Chapter One
My eyes open, instantly squinting at the blazing sun that beats down on me, covering my body in sweat. The dirty ground I lay on is hard and uncomfortable, and there is no sign of any life other than a loud screeching noise in the distance.
That screeching noise. I cover my ears, then take a look around. I feel confused and lost. I don't remember anything. My arms are covered in scratches, and my whole body is smeared with mud. My long light blonde hair is weaved into a messy braid down my back. That is all I know. Well, except for a voice in my head telling me to get up. And go find... something. It’s a cool, stern, feminine voice, and I wonder if mine sounds like that. I try singing, but I don't remember any words to any songs. So I give up, and just start talking out loud, saying my thoughts. My voice is much sweeter, and it comforts me. It makes me feel less alone, less deserted. Much unlike the Voice.
I stand up, and the aching in my body is unbearable. I try to sit down again, but the Voice overtakes me, yelling at me to get up. I do not like this voice.
Get up, It tells me in a calmer tone, You must get up. You must go. You have to go.
“But where do I go?” I ask it, completely confused. The earth was barren, and there was no sign of life at all. But then the screeching voice came again.
Towards the noise. There you will find refuge.
Refuge. That means safety from harm.Somehow I know that. But it does not seem like I am in any harm. The aches and pains have settled down, and I feel I can get up again. My feet are bare, and they burn against the hot sandy ground, blisters forming ny the second as I step on small rocks and pebbles, trudging my way on, to some place I have no clue about, for some Voice that I have just met. But yet again, the Voice seems somewhat familiar. Maybe I had known it before I had awakened in this desert.
Before the desert. What came before the desert? I tried to think, but the results came back as empty as this blaring desert.
But I walk and I walk and I walk. I walk until the screeching becomes louder, and I walk until I see what looks like a small village and I walk until I notice that a tall-bu-very-slim, gray, chiseled-looking rock is placed right in the middle of the huts.
I walk.
I walk.
I walk
until
I
collapse.
***
I awake for the second time, but this time, seaglass green eyes stare into my own. I am not sitting on the dirt roads of this mysterious town, but on a wickered table, white walls surrounding me and the eyes that are the only thing that I had taken liking to since I had awoken in this strange place.
I try to sit up, but as soon as I start to move, the owner of those gorgeous eyes quickly backs away and calls out, “She is up!” in a panicked voice. I can now see a tall, slender, dark-skinned boy around my age, with short, almost curly hair. He wears a black t-shirt and khaki shorts. Behind him, a bookshelf and many counters were sprawled along the wall. It looked like some sort of unorganized lab.
“Where am I... who are you?” I ask to this actually quite handsome kid, who at first just stares but then answers “Shhh. Uh.. you need to rest.” He has a slight accent, much different from mine. Then he brings a small cup to my mouth. “Drink.” he orders, and I do, with much delight.
“But I’ve been resting!” the words come out harsher than I intended, and he looks insulted.
“Look,” he says in a hushed voice. I really enjoy this voice, “We don’t know anything about you. We don’t know where you’re from. You may be sick. A spy. We have no idea. So please, just be quiet, and you can ask questions later.”
