The Test

Thirty-three

The shot rings out into the darkness, echoing in the sudden silence. The guard twists, alarmed, but that just means the bullet goes into his stomach, not his spine.
Chaos erupts all around me as more shots are fired, the girls frantic and desperate. "Don't shoot us!" One girl cries.
"Don't worry," Callum says, stepping forward. "We're not here to shoot you - we're here to get you out."
He walks forward and starts breaking the chains, cutting the rope. He motions for us to go and break them out of solitary confinement, so I slip out the door and into the corridor.
Where it had been silent before, now it is chaotic.
Guards run to and fro across the corridor, shooting anything that moves. We dive into the alcove that Luc revealed himself to me in, and we shoot them down. "Let's go," I say, once they're all lying prone on the floor.
Luc nods. We tiptoe to the solitary confinement cells, thankfully not one that I was in, and shoot away the locks. Girls come running out and we herd them into the waiting Jeeps, much like they did with me.
More girls come running out of the main room, being quickly ushered into the Jeeps beside the others. Our raid team joins them after planting fire bombs in the corridors, waiting for the Jeeps to clear the area before detonating them. The booms rock the Jeeps as they speed away, but all the girls just cheer, tears of happiness running down all our faces as their - and my - version of hell goes up in flames. 
~
When we return, there's the task of assigning everyone sleeping quarters and mentors. Needless to say, supper that night is busy. Luc stands at the front of the dining room with Knox, the new strategy they've had to employ because there are so many girls to house. "Becca and Kayley Hale," Knox reads out from a list we compiled as everyone came in. "You're with me."
I smirk at their disappointed faces as they shuffle over to the growing line by Knox. I know what they're thinking.
Luc smiles at me from across the room. I feel his gaze on me like a prickle of heat emanating from my core. I smile back.
More people are assigned until all the new girls have mentors, and the topic turns to sleeping arrangements.
"The girls need places to sleep. I'm afraid some of you are going to have to give up your beds." Knox says. "Anyone willing, step forward."
I lean over to Vi and ask if it's ok for me to offer-she wont get offended. "Yeah, that's fine." She says, winking. "It's not like you actually sleep there anyway."
I laugh as a couple of people speak up. Sasha, to my surprise, offers. I didn't think she had it in her to be generous. And then her new boyfriend says something to her that makes her laugh. Suddenly I know what she's doing, and it makes me feel dirty. Like I'm doing something wrong by offering. Vi glances at me and nods. "Go. You'll be fine. Don't worry about scumbag over there." She glares at Sasha. "She doesn't need a bed, she just shares all the boys'." I laugh again before speaking up.

"I'll do it," I say, breaking the sudden clamour.

Knox nods at me with a wry smile. "Of course."

Luc smiles at me, and grins as Vi nudges me. "Mrs Noble."

I laugh. "Hardly." Luc breaks away from the crowd and comes towards me. "Vi think's I'm Mrs Noble now," I say to him. She giggles and looks at me. "Well. Look who's bed you get to sleep in now," she jokes. I start. Oh. I hadn't thought of that. I glance at Luc, suddenly pensive.

"Don't worry. We'll work it out." he assures me. "Hey." he says as the crowd starts to disperse as the sleeping arrangements are decided. "They're setting up for a Returning."

I laugh, shocked. "They are?"

He nods. "I guess we did go on a raid... do you want to dance?"
~
It feels different sleeping in his bed now that I'm allowed to - it's not just a quick stop after a raid because I was tired and he wanted to keep me close - now it feels more charged, the silence electric as I fold back the covers. "Night night, my love," he whispers, a hand stroking my hair. "Sleep well."
"You too," I whisper, already unable to keep my eyes open.
I know I won't. I know the scene that will haunt my dreams, the sound of the bullet cracking through the sudden silence. The screams.
My screams.

And when I wake, his arms are around me, nestling me into his side, protective and sweet. "Shh, Anya, love. Shh. It's ok. I'm here. It's ok."

"I love you," I whisper in thanks when i've stopped choking on my own air long enough to speak.

He smiles. "And I you."

~
The sunrise is beautiful, muted pink and gold and orange. The door opening into the loading bay exposes it, but its beauty is deceptive. It cannot hide the fear on our faces, the clench of our hands on the triggers of our guns and in each other's.
It cannot disguise - in fact only magnifies - the glint of metal.
The barrel of a gun.
Trained on Luc and I, standing in the opening to the compound, ready to unlock the Jeeps for another supplies raid. The government have stopped sending us food. We're on our own.
And I have never felt so alone, nor so terrified as my eyes trail from the barrel of the gun to the hand holding it. A familiar hand. To the face, grim,  and eyes,  steely.
My mother's hand.  My mother's face.
The breath squeezes out of my lungs along with her finger on the trigger.
My heart stops. I have no breath left to speak. But speak I must.
The world pauses on its axis for a single, eternal second.
I open my mouth.
"Wait!"