Number 750231

Hey! Hey!"

That voice. She knew that voice.

"Hey!" The voice cut off when the trunk slammed shut but continued to echo violently inside the small space her body was crammed in.

Reign bolted upright in bed, breathing in a raspy gasp that filled her lungs to their maximum. The beads of hot sweat that clung to her forehead also drenched the back of her neck, making her feel nauseous. Why was it so hot in here? She thought as she ran her damp palms over the sheets.

Slowly, as her breathing steadied and her thoughts became clear again she could make sense of reality. She was still in her hospital bed in the dim recovery room. Nothing had changed, yet everything had.

Reign would be released into the prison that day.

Thinking back to her childhood, Reign remembered what it was like to wait for something. When she was excited, it took ages. However, when she dreaded what was to come, the time flew by in what seemed minutes. If only time would crawl as slowly as it did when she was an excited child.

From the moment Noah told her she'd be released in a weeks' time she had a sudden sinking feeling in her gut, where her heart dropped below her stomach. What type of place would she walk into today? Certainly, it wouldn't be a five-star resort.

Rusted bars, mysterious stains, and revolting stenches gripped her overexaggerated imagination while her stomach churned uncomfortably.

Pulling her legs to her chest, she rested her chin on her knees and stared at the door. Soon it would open, and she'd be taken from her mini sanctuary and parted from Noah. She'd only known him a week, yet grief sat in her chest like a heavy stone. More than likely she would never see him again. What was the last thing she'd said to him?

The loose jiggle of the door handle tore her from her thoughts before she could recall her memory. She held her breath as a chill of goosebumps prickled over her skin.

Noah's face loomed in the doorway and Reign released her breath, relieved.

"Noah," she said with a soft sigh. "You scared the..." Her eyes flitted to the dark blue item folded neatly in his arm. "What's that?"

"Your new uniform." He said, unfolding the fabric. He held it up, revealing the one-piece jumpsuit. His playful eyes danced as he added, "I didn't wrap it. Sorry."

Smiling at the tease in his tone, Reign eased her legs over the side of the bed and placed her bare feet against the cold floor. She'd been denied a pair of socks her second night.

Fearing she might tug at the stitches in her stomach, Reign stood cautiously. She would no doubt have a residual scar. Turning her eyes on the jumper, she crossed the room and held her hands out, taking the article from him.

Knitting her brows together she traced a careful finger along a sloppy white stitch mark. "750231," she glanced up at him, "That's me?"

His eyes lost their playfulness, responding with a simple nod.

"Meaning," she licked her chapped lips, "I'm just a number here."

Reign didn't have to glimpse up again, she knew what expression he held. "Makes sense, I guess," she said through a cotton dry voice. "Is this my parting gift?"

Peering up at him through bleary eyes she studied his face. She'd keep his soft smile and curved brow locked away into her memory for future use. On nights she couldn't sleep she'd be able to pull out the memory like a comforting picture.

She managed to force a small smile, "Not even a hug?"

Noah gave a crooked smile, "Of course."

Managing a shaky laugh, he pulled her into a warm embrace. One that Reign didn't hesitate to return. He was a couple of inches taller, leading her to stand on the tips of her toes so she could press her forehead against his shoulder. With her arms wrapped around his neck, she let out a soft sigh. Allowing the moment to wash a wave of comfort over her.

Something in the air between them drastically changed.

Noah's grip unexpectedly locked and became a vice around her waist. She froze. Chills of fear and adrenaline swept through her body and over her skin as if she'd been dunked into an ice bath.

Reign gritted her teeth, "Noah..."

He leaned his lips close to her ear and spoke in a low, frightening voice. One she'd never heard him use before. "You'll know when to use it."

These were the last words Noah uttered before the door opened and he walked in. The sound of her quickening heart rate thudded dramatically against her eardrum as she met the hunter's annoyed stare

No, Reign. Don't let him see fear. Although, that was increasingly difficult when Noah stepped aside, the jumpsuit now in her arms, and that hulking man stepped forward. He toward over her. His solid form and intimidating gaze made her want to creep back into bed. Instead, she squared her shoulders and looked up.

"Get dressed." His deep, demanding voice all but shook her bones. Reign folded her hands to stop them from trembling.

Obediently, she disappeared into the bathroom, sure to keep the lights turned off. The last thing she wanted was for him to get off from the damage he'd done.

Huffing a soft sigh, she stripped her gown off and exchanged it for the dark blue jumper. Tugging her arms and legs through the openings with exaggerated sluggishness. At least it wasn't orange, she thought as she reached her hands into the pockets to see how much room she had.

Odd.

At the bottom of her left pocket, her fingers grazed over something sleek and in the shape of a cylinder. She nearly pulled the object out to examine, but then thought better. If she had anything she wasn't supposed to have, it was best to keep it a secret. Whatever the thing was, she was keeping it.

Appearing from the bathroom, she slipped into a pair of navy canvas slip-ons provided to her and adjusted the black band around her ankle. It rubbed uncomfortably against her skin.

"Let's go," the Hunter said.

What was his name? Not that it mattered, she didn't particularly want to be on a first name basis with the bear of a man who shot her out of pure spite.

Casting one more miserable glance in Noah's direction, she moved forward. Their last exchange had been so awkward and confusing. She didn't want to leave him like that, but she didn't have a choice.

The Hunter walked ahead, leading her from the recovery room and down a hall that gradually narrowed, shifting from the familiar dull blue and into a despairing gray.

It was a strange transition, but an obvious one as they descended two flights of steel grate stairs. From here, Reign could see the layout of the prison. The grim images she'd had before quickly dissolved.

Each cell appeared to be six feet by eight feet in dimension, constructed of glass, and in the shape of a hexagon. They connected in long rows, sharing two sides with walkways on either side that lead to two massive doorways.

Where did they lead to?

As she passed the cells a twinge of uncertainty fueled her fear. The inmates, diverse by race and gender, greeted her differently. Some remained motionless, staring blankly ahead. Others slowly stood, sizing her up in the effort to intimidate her.

She swallowed dryly, stopping when he did.

"Get in," the Hunter said flatly, pushing the glass door open.

Her cell was identical to all the others. The grated floor, one stiff cot that held a pillow and a thin blanket, and a single steel toilet with one roll of toilet paper next to it.

"Cozy and private. I like it." Her tone dripped sarcasm as she stepped inside. The door behind her slid shut, clicking as it locked.

"Freak."

She was frozen in her stature, only moving when she could hear heavy boots on the stairs not far away. The sounds brought relief, yet Reign slumped as if a sudden weight had been set on her shoulders.

With a heavy sigh, she shuffled across the small space and carefully sat on the bed. She took the crumpled blanket in her hands and laid it across her lap. Scrunching the fabric in her fingers, she tried to soothe her frayed nerves.

Reign could sit on this cot and wallow. Ask the universe - why did this happen?

She could throw a fit, tear her hair out and slam her fist against the glass of her cell.

But what good would that do her? They would consider her insane and be discarded as a dud. To the people here she was no longer Reign Mazarine. She wasn't a person, she was a number.

Number 750231, to be exact.

It was a horrifying fact she refused to come to terms with. No, not yet.

"It's not so bad." A voice arose, higher and friendlier in tone than Reign would have imagined.

Glancing up, she met brilliant emerald eyes framed by a thin, pale face sprinkled with freckles. She had shimmering blonde hair that reached just above her tailbone. She was gorgeous by anyone's standards.

"What?" Reign asked when she regained her thoughts.

The blonde girl smiled sympathetically, "Being here, I mean. It seems horrible at first, but it's not so bad once you learn the rules."

Reign knitted her eyebrows together. "Rules?"

Nodding her head, she moved herself closer. She was sat on the floor, legs extended, and knees bent, the souls of her feet were touching together. "There are rules here. Especially for newcomers."

Squeezing the blanket in her hands, Reign began to move closer until she as well was sitting on the floor. The only thing separating them now was the two inches of metallic glass. Play it smart and make friends. That had been Noah's advice when they first met. So that's what she'd do.

"What are these rules?"

"Well," the blonde began in a lower voice, "I've been here for a little over a month now, and what I've seen is making eye contact with anyone bigger than you is a definite no go. It's best to just keep your head down. Nobody messes with someone they don't see as a threat."

"I'll take that into consideration..." Reign pursed her lips into a thin line. "What other rules are there?"

"It's best to be last in the lunch line. The smaller ones here get the leftovers, but that means nobody fights you for it since it's the least of what everyone wants. Same goes for shower time. If you're the last one to go..."

"Nobody fights for it. Got it." Reign ran her fingers through her dark, wavy hair. When was the last time she'd washed it? Her grungy tub suddenly seemed very appealing.

"You can bet for a hair tie, you know."

Confused, Reign looked at her with a tilt of her head, "Bet?"

The girl nodded, glanced around, and then moved back to her cot where she withdrew a paper bag from underneath. She crawled back over and opened the bag, showing the contents. Inside there was nothing except for thin white chips the size of a dollar coin.

"What are they for?" she asked, leaning closer.

"Good behavior. Some of the guards really aren't bad and if they see you behaving they'll give you tokens," she continued, obviously excited by the amount she'd collected, "You can exchange them for an extra shower or another serving of food or even time outside."

Reign gave a slow nod. "You said I could bet them? What like, poker?"

"Poker, Black Jack, Rummy. Really any card game," she paused, "They used to bet with Darts until there was an incident." She cringed at the memory. "I never bet though. I don't have much of a poker face, and betting guarantees the bigger inmates to notice you."

Reign bit her lip, stifling a laugh. "What's your name?"

"Stella, but you can call me Ella," she smiled gently, "What's yours?"

"Reign...It's nice to meet you."

Ella laughed and nodded, "An unfortunate circumstance, but yes, it's nice to meet you too."

"Tell me something, Ella..." Reign started, meeting the other's curious gaze.

"What?"

"Who exactly is the leader in here?"

Ella gave her an incredulous look. "You'll know when you see him, but it's not him you have to worry about."

Reign's eyes narrowed. "Why's that?"

"Eve is the one to avoid. She isn't just capable of taking someone on. She seeks them out. She's the one to not make eye contact with. If she sees you as something that might take her place on top, you'll be right back in the hospital wing," she must have read Reign's look of odd approval, because she then added, "Don't think of that as a good thing. Most of the people who get sent to the hospital wing by her don't come back."

"Oh, come on, Ella," Reign said, irritation singed her voice, "Everybody has some sort of a weak point. What's Eve's?"

"Holy Water, maybe," Ella suggested.

Reign licked her lips, withholding another laugh. "Is she really that bad?"

"Just wait until noon. You'll see what I mean."

With another huffed sigh, Reign leaned her shoulder against the glass. She was terrified to enter the cafeteria, yet strangely excited. Would she find that Ella had simply exaggerated? Or would she be greeted with havoc and be forced to keep her head low? Either way, she thought as her stomach began to gnaw, noon couldn't come soon enough.

Reaching into her pocket, Reign gripped the device she'd found earlier. Was it mere coincidence that she found it in her pocket or had Noah planted it there purposefully? Perhaps all inmates had a similar device. At any rate, his words were seared into her thoughts.

You'll know when to use it.

The question of what it was, was a mystery. An explosive? As that thought entered her mind she quickly released the device, terrified she might set it off. If it was some sort of detonator, Reign wasn't positive she could go through with wasting the entire place, herself and Ella included.

No, there had to be another way, and if there wasn't, she'd make another way.