The Day Human Kind Were Taken

A Rather Dark Shade of Grey

Less than an hour later we were being rounded up by a massive group of giant grey men and women with swords as big as I was. Thomas huddled by my side as we were shoved forward by the mass of scared, angry people. It was one of those move or get trampled situations. I grabbed Thomas's wrist afraid he wouldn't be able to keep up and get squashed by the frantic group. A pair of doors swung open from invisible hinges. The people near the front had stopped staring at the outside world. Still holding Thomas's wrist I weave through the tight crowd trying to reach the front. Outside the sky was beginning the sun was beginning to rise, lights bouncing of the tallest, widest skyscrapers I had ever seen. Each appeared to be a cluster of brightly colored crystals reaching for the sky. There was a multitude too. I could see a blood red, deep and light green, purple, and blue clusters without looking to far, but they stretched as far as the eye could see. At least in front of me. Once again the sight was beautiful but had a distinct wrongness to it.

The grey people gumbled to each other before pushing the group forward along the gravel path. The building we came from was a white windowless box, on the side the had painted words in a language I couldn't read. We stumbled along for about ten minutes, passing fields of unfamiliar crops dotted with gnomes and crossroads with signs in the same alien language from the boxish building. The gravel crunched loudly under our feet and the morning sun sun brightly down on us, it made me wonder how long we had been there. Eventually the sun was blotted by a large crystal cluster color a clear charcoal grey. The structure was impossibly big close up, way taller than the Burj Khalifa (which was an impressive 828 meters tall). In fact it looked to be over a kilometer in height and in width, not to mention all the smaller crystal shards jutting out of it.

Inside was... less impressive. We were greeted by a large, empty hall without windows (not that it needed any due to the semi-transparent walls). The grey people dispersed around the room, giving our group some space. I let go of Thomas's wrist, he wasn't going to get hurt here. It's crazy how the small trip exhausted me. The drug induced and restless sleep I had was more exhausting than being awake. I sigh and sit on the ground beside Thomas. Many others had taken to the floor to, either not wanting or to tired to stand. The crystal wasn't cold like I expect but gave off a small amount of heat instead.

"Hello and welcome to Grey, your sorting facility." A bodiless artificial cheery voice said over invisible speakers. "Please wait until someone collects you for you orientation"

The same voice then proceeds in various other languages presumingly sharing the same message.

More waiting, how boring. What was with all the suspense. What did these wackos want from us?

"Audrey Mathers please proceed to the illuminated door then continue to Room 1. Thank you." 

"Axon Henderson..."

"Birisa Zhang..."

After a while I began to only half listen to the names being called out. The wait was painful, the hard crystal began to dig in. I look down a Thomas, would he be okay to go alone? He was certainly the youngest in the room.

"Islay Dahl please proceed to the illuminated door then continue to Room 16. Thank you."

I stand, then hesitate. I couldn't leave Thomas here, he might not understand the instructions, but if I took him with me I might. I sigh and offer my hand.

"Where are we going?" Thomas said in a quiet voice as we made our way across the room to the glowing white door.

We were being watched. we were trailed by human and the grey peoples eyes as we went to the glowing door. It was unsettling.

"I'm not sure." I say sadly. "But we have to do what these people say. Okay?"

Thomas nodded solemnly, he was so serious for such a young kid.

The door automatically swung open when we got close and swung shut once we had went through.  The hall was slightly dimmer than the previous room but the bright white glowing  numbers on each of the doors cast light systematically. It was sort of ominous and creepy. The hall went on, seemily stretching the entire impossibly long building without actually going anywhere.

I took a deep breathe and turn the cold golden doorknob to room sixteen and peer inside. A man with bright clothes and the strangest pair of googles I had ever seen was pouring some kind of liquid into a bottle on a cluttered table. Near the otherside was a squirrel like creature curled up under another table filled with strange technology.

"Hello?" I asked nervously, making my presence known.

The man jolts up and twists his head to look at me. His face was attractive as well, but in a eccentric, wild kind of way. He reminded me of a mad scientist.

"Hello there..." He turns to look at something at the table overrun with tech.

"Islay." A new male voice says from behind a screen.

"Yes. Islay, thank you Tigerean." The flustered man looked over to me. "Come in, sit down."

He patted a comfy looking chair beside a smaller clear desk. I hesitate and walk in, trailed by Thomas.

"Who's this?" The man say's in shock.