned, stitched and resting you can come back. We need to work!" And he closed the door on them.