ONE
O N E
Elle’s eyes fluttered open and immediately she was greeted with darkness.
Elle couldn’t see a thing, not even a hand in front of her face. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest and her breathing picked up considerably. She took notice of whatever she had been sitting on. It was hard and cold.
She could feel herself moving, too, at a steady pace.
Elle curled her knees up against her chest, trying to be as small as possible.
Elle racked her brain, only she couldn’t remember a single thing. She couldn’t remember where she had been before this or what had happened in order for her to reach this point. With each passing second, Elle found herself growing more and more frustrated.
Willing herself to quiet her mind, Elle settled for listening to what was going on around her, to see if she could hear something; anything. That idea proved to be useless as the only thing she could hear was the ′woosh′ as blood pumped in her ears, drowning out everything else.
It was both loud and maddening.
Elle refrained from screaming out in frustration, for she knew it wouldn’t do her any good.
Before she could allow her mind to wander any further, suddenly she came to an abrupt halt, causing her body to jolt forward from the stop. She caught herself just in time. Elle froze in her spot, unmoving. If there happened to be someone out there, she planned on staying absolutely still in hope that they wouldn’t notice her. Perhaps she’d blend with the darkness and remain invisible.
She could only hope.
An unfamiliar noise emerged from above. It almost sounded like...doors opening? This left her mind reeling and just piqued her curiosity all the more.
What was going on?
Elle heard commotion around her. She picked up on the sound of laughter and mumbling. She felt things being moved around her and began to worry that they might travel a bit too close and find her. However, the more she thought about it, she had to ask herself: Did she really want to remain hidden? What if they could help her find her way back home?
Maybe being found wouldn’t be such a terrible thing.
Before Elle could make a decision, whatever had kept her hidden was ripped away. Elle lifted her arms to shield her eyes from the blinding sun beaming down on her. The sounds that were once muffled became much clearer; louder. A collective gasp sounded from above her, only she couldn't bring herself to look.
An arm reached out and clasped hers, pulling Elle up in her feet. She stumbled a bit but regained her composure quickly. Elle looked ahead and was greeted with a sight of a boy, who didn’t look much older than her. He had hazel eyes, a big nose, black hair that was slicked back, though you could clearly see just how greasy it was and acne covered his face. He grinned, revealing his yellow stained teeth.
Gross.
She, too, drank him in. He was clothed in a light blue shirt and black pants that stopped above the ankle. His clothes hung off of his skinny frame.
“Well, what do we have here,” he spoke, his voice rough. “I do believe we’re gonna have lots of fun, darlin’.”
Elle felt disgusted. The need to get away from him was strong. Far, far away. She tried to yank her arm from his grasp, only to feel his hold tighten and his smile widened as if he were enjoying the entire exchange.
Elle glared at him.
She opened her mouth to stay something but was interrupted when the floor beneath them shook as someone else jumped in. Glancing over, Elle furrowed her brow once realizing she recognized him. She stared at him for a moment, trying to remember just where she had seen him. She couldn’t recall a single memory. Yet, although it sounded strange, the mere sight of him brought her relief, like a wave crashing down on her. She felt safe with him; protected.
How was that even possible?
Elle took in his appearance. Short sandy blonde hair that had a messy, sexy “bed head” look to it with gorgeous deep brown eyes. He was tall and skinny, yet slightly muscular. He was clothed in a white sweater with a few buttons undone at the collar and brown pants that fell just above his ankle paired with beige shoes.
He was cute. Very cute.
“Let her go,” The boy spoke, authority laced his tone.
The boy who held her didn’t move. Elle looked over at him and noticed his eyes were solely focused on her, while the creepy smile continued to decorate his face.
“Let her go, James.” The blonde haired boy said, growing irritated. “I won’t ask again.”
To her surprise, he listened. Elle quickly lifted her arm to her chest and rubbed the tender skin. Her gaze never left James. She continued to glare at him, though made sure to step back, thus creating space between them.
Elle watched, in relief, as James decided to climb out of the Box. Her eyes followed him and when he reached the top, Elle found herself stiffen at the sight. A crowd of boys stood rooted, hovering around the Box. Their focus was on her and she could see the curiosity swimming in their eyes. With no girls around, Elle managed to put the pieces together. She must be the first girl—hence the reaction. Still, she couldn’t help feeling uneasy. Without realizing it, Elle took a step backward, only to feel a hand splay across the small of her back.
It was comforting. She didn't feel the need to step away.
Elle spun around, only to come face-to-face with the blonde haired boy. He smiled at her, prompting Elle to smile back.
“I’m Newt.” He introduced. Elle noted his thick British accent. “Let’s get out of here, ya?”
Elle nodded.
With the help of others, Elle and Newt exited the Box. Once her feet touched the ground, she immediately took in her surroundings. She noticed the four high walls enclosed around them, encasing them in. That left her wondering what was outside those walls. She, too, observed the various huts that were scattered across this place.
She was at a loss for words.
She won’t deny the fact she’s terrified. That’s a given. However, there was just something about this place that left her reeling.
She wanted to know more about it.
While Elle found herself transfixed by her surroundings, she failed to notice Newt behind her. Once she felt a hand on her shoulder, Elle looked back.
“How about I show you around?”
Elle smiled.
“I’d love that.”
