by Dani Hart
I cleaned my plate and downed my water, finishing at the same time as Jasmine. We were the last two people to leave the dining hall, and as soon as we stepped out the doors, the lights turned off automatically. We were definitely being watched.
I sweated nervously throughout that whole dining experience, so the cooler air on my sticky skin was inviting.
“So, that was weird,” I stated calmly.
“You get used to it. Once someone explained the reasoning to me, I was good with it.” Jasmine shyly raised a half-smile.
“And what would that be?”
“It’s all about discipline here. They offer many opportunities to be social. In fact, the only time you can’t talk is during meals and skills instruction.”
That was somewhat reassuring. The sun was setting, but I wasn’t tired. I had slept for three days before coming here and had a lot of energy to shed. “Do we have to go to sleep now?”
She giggled. “No. They have movies in that building over there,” she said as she pointed to the first building on the perimeter to the left, “and games in the next building down. You can also swim or run the track.”
The track ran along the perimeter behind all the buildings.
“All the buildings on the perimeter are for recreation. The twelve buildings in the middle are sleeping quarters and skills training. By color, of course. Everything shuts down at ten. Curfew.”
Jasmine seemed genuinely happy telling me everything.
“Who do you hang out with?” I inquired.
“No one. You’re the first.”
I wasn’t entirely surprised, sensing the introvert in her, but it irritated me. This was supposed to be a community. A support system. How could anyone feel safe if they felt like no one had their back?
“Well, I’m honored.”
Her eyes lit up. It was a light I used to emit, but I wasn’t sure if that would ever return. And because of that, I would swear my life on keeping hers burning bright. She wasn’t alone anymore. I would have her back.
“I’m pretty tired, but I’d be happy to show you the rec areas, if you’d like.” She yawned widely.
“I’m good, Jasmine. I heard this place is exhausting. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay, night.” She skipped back to our building.
Until I explored every inch of this place, I would be on edge. I walked back to my room, finding two drawers full of white clothes and two pairs of white shoes in the closet. I pitched my clothes into my duffel tucked away in the closet and put my red Chucks carefully on one of the shelves. I outfitted myself as just another white clothed kid in the crowd and took to the track, twilight upon me now. The track below my feet lit up, immediately lighting the way in the dark. They must have known how clumsy I could be, I joked to myself. I hated running. I didn’t mind walking around Sandpoint, but a pace faster than that was always very unappealing to me. Mainly because the lack of oxygen made me panic. Why would someone purposely make themselves suffocate?
Thanks to the watch that I had found on my dresser, I knew it was nearly eight. I had noticed everyone wearing the same one in the dining hall. It stood out like a sore thumb because it was the only thing that wasn’t color-coded. It was silver.
I thought I was alone on the track until a boy in blue with a hood over his head zoomed passed me without a word. His stride was perfect. I used to watch the track and field team practice after school when I was considering trying out, and they all had that same fluid movement. The front foot striking just below the knee, the arms bent at a ninety-degree angle with loose fists, and the back foot pushing off the ground effortlessly. It was breathtaking and something I knew I could never accomplish, so I didn’t even try.
The boy was down the hill and out of sight in no time. I continued with my walking pace, checking out each building as I passed. The first building on the perimeter was the one Jasmine pointed to. The walls shook as an action movie of some sort pounded inside. I couldn’t see if anyone was actually in there, and I didn’t want to stop to investigate.
I reached the next building within a couple of minutes. Everything really was pretty spread apart. The lights were bright inside, and I could see several bodies moving around a pool table, laughter seeping out the open door. I was tempted to see what other games were in there, but I didn’t. One night to myself wasn’t too much to ask. I had a year of socializing ahead.
I descended the hill to the next building. The lights were on, but it looked and sounded empty, but still I was curious. None of the buildings were marked except for the twelve in the middle. Skills training. I wasn’t looking forward to my first day, which I assumed would be tomorrow. I walked up to the doors of the building and pressed my face against the glass. I couldn’t see anything or anyone.
“The door’s unlocked.”
I jumped, grabbing my chest and spinning to face the boy in blue. I sucked in a few quick breaths that I had lost.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.” His voice was familiar, but his hood was shrouding his face.
“How did you get back here so fast?” I had only been walking for maybe fifteen minutes. This place was huge, so if the track stretched around the perimeter, there was no possible way he could have made it all the way around. He must have taken a shortcut.
“I’m a very fast runner.”
He peeled back the hood, and I lost my balance. “J—Jack?”
“In the flesh.” He winked.
His incessant flirting never ceased. Not even here in the last place I ever thought I would see Kendra’s big brother.
“I know you’re surprised to see me, but I hope happy, too?”
I still hadn’t caught my breath from him scaring me, and this on top of it was wrecking any hope for redemption.
“How can I be happy to see you here? Do your parents know? Kendra?”
“Of course not, Abby.”
I was a little bit relieved, knowing that Kendra hadn’t been lying to me all those years. “How are you here, Jack?”
“They recruited me when I went abroad.”
“Wow. Did you know about me when you returned?”
“Yes. That’s why they sent me. They were afraid that Penelope was compromised, so I was sent to strictly observe. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you when she took you.”
What was happening? Kendra’s brother was a member of The Order? I didn’t even know what to think anymore. No one seemed to be who they said they were.
“Do you run?”
I realized I hadn’t said anything. I chuckled. “No.”
“Why not? It’s fun. Freeing.”
“Only if you mean free to fall on your face. I’m not the most graceful person on the planet.”
He laughed. “Yes, I do remember that. That’ll change. You’ll be all kinds of graceful when they are done with you.”
My eyebrows drew down while I contemplated that.
“You’re thinking,” he observed.
“Yeah? Aren’t most people when they aren’t speaking?” I didn’t mean for it to come out snidely. “I’m sorry. That came out rude.”
“It was kind of refreshing. Manners are a huge thing here, so a little sarcasm is appreciated, and yours is always welcome. I miss hanging out with you.”
Oh no, this couldn’t be real. Jack has had a crush on me forever, and now he was here with me. As flattering as it was, I had enough to deal with at the moment.
“Anyway,” he walked backward while speaking, “I’ll see you around.” He raised a lopsided smile that revealed one of his dimples.
I lifted my hand. “Bye.” I waved awkwardly.
When he was out of sight again, I decided to head back to my room even though I still had over an hour before curfew. I didn’t want to risk running into Jack again. I needed to process him being here before I said anything stupid.
My building was quiet, and I found it eerie that I hadn’t run into anyone else. Were people purposely avoiding me? That seemed a little paranoid u
ntil a girl opened her bedroom door and then closed it quickly when she saw me. I was tempted to knock on her door to see what her problem was, but it wasn’t worth the effort. Instead, I stopped in front of Jasmine’s door, pressing my ear to it. It was silent, so I just kept walking to my room.
Once inside, I locked the door. With how dull my new surroundings were, I didn’t see it taking long to fall asleep. I put on pajamas and grabbed a book from my duffel and crawled into bed. The sheets were crisp and probably hospital issued with how uncomfortable they were. I was in the middle of reading Grimm’s Fairy Tales before all this started. My mom must have seen it on my nightstand. It didn’t seem like an ideal genre, all things considered, but maybe it was just what I needed to get my mind off things. Maybe.
MY CHEST TIGHTENED, and my fingers clenched the white sheets as I awoke in my new strange place. I pulled the sheets up close to my chin, waiting for the tremors to pass. The sun was just rising, casting unfamiliar shadows around the room. Deep down I knew I was safe. My door was locked, and I was in a lockdown facility that bred warriors. There wasn’t anywhere else in the world that could possibly be more secure, but still my heart raced. And it didn’t help when the alarm on my watch blared loudly.
I snatched it up quickly, but my shaky hands dropped it immediately, the alarm still going strong. The alarm that I had not set. I rolled out of bed to recover it, pressing all the buttons frantically to get it to stop. When it stopped, I sat back against the bed. How could I function this early?
Moments later, doors slamming echoed through the hall. I crawled to my door and peeked out. Several white clothed bodies exited the hall quietly. I recognized Jasmine’s jet-black hair immediately. “Jasmine,” I hissed.
She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Abigail.” She headed back to me. “You’re not dressed yet. And why are you sitting on the floor?”
I stood up quickly. “My watch went nuts.”
She laughed. “That’s the morning alarm. You really should hurry and get dressed.” She looked down at her watch. “Lineup is in three minutes, and you don’t want to be late. Trust me.”
Spoken like someone with shamed experience.
“Okay. Go. I don’t want you to be late on my account.”
She raced out the door. In a flurry, I threw on my white clothes, socks, and shoes, and fixed the knot my hair had fallen out of overnight. Vanity must have been unacceptable, because I hadn’t seen a mirror since I got here except for in the infirmary bathroom. I ran across the hall with my toothbrush and quickly brushed my teeth in the bathroom. I ran back to my room, tossed the toothbrush onto my dresser, and ran out the door. I silently cursed myself for not grabbing the sweatshirt, as the chill bit at my skin. I rubbed my arms for warmth and then raced over to where the line of white clothed kids stood straight and still. I stepped in line next to Jasmine.
“You just made it.” She turned to give me a quick smile.
When I looked up, I saw a rainbow of colors all the way down the hill. Each set of kids standing tall with their hands by their sides. They all stood in a horizontal line on the side of their building.
I did as the others, not knowing what to expect. Jack walked out from the cover of our building, only he wasn’t wearing blue. He was wearing black. He held his poker face as he made eye contact with me on his way down the line, inspecting everyone. I was thoroughly confused.
He walked back to the center. No one breathed. Or at least it seemed that way. I could hear a pin drop.
“Abigail Rose,” he called.
I didn’t know what to do. “Umm, yeah?”
A wave of movement traveled down the line of kids.
Jasmine whispered through the side of her mouth, “You’re supposed to just step forward.”
“Oh.” I stepped forward. “Sorry.”
Jack walked over and stood in front of me. As hard as he was trying to keep his poker face, I could see a shimmer of humor in his eyes.
“You’re to report to the main building.”
“Okay.” I stood unmoving.
“Now, Miss Rose.”
“Oh.” I bounced. When I looked down the line, the kids were stifling giggles. “See you later then, I guess?” I saluted Jack and then jogged up the path to the main building. I stole a quick glance back and caught Jack watching me with an amused expression. This was going to make for one interesting year.
As soon as I reached the doors to the building, I slowed down to a snail’s pace, my courage depleting. I tried to remember that my dad would be at the tribunal meeting even if I couldn’t see him. I wouldn’t be alone. I can do this. I took in a deep breath and pulled open the door. Polly greeted me enthusiastically.
“Abigail, you made it, and you’re just in time.”
She made it sound like I was going to a bake off. I wished. Sampling desserts would have been way better than this.
I smiled condescendingly. “Yep, I’m here.”
She made her way around the counter and started walking to the door opposite the one we went through to get to the infirmary. She stopped at the door and turned to me.
“Well, come on. We don’t want to keep them waiting.”
This was it. It felt like I was on trial for a murder I didn’t commit. I focused on Polly’s long, flowy skirt. Today it was a dark blue with a bright floral pattern.
There was an elevator just like on the other side of the room. She pushed the button, humming softly. Normally, I would have welcomed the distraction, but what she hummed stalled my heart. It was the song from my jewelry box, and she hummed it exactly like my mom.
“Where did you hear that song?” My voice was cracking.
The elevator door opened. “Good luck.” She winked, leaving my question hanging, unanswered and unacknowledged.
I stepped inside, and the doors closed immediately. Polly’s eyes fixated on me until the doors swallowed me. There weren’t any numbers to tell me how far I was descending, but it was definitely farther down than the infirmary. I was relieved when it finally stopped, and I was met with Elijah’s green eyes when the doors opened.
“Elijah,” I squealed and jumped into his arms, sinking into the comfort of his presence, the stress melting away. His body shook as he laughed and hugged me back. “What are you doing here?”
“I was the one you raised from the dead.” He flashed his heartwarming smile again.
I snuggled my head into his chest. He smelled like a hint of freshly washed skin and light musk. “Is this really happening?”
He rubbed my back gently and rested his cheek on my head. “I’m here, Abby. I told you I would never leave you, and I meant it.”
His unconditional devotion to me was awe-inspiring. My dad was a great judge of character and had helped raise Elijah into an extraordinary young man.
“We need to get going, but I won’t leave your side.” He took my face in his hands. “We’re in this together.”
His hands slid down, interlacing one with mine and leading me down a narrow white hallway. “You look good in white,” he teased.
“Wait until you see me in red,” I joked.
“I’m looking forward to it.” He squeezed my hand.
Was he hinting at being here during my training? I hoped so. I would wish upon every star that flew across the sky if it meant I wouldn’t be here alone.
The hallway spilled into one giant space. There was a spotlight in the middle of the room while darkness flowed out into the perimeter, making it impossible to see how large the room actually was.
“Step forward.” I heard my dad’s voice call from the center.
Elijah and I did as instructed, still holding hands, my heart beating fiercely against my chest. Once we were in the circle, low lights lit the rest of the room. I could make out twelve figures hidden within the shadows. They were raised on a balcony above us.
“This is an informal tribunal meeting for informational gathering purposes only. Do you understand?”
I nodded. “Ye
s.”
“Yes,” Elijah said confidently.
A woman’s voice spoke up from the left, “Abigail Rose, do you deny saving Elijah’s life?”
The voice sounded a lot like Miranda’s voice from the infirmary. “No.”
Keep it short and simple. Don’t give away too much.
To the right, a man’s voice asked the next question, “Where did you find the charm that saved Elijah’s life?”
I focused on steadying my heart. “On a bus.” Elijah caressed the top of my hand with his thumb, a show of support.
And yet a different voice tossed out the next question. “When?”
I searched the darkness, trying to ascertain where to speak. “When I was six. I can’t remember exactly when, though.”
“It was July,” my dad interrupted.
I was grateful for his intervention.
“Go on,” the same man who had asked the question pressed my dad.
“It was our first visit to Seattle and her first bus ride. She was with her mother.”
The room went silent. Were they questioning my dad’s truthfulness? My palm within Elijah’s was sweating.
“Abigail, did you have reason to believe prior to Elijah’s resurrection that the charm held any magical properties?”
Each council member was sharing in the questioning. It gave me a chance to bank their voices if I ever came face-to-face with one of them. I now knew my dad and Miranda were members, although I wouldn’t recognize Miranda by face since she was completely shrouded by her scrubs.
“No.”
“So, then what made you place it on Elijah’s wound?”
That was a great question. One I couldn’t answer definitively. “I…I don’t know. Instinct, I guess.”
Several gasps came from the balcony and then hurried inaudible whispers.
“What’s happening?” I turned to Elijah.
“I don’t know.” Concern plagued him.
A shuffling sound from the floor off to the far right garnered mine and Elijah’s attention. Another spotlight popped on, encapsulating Penelope with shackles around her wrists and ankles. She looked disheveled and dazed. She barely even glanced our way.