This one's from Julie's perspective. Sorry this chapter is a bit short.
I begin another dull day of paring, I can hardly stand it; the work is mind-numbing. I can see the broken spirits in the eyes of the other children, and I fear that I will suffer the same fate. I need to escape before I lose myself and forget everything I love. I recall the conversation I had with Wren last night and hesitate. “I’ll come back for them; I just have to get out first,” I think to myself. A Maintenance Manager begins to scold a girl for spilling a pile of weapons. I glance at the other Maintenance Managers, whose attention is drawn to the spill, and ensure no one is watching me. Taking a deep breath, I run. I thought it would be fairly easy to find the doors, but the smoke and machines were disorienting. Finally, I spotted the door off the factory floor when I heard a voice call out, “Julie!” It was Wren’s voice, and I could detect a hint of hurt in her tone. I continued running, telling myself, “I’ll come back for her, I’ll come back for her.” Despite my efforts, I couldn't hold back the tears streaming down my face. Just as I reached the bottom of the stairs leading to the factory door, three Maintenance Managers appeared before me.
“Thought you could run, Tool?” The Maintenance Manager punches me in the gut, and I sink to the ground. Fists slam into me from all sides, and I curl into a ball. “A couple of days in the coffin will teach you.” I have only a second to consider what they mean before a sharp pain spreads through my skull, and then the lights go out.
When I wake up, the first thing I notice is that my head feels like it’s about to explode. I let out a small cry of pain, trying to remember what happened. As I sit up, I hit my head on something hard, which only intensifies my pain. It dawns on me that I’m trapped in a box barely big enough for me to roll over. I kick and beat the top of the box until my legs and arms hurt as much as my head. I lay in the coffin defeated and wish I had listened to Wren. I close my eyes and drift into a deep sleep. In my dream, I see my mother, Ki, and Wren. Initially, the dream depicts a joyful meal together, but then their expressions shift. They look at me with disappointment and say, “We could be together right now if it weren’t for you!”I wake up with a start and bang my head against the top of the coffin. "Ow!" I exclaim, my hand flying to my head, which feels like it has exploded again. Suddenly, I become aware of my hunger and try to remember how long I’ve been trapped in this box. I drift in and out of sleep, and it feels like I’ve been here for days.I lay in the coffin, lost in thought when I suddenly hear a noise. It sounds like a stampede, but I also hear a tiny clinking sound. Bright light floods the coffin, forcing me to shield my eyes. “Get up, Tool,” a voice commands. I lower my hand from my face and see Mobrik.
I sit up and notice two Maintenance Managers putting a very bruised boy into a box next to mine. They close and lock the lid, then walk out. “Out! The Overseer wants to see you,” Mobrik says in a slightly bored voice. I stand up and climb out of the box. We walk to the Overseer’s office, and I brace myself for whatever he has planned.
Julie is lucky to be small enough to roll over!
Is that Janner going into the box now?