‧₊˚✧ ⁝ 𝑪5  ❪ 忘却 ❫ ‧₊˚✧

fracture the 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 ...

RIA LAY ON her back, her fingers grazing over the soft tufts of grass which settled beneath her body. The girl's eyes were closed as she focused on her breathing, the way her chest rose and fell in a gentle yet consistent pattern and the calm steadiness of it.

She was under the huge, gnarled apple tree that was located in the south-east area of the Glade. Ria liked the way it's twisted branches hung over her, bearing it's gifts of fruit. It was as if it was shielding her from the world outside it's thick canopy of leaves. She hadn't dreamt at all last night and it had irritated her. Ria needed another glimpse into what could've been her past.

"Hey, Ria. Can I sit?"

Ria opened her eyes, lifting her head. Her eyes were met with Chuck's who was stood above her, an untroubled grin on his lips.

"Hey, Chuck. 'Course you can." Ria responded, sitting up so her back rested against the rough but sturdy trunk of the tree. She scooted over to make space for the boy next to her. He collapsed beside her, letting out a huff as he did so. They sat in silence for a while. Not an empty silence, but the kind of silence where the world seemed to stop. A silence that enveloped the wind in a blissful serenity. It was Ria's favourite type of silence.

Eventually, she broke the quietude and turned to Chuck. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing, actually," he shook his head, dark curls bouncing wildly. "It's nice to not be thinking sometimes."

Ria thought about this carefully. "You're right, you know? I think I've done enough of that to last me a lifetime." An odd contentment settled over her and she embraced it, almost accepting her new life. It felt good.

Chuck laughed, uprooting a few tufts of grass. "So, are we friends now?"

"Of course we are, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Impossibly, the boy's smile grew. "Good. How's your hand?" he motioned to the plaster covering her cut. Whatever Clint had done, it seemed to have worked. Ria only felt the slightest tinge of pain whenever she moved it. She tested it again by extending her hand in front of her eyes, flexing her fingers slowly.

"It's much better, thanks." Ria paused. "How come Clint has all that medical knowledge, you know? It can't just be an odd coincidence that he knows all of that? I thought nobody could remember anything apart from their names."

Chuck pondered for a while, chewing on his lip. "I think it's mostly learned from experience but maybe whoever sent us up here let them keep that. Believe it or not, we've had a lot of injuries in the Glade, Ria. The Slicers are probably the worst, there's always a new injury from everyday as they're cutting up those poor animals."

Ria shuddered. "Makes sense ... but Chuck, can I ask you something?"

Chuck stretched, yawning slightly. "Isn't that what friends are for?"

"What do I look like?"

The boy turned his body to face her fully. Ria sat still for a few seconds in anticipation. "Uh, well your hair's blonde but you probably already know that. Oh, and your eyes are green. Not green like the leaves, bright green like the sea. I'd say you look about sixteen or seventeen."

Ria smiled at his words. She tried to paint a portrait of Chuck's description within her mind but it felt as is she was illustrating a complete stranger. Momentarily she felt oddly detached from her body, as if she was nothing more than the spirit of who she once was. "Anything else?"

Chuck thought for a moment. "Minho thinks you're pretty." he said hurriedly.

Ria laughed, tossing her head backwards. "You're joking, right?"

"Nope, one hundred percent factual. I overheard him talking to Newt last night outside Homestead. You can't tell him I told you though, promise me." Chuck's eyes darted to the Maze but his jovial smile had returned. She noticed the way his nose scrunched and his eyes twinkled as he did so.

"Fine. I promise. However, now that you've told me that, you've been assigned as my secret spy."

Chuck giggled. "That sounds much cooler than being a Slopper. And before you ask, you really don't wanna know what that is."

Ria's brows knitted together. Slopper. She'd have to ask Newt. "How long have you been here?"

Almost as soon as the words left her lips, Chuck's smiled faltered and a shadow of dejection overcame his foregoing happiness. "Almost a month now, I think. It's weird though, you should've come up at the end of the month ... not part way through it."

Ria struggled to wrap her mind around his words. "How weird are you saying?"

The boy pulled his legs to his chest, squeezing his hands together. "Basically, every month a new Greenie comes up from the Box and into the Glade. It brings supplies every week, too. One time, we dropped a note in and requested a TV."

"And did you get it?"

"Nope. They did send us some chocolate, though. It tasted like how I imagine home would ... in a way."

Oddly, a small tinge of sadness twisted within Ria at his words. She thought of Chuck — how young he was, how alone he must be. He should be with his parents and with his friends playing under the the hot summer sky. He shouldn't be here, living in a cage of trepidation and confusion. The boy seemed so out of place in such a world — too innocent. "Home," Ria breathed. "That's a strange word, isn't it."

Chuck nodded sadly. "I wonder if they're looking for me."

"Your parents?"

He nodded again, interweaving a few blades of grass together absently. "Yeah, wherever they are."

Ria fought back a surge of misery, forcing a blithe smile. "I bet they're waiting for you. They're gonna throw you the biggest party when you arrive back home, with a massive chocolate cake and loads of presents for their bravest son."

The despondency lifted from Chuck's face like acurtain, leaving his eyes gleaming with a sudden delight. "Really? How many layers would the cake have?"

"Oh, plenty. And, it would be frosted with the words: welcome back, our courageous Chuck."

The boy giggled. "You'd be invited too, right, to my party?"

Ria nudged him on the shoulder. "Obviously, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The soft scraping of footsteps nearing became apparent as Chuck's laughs weakened. Newt was making his way towards them, the breeze lifting and tousling his sandy blonde hair. Chuck bounced up, ambling towards him merrily. "Hey, Newt!"

Newt ruffled the younger boy's hair in affection. "You alright, Chuckie? Hold on, shouldn't you be workin'?"

Chuck rolled his eyes mischievously, cheeks rosy. "You know what, I was just about to. Right after checking to see if Ria was alright."

"Hmm ... good that. I guess won't be telling any tales to Alby, then." he winked and Chuck waved to them both before heading off in the direction of Homestead. Newt crouched down beside Ria, offering a hand. "C'mon Greenbean, we've got things to discuss."

Ria took Newt's hand and he pulled her up. She brushed a few granules of dirt speckling her cargo pants. "Thanks. So, what's there to discuss?"

"Soon you'll begin the process of deciding what job you get, you see. But, Clint requested you have a day off for your hand to fully recover. So, all that being said, consider these your last days off." Newt explained, reaching for an apple and plucking it from the tree. He tossed it to Ria, smiling.

She took a bite of the fruit, savouring the bittersweet crispness. "What should I do in the meantime?"

Newt shrugged amiably, picking another apple for himself. He polished it on his shirt until it's skin flaunted a sheen. "Whatever your heart desires, Greenbean. Just don't bloody hurt yourself again and keep outta the Maze."

"I'll try my best not to," Ria eyed the stone walls, breath catching in her throat ever so slightly. "Hurt myself, I mean. And I won't go anywhere near the Maze."

"That's the spirit," Newt placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "I've gotta go, help with the bugging' Track-hoes again. Don't be late for dinner mind you, I heard it's Fry's best soup tonight."

"Aye-aye captain." Ria grinned jokingly. "See you later, Newt."

He waved to her over his shoulder, jogging over towards the Gardens where a group of boys laboured. Ria peered through a thin screen of smoke twisting from the bonfire to a lustrous congregation of trees, forming some sort of forest. It seemed like the best place to start.

━━━━━

     A mysterious darkness peeked from within the apertures of the tree trunks. As she pushed past a thick cluster of leaves, Ria was immediately enveloped in what seemed like a new world altogether. Branches reached forwards like arms, as if they were beckoning her to stride deeper. Each footstep crunched under her feet, creating intervals of silence and pervading noise in the atmosphere.

     This must be the Deadheads, she thought quietly to herself whilst ducking under a branch.

     After stumbling into a small cleaning, she came across a circle of stones. They were mossy and arced in appearance, tearing though clusters of grass surrounding it. Ria crouched down, brushing the dirt that clung to one of the stones and she read the name engraved scratchily:

     ᴇᴅᴡᴀʀᴅ

     She backed away from the gravestone, a sudden feeling of guilt sweeping over her. It felt almost intrusive, as if she'd interrupted the eternal sleep of the bones that lay beneath it's bed of flowers and dirt. But, Ria still found herself pondering whether Edward chose to die, how old he was and most importantly, how he died. Before her thoughts could sink into the uncharted depths of sorrow, she closed her eyes and shrugged off the cool chill that had wrapped itself around her.

    All of a sudden, Ria didn't feel too safe.

     Standing, she brushed the mud and grime from her clothing and took a deep breath. Then, she ventured further into the enigmatic secrets of the Deadheads. Scattered beams of sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves above Ria's head, initiating a bright pathway and illuminating the small lake murmuring a few metres in front of her. It's freshwater shimmered as the occasional leaf from overhanging trees would fall and break the stillness, sending a short tremor of ripples faltering the surface.

     Carefully, Ria crept towards the lake. She reached the bank and collapsed to her knees, scooping a small handful of the water and splashing her face. It was deliciously cold against the humidity thickening the air. Once the surface had stilled once again and she'd gotten other feet, Ria noticed the distorted reflection glancing back at her but it was dark — much to dark.

     "What..."

     Her voice was barely a whisper. As if the night sky had been captured within the lake, her vision perceived it as black. Pure black. Something didn't feel right. Her skin felt like it was on fire. She couldn't breathe.

     The pain was like a bullet: fast, unforgiving and sharp.

     Ria crumpled to the ground, head slamming onto something hard. Agony ripped through her. She cried out in excruciation, an icy numbness consuming her entire body. As her vision began to fade into twilight, a memory flourished to life and she clung to it, desperate and whimpering.

     She watches the water as it laps silently against the bank. The sky is the colour of flames, slipping into a haze of yellow as it reaches the sun. One or two stars have already appeared, bright and demanding attention as they hang like jewels in the sky. She's sat on a small rocky cliff—face overlooking the lake. Trees stretch on for miles against the backdrop of a mountain cutting through the still forest.

     "Do you see that cub over there?" the man beside her points to the not-so-far distance. She squints, leaning forwards just to make out the shape of the animal. It's brown fur is beaded with droplets of water and it holds a fish in it's mouth, still struggling and twisting. It doesn't stand a chance against the sharp teeth.

     "I can see it — look! It's hunted some food," she clutches her tin mug tightly, the hot steam circling before her eyes. Her braid hangs over her shoulder like rope, a few loose strands framing her face. She doesn't mind the cold, in fact, she likes it.

     "The cubs have to fight for survival now, seeing as they have nobody to look after them ... they've lost their mothers."

     She tears her gaze from the animal to the man. His green eyes are dull, beard flecked with a few greying hairs. The girl can see the sadness on his face. He suddenly wraps an arm around her, pulling her closer to him so she can smell his familiar scent. It's like woodsmoke, whisky and blueberries. She nestles against the fur lining his old jacket.

     "I won't let them take you," he whispers into her hair.

     "Do you promise?"

     "I prom—"

     But, his voice slipped into darkness before he could finish and she was too weak to hold onto it any longer. She felt like crying, she felt like screaming.

     Then, she felt nothing.

‧₊˚✧ ⁝ 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒂'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆  ❪ 忘却 ❫

          oo. uh oh what was that all about ...? all shall be revealed in the future :))))  this chapter was fun to write but can we talk about chuck and ria?? my literally babies they're so cute🥺 i hope you're all having a great day and are enjoying the book so far. your comments and feedback make my day, don't be a silent reader!! ♡ ⋆:｡✧ ps. the gif below is the most relatable thing ever.