The Lurking

Chapter One

(Lexa in the picture as India Eisley)

Finally, I thought as I got up from my bed.

I've been waiting for this day for my whole life. Ever since your born this is the day that you both fear and yearn for.

Today I turn 18, and today I begin The Testing. 

Let me explain. The Testing is a place we go to test for what jobs will be best fitted for us and how we can best serve Utopia.

For 18 years our one jobs is to learn and find out interests. Utopia is a place where we can do whatever we what as long as it's what's best for the society.

So If lets say I wanted to be a Engineer, for 18 years I would learn anything and everything needed for that specific area. Then during The TEST, I would get everything wrong except for that area and they'd put you in that job. Of course we learn a little of every job area but nothing major, because we won't really need it. They only way you don't get what you want it if you become part of .....

"LEXA! Hurry Up!" My Mom calls threw the connected hotel doors.

"Coming Mother!" I shout back, grabbing my suitcase ready to get their. This is the beginning of my life. 

As I race downstairs suitcases in hand, I throw them in the back of the car getting in the front seat.

"Did you get everything?" My mother asks me. 

"Mom. I've been waiting for this day forever. I was fully packed weeks ago." I said smiling.

"Surprising." She said sarcastically, as I just grinned like a fool to excited to say anything sarcastic back.

As we rode to City Square where our parent(s) would dropped us off and then some people came and took us to the testing sight. That's all anyone knew.

"Are you okay? Your quiet, You're never quiet." My mom says smiling at me.

"Yeah, I'm great. Just can't believe it's finally happening." I said smiling up at her.

Me and my mom where close ever since my dad died. How I missed him. It felt a little lonely without him. Once he was gone it left my mom, my younger sister and me. Everyone else in our family was dead. Some from the Lurking, some from accidents or diseases. We were the last Woods around.

We were also the smallest family. Many families took up floors of the hotels, some even whole hotels with their Aunts and Uncles and Cousins and first Cousins and they just keep growing. My family how ever only took up two rooms because my younger sister, Sophia, slept with my mom, but she'd go in my room once I left.

Anyway, you always lived with your family. Some people had actual homes and their entire family was located in the neighborhood. Others like me and my family used hotels. The only other housing was for the Council members. They all lived in Manson like homes.

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After an hour or so driving we finally made it. I was so freaking excited I think I could literally burst right now. I can finally be what I wanted to be. A Soldier or Guard. 

I find it respectable and love protecting my city.

My mother wasn't wild about the Idea but it's not like i'd be going to war or anything. I'll probably end up getting put up on guard and just enforce the laws here in the city. 

Getting out of the car, I walked straight into a huge herd of other kids my age. All here for the same reason and most were as excited as I.

"Please stay calm and collected and walk on the trains to get the The Testing sight." A voice over the intercom said. 

After a few minutes of weaving threw the mass amount of people, I was able to get on the train, having said goodbye to my mom at the car. 

Once I sat down in an empty spot, which were soon filled with faces of people whom I didn't know at all. 

After about an hour or so of being in the train I decided it was best to sleep, seeing as how there was nothing else to do and last night I stayed up late unable to sleep because of how excited I was.

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"Wake up, we're here." A sweet, innocent voice said.

Once I opened my eyes there was a girl standing in front of me. 

My mind still foggy and confused as to why I wasn't in my bed room and who this girl was I said "Where?"

"I don't know. The Testing campus." She said waiting for me to completely wake up.

"Oh, okay." I said still a little tired. "Who are you?" I asked her.

"I'm Amory. What's your name?" She countered.

"Lexa." I said still staring at her. She was really pretty. She had light brown, long hair and grey-blue eyes. Her hair had some soft curls at the ends different from mine which was longer, straight and a darker brown in hair color. While our eyes were still the same color hers seem to captivate me and I lost track of the time looking at her.

Getting out of a daze, that I'm guessing we were both in, she shook her head a little and said "Let's go," turning around and smiling a smile I'll never forget.

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As Amory and I walked into the building we were pulled by different people to find our rooms and ended up slitting apart.

Maybe I'll see her around. Maybe.

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After I found my room, getting lost a few times along the way, I saw I had my own room. Which is nice, but now I don't really have anyone to get to know.

Deciding to just return to sleep, I put my suitcases on the floor out of the way and got on the bed. Taking a quick look around I noticed it looked like a hotel room, a small one that is.

It was a square room with a bed in the right corner farthest from me, there was one window directly in front of the door across the room and looking out of it you could see a part of the campus that I had no clue what it was. There was a small closet, a dresser and a small bathroom too. Decent and Cozy was all I needed.

The way The Tests work is that you spend about a week here in total. Then after you've been assigned you job, you also get your Soul Stone.

A Soul Stone is something that has been around a while in Utopia to help find people their Soul Mate. They were made or found sometime a while ago. I was curious one day and decided to try and find some information on their origin but I couldn't find any, weird enough.

The only information I found was that when it glowed, you were close to you soul mate.

I didn't trust the things. How would a stone know how I feel about someone? Plus I like to see how things work and know everything. I like, no wait.... Love facts. Thing is, there isn't anything on them, at all except how to use them, so why would anyone trust them? Apparently they worked for most people even with no one knowing when or who found or created them. Weird.

As I started thinking about things to come in the morning and tried to sleep, Finally I took a deep breath and a pleasant smell filled my senses and darkness soon swept over me.