☼ BURNING SUN

i know you've got the anger

[presto]

TAGGED FOR ANYONE WORDS: 503 NOTES: Hmmm.... yesh. LYRICS: Locked in a Cage by Brick + Mortar

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Lauren sat in the corner of her cell, her legs stretched out in front of her on the thick dirt floor. Although the rebel prisons weren't the most comfortable of places to stay, the brunette had to admit that she and her sister were some of the lucky ones. Unlike the others, the Shore sisters were trusted. They had never once tried to run away, they hadn't resisted any questions (even though they rarely knew actual answers), and above all one of the guards actually had a heart. Lauren glanced at the fire burning in the center of her cell, her feet near enough to the flames to feel the heat. Another fire burned in her sister's cell beside her, but those were the only two sources of light or heat at all in the first cell block, and probably in the whole set up. Lauren had to be grateful to her captors for allowing her extra clothes and blankets as well as a fire. If not for herself, she was glad they gave the materials to her sister whose asthma would only get worse in the dry winter air.

The brunette stood up carefully, moving over to the small trunk at the foot of the bed and opening it. From what she had seen, all of the cells were generally the same. Some were larger and meant for multiple people, but they all contained the same items. A bed, a sink, a trunk, and a rather uncomfortable chair. Since Lauren seemed to be favored over the other prisoners, she was granted a few extra items. The trunk was full of winter clothes, books, and things she knew others didn't have. There was also a mirror and a make-shift fire pit (complete with matches and wood). The only thing missing was a floor and actual walls. But, Lauren wouldn't complain about the cell to anyone. She wouldn't give the rebels the satisfaction.

She quickly selected a book and grabbed a thick blanket from the trunk, closing it and latching it shut. It was late and there wasn't much light out other than that coming from the fires. Lauren's sister was snoring in the cell next to her. From where Lauren placed herself at the edge of the cell, she could clearly see the constellations above. For whatever reason, she had selected the one academic book in her possession, the astronomy text. "What can we see tonight?" she asked herself, opening the book to the main page and then searching for the correct chart.

Her father had taught her to use star charts and had often taken her out into the forest away from the City lights to look them over, search the skies for answers and beauty. That was before the rebellion of course, before everything was dangerous. Back when you were allowed to leave the City freely. It seemed like a lifetime since that was Lauren's life. Now what did she have? A sick sister, no parents, and a book of dots.

     Ender padded along quietly, stepping out from between the trees into the clearing that the rebels called home. Darkness hung under the lofty boughs, seeped between the vegetation, and hid everything from view, seemingly to go on forever and ever, if not for the pinpricks of light up in the heavens above. By the time he’d returned to the camp several hours earlier with his most recent information, he knew that going back to the city wasn’t an option. It would be too late, and if he was caught out in the streets after curfew… well… he didn’t want to think about that. It wouldn’t end well to say the least. No one would miss him tonight though, just as no one would ask questions about where he had been. It was a common enough occurrence for him to not return home at night that it had long since caused brows to raise in suspicion.

     After delivering the message, Ender had wandered the forest just as he always did. No matter how many times he had been out there, it never stopped amazing him. It was so different than the city, and he’d probably be quite happy if he could live out here on his own with no worries. But that wasn’t the way of things. He had a job to do, and an important one at that. There wasn’t going to be peace in his life for a very long time, if ever. But Ender had known that when he had joined. Sure peace was nice, but what was the point of peace when you didn’t have real freedoms?

     The young man stopped walking, noting that he was near the cells. A soft glow came from one or two, telling him that someone had to be awake. Maybe he could observe them? Maybe hold a conversation? After all, he did know what it was like to be behind those bars.

     Ender made his way over, briefly waving to the guard who watched him with slightly curious, if not cautious, eyes. The young man sat just out of the circle of light that the fires cast. He knew who were in these cells. He didn’t think that he had held an actual conversation with either of them, but he did know of them. The two girls were sisters. The younger was asleep, but the older, she had a book in her hand and was sitting at the edge of the cell.

     "What can we see tonight?" she murmured to herself.

     What was she doing? Ender’s brow wrinkled in slight confusion. Well, there was a way to find out.

     “What can you see tonight?” he asked quietly, in order to not wake her sibling or anyone else that may be asleep, and with curiosity in his eyes. He moved forward slightly and into the light so she could see him properly. It wouldn’t do to ask a question and then lurk in the darkness like some sneak. It wouldn’t do at all.

i know you've got the anger

[presto]

TAGGED FOR ENDER WORDS: 548 NOTES: TADAAAH. AND DUDE, I LOVE YOUR WRITING! LYRICS: Locked in a Cage by Brick + Mortar

[/presto]

For whatever reason, the best view of the stars was from the cells. While the main part of the rebel camp appeared to be in a clearing, the trees were too high and too thick around the outside of it to see anything. The prison cells were down a path and up a hill from the main camps, or so Lauren had gathered. In fact, part of the prison was carved into the ground! But no matter where the cells actually were, the sky was clear of trees. They were obviously higher up than the main village. Stars twinkled in the sky, their brightness a reminder of how trapped Lauren was. Stars were giant, free, and unknown. For someone locked behind rusty bars with no friends except a sister and a cute rebel who sometimes guarded the prison, stars were something to be envied.

Lauren had to admit this was one of the good things about being in the cell. She never imagined finding a silver lining of being a captive, but she did. She could see the stars, she could stay up and watch the sky all night. In the City she had to be inside by 10 and her father wouldn't even let her open a window or even look outside. She was as trapped there as she was here. Only when she was home in the City, she had a heater, a whole room full of books, and her own, hand-crafted bed. Lauren closed her eyes, remembering the comfort of her bed, the softness of the sheets and the fullness of the pillows; the warmth of the blankets and the feeling of instantly falling asleep like someone put a spell on her.

A voice came suddenly from the shadows, causing the hair on Lauren's neck to stand up straight. She whirled around to locate a face to go with the words. When she found the source, her head tilted to the side and her brow furrowed in confusion. She had seen him before, but not here. She'd seen him in the City! Lauren slowly stood up and backed away from the bars, dropping the book onto the trunk by the bed. She watched the boy cautiously, trying to figure out anything she could about him and why he was there.

"I was watching the stars..." she said. Lauren didn't blink, afraid that as soon as she did he would run away or turn into some twisted monster of nightmares. The night fell silent again as Lauren observed her onlooker. "Criminals like yourself probably wouldn't know anything about Astronomy," she said angrily. It wasn't so much that she hated the rebels, it was really more that she hated being locked in a cage like an animal that wasn't tamed. Lauren's fists clenched and unclenched, her jaw tightening as she watched the boy. Why was he here if she had seen him in the City, why was he here and not in a cell? It obviously meant he was a rebel, but then how had he been in the City? Were there more rebels in the City? Lauren's mind was reeling with questions, fears for her friends inside the walls.

"I've seen you before.... inside the walls," she said, her voice shaking slightly as the fire flickered.

     The girl started, startled perhaps, whirling around. It took her a moment for her to find him, barely illuminated by the fire’s flickering light. She cocked her head, confusion sweeping over her face. Ender smiled back, watching as she slowly stood and backed away, laying the book on the lid of the trunk that stood beside the bed. The guards here definitely favored her. From what he knew, she and her sister were some of the few that hadn’t resisted and tried to stay under the radar. But right now she seemed… afraid? No cautious. Wary. Why? He hadn’t done anything. Although, he was indeed a rebel, one of her captors, perhaps that was why she was acting the way she was.

     "I was watching the stars..." She trailed off, unsure, her eyes never leaving his face.

     Ender smiled again at her, letting it hover on his face as he looked up to the sky, his blue eyes roaming over the diamond-flecked sky. “They’re beautiful. They always are. In a way I’m envious of them.” He fell silent, letting his words fade away and the hush to take over. It was indeed a beautiful sight. One unparalleled to any other thing the young man had seen. He barely registered noise of the crackling fire that warmed his chest as he sat there. Ender could still feel her eyes on him though as he stared up at the firmament, but it wasn’t until she spoke again that he leveled his gaze at her.

     "Criminals like yourself probably wouldn't know anything about Astronomy." Her voice was laced with anger, and he could see it in her eyes and in her face as she set her jaw. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. A small amount of fear entered her eyes and voice as she spoke again, "I've seen you before.... inside the walls."

     So she had seen him, and now recognized him. Definitely not the most wonderful thing in the world. What if she did escape and went back to the city? Would she tell all she knew? Would his world disappear behind pseudo-memories or the darkness of death? Perhaps, but her chances of escaping were slim.

     Maybe I should be a bit more careful in the future. Then again, most prisoners don’t have as good a memory as her.

     His smiled softened, a mere ghost on his lips. “You’d be surprised what a ‘criminal’ like me would know. Besides,” he canted his head, “who determines a man to be a criminal, and what defines that word? Couldn’t you be the criminal? After all, you are the one behind the bars,” he observed passively.

     Sure, his response would probably anger her, but she was already angry. Let her show who she is. Anger was indeed the quickest way to see what a person was like, and he was curious about this young woman.

     Ender then shrugged unconcernedly. “Maybe your eyes and the shadows are playing tricks on you. Maybe I’m just one of those familiar faces. Maybe,” he shrugged again, “who knows? How can you be certain?”
 
     Put her off the scent; make her doubt herself: that was all Ender could do. If she kept insisting that she knew him, then so be it, but he wasn’t about to confirm her suspicions. Let her think what she wants, but don’t let her know the truth.

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Tag: LAUREN SHORE
Notes: D'awwww, why thank you!

i know you've got the anger

[presto]

TAGGED FOR ENDER WORDS: 614 NOTES: HMPH. SHE'S VERY CONFLICTED ABOUT HIM. LYRICS: Locked in a Cage by Brick + Mortar

[/presto]

Something just didn't set right with Lauren about this guy. Maybe it was the fact he was giving her back the same insults she gave him, and rightly so. Maybe it was that she had seen him in the city, was sure of it, and wasn't getting the truth from him. But at the same time, she had to admit she was intrigued. Lauren had met maybe four rebels in her life, two of them had been dead bodies laying in the morgue. Back in the city, she worked at the hospital as an assistant for the coroner. She hated the fact she had to work with dead bodies, taking them apart and figuring out how they died, but that's what the APT said she would be good at.

For whatever reason, everyone in the City trusted the Academic Placement test to put people in the right spot. Lauren had always heard horror stories of people who were deathly afraid of heights being sent to work on the highest buildings. Luckily the brunette wasn't afraid of much except being stuck, not being free. Ironic because the City was the worst definition of "free", but it wasn't something that bothered her. What she was scared of was being in a cage, being told she can't ever leave, or being told that her father was dead and her sister was dying from the cold and the lack of medicine the rebels had. Lauren was terrified of death; not her own but rather the death of those she loved. It didn't matter that she worked in the morgue because she rarely knew the people that were brought in. She could handle a corpse with minimal emotion, as long as the face wasn't a friend.

"I'm not a criminal," she said coldly, her eyes full of anger as she glared at the boy. Lauren's mind drifted back to the first day she worked with the coroner. It was the day of a rebel attack and many people were injured. Luckily, only two citizens were killed. Lauren's father had told her to be enthusiastic about the job the test gave her or the government would notice and take action. And by action, Lauren knew all to well that he meant she would be sent to the machines. She wasn't scared of the machines then, because she didn't have any reason not to be excited for her first day. But when she got to work, when she saw the first body, she knew she wasn't prepared. The bodies were of her best friend Colbie and his younger sister Clara. They had been out on a walk when the bomb hit the wall. Wrong place at the wrong time.

Lauren returned her attention to the "familiar face" and clenched her teeth. "I don't forget a face, especially not one like that," she said, moving closer to the bars near the man. With a deep breath, Lauren placed her hands around the bars and leaned in, her forehead touching them. "The first time I saw you was the first day of my internship," she said, the memory playing back in her mind like a movie on the big screen. "I thought you were just another citizen, but you're not are you? You're a rebel." He words were more then just a question, they were an accusation. In Lauren's mind, the rebels were criminals. Killers. They would do anything to take down the City, even if it meant killing innocent people like Colbie and Clara. Colbie was only 16; Clara couldn't have been more than 12. They never even got a chance to live. Lauren closed her eyes, trying to suppress the memory.

     If looks could kill, Ender probably would have been dead within moments of talking to her. He knew that. She hated him, but he didn’t care. A lot of people hated the rebels and therefore hated him. In his mind he was doing this for them. He was trying to protect them, give them rights that they needed even if they didn’t know it just yet. Such a noble cause to die for. Ha. No one would be singing his praise if the rebels actually won this war. They’d be singing the praise of the higher ups, but that wouldn’t be until years after the war had been won. If they failed, he’d be dead, and no one would definitely be singing his praise. Was that all he was? Just a passing shadow that doesn’t leave a mark? Well, at least Ender knew that he had actually tried to do something with his life, even if it was in vain.

     "I'm not a criminal," she practically hissed, her eyes bright with anger. He could practically feel her animosity towards him. She became distracted, consumed by her thoughts. Where did they lead her? Probably into the dark bowels of her mind. Probably into memories she’d rather forget.

     A moment later, her eyes regain their focus as she glared at him. "I don't forget a face, especially not one like that," she said as she move back to the bars that separated them. Her fingers gripped the metal poles and placed her head against them. "The first time I saw you was the first day of my internship. I thought you were just another citizen, but you're not are you? You're a rebel." That last sentence was a jab, and indictment. She couldn’t have made it any clearer that she despised him and his kind with her entire being.

     Ender merely kept her gaze. He wasn’t angry. Her accusation hadn’t hurt. Yes, that was exactly what he was: a rebel. But he wasn’t a killer like some of the others. He hadn’t taken a life, and for some reason he was proud of that, though he knew that day was coming. That awful, horrible day where he would have rob someone of their life, rob someone of a child, a spouse, a lover, and on that day he might as well bury them himself.

     How old had she been when she first started her internship? She couldn’t be a day older than him, but how long ago was it? Maybe she had seen him before he had been kidnapped and willingly dedicated his life to this seemingly hopeless cause.

     “And when was that? How many years ago?” he asked. “You’re right though, I am a rebel. Why else would I be out here,” Ender motioned around himself, “instead of in there with you? I know what you’re thinking. We’re all murderers, no good curs that deserve to die. Everyone thinks that, and I don’t blame you. But maybe,” he stood up and planted himself in front of her so that his face a few inches away from hers, “maybe we haven’t been rebels all our lives. Maybe your perfect City drove us out here. Maybe we don’t mean to kill, but have to do it to protect the ones we love.” He stood to his full height and walked away a few paces. Ender stood there for a moment, his back turned to her.

     “Wouldn’t you kill,” he started slowly, “to protect her? Your sister?” He glanced over his shoulder before he turned back to face her. Ender then sat down, crossing his legs. “Wouldn’t you do anything to make sure that she’s safe and out of harm, and that someone isn’t infringing on and taking away her freedoms? I’m sure you would, and you know what? That’s exactly what we’re trying to do.”

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Notes: xD Good. Is it bad that I want them to have a sort of friendship by the end of this?