New Arrivals

Mariza kicked a pebble across the concrete courtyard, watching it skitter between the boots of passing guards. The facility stretched like a fortress around her, its gray walls rising high enough to block most of the sky. She'd been here three months now, and the place still felt like a prison dressed up as a school.

"Another new kid today," muttered Jake, a stocky boy with freckles who'd become her closest friend here. He nodded toward the main entrance where guards were escorting someone inside.

Mariza squinted at the figure. A tall boy, maybe fifteen or sixteen, with messy dark hair that fell over his face. Even from this distance, she could see him flinch when one of the guards moved too quickly. His clothes were simple but clean—dark pants and a plain shirt that seemed too big for his thin frame.

"Looks scared," she observed, adjusting her worn pirate jacket. The patch on the sleeve caught her eye, and she traced it with her finger—a habit when she was thinking.

The boy stumbled slightly as they guided him through the doors, disappearing into the building's shadows.

Emergency Lights

Two days later, Mariza spotted the new boy sitting alone in the cafeteria, picking at a sandwich. His shoulders hunched inward like he was trying to disappear.

"Come on," she told Jake, grabbing her tray. "Let's sit with him."

Jake shook his head. "He looks like trouble. Did you see those marks on his hands?"

Mariza had noticed—thin, pale scars that looked like old burns. She walked over anyway.

"Mind if we sit?" she asked, sliding onto the bench across from him.

The boy looked up, startled. His eyes were dark blue, almost black, and there were shadows under them like he hadn't slept in days. "I'm Max," he said quietly.

"Mariza. This is Jake." She unwrapped her apple. "How are you liking this place?"

Max's laugh was bitter. "It's better than where I came from."

Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out. Emergency sirens wailed through the building. In the darkness, Mariza heard Max's sharp intake of breath.

"Everyone stay calm," a guard's voice boomed over the intercom. "We have a situation in the east wing."