Path

Prologue

A/N: This book is dedicated to my dearest friends who just wanted something good to read. Thank you for being my inspiration. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My mother has always told me that I was different. It hasn't been easy to accept this, partially because I haven't had the opportunity to find this supposed "gift". That statement is all about to change. It is an early Tuesday morning, mid-April. The sun hasn't quite risen and the dew and fog has yet to dissolve away. I am walking hand in my mother's on our way to my elementary school. Currently I am in the third grade and only come to my mother's waist.

I remember my mom telling me, "Olivia, answer honestly on this test because it will affect your role in our community."

Community, if you could even call our small town that. Mina, a small town alongside a chain of mountains that is bursting at the seams with people. Those same mountains have loomed over me my whole life. Today isn't about the mountains though, today is about my IQ or intelligence. As a third grader it is my duty to take the test and start preparing for the volunteer days ahead. Depending on how low or high my score is will determine what my job will be. There are set rules, the score cannot be lower than a 30 or higher than a 100. Anything higher or lower than these score will be thrown in the crazy ward with the title of dangerous to society.

Finally we arrive and the nerves in my stomach are jumping around uncontrollably.

My dad told me, "Never doubt your scores."

Just like my best friend Kimmy. She has never once doubted herself in ANYTHING. Growing up Kimmy used to tell me that whatever she put her mind to she would succeed in. So with this memory of my friend in my mind, I walk into the school auditorium with courage. When the teacher calls my name, I walk to the front of the room to grab the booklet that I will write in, just like I was shown. Arriving at my desk I get seated fast so that way I won't draw attention to myself. I absolutely HATE attention, it makes me clam up. Opening the booklet is a scary thought for me because I am hit with the realization that this will determine the rest of my life. Knowing this I flip open my book and begin.

When I have finished my test after going through tough math problems, essay questions, and story after story, I am done. I walk to the front of the room to where the board of teachers is seated. Handing in my booklet with sweaty palms and making eye contact with Kimmy from the back of the room. Who rewards me with a warm smile followed by sticking her tongue out. I have to cover my mouth to stifle a laugh.

After I have given the test to the teacher, she smiles and says, "Please be seated until I have graded you test."

I give her a short nod and return to my seat. Pulling out my favorite book entitled Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. Personally I love this book because it talks of fairy tales creatures that don't exist anywhere but in my mind. Slowly I escape into the world of fake creatures and crazy tales.

What brings me from my daydreams is quite unsettling. I notice a teacher standing from her seat and then announcing, "Everyone, close your booklets for a small minute while we handle an important situation."

This startled me because this was not a part of the pre-test preparations. She then went into another room and returned with two police officers, one on each side. Following the officers was a man in a white lab coat with glasses perched on his face. The teacher approached the table where I had handed in my test and saw that they were in heavy conversation. The man in the coat nodded to the officers who then made their way down the aisles of students.

I was afraid that they were going to pull some poor student out of the auditorium into the crazy ward of the labs. When they stopped at my desk, my heart was practically leaping out of my chest with fright. The taller officer grabbed my right arm and yanked me down the aisle straight to the teacher and doctor. I was then pulled through a side glass door on the left of the auditorium. The doctor and officers exchanged a glance that to me looked uneasy. They all went through the same door they came through and left me alone. The officers told me to be seated and wait for further instructions, so that is what I did wait and wait and wait. It seemed like maybe thirty minutes had gone by before the principle of Mina Prep Elementary came through the door.

Principle is what I have always known him to be, especially because titles are everything here. If I were to use his real name it would be considered disrespectful. He begins by telling me that in all his years he has never me someone quite like me, ever. I can't tell if this is good or bad yet, but by the tone of his voice it is not a good meeting. Mr. Principle tells me that my test score has caused quite some concern among the community.

He proceeded to say, "Your score is an outstanding 200." This he says a little miffed and I can't blame him the test was supposed to be hard, but really it was pretty simple. Then he says that I will not be allowed to continue school at Mina Prep because I am dangerous.

Danger has weird definitions like, causes havoc or harmful things. I didn't think that I was either, until now. After the principal told me that our conversation was to remain secret, I was escorted to a small black car behind the school with the logo of the Mina labs on the doors. The person driving the car wore a white lab coat and dark goggles so I couldn't see his face. While I was buckled into the seat, the man driving (at least I think he was a man) started the car. Finally the door was closed and we sped off toward the labs with a million thoughts floating through my head. A score of 200 or what will I do now since I can't go to school. Coming to a conclusion of where I was going I started to panic, when all of a sudden, up ahead, I see the tall, white, and pristine buildings, of the labs.

Getting yanked out of the car and then inside, feeling a gust of freezing cold air on the way through the doors. When I was pushed through the doors into a waiting room full of stiff plastic chairs I see a receptionist sitting behind a tall desk with wide eyes and bright red lipstick. She was chewing on a big piece of gum and smacking it very loudly.

This annoyed me very quickly to the point of saying to her, "Could you PLEASE STOP that infuriating noise!" She immediately stopped and gave me an angry glare.

That is when a pair of doctors entered through a set of sliding doors and circled me in my chair.

The doctor standing in front of me said, "Olivia you will be put in the labs until you die because you are a danger to the community." He spit this out like it was poison in his mouth.

The doctor to my left then said, "If you ever tell a single person outside of the hospital what your IQ is then you will be sentenced to immediate death, do you understand this?"

I responded with a quick nod and then was pulled behind the doors into a padded cell with a window and a mail slot where my food will be put through.

This is where I have been staying for the past 11 years. This is where I will remain until I die or so I had thought....

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A/N Any questions so far?