little phoenix rising

chapter one

Being stranded in space was the only thing she'd ever known. A cell wall had been the only view she had seen in over a year. Here, she was imprisoned. A pencil flittered in her hand as she drew, etching on pieces of scrap paper bound in old leather. Her eyes glazed over when she marked the paper and she tried to picture anything, something she could remember. Faces littered the pages, accompanied by scenes of nature, creatures, and other random things she had thought of. She had drawn many of her friends, Jasper, Clarke, Monty and even the girl who lived under the floor, Octavia Blake, and her older brother. It was because of him that she was imprisoned. The tip of the pencil snapped under pressure and she launched it across the room. It smacked the wall only a few feet away and fell to the floor with a clatter. She held her head in her hands. Today was her eighteenth birthday. The day she was to be reviewed and probably executed. She didn't even know why she was wasting time drawing, but there was nothing else for her to do. She wished for a ball or something physical to do, but they wouldn't dare give her anything even related to fun. A pencil and a notebook was all she was allowed and how she wished to stab one of the guards with that little pencil.

The door opened with a clank and she could hear muffled grumbles and yells. She caught a glimpse of outside and spotted several kids being shoved around, Octavia was one of them.

Guards entered her room and she jumped to her feet. Quickly, she slipped the notebook into the waistband of her black jeans. The leather was cool against her back as the guards grabbed her arms and shoved her against a wall. Her face was pressed hard against the concrete and she let out a string of curses.

"I've got to say, buddy, I'll miss the way you always slam me against a wall." She smirked back at the guard as he wrapped something around her wrist.

He said nothing as something within the wristband pricked at her skin. She may hide it well, but she was still afraid of dying. This would be her last day on the Ark, her last day in space and she would spend it in the ever-so-lovely company of a silent guard. Something metal tightened around both her wrists this time and she recognised the steel as handcuffs. It was strange, if she needed handcuffs, why would she have an extra wristband?

The guard peeled her away from the wall and pinned her arm to her back, earning a few grunts. He shoved her out of her cell, still holding her arm. Other prisoners surrounded her, being shuffled away by various guards. She tried her best to find her friends, but she couldn't in the sea of faces before her. Each level of the prison on the Ark had rows of cells, each occupied by a delinquent who had committed a crime. They were locked up because they were under 18. Offenders over 18 were floated; blown out of the ship and left to die in the void.

The girl struggled against her guard and threw him a disgusted glare over her shoulder. Her glare melted as she caught sight of familiar black hair darting behind her. She shook it off as nothing more than simply another prisoner.

She was confused about what was going on, why were the other prisoners being escorted out? Not all of them were 18 yet. She remained stiff as the guard pushed her along. Her own long brown hair was tied up in a messy bun, yet strands still fell over her face. The guard's hand wrapped tightly around her upper arm and she gritted her teeth. She spun on her heel and raised her fist, but she never made contact. Something pierced her back and her vision started to fade. Everything went to black and she faded to the ground.

The brown-haired girl opened her eyes and raised her head. Spots blinded her sight, but gradually started to disappear. A hand brushed her own and sleepily, she lulled her head to the side. One of her closest friends sat beside her, worry flashing in her eyes.

"Octavia." Her voice was strained and raspy, and she cleared her throat. Octavia's eyes went wide at the sight of the girl beside her.

"Cas," Octavia let out a breath of relief, "We thought you were dead."