Welcome to Badlands // halsey

introduction; trouble

    We don't go to Badlands. All our lives, we were taught to stay away, to keep our voices down and our heads low. Once you go to Badlands, you never come back.
   
    It's not safe there. The people have problems; they don't fit in like we do. All of the outsiders and the crazies belong there. In the back of my mind, I know they're not really crazy. It's just what we were taught.

    Though I've grown up the same as everyone else, I've always had a curious mind about Badlands. What are the people like? How do you get in? Are you sent there? My aunt Jenny went to Badlands when I was six. I haven't seen her since.

    That curious mind got me in trouble. "Keep your mouth shut," they say. "You can't be caught talking about Badlands." The sentence is always unfinished. Because if you're caught talking about Badlands, you're labeled as interested. In truth, everyone is interested. They just learn to stay quiet. But if you're labeled as interested, you end up in Badlands. A disgrace, they say.

    We don't go to Badlands. We don't even speak of it. Going to Badlands is a disgrace. Leaving is impossible, or that's what they tell you. Maybe that's why my family freaked out when I said I was going to leave. I was heading to Badlands, and I wasn't looking back. "Arabella, you can't!" they cried.
   
    "Oh, but I can."

    And I packed my things into a backpack. And I got in my car. And I left. Just like that. Every part of me had itched to get away to somewhere that was free. It took nineteen years to realize that Badlands was that place.

    For forever, my family had acted indifferent towards me. As soon as I showed an interest towards Badlands, they didn't care about me. They knew I'd leave anyways.

    I barely packed anything in my backpack. Badlands was a city, after all. There would be shops to but from. Was was the point of taking everything? I'd saved enough money to last me five years. Why would I take weeks to pack when I wanted to get out as soon as possible?

    It took me three days and two motels to arrive at the gates of Badlands. The terrain got rougher and the elevation higher as I continued on. Every turn I took, I asked myself if I should turn back. But finally, the gates loomed above me.

    As soon as I pulled up, I felt a mixture of relief and terror. Part of me said,"Go back." Another part told me that it was right.

    I had no idea how to get into Badlands. Did I have to push the gate open? I rolled my window down. As soon as there was a crack, a voice sounded through my car. "Are you here to visit or to stay?"

    I didn't know where the voice was coming from or how it would hear me. After a minute, it spoke again. "Well?" I cleared my throat. "To stay."

    "Alright then. Leave your car in the lot and come to the gates."

    "My car? I just bought this car!"

    "You leave the car, or you don't get in. In Badlands, we walk."

    I looked to my left to see the lot that the voice was talking about. A few hundred cars and trucks say in it, some rusting and some looking brand new. My heart dropped at the thought of my new car becoming like them, but I had a choice. Stay and indulge in the possibilities of Badlands, or leave and continue to be the interested one. So I parked my car. And I grabbed my bag. And I made my way to the gates.

    Someone was waiting for me. Standing there was a boy of my age, though he was much taller than me. His hair was dirty blonde, on the brink of mousy brown. It was gelled up into what people would call a quiff. As I got closer, I made out his eyes to be a dark blue. I wrinkled my brow. He hadn't been there before.

    "Who are you?" I asked when I approached. The boy raised an eyebrow. "So straightforward."

    "No, really. Who are you?" I demanded.

    "Asher Fox, resident of Badlands. And you are...?"

    "Arabella Moon."

    Asher bowed. "Well, Miss Moon, I am here to introduce you to Badlands. And when I'm done, it will be your choice to stay or to go. Now, let's stroll to our first stop. But remember, Badlands is different from the rest of the world. Stay close."

//

So I wrote this ?? Idk ?? It's about a city in the future that they sent all the cool people to, pretty much. Each chapter will be about a different person's experience in Badlands. And each chapter is also based on a song from the album Badlands by Halsey. So yeah.