Copwane

The Awakening

Daneliya's eyes fluttered open and she found herself staring up at an old, time-stained ceiling. Dust floating slowly through the air, stinging her eyes and throat as she turned over. Her eyes landing on Gavin laying a few feet away. Slowly, she sat up, looking around at her surroundings. The walls were a weird brick looking thing with a purple moss growing through the cracks. The floor was soft and shiny, looking like freshly cleaned marble but felt like memory foam but clicked like Marble.

Soft moans broke that silence; one look around at the rest of the youth group told her that they were all ok. There were about ten kids in all, as well as the youth pastor, Paul.

"Phew," Renea said sitting up, her eyes glued to the screen of her phone, "It's ok! My phone is ok!" she then looked around realization setting in...they weren't in the church anymore, "Where are we?" she whimpered.

Gavin propped himself up on his elbows looking at the soft ground before he forced himself shakily to his feet and crossed to the window, stumbling on the strange surface. He didn't feel pain like he thought he should after being buried by debris. Reaching out, he moved a curtain of different feathers out of the way, his mouth falling open.

The sky was a light yellow and the clouds a slivery purple. His eyes fell to the city around them, each building appeared abandoned and seemed like a mix from a sci-fi movie, and a zombie apocalypse. His eyes scanned the area before he shut his eyes and looked again. It didn't change.

Turning, he looked at Daneliya who had her eyes pinned on him, "You guys are going to think I am crazy, but it doesn't even look like we are on earth."

Mitch sat up angrily, his face almost as red as his hair, "Ya right, Swift!" He said a glare in his eyes as he stood to his feet and shoved Gavin away from the window. Everyone could see the surprise as he exclaimed "What?" leaning as close to the window as he could. His face pressed against the dirty glass. "What did you do?" He said turning on Gavin.

"Me?" Gavin asked taking a startled step back, "How could this," he waved towards the window, "be my fault?"

Renea had tears tracing their way down her face, "I have no reception! No Internet!"

Mitch shoved Gavin and growled, "It just is!"

Daneliya stood, putting her long brown hair in a ponytail and snapping, "Stop it!" She looked at Gavin and Mitch, "Mitch, stop placing blame," Then looked at Renea, "And as much of a bummer as that is, it isn't our biggest worry right now," She looked out of the window at the strange place and then at the squishy floor.

Renea cried silently as she looked at her screen, moaning "And I only have 30% remaining!"

Mitch sent a glare Renea's way, "Would you shut it, cry baby! Don't you see that the stupid phone doesn't matter!"

Gavin glanced at Daneliya then looked towards the others around the room. "Guys. Remember what Paul said about working together?" He got blank stares, rolled his eyes, and quoted the verse. "Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it's just too bad, because there is no one to help him. If it is cold, two can sleep together and stay warm, but how can you keep warm by yourself? Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12,"

Paul beamed proudly at Gavin, "At least one of you were listening,"

"Suck up," Mitch muttered glaring at Gavin, turning his attention once more, to the window showing the strange world outside.

Gavin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. Paul wasn't the reason he quoted that verse. That he even remembered that verse...It was his love for the word.

Renea stood and frowned at her dust covered shoes, "if we are stuck here forever, I call Gavin," She said sticking her nose in the air.

"What?" Daneliya asked confused, "call him for what?"

Renea studied her nails, a look of disgust crossing her face before she declared, "For my husband. I will not get stuck with Mitch,"

Mitch's face went from horrified surprise, to full on amusement. His wheezy laughter filled the room as he pointed at Gavin, "Will you, Gavin Swift, take, Renea Ross, to be your wedded wife?"

"Would you please just not," Gavin muttered his eyes falling for a split second on Daneliya.

Paul shook his head, not amused, "No one is getting married right now...well besides Isa." He sent a look Renea's way and continued. "So, we are not calling anybody. And if we are stuck here, then we will do Gods will,"

Renea rolled her eyes, "Why does everything have to be about God?"

"Ya," Mitch grunted turning his face away, blocking an unwanted memory.

Gavin opened his mouth to defend his holy Father, but Paul beat him to it, "Because I am your youth leader and it is my job to share God's word with you,"

Renea shrugged, pursing her lips, "Well I think we should stop and look for stuff in the real world." She paused and motioned around at their surroundings, "Or wherever this is," she continued to brush off the dust.

The youth kids began to search the room they were in, not a soul daring to leave. Hidden behind a thick layer of purple moss was a sign.

Paul, swiped at the moss, his hand turning purple for a second where he had made contact with it then fading back to his normal color. He looked around at the kids who had gathered around him.

The sign read. C.O.P.W.A.N.E. and under that in small writing read, Creepy Old Place with Absolutely No Escape.

"Not good," Gavin muttered as Renea let out a moan.

"See! We are never getting out of here!" she grabbed hold of Gavin's arm and said with a pleading look, "I will love you forever and ever I promise!"

Gavin forced a smile that looked just as uncomfortable as he felt. "Please let go," he muttered softly.

Daneliya rolled her eyes and studied the sign looking for any signature or clue as to who wrote it. Once she had looked the whole thing over, twice, she turned to see Gavin, being pushed up against a wall by Mitch, while Renea stretched to reach his lips with hers.

Daneliya scrambled over and pushed Mitch away from him, "Would you all stop it," she said, a scolding look on her face. "We need to find out where we are so we can find out how to get home!"

Mitch shoved her back, "Don't you see! We aren't getting out of here!" he sneered, his eyes the only sign that this upset him.

Renea slid down the wall crying into her knees. The voices growing louder as the stress covered them like a blanket.

Many angry words were said before Paul yelled "Stop!" walking with heavy steps into the midst of the teens, "We don't know where we are, and we don't know what is out there. But we do know who is here, and instead of trying to rip each other's heads off, we should be talking at a lower volume trying to come up with a solution,"

Mitch crossed his arms glaring at the others around the room, "I can't work with them!"

Gavin rolled his eyes as Renea gripped his pant leg even tighter.

Daneliya looked away from them and turned her attention towards Paul, "Not sure that is possible."

"All things are possible through Christ who strengthens me, Philippians 4:13" he quoted. "If you guys want a chance of getting out of here, your best bet is to work together."

Renea continued to mope on the floor her hands still clinging to Gavin's pants. "What if we never get out of here?"

The teens looked back towards Paul, their expressions saying they all already knew.

"Then you guys better learn to like each other."