The room was full of darkness and cloth restraints were tied to her wrists. Emma took deep breathes, trying to clear her mind from the fog of what was most likely a tranquilizer. After a minute or two had passed, she pulled her arms forward, easily breaking out of the restraints. Sitting up, Emma looked around to trying to see anything in the dark, but there were no windows in this imprisonment, meaning light had no chance of creeping in.
With an uneasy sickness knotting in her stomach, Emma carefully slid her feet to the familiar cushion of a plush carpet. At least she knew she was in her room, which sat along the great hallway before the cafeteria. Stepping carefully, Emma made her way to the wall and felt along for some kind of light switch. After twenty minutes, she grew furious at the realization there would be no light switch. Just like everything else around here, it must be set on a timer, and right now it was time for sleep.
Sitting down on the carpet, Emma felt defeated. She also did not know what to make of the event with Logan. He seemed different in demeanor, and even his hair seemed more militant than before, leaving Emma with a heavy sadness. She wondered if the others felt like this all the time, the heaviness of their burdens constantly pulling them down. Having lived such a cushioned and opportunistic life, Emma hardly saw the strife other's lived daily. Maybe she should have felt some kind of remorse over her parent's divorce, but she let it empower her instead, it was something to gain from to her. But here she was, sitting in the dark thinking she knew the pain of losing a loved one just because her boyfriend turned harsh. Who could blame him really, after what had happened to him? Emma was convinced he just needed time, and the gentle boy would be back.
Emma threw her first down into the plushness of the carpet, determined to let things push her farther instead of holding her back, when she could suddenly see. It came in flickers. One moment she could feel her eyes gather all the light she could, and then it would be gone. Again, and again. Drawing closer to the heavy door, Emma realized the light flickered through the cracks between the door and the wall, the source sitting just on the other side.
Placing both hands on the cool surface of the door, Emma tried to find some kind of trigger, but, like the light switch, found none. Biting her lip in frustration, Emma tried to figure out a way to get to the light. Then, gradually, a warmth began to seep through the door, slowly and casually, until Emma felt the heat move across the door, guiding her hands to the edge. Once in place, the heat was gone, and Emma used what force she could to press on the door. Her first try yielded nothing, but gave her the frustration and power to push harder. The door groaned under the pressure, and then began clicking until Emma felt the door pull away to slide back into the wall.
Emma let out a small gasp of excitement, a goofy smile crossing her lips. She wanted to cheer for joy, but knew better. Smoothing her dress out, Emma stepped into the hallway to see a tall boy flicking a lighter, causing Emma to see, then not see, to see, and not see.
"Jason." Emma stated.
Jason flicked the lighter again, allowing Emma's eyes to see his cavalier expression. "Guess you are smarter than you look."
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Chapter Six - Mystery Meat
The two white coat workers from before ushered Emma down the long white hallway. Emma tried to glance behind at the others, who were also being led by their own pair of white clad scientists, or terrorists, or whatever they wished to be. After passing by several metal sliding doors with numbers etched into them, two clear doors slid open to reveal a bright white cafeteria with metal lunch tables at the center of attention.
Hands guided each Emma to the table, and prodded her with firm fingers until she sat stiffly on the cold bench of the far left table. Each table could sit four, so Emma found herself sitting across from Jason, with Chandler next to him. Raven and Travis were seated at the far right table, causing Raven's face to from in frustration.
A few middle-aged women in white aprons appeared, dropping plates with some kind of meat and green-beans. Emma glanced about, taking note that each escort was standing in stiff army-like poses against the walls, surrounding the tables.
After prodding the weird meat a few times, Emma sighed, not feeling the least bit peckish, which was a bit curious as she could not even remember the last time she had eaten.
Looking up at Chandler, Emma asked, "Why are we separated? They could just push the tables together."
Chandler's eyes shifted a little. "My sister and I are too co-dependent." He said matter-of-factly. Also, be careful what you say. They here everything, and will act against you.
Emma gaped at Chandler before quickly shaking her head, realizing her mind was connected to everyone else's mind. Everyone's, that is, except Jason's.
Jason kept his head down, not touching the food.
Is the food always this strange? Emma asked Chandler.
Chandler shrugged. Jason is the only one who doesn't eat it. I'm not sure he's ever eaten a meal.
Emma looked to Jason, her eyebrows furrowed. She nibbled on the green-beans, but left the weird meat to itself, confused by the dark haired boy's resolve.
Everyone ate in mostly silence for a few minutes until the two doors swooshed open and two armed men came into the cafeteria. The two men stepped aside, and two more stepped forward, ushering someone to Raven and Travis' table. Once the character was seated, the four armed guards lined against the wall closest to the table.
Emma stared at the new stranger, frozen stiff. Without a doubt it was Logan sitting next to Raven. He had a smug look upon his face, sandy-blonde hair combed neatly, and was wearing a tight white shirt that showed his football muscles, only they seemed a bit bigger to Emma now. With a panic rising within her, Emma lurched up. "Logan!"
Logan glanced at Emma, but did not get up. Instead he stuck a forkful of meat into his mouth.
Just as she was about to dash across the room, Emma's arms were grabbed a stabbing pain filled her side, causing all bodily function to shake spasmodically and then stop completely. Falling to the floor, the room began to shake and twist in front of Emma's eyes as she heard a voice say ever so quietly, He's not safe.
Hands guided each Emma to the table, and prodded her with firm fingers until she sat stiffly on the cold bench of the far left table. Each table could sit four, so Emma found herself sitting across from Jason, with Chandler next to him. Raven and Travis were seated at the far right table, causing Raven's face to from in frustration.
A few middle-aged women in white aprons appeared, dropping plates with some kind of meat and green-beans. Emma glanced about, taking note that each escort was standing in stiff army-like poses against the walls, surrounding the tables.
After prodding the weird meat a few times, Emma sighed, not feeling the least bit peckish, which was a bit curious as she could not even remember the last time she had eaten.
Looking up at Chandler, Emma asked, "Why are we separated? They could just push the tables together."
Chandler's eyes shifted a little. "My sister and I are too co-dependent." He said matter-of-factly. Also, be careful what you say. They here everything, and will act against you.
Emma gaped at Chandler before quickly shaking her head, realizing her mind was connected to everyone else's mind. Everyone's, that is, except Jason's.
Jason kept his head down, not touching the food.
Is the food always this strange? Emma asked Chandler.
Chandler shrugged. Jason is the only one who doesn't eat it. I'm not sure he's ever eaten a meal.
Emma looked to Jason, her eyebrows furrowed. She nibbled on the green-beans, but left the weird meat to itself, confused by the dark haired boy's resolve.
Everyone ate in mostly silence for a few minutes until the two doors swooshed open and two armed men came into the cafeteria. The two men stepped aside, and two more stepped forward, ushering someone to Raven and Travis' table. Once the character was seated, the four armed guards lined against the wall closest to the table.
Emma stared at the new stranger, frozen stiff. Without a doubt it was Logan sitting next to Raven. He had a smug look upon his face, sandy-blonde hair combed neatly, and was wearing a tight white shirt that showed his football muscles, only they seemed a bit bigger to Emma now. With a panic rising within her, Emma lurched up. "Logan!"
Logan glanced at Emma, but did not get up. Instead he stuck a forkful of meat into his mouth.
Just as she was about to dash across the room, Emma's arms were grabbed a stabbing pain filled her side, causing all bodily function to shake spasmodically and then stop completely. Falling to the floor, the room began to shake and twist in front of Emma's eyes as she heard a voice say ever so quietly, He's not safe.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Chapter Five - Raven
"And sometimes they like to put big red noses on us while we balance balls on our heads." Raven said, confirming that Emma was no longer listening. Raven stared at the girl, somewhat bewildered by her, and she could easily see the image of a boy in Emma's mind, if a person could scream images, Emma would be doing just that. It was like a strange obsession.
Raven looked to Chandler, and he too had a worried expression. It was true there was commotion about one of the new guests, but usually that meant they were losing them. Raven couldn't help but feel sad for this new girl. She seemed so young and doe-eyed. It sparked a motherly concern in Raven, a feeling she had only really had for Chandler since being here. Not like it was before she and Chandler were taken.
~~~
It was unseasonably cold in Texas at the time. Raven looked out the window as her two younger brother's played out in the cold rain. Normally she would have kept them inside, fearing they might catch a cold, but on that day Raven's mother lay on the faded red sofa, barely hanging on to life, and at only nine years old, Raven felt her younger siblings deserved some small fraction of joy on such a grim occasion.
Walking back to the front room, Raven's father and older brother, Samuel, sat in wooden chairs. Samuel was the oldest at seventeen, three years older than Raven. Raven's father held her mother's hand gently, his white skin no longer a bright contrast to his wife's olive complexion as she paled with her sickness.
Raven sat in the empty chair next to her mother's head. Carefully, Raven's mother reached a hand to Raven's cheek, a weak smile pulling at her lips. "Mi'ja," She whispered, a sense of love and urgency coaxing out her last words. "promise to take care of my boys, for me." She asked, squeezing her husband's loving hand.
"I promise, mama." Raven said, kissing her mother's forehead.
Raven's mother passed away a few hours later, and as Raven promised, she did everything she could to take care of her family. Samuel moved out as soon as he could, finding that living at home was too painful. He was not heard from much since then, only the occasional call to ask for money, which her family never had. Raven's little brothers did well over time as they learned to rely on Raven as the mother of the household. Perhaps it helped that they had each other. Raven's father was the one who took it hardest. He spent his life fighting to have his wife, their love being forbidden by both of their families when they were younger. Without her, he was nothing, at least he never tried to be anything. Many times Raven would come home from her waitressing job to find her father half asleep on the coach, having had no strength to even go to work.
For a while Raven felt it was just a phase, a type of mourning he was going through, but when Raven was twenty-one, and still having to work restaurant jobs to support her family, she understood this was how things would always be with her father. It was worrisome, and with her brothers now sixteen and old enough to work, her father completely quite working his job at the office for a full-time job of watching television. It was a hopeless battle, and each day seemed to grow grimmer and grimmer.
One day, after an early morning shift, Raven came home to an envelope addressed to her, but with no return address. Raven took it to the kitchen table, where Chandler was found eating some soup, home from school with a "stomach bug," which really meant he spent all night up making sure their father did not choke on his own vomit.
Raven opened the gold-sealed letter and a shiny announcement fell out. It was for a new product that was said to cure any form of depression or anxiety with no side-effects. It had been on every other television commercial and news program as the new hit medical discovery, but the Delarosa family never had enough money to even invest in health insurance. Another card was found within the envelope, saying that their family was chosen to receive this new medicine for free, as whoever sent this has heard of their family's struggles.
Chandler begged Raven to let him go with her, and after a minute of silent puppy-dog eyes, Raven gave in. After making sure their father was tucked under a blanket on the sofa, Raven and Chandler were on the first train to Austin for their miracle. Everything seemed to go well. The train was a bit busy because it was a friday and people always seemed to have weekend plans, but Chandler and Raven just sat smiling goofily at one another.
"This could be it." Chandler blurted in excitement. "Maybe papa can go back to work, and you can go to school like you always wanted."
Raven smiled, trying not to get her hopes up too high, but deep down she knew this was what she wanted more than anything. Half-way to Austin the train suddenly came to a halt, tossing it's passengers forward like a bucking bronco.
A static-filled intercom crackled through the train, "Sorry for the inconvienence. We are experiencing some slight difficulties, and will continue with our scheduled rout as quick as we can."
Chandler and Raven looked at each other, a bit confused by the commotion, but thought nothing more of it. A minute later one of the workers came up to Raven.
"Excuse me, miss. Are you Raven Delarosa?" She asked. The woman had sharp features, and a high, sleek, ponytail.
"Yes..."
"Ah, splendid." The woman said with a single clap of her hands. "I need you to come with me please, it won't be but a moment I assure you."
Raven stood up awkwardly, and Chandler did as well, refusing to let Raven out of his site. The woman seemed a bit hesitant at first, but Raven explained, "This is just my little brother, Chandler."
"Oh, uh... yes, well come along then." She said, reclaiming her composure. She led Raven and Chandler outside of the train, and onto a small platform in the middle of no where. It seemed odd to Raven that the train seemed to breakdown right at an abandoned train-stop. "They will be along in just a moment." The woman said, shutting the train door.
Raven glanced at Chandler briefly before noticing it was starting to snow. Just as she was about to say something about the astonishing weather, fast foot steps sounded on the wooden platform, and the rest of Raven's memory is a painful blackness.
~~~
Raven's hand rocketed towards her head, as if she was reliving the pain all over again. She took a few deep breaths and then let her hand fall back down. Emma was looking at Raven now, and her green eyes looked upon her sadly. Raven knew instantly that Emma had relived each moment as Raven felt it. Straightening up, Raven reassumed the motherly posture she had felt before.
"Dinner will be ready soon." Raven stood up quickly. "I will go gather my things." Raven took long strides toward's the other side of the room, where she had left a book of poems she was reading. As she walked past the piano, Jason looked up to Raven, causing her to stop.
Raven looked to him, but his mind was blocked off as it always was. An awkwardness grew within Raven, as if Jason was a fragile thing that few could successfully handle, and she felt she was not one of those people.
"I, uh, dinner is soon." She blurted.
Jason looked at Raven blankly.
An anger grew within Raven. "You know, we have both been here a while, and you know all there is to know about all of us, while we know nothing about you. And maybe you think that's some kind of power you hold against us, but it's not. Rudeness does not make you stronger." She huffed.
Raven quickly walked over to where her Emily Dickinson book lied, her face red with embarrassment and anger as a descending tone expressed that dinner was ready and everyone's escorts were on their way to collect them.
Raven looked to Chandler, and he too had a worried expression. It was true there was commotion about one of the new guests, but usually that meant they were losing them. Raven couldn't help but feel sad for this new girl. She seemed so young and doe-eyed. It sparked a motherly concern in Raven, a feeling she had only really had for Chandler since being here. Not like it was before she and Chandler were taken.
~~~
It was unseasonably cold in Texas at the time. Raven looked out the window as her two younger brother's played out in the cold rain. Normally she would have kept them inside, fearing they might catch a cold, but on that day Raven's mother lay on the faded red sofa, barely hanging on to life, and at only nine years old, Raven felt her younger siblings deserved some small fraction of joy on such a grim occasion.
Walking back to the front room, Raven's father and older brother, Samuel, sat in wooden chairs. Samuel was the oldest at seventeen, three years older than Raven. Raven's father held her mother's hand gently, his white skin no longer a bright contrast to his wife's olive complexion as she paled with her sickness.
Raven sat in the empty chair next to her mother's head. Carefully, Raven's mother reached a hand to Raven's cheek, a weak smile pulling at her lips. "Mi'ja," She whispered, a sense of love and urgency coaxing out her last words. "promise to take care of my boys, for me." She asked, squeezing her husband's loving hand.
"I promise, mama." Raven said, kissing her mother's forehead.
Raven's mother passed away a few hours later, and as Raven promised, she did everything she could to take care of her family. Samuel moved out as soon as he could, finding that living at home was too painful. He was not heard from much since then, only the occasional call to ask for money, which her family never had. Raven's little brothers did well over time as they learned to rely on Raven as the mother of the household. Perhaps it helped that they had each other. Raven's father was the one who took it hardest. He spent his life fighting to have his wife, their love being forbidden by both of their families when they were younger. Without her, he was nothing, at least he never tried to be anything. Many times Raven would come home from her waitressing job to find her father half asleep on the coach, having had no strength to even go to work.
For a while Raven felt it was just a phase, a type of mourning he was going through, but when Raven was twenty-one, and still having to work restaurant jobs to support her family, she understood this was how things would always be with her father. It was worrisome, and with her brothers now sixteen and old enough to work, her father completely quite working his job at the office for a full-time job of watching television. It was a hopeless battle, and each day seemed to grow grimmer and grimmer.
One day, after an early morning shift, Raven came home to an envelope addressed to her, but with no return address. Raven took it to the kitchen table, where Chandler was found eating some soup, home from school with a "stomach bug," which really meant he spent all night up making sure their father did not choke on his own vomit.
Raven opened the gold-sealed letter and a shiny announcement fell out. It was for a new product that was said to cure any form of depression or anxiety with no side-effects. It had been on every other television commercial and news program as the new hit medical discovery, but the Delarosa family never had enough money to even invest in health insurance. Another card was found within the envelope, saying that their family was chosen to receive this new medicine for free, as whoever sent this has heard of their family's struggles.
Chandler begged Raven to let him go with her, and after a minute of silent puppy-dog eyes, Raven gave in. After making sure their father was tucked under a blanket on the sofa, Raven and Chandler were on the first train to Austin for their miracle. Everything seemed to go well. The train was a bit busy because it was a friday and people always seemed to have weekend plans, but Chandler and Raven just sat smiling goofily at one another.
"This could be it." Chandler blurted in excitement. "Maybe papa can go back to work, and you can go to school like you always wanted."
Raven smiled, trying not to get her hopes up too high, but deep down she knew this was what she wanted more than anything. Half-way to Austin the train suddenly came to a halt, tossing it's passengers forward like a bucking bronco.
A static-filled intercom crackled through the train, "Sorry for the inconvienence. We are experiencing some slight difficulties, and will continue with our scheduled rout as quick as we can."
Chandler and Raven looked at each other, a bit confused by the commotion, but thought nothing more of it. A minute later one of the workers came up to Raven.
"Excuse me, miss. Are you Raven Delarosa?" She asked. The woman had sharp features, and a high, sleek, ponytail.
"Yes..."
"Ah, splendid." The woman said with a single clap of her hands. "I need you to come with me please, it won't be but a moment I assure you."
Raven stood up awkwardly, and Chandler did as well, refusing to let Raven out of his site. The woman seemed a bit hesitant at first, but Raven explained, "This is just my little brother, Chandler."
"Oh, uh... yes, well come along then." She said, reclaiming her composure. She led Raven and Chandler outside of the train, and onto a small platform in the middle of no where. It seemed odd to Raven that the train seemed to breakdown right at an abandoned train-stop. "They will be along in just a moment." The woman said, shutting the train door.
Raven glanced at Chandler briefly before noticing it was starting to snow. Just as she was about to say something about the astonishing weather, fast foot steps sounded on the wooden platform, and the rest of Raven's memory is a painful blackness.
~~~
Raven's hand rocketed towards her head, as if she was reliving the pain all over again. She took a few deep breaths and then let her hand fall back down. Emma was looking at Raven now, and her green eyes looked upon her sadly. Raven knew instantly that Emma had relived each moment as Raven felt it. Straightening up, Raven reassumed the motherly posture she had felt before.
"Dinner will be ready soon." Raven stood up quickly. "I will go gather my things." Raven took long strides toward's the other side of the room, where she had left a book of poems she was reading. As she walked past the piano, Jason looked up to Raven, causing her to stop.
Raven looked to him, but his mind was blocked off as it always was. An awkwardness grew within Raven, as if Jason was a fragile thing that few could successfully handle, and she felt she was not one of those people.
"I, uh, dinner is soon." She blurted.
Jason looked at Raven blankly.
An anger grew within Raven. "You know, we have both been here a while, and you know all there is to know about all of us, while we know nothing about you. And maybe you think that's some kind of power you hold against us, but it's not. Rudeness does not make you stronger." She huffed.
Raven quickly walked over to where her Emily Dickinson book lied, her face red with embarrassment and anger as a descending tone expressed that dinner was ready and everyone's escorts were on their way to collect them.
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