Little Girl Lost.

"Stop! Can't you see she's helpless and sick?" The auburn-haired girl shouted at the guard, gesturing towards Layla's thin body that dangled lifelessly from his iron grip.

I tried to get her attention by subtly shaking my head but it was futile. Her brown eyes were focused on the guard now advancing on her; like a stalking tiger ready to pounce on his defenseless prey.

"What did you say?" I heard the low growl in his voice and knew the imminent threat that was coming her way. Before I knew what I was doing, I had bounded across the small hallway and was standing in front of her, arms cast out as if to shield her from anything he might be aiming to throw her way.

"Sir, she's new! And..she didn't know any better." I found myself saying, as if someone else in my body was speaking for me to protect her, "Please, she didn't know." I mumbled, keeping my eyes low to the ground hoping he would move on down the line.

The silence that filled the hallway seemed to last for hours, I could hear my heart pounding in my ears like a drum; every beat seeming louder and heavier than the one before it. I was just beginning to chastise myself for not knowing better when he grunted to her over my shoulder, "See to it you keep your mouth shut."

I let out a sigh of relief and the fear fell from my shoulders. Mentally however, I was screaming at myself.

"I'm not here to protect anyone and nobody is here to protect me. It's everyone for themselves so what the hell did I think I was doing by jumping to the defense of some girl who I don't know and will probably never see again after a few days?" Perhaps it was something in her eyes...they were soft, not yet broken. She reminded me of everything that used to be; summer, sunshine and home. But then there was something hidden there that I hadn't seen in a long time. Nobody here jumps to the aid of someone else, that's suicide.

"No shit, Tracey." I mumbled to myself, realizing my hypocrisy.

"Dismissed!" Yelled the hall guard, his voice and the shrill alarm sounding immediately after its boom, snapped me out of my daydream.

I glanced over at the new girl, her eyes darting around the hallway that was slowly erupting to the usual morning bustle before the first meal. She looked lost and afraid, something I knew all too well. I couldn't just leave her here to figure out where to go on her own; another guard would just be waiting to snatch her up.

"Fucking hell." I was taking a huge risk, and I knew it.

I grabbed her forearm and quickly whispered to her, "We need to talk," and pulled her along through the crowd with me, desperately hoping nobody had noticed that I was helping her.

"What's going on? Where am I?" She gushed, chattering about being confused and knowing nothing about where she was or what was going on. I ignored her, trying to stay close to the crowd so as to hide the fact that I was helping her.

I tried to chalk it up to naivety. The new ones are so quick to try to play the part of the hero, jumping to the aid of someone else without realizing they are putting their own neck to the chopping block and nobody is going to return the favor when the blade meets their skin. But...she was different, there was something that she carried on her shoulders; a different air of defiance and blatant courage. Maybe I was ashamed of myself or even jealous of her, I never had that spirit and I even tried to keep her from attempting to protect Layla. Little good she did but she didn't back down like so many other people probably would have.

Trying to stay close to the crowd, I shuffled inside the dingy cafeteria that was quickly beginning to crowd for the morning meal. I pulled her over to one of the metal tables and pushed her towards the bench.

"Sit here. I'll be right back." I mumbled, still lost somewhere amid my own cluttered thoughts. Making sure to keep her within my peripheral vision- I hurried to the line and grabbed a gray tray. I was still in a daze and barely noticed as the overtired staff lazily served the usual, unappetizing mess.

She had wrapped her arms around her body, her dark hair was disheveled and tangled. She looked like a child; small, scared and confused. Something deep inside my chest stirred and I suddenly found myself pitying her. I should have known better.

"Fuck." I whispered to myself. This isn't going to end well.

"Here." I set the tray down and sat down across from her.

"..I'm not hungry." She glanced at the gray and brown mess of oatmeal and stale bread before wrapping her arms tighter around her like a security blanket.

I absentmindedly scratched at the crook of my elbow and glanced around the room, trying to think of what I was supposed to say next. I knew firsthand what it was like to be in her position and I knew that she needed help. At least I could do my best to help her but I didn't know how. Help doesn't exist in here, you don't get it from anybody. Nobody helped me, how was I supposed to help her?

"Come on..you need it. You'll feel better if you eat something." I quietly coaxed, glancing up to make sure no guards were noticing what I was doing.

"Feel better?" She spat out, as if she had already tasted the food that sat in front of her, "How am I supposed to feel better at all? I've been kidnapped, nobody is telling me anything. For all I know, I'm about to die and then you think that forcing some food down my throat is going to make it all okay? Fuck off."

I was wasting my time and I knew it. I couldn't make everything better for her, I couldn't tear her out of this hell and I couldn't save her from what was coming. I was about to get up and walk away when I remembered Layla. This girl so willingly and so quickly jumped to her defense and she doesn't even know her.
Ignoring that wouldn't be fair, at least not to Layla.

"Look..we're in the same mess. I'm sorry, I know you're scared but..at least you're not alone. Right?" I tried, I didn't know what to say. What was I supposed to say? I didn't help people, this wasn't something I did. Suddenly I found myself feeling just as lost as she looked.

"I..I know I can't give you all the answers you're looking for but I can try to explain a few things if that might help. Just please eat something." I paused, "You don't know when you'll eat again."

Her face paled,"What?"

"Just..eat."

She hesitated but slowly lowered her hand and picked up the small, plastic utensil. Poking at the gray slop on the tray, she grimaced but reasoned with me and slowly, but eventually; began to eat the poor excuse for food.

Again, I glanced around to make sure nobody was noticing that I was trying to help her. They would pounce and tear both of us apart. Fraternizing, they called it.

"What's your name?" I tentatively asked, internally scoffing at myself. It was a start right?

"..Calayah." She shrugged her shoulders, as if she was suddenly shy.

"I'm Tracey." I tried to smile at her but I felt like it came out as more of a pained grimace. Wow, way to be reassuring.

One corner of her mouth curled up in a small smile.

"Look, we don't have long so I can't explain stuff right now. I will as soon as I can okay? Just..hang in there." I whispered, knowing the siren was about to sound again signaling that the first work shift was about to start.

The shrill alarm erupted and immediately, the previously quiet cafeteria erupted into that same, bustling crowd and I just barely had enough time to signal for Calayah to get up and follow me.

I ran my hands through my tangled, black hair. There was a long day ahead of both of us, I just hoped she would make it through alright.