Foxtrot

Chapter Two

After she had been tended to, Nadia was led over to an area where she was given some warm soup. She noticed that there were two bowls people were getting their food from, and one was considerably smaller than the other. Nadia had been served from the smaller one.

She picked through the soup to ensure that she could eat everything in it, and she then asked one of the other girls to ensure it was okay before finally allowing herself to eat.

All around them were makeshift tents and rooms made out of bedsheets. It was like a small tent city surrounded one common area where they ate. Nadia was told that she would probably be bunking with someone until they could make a tent for her.

Nadia wasn't sure that she wanted to stay long enough for that. But then again, was there any chance at getting out? At least the other girls seemed nice, they looked out for each other. Unlike the types of people she had met outside Foxtrot.

"Where's Stripe?"

Nadia was snapped out of her musings and looked over to see a tall girl with curly blonde hair pulled back in a high ponytail. She wore a black tank top and ripped jeans, which seemed to be what half of the girls were wearing. Immediately upon seeing her Nadia felt the same way as she had when first seeing Stripe, she was a leader. An intimidating one.

"We don't know, Kris." Lynn sighed, setting her cup of soup down. "She ran back for the bar count and we think she might have gotten trapped."

"Trapped? In one of those cage things?" Nadia asked, suddenly concerned. "Is she going to die?"

"No."

Everyone turned towards the source of the voice.

Stripe walked over slowly and shakily. She looked exhausted, there was blood dripping down her arm and there was a small trail behind her. Her hair was askew and she looked ready to faint. Her breathing was so heavy and she stumbled so often that Nadia wondered how they had not heard her approach.

Several of the other girls ran over and helped her sit down. Nadia walked over to see if there was anything she could do, or at least to see what was wrong.

She was exhausted and the girl with cropped hair was helping tend to the gash in her arm. Kris was on her other side asking all sorts of questions, and Stripe was trying to answer.

"Leave her alone." Lucy spoke up. "She's tired and not thinking straight."

There were mixed answers from the group. Some thought she should rest before being pounded with questions, others said she could forget things.

Eventually, Stripe herself spoke up.

"May I have something to eat?"

Immediately she was handed a cup of soup from the smaller bowl. She seemed skeptical of it for a moment.

"It's from the safe bowl. Don't worry." Lucy assured her.

Stripe nodded and started drinking. The soup was gone in mere minutes and she took a deep breath.

"Okay. Your questions, please?"

The girl with short hair- Nadia really needed to learn her name- started taking notes as Stripe explained what happened.

Stripe had stayed behind to count the amount of bars that came down. Apparently they sometimes dropped multiple people, and she wanted to ensure that Nadia was the only one and that there was no one else who would be left out alone all night, possibly injured.

"Was there anyone else?" Lynn asked.

She nodded. "Two extra cages fell. There's someone else out there. I couldn't find her."

A silence spread over the group.

"We have to go find her. Now." Lucy said.

"We cant go out at night." Ellie argued. "They'd think we were breaking. Besides there are the bars to worry about."

"There is a girl out there completely alone." Nadia heard her voice say.

"We have to go."