The Wasteland

Chapter one

A soft sigh would soon flutter past pale pink lips, the huff of hot air being enough to ruffle a set of sloppily, organized side bangs which hung limply from the brunette's high-placed bun. In seconds clumsy fingers would reach up in order to tend to the uncooperative strands, quickly tucking them behind a series of pins which would, with any luck, hold her bangs in place. Though the young female would find the task meaningless, for the piled locks would soon come toppling down her forehead only to take on their earlier untamed form.

"Ugh. What a friggin' hassle." Came the defiant groan of said brunette, her delicate hands still working against the very last of the pins.

On any normal occasion Guinevere wouldn't have put this much effort behind her outer appearance. She would have kept it casual, probably with an overused, ratty gray sweater that she loved and scarf that would have kept her protected from the lingering January chill. This, however, was by far from a normal occasion and therefore the young teen was required to look at the very least, presentable. As a result to such an occasion, her sister had made sure to lay out some acceptable fabrics for her; fabrics in which she was required to wear, at least until the end of testing.

Testing. In the eyes of society, it was a way to protect its citizens from the supposed horrors of radiation poisoning that had taken place a little over five generations ago. These mandatory tests were supposedly able to detect any direct signs of this so called 'radiation', and any mutations that might have transcended inside of your DNA because of it. It was harmless, or at least that's how the government had put it up to be. Children eighteen and under on the other hand knew the cruel reality that was testing. They knew it all too well. They knew the probabilities of testing positive, and then being ripped away from your family in a blink of any eye.

And all for what? Simply because the world leaders were afraid of anything remotely different from them. It was the pure fear of a better, more dominant species that kept kids locked away never to be seen again.

It was fear that ran this country, and it would continue to do so until people decided otherwise.
"You look lovely, Guinevere." Came the thoughtless chime of Guin's elder sister, Miella, her naturally petite frame leaning against the door frame in pure jubilance. "Absolutely darling!"

Guinevere would grunt uneasily in response, a look of distaste forming on her freckled features as she allowed her hazel-tinted gaze to wander over to her sister. It had always bothered the brunette just how chipper her only sibling seemed to be, especially on such dark occasions for the general public. Just how did she manage to keep that pearly white smile on her face, even with such tragedy taking place today?

"Lovely? Perhaps, but I honestly don't see why we have to dress decently for a series of ridiculous tests." The teen would mumble in response to her sister, her hands subconsciously smoothing out the wrinkles of her black silk of her pencil skirt.

Miella had allowed her to wear clothes specially picked out from her own wardrobe, which was rare considering how stern the blonde was when it came to anything belonging to her. The outfit consisted of a series of layers, starting with sheer black tights and a black floral print skirt which started high at her waist and ended just below her knees. A white rose design had been splayed across the blackened fabric, making the patterns mildly more pleasing to the eye. It was then combined with a loose white blouse that she neatly tucked into her skirt, and completed with a dark beige cardigan and a cream colored scarf.

Perhaps she did look 'darling', thought Guinevere as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror of her ancient vanity. However that only managed to momentarily distract her before her mind flitted right back to the event at hand. Today, for the eighteenth year in a row, she would have to go down to a specialized clinic and take part in a series of blood tests and scans that would either test positively or negatively. It was dependent on those results whether or not she'd be returning home to her only living family member left, Miella. 'What a wonderful way to spend the new year', Guinevere thought sarcastically.

As if sensing her anxiety, her sister would put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, a look of slight nervousness displayed against her twinkling orbs and high cheek bones. "Stop worrying so much over the testing. Your eighteen, it's your last year." Miella would chide uneasily, "If you had any abilities you would have tested positive years ago, so keep your chin up. It's nearly unheard of for someone to test positive at eighteen."

Hazel spheres would narrow slightly then, a look of mild curiosity taking over before fading away into disinterest altogether again. Had that been a slight hint of worry in her sister's voice just now? "Rare maybe, but not impossible. And that's easy for you to say, Mia, you're twenty-three. You've passed your testing age already." Of course it was easy for her elder sister to say such things. Her testing days had been finished long ago, therefore she no longer had reason to worry. Guinevere, on the other hand, was still struggling with her own last year of potential panic and honestly, who could blame her? She knew how cruel and merciless the people of Genesis could be to the mutants they called variables. Like a problem they can't solve so they just set it aside to deal with it later.

"Stop it with the sardonic attitude. It's unlady-like, and frankly enough it's also unattractive." With that Miella would plant a kiss on her younger sister's forehead, enjoying the look of disgust that had crossed Guinevere's face as she was smooched without warning. "I'll see you when you get home, mkay?"

Wiping away the remainder of the kiss off of her forehead with a snort, the teen would allow herself to make eye-contact with the blonde, that same curiosity filling her chilling gaze. "No breakfast? Doesn't Victoria usually come over before testing for some food and a good laugh before I leave?" She'd inquire.

Victoria had been one of Miella's best friends for as long as she could possibly remember. They were practically tied to the hip, all due to the fact that the duo had practically grown up together. There wasn't a single evening where Vicky was absent upon their dinner table, always showing up and horking down whatever food they had to offer her. As expected from a poor street rat, of course. Everyday year before testing, however, the boisterous girl would burst through the kitchen door and make a special breakfast appearance.

"Vicky's... a bit pre-occupied." The blonde would reply evenly, her bluish orbs focusing on the rickety house entrance in order to avoid eye-contact with her sister. "You can eat when you get home, now go on, you're going to be late!"

With a small grumble Guinevere would proceed towards the exit of her small home, not bothering at all to question her elder sister's oddball behavior. Miella had always been someone who seemed lost in a world of her own, so she wasn't all too worried about the situation.

Already crowds of children were beginning to form on the streets, all ranging from infants being carried by their parents all the way to older teens in their last year similar to herself. Hundreds were setting out, and out of these hundreds there was no telling who'd test positively. Guinevere's heart clenched at the thought that not all these children would get to go back home to there family's tonight. With thoughts full of dread and uncertainty, the young girl made her way down the streets blending into the large mass of people. Making her way towards her impending fate.

Only one thing was for certain, this years testing had truly begun...

- By J.D.