Chapter Four - Delarosas

Emma found herself occupying the side of the room left vacant by the others. There wasn't much on that side of the room, except a row of white folding chairs and a small wooden table covered in a bright layer of white paint, which had old magazines stacked neatly to one side. Emma reached for one of the magazines, but was once again taken aback by her own hand. The black number seemed to scream at her against the pale glow of her fair skin. She also noticed how nice and manicured her nails were, instead of chewed with red nail-polish chipping off as they usually were.

A voice cleared its throat next to Emma, startling her enough for her to jump out of her seat. The girl Emma had seen before, with wavy dark hair and olive-toned skin, stood in front of Emma. The girl's blue eyes shifted back and forth, reflecting hints of green under the light.

"My name is Raven Delarosa." She said, awkwardly sticking out her hand, looking incredibly stiff.

Emma took it, relieved one of the boys had not been the first to approach. "Emma." She said, shaking Raven's hand. "Emma Hart." Emma glanced a bit past Raven, and noticed the boy who had sat next to Raven's feet earlier.

Raven followed Emma's line of sight. "That's my little brother." Raven said, tossing her head towards the timid boy standing several steps behind her. "His name is Chandler."

Chandler was taller than Raven, and more gangly looking, with close cropped dark hair and big brown eyes. He looked about sixteen, while his sister looked more like she might be twenty. Chandler moved over to us quietly, keeping just behind his sister's shoulders. He gave off an impression of innocence and fear, all wrapped into a young mind that Emma felt should could almost look into if she tried hard enough; It was an eerie feeling, and it weirded Emma out. People's thoughts are things others should not have access too, they are not pretty like the piano music, Emma felt.

Sitting down slowly, Emma tried to calm her mind down. She turned her head back to Raven, who had a maternal look about her. "Where am I?" Emma finally asked.

Raven looked to Chandler, then both looked back to Emma, a sad look tugging at their faces. "From what we understand, we are in some kind of experimental facility, far underground." Raven explained. "There's not a single window in the building, and it has a slow upward incline when you move towards the west."

Both Raven and Chandler pulled a chair out and sat across from Emma. Chandler gently took Emma's hand and traced the five with his finger. "This number means you are the fifth member of this group." Chandler let go of Emma's hand and showed her the "3" inscribed upon his own. "They choose people who are least likely to be missed when taken, and then create an event where you should have died, or are forever missing, but really they take you, and they change you." Chandler pressed his lips tight together, letting Emma's hand slide back into her lap. 

His sister laid a hand on his back. She used her other hand to tuck some hair behind her ear, and Emma noticed the "2" on Raven's hand, looking larger and more clumsy than the five on Emma's when she thought about it. "They don't give us any information unless they think it would help their purposes." Raven glanced about the room, and looked at Emma with complete seriousness. "I think they're making us into weapons." She whispered. "We are faster, stronger, better at solving problems, and at the very least we can all see into each other's minds, which allows us to communicate without speaking." Raven glanced over at the boy sitting at the piano. "Well, if you let us, anyway."

Emma looked over at the dark boy who sat at the piano, and got the sense his name was Jason, which she probably got from Raven. So that was why Emma could hear the music, and then could no longer once she had been noticed. It was a lot to take in, and most of it raised even more questions in Emma's mind. Yet, there was one thing that seemed to especially stick out. If this was supposed to happen to people who wouldn't really be missed, then why her? She was dearly loved and fought over by her parents, each constantly seeking her affection at every opportunity.

Emma looked into Raven's eyes, and with a tone of great concern asked, "Why did they chose me? I was being expected somewhere, and my parents would be hysterical if anything ever happened to me."

Chandler and Raven exchanged a quick glance. "Were you alone?" Raven asked.

Emma shook her head slowly. "No... I... I was with my boyfriend." She squeaked, growing exceedingly nervous.

Both siblings pursed their lips, looking more like siblings with their furrowed brows. "There was a bit of commotion yesterday with a new patient, and since you're here it must not have been you." Raven speculated. "Sometimes the people they pick don't always cooperate with the changing process, and they take special care, or just don't make it. So they bring in new people to fill in the empty spot every time they lose one of us. Two months ago we had a young girl who just wasn't strong enough to withhold to change, so they must have gone for your boyfriend, not thinking you'd be with him, and when you were... well two for the price of one. Just like us." 

They may have gone on to explain other things, but all Emma could think about was Logan. He was alive, at least he had a greater chance of being alive that is. The small sliver of hope grew within Emma, and a goofy smile, regardless of all the bad news she had been given, found its way onto her lips.