The Twilight Zone

Chapter 5

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

"W-What?" Ellie had no clue where she was, or who the people surrounding her were.

"How dare you show up here!"

"We banished you!"

"Now you're really gonna get it!"

Ellie stared at them all, various different heights, shapes, sizes, and genders. There seemed to be no pattern between them all-except for the fact that they were children.

"Wait a minute, this isn't her."

"Who?" Ellie asked the kids.

"Uh....Welcome to the Cavern. I'm Alex."

The girl who had just been the most hostile-Alex?-now seemed so benign. She looked guiltily down at the ground as she tucked her hands behind her back.

"I'm-" Ellie's voice shook violently as she spoke. "I'm Ellie."

"Definitely not her," a voice piped up. Ellie noticed the boy with the blond hair in the sea of kids who told the crowd it hadn't been her earlier. He almost seemed familiar, like part of a far-away dream Ellie hadn't thought of in ages... He seemed about her age, and even with a smear of dirt across his face, he made her cheeks redden a little.

It seemed to her a weird thought in a place like The Twilight Zone. Weird that she even had those feelings anymore after her endeavors.

She was pretty sure she had many more coming to her.

She stood up and dusted off her filthy arms, looking around the place for the first time. The dome-like ceiling had a span of at least a hundred feet. It was one big room with fifty or more beds inside, all labeled with names above the mattresses. There was no separation, no privacy, no nothing. The stench of lingering fear and pride hung in the air.

Ellie felt her hand being pulled by Alex. Ellie tensed up-what was she doing? After walking an agonizing distance-a small one really, but it seemed like it had taken forever-Alex planted her feet down right in front of the boy.

"Noah. Show her around."

No. Ellie felt embarrassed-she thought she would never have to meet him, and definitely not this soon! Heat rose to her cheeks.

"Okay." Noah looked every bit as uncomfortable as Ellie felt as he guided her throughout the hall.

 "Many beds haven't been filled yet," he said as he gestured towards signs with names on them. "Your name's Ellie. Last name?"

"Johnson."

Noah stopped at a bed, looking puzzled.

"Here's an Oliver Johnson, but no Ellie. Are you sure?"

"I'm-" She stopped, instantly realizing. "I'm his older sister."

"Why isn't he here?"

"Because-" She hesitated. "I took his place."