EMERGING ☆ THOMAS (TMR)

O N E

Edited

Mickey

Darkness.

That's all I saw.

I couldn't even tell if my eyes were open. As I started to fully gain consciousness, I tried to grasp what was happening. My mind filled with questions, most finding no answer. How did I get here? Where is here? And most importantly, why can't I remember anything? Sudden fear clutched my heart as I tried remember what happened before I woke. Then those efforts drifted to other parts of my memory, like trying to picture my parents, friends -- hell, my pets if I even had any. Trying to picture me! Anything about me, a name, a face, specific origins. But I only seemed to remember basic skills and subjects. It's like I could remember how to ride a bike but not who taught me or what school was but not where I went.

Amidst my breakdown, I had another realization. I was in a metal box. With seemingly no way out. And it was moving upwards very quickly. I also noticed that there were boxes all around me and there was an occasional dull florescent light passing by on the walls outside the box.

Elevator, that's what it's called.

While I was trying to comprehend what the hell was going on, the elevator came to an abrupt stop. The sudden quiet was unnerving and seemed to drag on, when in reality, it was only quiet for about 30 seconds.

"Hello?"

My voice was scratchy and weak and my throat was dry from what I assumed was not speaking for a while. All off the sudden light streamed into the box causing me to go temporarily blind. My eyes then adjusted to the light and I looked up seeing multiple silhouettes. Frightened, I jumped behind a crate.

"What's he look like?"

"I bet he's gonna be a Slopper."

"He probably looks like a pile of klunk."

I then felt someone jump down into the box, causing it to rock on it's cables. I peaked out from behind the crate to get a look at whoever was in my elevator. A tall, lanky boy with sandy blonde hair and kind eyes stood in the middle of the box. As he scanned the small space, almost searching for something, he finally noticed me, almost stepping back in shock, or at least what I think was shock. He looked at me for a long time until one of the others snapped him out of his daze.

"What's taking so long, Newt?"

As he was still observing me, he called back up to the others, a strange accent tinting his words, "It's a girl."

The crowd above us seemed to explode with questions and confusion. I could pick out a few phrases, none of them sounding very inviting.

"Is she hot?"

"What does this mean?"

"I call dibs!"

"Why the shuck did they send up a girl?"

The boy, Newt I'm assuming, walked up to me slowly with his hands raised, treating me like a scared animal. When he finally reached my hiding place he then slowly offered me his hand. I looked at it with fear and skepticism, anticipating any sudden movements.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you." He said in a soft voice, sensing my hesitation.

I then did the stupidest thing I could ever think of. I took his hand.

He pulled me up from my crouched position and yelled at the boys above us to throw down a rope. I then came to my hundredth realization of the day, that all the people around us were boys. Once I was out of the box, all the boys around me were gawking at me like an alien creature. While they studied me I took the opportunity to study them back. They all varied in age, from one little kid that looked 13 to others looking 18, all dirty and skinny. I was then pulled from my thoughts and observations as one boy pushed through the others to get to the front. He had dark skin and cold, dark eyes with what seemed to be a permanent scowl on his face. Once to the front, he turned to the rest of the boys standing there.

"All right. Stop starin' at her, you're freakin' her out. Back to work ya shanks."

He then turned to me and I cowered back in fear, feeling very claustrophobic. Thinking fast, or not thinking much at all, I turned and broke from the crowd, running as fast as I could.

"We got a runner!" One of them yelled.

I saw an opening in two very, very, tall cement walls and quickly changed my direction towards them. The tone of the yelling changed as I started hearing a chorus of "no's" and "don't go in there" but I ignored them and kept running.

As I was about to reach the entrance, I was hit by a large force, rolling down a hill. Groaning, I opened my eyes, meeting those of a handsome, Asian boy who I assumed was the one that tackled me. He stared down at me with fascination and confusion for a moment before I spoke up.

"Um, could you please get off me?" I said quietly.

"Oh, yeah." He said, breaking from his train of thought.

He got off me and helped me up as the crowd had migrated to where we landed and gathered around us.

"You sure got some legs on ya' Greenie. Minho could hardly keep up with ya'." The Newt boy said.

"Oh, shut up, Newt. She just got a head start, that's all." The guy that tackled me, Minho I guess, fired back.

The dark skinned boy from earlier came over, interrupting our conversation and stared me down again, making me uncomfortable. He then grinned, as he said, "Well, I think it's time for proper introductions, Greenie. Welcome to the Glade."