Chapter 2: Divided

Chapter 2: Divided

     

I felt a pang of guilt. I had forgotten to check on Jennifer. She must have been sleeping right up to the shocks.

     The feeling in my hands and feet had come back, so I got down beside her to comfort her. Jennifer was one of the toughest girls I had met, this was the first time I had ever seen her cry. I felt awful.

     The other girls left, one by one, to prepare for work. We were almost the last people in the room when I stood up and grabbed Jennifer's hand between mine.

     "I'm so sorry. I should have woken you up. I only just woke up myself. It's all my fault. I'm really sorry." I said, asking for her forgiveness.

     She wiped away the tears and looked up at me. "It's okay. Help me up, before we miss breakfast."

     I pulled her up and helped her get dressed, then she returned the favour. She was limping slightly so I helped her as much as I could as we went into the canteen and scanned our bracelets. We grabbed the meal trays as they slid out of the wall, then sat down at the nearest table.

     

There was only a few girls left in the canteen. They were taking it slow, and some of them were chatting. It was strange to see them so relaxed when most of us were terrified at the thought of being late.

     One of the girls joined us at our table and asked why we were late. Jennifer came up with an excuse. Most of the girls paired up by bunk beds, like me and Jennifer. You need someone to rely on in a place like this. I screwed up big time when I let her down, and now I owed her.

     Despite that the other girl kept trying to engage us in conversation, she ended up leaving early. The screens all showed a countdown for when we had to be outside. We only had a few minutes left.

     We managed to finish most of our meal and sprint outside in time. We were the last girls to arrive, just as a group of Beaters, dressed in their usual black uniform, showed up. Their job was to make sure we followed the rules and didn't try to escape.

     A pair of Beaters went into the dormitory to search for late-arrivals. If any were found then they would be dragged out and punished in front of all of us, to set an example.     Every girl in the camp lines up outside their house, in the morning, so we can be divided into work groups. Nearly all of us would be taken to the fields, but some would stay and clean the facilities.  

     Each house was made to hold a hundred girls, with a large bunk room, a canteen, and several bathrooms being the only place where you can get some privacy. The girls were divided into houses by age, and every birthday we would get moved up to a new one. Every birthday moved us one step closer to our fate.

     The houses were set up in a single row, spread out, overlooking a field of wild grass and flowers. Around the camp was a tall fence, with razor wires on top, and Beaters patrolling it on the inside. We weren't allowed near the fence, and I had once been punished for it, but I had also found out that there are two electric wires running through the bottom half of the fence. Around the entire camp was a forest, if we could just get out there then I am sure we could escape. A large road ran from the camp to the fields where we work on the crops.      

   

A Beater walked up to Jennifer and scanned her bracelet, pointing her towards the harvesting crew. Then he came over and grabbed my wrist. Using his scanner he checked my bracelet and pointed me somewhere different, towards the Beater captain.

     I walked over, feeling very uncertain of myself. In all my time here I had never seen this happen. The crews were always positioned around a pole with a symbol. The camp was harsh about following routine, this didn't make sense.

     Many of the girls weren't paying attention, but some were looking startled. I wasn't the only one singled out, two others girls were standing next to the captain looking just as confused. The captain was slightly larger than the most Beaters, wore no visor over his head, and had unique marks on his uniform. His face was set in a stern expression, and scars riddled his face. The Beaters didn't have it as easy as I thought, although they deserved anything they got. I stood beside the other girls, as far away from him as possible, and waited.

     One girl made a very bold claim to one of the Beaters, saying she couldnt work. Her ankle has been twisted when she fell off her bed during the shock therapy. She had the swelling to prove it. I half expected them to beat her right there, but they sent her to the infirmary with an escort.

     The rest of the girls were divided into their work groups. After a little while a loud noise blurted out of the nearby speakers signalling work time. The beaters led everyone away, leaving me with only a fleeting glance of Jennifer's worried face. The camp clear out, from hundreds or even thousands of girls, to suddenly only three of us and the captain.

    

He walked around us, watching with skewed eyes, then took my chin, turning my head side to side while he examined my face. He licked his lips in a repulsive manner, his face so close to mine that I could taste his sweat. I wanted to push him away or hurt him, but he would kill me if I did either, so I stood my ground, trying not to show weakness. A finger touched my lips.

     He laughed and stood up straight, walking back in front of us. I wanted to gag or make a face, but I controlled myself.

     "You fine ladies have been requested by the Command. You will follow me and remain silent at all times unless spoken to. If any of you step out of line then I will shoot you myself. Is that clear?"

     "Yes, sir," The other girls answered. I didn't say anything, trying to remain calm after such a rebellious act. The captain looked at me and grinned.

     "Watch out, or you might be the first one to go."