The Shank And The Crank

The Safe Haven (Part Two)

Six Months After the escape

  Some days were great. I would wake up at the crack of dawn and get ready for the day. Take a run along the shore and once the sun rose I would wake everyone up to start the day. Run some things, go along with some jobs to see everyone's progress, and I would generally have a good day.
  Then there were days like today, where I would wake up to my watch buzzing, the sun coming up. My brain, not finding a single reason to get up, just wanting sleep. Then memories washed over me like waves washed over the sand every day, and I remember every single human life that had to be taken for me to get here. Then it stopped at Newt, and my heart plummeted several stories in my chest. I was reminded of the forever black hole that was put in my heart, and it wouldn't ever be fixed.
  But I had to get up, because I had stuff to do, jobs to run, people to see. But I couldn't get up. Depression weighted down on me like a ton of bricks, and most days like today I felt only sadness, pain. I couldn't bare to face the day, I couldn't take the pain any longer.
  So I took a walk to the graveyard instead of going on a calming run along the shore. I picked fresh flowers from the gardens and took them over to the one grave I find myself at once a week, every week: Newt's grave.
  I walked up to it today, the rain fitting my mood perfectly. Most wouldn't be going out today, because the fishers couldn't fish, the hunters couldn't hunt, the gardeners couldn't garden, the lumberers couldn't lumber, and every other outside job you could think of, was put on hold until the rain stopped. But my job didn't stop. Not ever. It was non-stop, just the way I liked it. If I didn't have a job, a regular thing to do, then I would have probably killed myself a long time ago.
  And even though I had a busy life and job, I still found time to come here, at least once a week, or when I felt like I couldn't bare the pain anymore. I put the flowers on the grave, like I do every time I come here, and just started talking to the grave in front of me.
  "Hey Newt." I said. I crouched down to the ground and continued. "I miss you still, even though I say that every time I come here. But it's true. And it will probably always be true." The rain came down harder, but my need to stay didn't waver. "Do you ever think about me up there? I think about you all the time. You were the light of my life back in the glade, and you still are. You will always be.
  "Sometimes I feel like I can't hold on, Newt. Like today. I can't stand the pain I feel. I want so badly to see your smile again, or to feel your touch. Or maybe for you to cuddle into me, and I will play with your hair like old times." I found myself crying. The tears streamed down my face like a waterfall. It could be that or the rain. Ether or. "Could you come back to me? Please? I can't do this without you, Newt. I can't. I try so hard, but I can't. I feel so lonely here. I'm reminded everyday of the people I've lost, and you deserve to be here so much more than I did. You were always the kinder one. I was the sarcastic, snarky one. You deserve so much. I wish you were here."
  I tried wiping the water away from my eyes and off my face, but the rain just replaced the water instantly, so I stopped trying. "Tommy found himself a girlfriend. I thought that he wasn't over Teresa, maybe he isn't, but he looks happy. I'm glad for that." I say into the stone. "Everyone looks so happy here. I wish I could say the same for myself. Sometimes I dream about what life would have been like if you were here. You would have been in the gardens, growing beautiful flowers. I would savor every moment I had with you, because I would know nothing lasts forever.
  "We would take long walks on the beach every night right before the sun fell. When it did, we would be sitting on the beach watching as it fell behind the clouds and out of view. One day, I would propose to you right there. You would say yes, and we would get married and have little kids of our own, which I would love just as much as I loved you.
  "And I would die with you, because we promised at marriage we would do things together, till the end. And we would live an eternal life in heaven together, never letting go of each other's hands. I wouldn't waste a single breath while near you, I would always tell you how amazing you were, how much I loved you. And I always will."
  The clouds began to clear, and the sun appeared just as a rainbow came into view. I heard in the distance claps as the sun shined down on the land, and I turned back to the grave. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I said, "I have to go. I will see you next week though. I promise." Then I got up, and walked off, feeling the sadness eating away at my heart.

2 years after the escape

  Life was pretty good. We all agreed that we would elect different leaders every 2 years, so right now I was enjoying my last moments as leader before Jorge, my predecessor, would take over. I was kind of relived, in a way. I didn't want anymore responsibility. I was kind of sick of it, like Thomas was when we came to this shucking place.
  About an hour from now, Jorge would be calling us all to the center to announce the new leaders of the jobs. He promised me a position as one of them, but I really couldn't care less. I told him over and over how I didn't want to be responsible for anything or anyone anymore, but of course he didn't listen to me.
  I am his shucking leader, he should listen to me.
  I told Thomas about this, and he just laughed in my face, saying this is exactly how things went two years ago when he was named a leader of something, and Thomas had told me he didn't want to lead anything at all. But I didn't listen to him. And now here we are.
  Thomas and I sat in the back of the crowd, Brenda snuggling into him. It really was hard to watch, but thank god for Frypan for opening his big mouth at the right time. "Hey! You two!" He shouted across the crowd at them. "Stop snuggling each other like your some type of blanket the other finds warm and get a room!" I heard a few snickers and laughs, and Thomas' face turned crimson red, while Brenda scooted a little away from Thomas, while muttering a "Sorry" under her breath. Then, in marches Jorge, and everyone turns quiet.
  "Ok, welcome to the second ever Job Day. I am the new leader, Jorge, and now, I will be picking the best to be leaders along with me. First, my second in command, Brenda!" There were claps, just like the last time, and he continued pretty quickly, naming Frypan once again as leader of the cooks, and Thomas as leader of the planners (as I named them so cleverly). He named Sonya as a leader, and Harriet. A couple of galders and group B people also got the title of leader, and then, "Leader of the Guards, Minho." My heart sunk into my chest, and I knew I would be forced into this position by basically everyone. There were claps and cheers, and Jorge ended it all with saying that the leaders should meet him in the conference room in 5 minutes. Then in two hours, the second ever Job Seminar shall be held right here in the center.
  "You ready to be a leader?" Thomas said while we walked into the conference room and took a seat.
  "No." I said truthfully. "I'd had enough of being a leader."
  "Me too. But I guess it's kind of our duty since we led this group of shanks here, anyway."
  "I guess it is..." I drifted off from my words as Jorge entered the room, making the people who were standing immediately sit.
  "Well, first off I would like today that we shall keep the rules first put into place, and we now shall add new rules to that list, considering we've learned quite a lot since we've first come here. So, any ideas?"
  One person, from Group b, raised her hand. I'm like 99% sure her name is Carla. She had light brown hair that matched perfectly with her light brown eyes. "I think we should maybe decide punishments besides getting thrown in jail for a week, because that's not really punishment anymore, and people think they can just start fights and be forgiven by getting thrown in jail."
  Jorge nodded. "What do you suggest we do?"
  "I'm not sure, maybe someone else has an idea?"
  I did. I rose my hand and Jorge nodded towards me. "If they start fights, I say have them work for the janitors for the rest of term. Punishment enough for that, if you ask me."
  Thomas agreed with me. And then we spent most the meeting going over punishments for breaking different rules. And suddenly we were transported to the center, and each leader had a table set up for people to sign up for the job. And we all had a list of the people in that job last year.

  I sat at the table going over the list of people who had gotten into the guard position last year.

Jackson (8)
Penny (5)
Kevin (9)
Nate (3)
Daniel (6)
Felicity (8)
Oliver (7)
Rena (2)

  Obviously, the numbers represented how well they did during the last term. People that had a score of 6 or under got cut. People with a 7 or above got considered for a second term. And people with a perfect score or a 9 were definitely on.
  Now I had another list in front of me also. The new list of potential guards. Their wasn't that many people on here, maybe 7 people. And their were probably 3 people who I could actually choose to be Guards, that's it. Jorge said I had to pick 5 people if I was going to keep the people worth keeping on the original team, so that meant I had to pick 2 people who were both weak minded and weak boned.
  I had the list after about an hour of choosing, and I gave it to Jorge. He looked at it, then said, "good choice." He patted me on the back then walked away.