Return to Innocence // Galen

( G A L E N . C R E E D )
x BIO x

Galen hadn't gone to school. He had been up all last night wandering the district. It wasn't entirely his fault. The factory had asked some people to stay later last night and then usual and he had been one of them. Just some readjustments on some uniforms that were special ordered for unique measurements.He had left late but found that he hasn't tired so he had wandered around the district. It was always different at night. Knew things came to life while the buildings and noises of the day slept peacefully.

Sleep didn't come to him until the beginning of sunrise and Galen had just plopped down under the tree he was near and gone to sleep. He didn't care about going back or anything. Being outside was peaceful to him. It wasn't until about midday that he woke up. By that time school was almost over so he just went home, changed his shirt, and arrived at the factory early. The assembly line seemed a lot slower than usual though he wasn't exactly sure why. Not that he really cared. He just concentrated on the seam of the sleeve that he was sewing onto a long sleeve shirt uniform.

The assembly line on his right was carrying peacekeeper jackets from the line of people that had just finished checking their quality to further down the factory where a bunch of younger girls where packaging them into boxes to be shipped on tonight's train. No one was paying attention to the little corner where he was sitting and the normal noises of the production line were drowning over any sound that was coming from his area. But just to be sure, he took a quick glance around the room to see if any faces were looking at him. None.

Galen quickly snatched one of the jackets from the assembly line and shoved it into his already open backpack. It was another piece to the uniform he was collecting at home. An entire peacekeeper's uniform to remember his working at this factory. It also might be fun to wear sometimes. He zipped up the bag and quickly resumed his work with the sleeve of the shirt. Galen felt suddenly uncomfortable and shifted his eyes away from his work to look directly in front of him. A girl that he recognized from school was staring directly at him and he could tell from her face that she had seen what he did. Shit.

( G A L E N . C R E E D )
x BIO x

The girl's eye shied away from his own. She had seen and he knew it. He looked back down at his work and stared, tensed up. Galen waited for a few moments for the girl to tell on him. He was expecting commotion. More peacekeepers. Another visit to the whipping post. But the factory kept up it's usual busy noises and there was no disruption. He risked another look at the girl. She was continuing to work on her uniforms. Galen let out a a small sigh of relief and dedicated the rest of his time to working on his uniform.

By the time that the bell rang to dismiss everyone, he had finished two shirts. People started to file out of the building and Galen stayed behind. He waited until the girl left the building before he started to pack up all of his things. The peacekeeper jacket moved around in his bag as he hiked it up onto his shoulders and walked out. The doors pushed open easily and a cool wind met his face.

"Ooof. I'm sorry." He ran straight into someone standing outside the doors that he didn't see. "Sorry. Sorry. Oh." Galen looked into the eyes of the girl that had watched him steal the jacket in the factory. Reflexively he pulled the straps of his backpack closer his body. Galen ran his hand through his hair and laughed nervously. "Um, hi. Sorry."

ooc: this was real bad and im sorry

( G A L E N . C R E E D )
x BIO x

"For what?" The way that she had asked the question had seemed so innocent that Galen almost believed that perhaps she hadn't seen anything that happened inside the factory at all. What that hope died quickly once she continued. "For that? Or just running into me?" Her slender finger was pointing to the backpack slung over his shoulder. He felt himself cringed visibly. But why did she wait out he for him alone? If she was going to tell surely she would have done it by now and he would have met a dozen peacekeepers upon exiting the building. "I was-", but she waved him silent and spoke firmly. "No matter, just follow me."

Without so much as another word, the girl turned and walked away, gesturing over her shoulder for him to follow. Galen was extremely confused, but shoved his hands in his pockets and fell in line behind her. The girl was a few inches shorter than he was, and slender in frame. She was small but that wasn't exactly uncommon in District Eight. Galen was one of the few in the district that were probably well fed and his legs were toned from all the running he did. He knew that she was the same age as him because they were in the same grade, but he didn't know her name. He didn't talk to much of anyone at all. It was a trait that had stayed from his childhood.

After they had walked for a couple minutes behind buildings and down the darken sides of the street, the girl slowed down and turned to him. The lighting was different here and he was able to see more of her face. He had never really looked at her before, or anyone that he didn't talk to. She was pretty. The hair pulled back from her face sharpened her features and he noticed that her eyes were blue. Was she going to turn him in? The girl shook her head in what he assumed was disbelief or maybe even disappointment. She asked him why he did it.

What was there to say? It was because he had to, he needed to. A peacekeeper's uniform: it would be the ultimate token to remember how his family was ripped apart. How the peacekeeper's took his father from his home. They caused his mother's death, his sister's abandonment. Why? Because his father was wrong according to society, but was he really? Galen had to be careful about what he said. Recently, he had been conflicted about where he stood in association to the Capitol, but once he found himself taking a job at the factory where they made peacekeeper clothing he knew. This girl might turn him in. He knew nothing about her and so he needed to be careful.

Unfortunately, he was a horrible liar. "I had to." For a moment it seemed like that was all he was going to say. He didn't know himself that this was going to be a confession. "I have to remember what they - the peacekeepers, the Capitol. What they took from me. I wasn't supposed to be like this." Galen paused to take a breath. He couldn't reveal all of his secrets. He wasn't supposed to be saying any of it. But something about the girl's blue eyes told him that she wasn't going to tell. Even if she believed him or not. The next confession was a whisper. "I almost have an entire uniform. It might be beneficial one day."

Galen had learned a lot in the years since his father was taken. His sister had chosen to advantage to the Capitol in search of their father and he had disagreed with her method to join them after what they had taken. He had chosen to fight. And he had been able to make contact with the growing rebellion. But that wasn't something he could tell anyone. Galen was still just a sixteen year old boy in District Eight. But he had hoped maybe he could help from here. "You weren't supposed to see. Please don't tell."