𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓//𝐆𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘𝐗𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪʀᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀɢᴇ

𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓 21; Y/n
SIX MONTHS
UNTIL THE
KIDNAPPING

It was that Saturday in late August that I decided to escape. The air was sweet and dry. A product of gossamer—ripe autumn warmth. I watched the outside from my room for the past month. The edges of leaves were starting to blush with a deep red.

Ava thought it best that my return stay secret through the month of August, only allowing me to take brief exits on Wicked's many elevated patios. I was never allowed to be alone on those few pleasure filled moments of fresh air.

Tex was always by my side to make sure I didn't jump off and kill myself. My sanity wasn't out of the clear yet. Ava figured I might still be wallowing in a Romeo and Juliet-like sorrow.

Sometimes I did wish I was dead, but I never wanted to kill myself. I considered it entirely too cliche. Like the ending of a John Green book.

Ever since I had gotten the badge from Tex I felt like I was on a wire. Like he somehow knew. On this day he accompanied me on one of my patio endeavors, laying down on an outside reclining chair. He sipped from a glass of wretched pressed green juice, claiming it was nutritious. I'd rather die than drink that sludge.

"What's wrong with you?" Tex asked, a faint green juice mustache above his upper lip. I was staring out at the city, mapping out my path for later. The badge was nestled in the privacy of my underwear. No one would think to look there. It was the only safe place.

"Nothing's wrong." I muttered, biting nervously at my fingernails. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothin'." He got up from the chair, stretching out his long arms and settling next to me on the terrace. His elbow was flush against mine. Tex gave me quick glances, making my heart ripple in it's natural rhythm. Only it wasn't because of flitty butterflies in my stomach. It felt more like moths.

He knew. He had to know. That's why I couldn't look back at him. That's why a thin sheen of sweat was starting to bead down my neck. I was going to betray him and I felt awful. I used Tex. I was doing what Teresa had done to me, but wasn't it my own mother that said that doing horrible things was just a means to an end? Even if it meant hurting good people on the way?

"I'm hot and tired." I replied, wiping at the perspiration. "That's all. I think I'll take a nap if that's alright." Then I leaned over to him and squeezed his arm, placing a quick kiss on his lips.

That was my goodbye to him. A goodbye kiss to say farewell to the dumb little southern boy. That's all he was. Just a commodity. Just a minor obstacle in the way of my freedom. All I had to do was kick him out of the way. No matter how kind he had been to me...

"Yeah, uh that's alright." He said quietly, trying to hide his reddening ears. My heart throbbed at the sight, hating how easy he was to use, to take advantage of.

I exited the terrace, winding through the halls to my room. After setting up my fake body—three pillows stuffed under my bed's covers—I threw on a black hoodie and sweats. This made me unrecognizable when I pulled the hood up. Whenever I'd usually roam the tower I was dressed up, Tex at my side to monitor me.

All I had to do was keep my head down and no one would suspect a thing. Taking one last deep inhalation, I creaked open my door, pattering silently to the elevator. To get to the base of the tower a person needed an all access pass, just like the one I had.

I slipped a hand into my pants, retrieving the card and pressing it against the scanner. The elevator beeped in recognition, allowing me to click the first floor's button. On the elevator's descent my chest pounded like a snare drum thinking about Tex, guilt thick in my throat.

You're using him.

He trusted you.

You really haven't changed, have you?

Still the same old y/n.

That's just it y/n, you never think. It's always just do and think about the consequences later.

Newt's harsh statement he had told to me in the glade stuck with me, burned on the insides of my brain.

No. I was different now. This wasn't me. I wasn't a bad person. I was just doing what I had to do. Forget about him. Forget about everything.

The elevator dinged as I made it cleanly to the bottom of the tower. By pure luck, no one else had been using the elevator. It's door's opened invitingly, leading to the building's bustling main floor.

People were coming in and out, weaving through each other to make whatever appointment or meeting they were marked down to attend.

I got out of the elevator, gulping down any more distracting thoughts. Beelining to the door, I bowed my head down, hands shoved in my baggy pockets. Everything was going great. I was almost to the exit, almost to freedom when a man slammed into me.

It was an honest accident. No fault to anyone except the busy nature of this man. I fell backward, my spine lashing against glossy marble.

"Gah!" I cried, pain shooting up into my bones, stinging my flesh. My hood slipped off, settling to my shoulders.

"Oh my God!" The man rushed to my side, helping me up. "I am so sorry! I didn't even see you..." His eyes doubled in size when he saw my face.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it." I went to leave but his large hands latched onto me, keeping me stagnant.

"You're y/n. Yeah, y/n Paige." He accused, his grip tightening. Suddenly this man wasn't very nice anymore.

"No. No I'm not." Denying him, I tried again to move. "I- I don't even know what you're talking about." Failure struck me as he went to pull me, my body betraying me as it dragged along with him.

"You're not supposed to be down here." His bushy beard tickled my skin. I struggled against the man, my feet sliding underneath me. "How did you get down here?"

"Get off! Get off of me!" I shouted, panic rattling through my skin. "Let me go! Let me go, Man!" It felt like I couldn't breathe. Like he was going to steal me away. I couldn't go back. I couldn't.

"Come here." He pulled me closer, causing my freak out. I kicked and thrashed against him, screaming. Heads turned toward the spectacle. People froze, watching my frenzy occur.

"Fuck off! Get the fuck off!" My mouth took opportunity of his hand trying to muzzle me, biting deep into his flesh.

"Fuck!" He yelped, letting me go instantaneously. "You fucking bit me you little bitch!" The man held his hand close, shaking his appendage by his chest.

I took my chance of freedom, sprinting away from the guy. Running right through the gold plated doors, fresh air hit my skin. I ran and ran and I never stopped, even with people scrambling after me.

"Leave me alone!" I wailed over my shoulder, feet pounding against the pavement. "Just leave me the fuck alone!"

I was a dog on the run from its owner. A bird breaking free of its ornate cage. I was free. I was gone. For those minuscule moments that I ran into people, brushing them off, I was free.

Then I wasn't.