the cold box rattled around you. in the pitch darkness, the boy on the ground stirred.

suddenly the box lurched to a stop and you clung to the sides, the boy groaning on the floor began to look around but remains silent.

finally, it stilled and the roof opened up, flooding the box with light. you groaned, covering your eyes with your hand.

when you removed it, you looked up to the blue sky and the heads of dozens of teenage boys from whom a chorus of whispers echoed, “a girl?”

a taller boy pushed through the crowd, barking at them all to back up. he offered a hand to you, another boy to his right offering a hand to the boy beside you.

“im alby,” said the boy helping you up, “welcome to the glade, greenie.”