Knock knock knock knock

I had been sulking in my room for the past hour, sprawled out across my bed. His words riddled over and over in my mind. He was going to kill Thomas. Now I just needed to figure out how to stop him.

"Gally?" My stomach churned, it had been doing it for what felt like forever. Pain unfurling in my abdomen. Probably nerves. I dunno. Gosh.

"It's Chuck. Can I come in?" Oh, Chuck.

"Sure sure, come on in!" Moments later, he did. Messy hair and all. Closing the door behind him, he approached me.

"Hey y/n."

"Hi Chucky, what's up."

"It's um, it's been a while." He hesitated, fidgeting around with the ends of his shirt. "You know, since we've talked." Oh shit. It had been a while. "Or hung out together."

"Oh my gosh Dude I'm so sorry." My palms found my eyes, covering them. "It's just everything's been so so crazy lately. I feel like I can't catch a break." Looking back up at him I just wanted to hug his little frame. "Fuck, I am so sorry."

"It's okay." He reassured me, rushing his words. "It's not your fault or anything, I just..." His lips twisting around, he took a seat on the edge of the bed. Finding my eyes under his thick lashes he finished his sentence. "Missed you."

He had been lonely without me and I'd forgotten about him. Guilt dripped into my lungs like sticky honey, trapping me in. I had to make him happy again. No question about it.

"Well then." Scooting over next to Chuck I messed around with his hair I favored so much. "Let's fix that Bud." Taking my index finger I gently bopped him on his adorable little button nose. "Tell me, what's been up with you?" Yes!

I weaseled out that familiar eye crinkle. His smile already lifted the mood.

"Probably nothing like you're going through. I heard about Gally's murder plan."

"Ah yes." I chuckled anxiously, thoughts of Gally swirling around like a tornado in my mind. "Thomas's assassination is gonna be eventful that's for sure." Chuck's warm hand patted sympathetically on my shoulder.

"You know it's probably be a lot easier if you dated someone else. Like Zart or Victor or Thomas." He listed, counting the boys off his finger. "Not to mention basically every single guy in the glade has some sort of crush on you."

"I don't want easy. I want Gally." I grumbled, shoulders hunched over. My nails the victim of my brutal attack, bitten down as far as they could be. Pesky nerves. "Besides, they'd all bore me anyways."

"Well then." Chuck sighed, giving me a look filled with pity. "Do you want some help stopping your boyfriend from becoming the glade's next killer?"

Hey, maybe if Chuck helped out we could really get Gally to stop. There was no harm in saying yes, plus it'd give us some time to hang out.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"Sure! What the hell. Two minds are better than one, right?" When I turned to face Chuck, expecting to find him thrilled. I saw anything but that. His boyish face was even more rounded by his wide eyes, averted behind me. Directed to where I'd been previously sitting. "Chuck? Buddy, what's wrong?" At this point he was really starting to freak me out. God, my stomach was killing me. His gawking stare trailed down to my lower half.

"Blood." He managed shakily, pointing at me as he unconsciously withered back. Away from me. "You're...you...you're bleeding." His mouth parted, gaping at me. "From down there." Chuck motioned without subtlety, blushing furiously.

Fuck me.

Everything clicked together in the most embarrassing way possible. Could this day get any fucking worse?!

The dampness between my thighs made sense now. It went so well with the dark stain soaked up by the light colored comforter. Looked like one of those horribly cliche nineties slasher scenes. I hated being cliche.

"I'm going to kill myself." I announced, heat flushing my face. What's worse is I could feel everything now. Every little dribble that ran down my thigh.

"Y/n are you dying or something?! We need to get you to the medjacks!"

"Chuck I'm going to need you to just shut up for like five minutes, okay. I'm not dying. At least not from this. Mortification is a much more plausible option." Standing up from the bed, I searched for a blanket. After wrapping one around myself I nodded at Chuck's fearful scrunched up face. "Let's go Chuckles."

__________________________

My shoes made contact with the homesteads carpet, starting for the stairs. Chuck followed behind like a fresh loyal puppy. I practiced what I was going to say. Doing my best to numb myself as I trudged up each step. Then all of a sudden we were there. In front of the medjack room.

Knock knock knock.

"Who is it?!" Clint's voice called out, slightly dampened by the door.

"Y/n." I answered, sounding flat and monotone. "I need something."

"You think you could come back later?!" Jeff joined in, his voice even farther away. My eyes closed, attempting to control my breathing. It's okay y/n. It's fine. Just chill out. You're okay-

"No I can't." I was starting to slip up, losing it a little. My foot tapping was practically manic at this point. Tunnel vision focused on the stupid stupid shittily white painted door standing like Elmo or some stupid shit like that in front of me. "So can you please just open the fucking door!"

"Okay okay relax! We're opening it right now." Jeff neared, the brass knob jiggling around. The door popped open, his muscled arm leaning against the door frame.

Clint stood in a corner, serving Alby a cup of water along with a few pills. Candy colored ones, bright pink, yellow, and blue. He seemed healthier. Almost all better if I could say so myself. No swollen cobweb veins or unsettling wheezing. The snarky boy was even upright, drinking the water on his own accord. Wow. Good to know.

"Um..." My attention span reflected back to Jeff. "I came to ask for a thing that I couldn't find in the bathroom. I figured the creators might've sent some up and-"

"Y/n's bleeding!" It popped out of Chuck's mouth, burning my face to a scorching fire.

"You're bleedin?" Jeff took hold of my blanket, unraveling my cover up. He flung it astray as he circled around me, looking for any visible wound. "Where? I don't see oh-" He was behind me and I think I could've passed away at that very instant. "You're bleedin down there?"

"Holy klunk!" Clint had sidled himself next to Jeff. "How'd you get cut down there?!" His amazement and shock only added to my shame. I wanted to run away and cry and never come back ever ever ever again.

"They wouldn't tell me!" Chuck chimed in. Please just shut your mouth!

"Looks pretty bad." Alby rasped, peeping his head over. "You get into a fight or something?'" My mouth seemed to be glued shut. I was simply too horrified to say anything.

"What should we do?" Clint said in a panicky voice, losing his usual soft speak. "How do we fix a cut that's down there?"

"I don't know." Jeff continued his inspection once more, circling around again and again and again. "I'll ask Newt. We should get Newt in here. Newt!"

"Shhhh!" I hushed them, pulling Chuck into the room as I slammed the door...on Newt's face.

"Ow! Y/n what were you thinkin'?!" He rubbed his nose, glaring at me. "My nose just got smacked thanks to you!"

"It's not their fault." Clint brushed his hair back, refueling his hair behind his ear. I felt it happen again. Blood free flowing, running down my legs. "They're injured really bad but down there."

"Oh fuck y/n what happened?!" Newt lost any resentment, alarm blaring into existence. He spun me around in a frenzy. Desperate to hold onto something or do anything. I should really get him a fidget toy for situations like this. "It's like there's been a bloody fucking massacre in your trousers!"

"Shut up!" I shoved Newt away, backing into the wall opposite from the clustered group. "Shut up shut up shut up!" My eyes prickled, fighting the urge to spill over.

"We're just trying to help you." Clint mumbled, looking down at the grainy wooden floor. "You could be seriously hurt."

"Thanks for the concern but I am not seriously hurt."

"Then why are you bleeding?" Newt asked softly, he pulled aside a chair to sit in. The others waited patiently for me to answer. Was it really possible that these idiots didn't know anything about basic female biology? From their blank faces I guess so.

"It's because every month a person who has my parts." I motioned downward, heat creeping up my neck. "Bleeds down there for about a week. And it hurts, like really bad sometimes. Feels like someone's scraping the inside lining of your stomach outside."

"Why?" Chuck piped up, the boys eyes shone with fascination. I suppose I was going to have to play grown up with them to teach.

"Because my body hates me for not wanting a baby and is tearing itself up inside. Hence the blood."

"Well how do you stop it? You think maybe one of these pills could help?" Clint suggested, rummaging through small plastic bottle.

"I can't stop it. It goes away on it's own. But I can manage with it. You know, keep it so I don't bleed through my pants and go all Carrie." Running my fingers along the wooden tables I asked. "Did they send anything different up in the box recently? Anything for me?"

"Now that you mention it, I think so." Clint opened a drawer. "Had your name on it and everything." Moments later his hand emerged, holding a cardboard box filled with what I presumed to be stuff for me.

"Well...thank you." I took the package as quickly as I could, skirting around people to get to the bathroom. It was when I got there when I had to deal with all the blood. It was strange that I had got it that day. I had gone so long without bleeding I had almost forgot about it. A new cycle. The start of something new.

Only I don't think blood is ever considered a good omen.