The monsters scrambled around in front of her, the metal bars preventing them from catching her were weak, creaking and groaning under all of the force these beasts were creating.
Burnt skin dominated whatever was left of their bodies, bones and flesh both visible. The majority of them had missing limbs or chunks of rotting flesh hanging from their thin frames.
They were far worse then anything even the most terrifying nightmares could creat. For these things were real.
Dark hair stuck to the girls face, glistening with red liquid in random areas. Her strong yet thin frame was covered in cuts, gashes, dirt and dark blood.
Her mind screamed with the scene she had witnessed not minutes before. Images that would haunt her forever, permanently burnt into her memories.
'I need you to run.' The woman had said to her, eyes filled with determination.
'I need you to run and never look back.' She had gripped the girls hands so tightly that bruises were left on the skin.
'But-but what about Daddy and Ch-'
'Just go! Maybe you can find them.'
The woman interrupted, laying a hand on the knife strapped to the girls thigh, a sense of warmth flowed through her.
Kissing the girls forehead she pushed
her away, leaving no room for protest as she locked the metal door in front of her.
'I love you.'
That was the last thing the girl was to ever hear from her, the last sweet smile, those sparkling brown eyes.
'NO!' Screaming, the girl hit the bars frantically, 'Please no!' But it was too late the monsters were already pouring through the opposite door, scrambling over each other till they reached the woman. Grabbing her, then she was lost from sight as they had surrounded her.
Now, with the beasts attention set on her, there was only one thing she could do.
Run.
She ran for as long as she could, through winding corridors before she found the outside, staying close to the sides of ruined buildings, carful not to be seen by anymore monsters. And she didn't stop running. Not when the sky turned dark, not when her lungs burned, not when she felt her heart shatter.
When she did stop, she fell to her knees gasping loudly. Random specks of light danced in her vision, her head throbbed in absolute pain, her mouth, throat, lungs and entire body felt as if they were engulfed in flame.
Her vision was too blurry to make out exactly were she was, but had run across have the small desert that lay near her old home, and had fallen just to the sides of a building, crushed and crumbling, singled out from the rest.
Just before she was taken over by darkness, the girl had enough energy to scream a word. So much sorrow and despair filled her voice that any human who could hear would have burst into tears.
'MUM!'
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"Mum!"
Ivy shot up from the bed, sweating heavily, and tears rolled down her cheeks. It was another memory.
Of her mum?
Why was she remembering these things, Ivy knew the other Gladers didn't remember anything if their past.
So why could she?
After the Bonfire Newt had shown her to a room where she would be staying, he had said only he, Alby and the Keepers got their own beds; the others slept in hammocks. He had also said that since she was a girl she would be sleeping separate from him, Ably and the Keepers. So they had moved a spare bed they had into an old room where they stored junk. They had of course cleaned it out before hand.
That had been a week earlier.
Slipping out of the bed, Ivy noticed it was still dark outside, she took the watch of the desk draws beside her bed and read the time:
12:47
She would be trialling for the Runners today. Not many people got that chance, only if Minho, Newt or Alby thought you had it in you. In this case, they all did. On her third day, while she was with the Track-Hoes, Ivy had sprinted across the whole Glade, chasing a a crazy goat that had escaped it's pen, only later had she found out that Newt had seen and made a recommendation to Minho and Alby.
Ivy couldn't believe it had been a week since she woke up in that box, since she had whooped Gally's arse during the game; then earning respect from the Gladers.
Tip-toeing, Ivy made her way through the corridors and down stairs, until she finally went outside. She began to make her way to the tree den she had first climbed when she entered the Glade. It was calming and rather peaceful, and away from all the boys. Climbing, Ivy recalled the dream: the burnt monster-zombie-creatures, and that woman.
Her mum.
As Ivy sat on the top floor, letting her feet dangle over the edge, she buried her face in her hands and began to cry. At first they were simple tears, but then she began to sob, laboured breathes racking her body. Realising then that someone might hear her, she reduced the sobbing immediately, so all that could be heard was a silent whimper.
That scene was all too real. The images of the beast flashed in her vision, she now knew they would never leave her.
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Newt
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Newt pushed himself up into a sitting position on his bed. Looking around, he could see Alby still sleeping, the two boys shared a room as they were the two leaders. The other keepers slept separately from them, but were still allowed beds.
Stretching out his arms and neck, Newt was curious as to why he had woken, he usually slept through the whole night without waking up; but that was only recently. Nightmares had owned his sleep for ages, they had only begun to leave him a couple of months ago.
Surprisingly he found his throat to be parched, so he pushed the thin covers of him and swung his legs over the side of the wooden bed. As he carefully opened the door and poked his head through, Newt saw a shadow disappear round a corner leading downstairs; so he followed.
Having to walk by the kitchen to go outside, Newt grabbed two bottles of water and hurried after the figure; already having quiet a good idea of who it was.
A gentle breeze tickled at his bare arms, sending a chill over his body. Noticing the figure sitting at the top floor on the tree, he walked over.
Was that, crying, he could hear?
Once he had gotten to the top, he was not surprised with the greeting he received.
"Hey."
In less then a second Newt had a blade at his throat, and at the other end he was met with fiery eyes. Well, eye technically, Newt had only ever seen one of the girl's eyes, the other was covered with her wild hair, her fringe falling perfectly into the shape of her face where her eye was constantly covered.
"Shit Newt! Even by now I think you'd know not to jump me." By the end she had lowered her blade and was chuckling slightly. She was right, all the Gladers new how good her reflexes were, and how good she was with that knife. Just being here a week, Ivy had become close friends with Newt, Minho, Frypan and Alby. She was getting along well with everyone else, though she would occasionally remind the certain someone who doubted her strength.
Surprisingly, she was friendly with Gally, which shocked everyone. After their first game, Gally had come to respect Ivy just as the others did, recognising her strength and intelligence; seeing her as an equal.
Newt contemplated whether or not to ask if it really was crying he had heard. It didn't take him long to decide not to, as it would probably end up with him being thrown of the floor.
The girl was different.
Not just because she was of the opposite gender, the way she spoke and acted, and the way the way she would never let anyone put her down; he knew, even with no memory of a life before the Glade, that she was special.
Handing Ivy a bottle of water , Newt sat down beside her, matching her swinging legs. Thanking him, Ivy uncapped her bottle and drunk, Newt watched, amused, as she did the same as she did in the first day: sucking out all the oxygen, not taking any breathes as the plastic crunched loudly.
As Newt looked over at her, he wondered why she always had hair in her face. There were many reasons of course: she liked it that way, it was just set in place or she could be simply trying to hide her face. As confident as she was, she still hid. Instead of debating why in his head, Newt did the easier thing: ask.
Ivy furrowed her eyebrows, as if she didn't quiet know herself,
"Dunno. Guess it just feels right, I can see easily enough though it does get annoying sometimes; but when I push it back it just falls over again. I have nothing to hold it back either." She looked at him, tilting her head, "Why'd you ask?"
Smirking Newt said,
"Well iv never seen you with it back, i'v only ever seen half your face and I was just wondering why." Nodding, Ivy took another swig of water then, to Newts surprise, pushed the wild mess out of her face, revealing the other side
And what he saw made him gasp.
There was nothing wrong with her face of course, she was hiding nothing horrific or disgusting, this side was just like the other. However Newt was not looking at her skin, but her eye.
Unlike her other, this was something else. Instead of the deep, shining black, this eye held a bright, glistening green. The longer Newt stared at the vibrant colour, Ivy grew all the more confused.
"What?" She asked defensively, scowling at the boy, letting her curly hair fall back into place. "Why are you staring?"
Newt frowned, disappointed he could no longer see the surprising brightness.
"Hey, pull it back again." He said, Ivy protested but he insisted, finally doing so. Smiling, Newt realised how great it looked, the way it was so out of place against her pale skin, dark hair and eyes, made it shine out.
Made her all the more unique.
Ivy gave Newt an expectant look, waiting for him to explain his strange behaviour.
"It's nothing," he said, eyes still fixated on her eye, "Just that your eye, it's green."
"Green? You told me I had black eyes."
"Seriously?" Newt asked bewildered, "You never noticed that your eyes are two different colours? Have you not bothered to see your reflection yet?"
Ivy scowled at him,
"Course I have. Iv just never bothered to pull my hair back while I do so.
Raising his hands in surrender at her harsh tone, Newt chuckled slightly,
"Okay okay. There's nothing wrong with that though, it's fine to be a little self-indulgent once in a while; specially since none of us remember our past.
I just thought, by only ever seeing one side of your face, I assumed both eyes were black. Now I see I'm wrong."
Immediately, Ivy held the bottle of water up to her face, squinting to try and see in the dim light the night was providing, then she laughed.
"I guess squinting isn't going to freaking help when I'm trying to see my eye." Putting the water down, she replaced it with her dagger, even though the blade was ashen black, it reflected the dim moonlight well enough.
"Woah." Ivy stated, studying her reflection curiously. "This kinda condition has some long arse name, but I think it's shortened to Husky Eyes or something." She smirked as she looked at the dagger longer. "Looks funny."
Matching her expression Newt said,
"Well, I think it looks cool. Something bright against all your darkness." He nudged her side and they both chuckled.
He didn't know how much time passed, but told Ivy they should get back to sleep since she had a hard day ahead of her, when they both yawned simultaneously. Agreeing, Ivy followed Newt down the ladders and back into the Homestead.
As Newt slipped back into bed, he checked his watch for the time:
1:52
They'd been sitting out there longer then he thought, but he didn't care. Newt liked Ivy, even after a week, he was great friends with her. Then he let sleep over take him, dreaming peacefully about emerald green.
Unlike Ivy, who was screaming within her sleep only a door away.
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Sorry it took so long. Just been really busy and I haven't got around to it. Plus about half the chapter got deleted so that wasn't fun. Anyway, hope you like what I did with her eye, just wanted to make her all the the more different.
~Olly