The Resistance

Chapter 8

Ben lost all sense of direction as he was dragged left and right through crimson red halls covered in dark brick and red carpet. Beijing had an iron grip on his wrist, and he could've sworn his hand was turning purple from the cut off of circulation. Of course, he couldn't check and see because he was being dragged at full force down dark and forbidding hallways, and if he tried to slow down, he was positive his arm would be ripped out of its socket.

Quebec kept up a pretty good pace, though she was a few yards behind. But at least she knows where we're going! Ben thought angrily. Maybe I should ask again...

"Hey, where are we-"

"Stop!"

Ben heard too late, and was going too fast to register the one word command. Beijing let go of his wrist as he zoomed by her and WHAM!!!
Right into a door way.

"OOOOWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!"

Beijing stared at Ben. His head hurt. Everything he saw was distorted and off. He could barely make out Beijing's surprised shrug.

"I said stop."

"You could have warned me, SOONER!!"

Quebec hurried over to him and checked his head. Ben may have laid it on a bit thick as she asked if he was okay. "Oooh, my head is splitting open!" Actually, it didn't hurt as bad as it had initially. Now it was a dull throb, compared to the explosive pain and bright lights as when he'd made contact.

Beijing snorted. "Get up, you big baby. Your fine." Ben glared at her, but Quebec took his side.

"Aw, Beijing! Don't be so hard on the new boy. He just got here, and now he's got a big goose egg on the right side of his head!" She turned to smile at Ben. "It's a good thing you have such long brown hair to hide it."

Ben stared at her. He had brown hair? "I have brown hair?"

They stared at him like he was insane.

I...don't know what I look like.

Ben scrambled to his feet, eagerly searching for a reflective surface. The doorway he'd run into belonged to a gold colored door with a mirror like window in the middle. He hurried over and urgently looked at the reflection.

"Woah."

He was a mess. His hair was brown, dark brown. Long too, though not yet to his jaw line, and terribly disheveled. His skin was fairly tan, and he had a sprinkle of freckles on his nose. Is that...me? His eyes were a soft hazel color, more green than brown mixed in with flecks of amber. He blinked, noting his long lashes.

"This...is me?"

He didn't know quite what to think. There was nothing unigue or vaguely interesting about him. He was, come to think of it, rather...plain. He felt like his reflection was familiar, but...it wasn't very significant looking. Just another face in the crowd. Nothing special to set him apart from the rest of the world's population.

"I...wow. Just....wow." He murmured. Quebec stared at him. Beijing rolled her eyes.

"This is ridiculous. You didn't even know what you looked like until now. Wow, that never happens around here! You must be sooo proud of yourself."

Beijing strode over to the golden door, jerking it open and nearly hitting Ben with it.

"Come on, newbie. I'm almost done babysitting, and I want to get this over with."

Quebec sighed and waved Ben over through the doorway. Beijing was leading them down a wide, dark hallway, the walls dark gray, and the floor a darker red carpet than it had in the smaller halls they'd just left. Ahead, Ben could make out a square of light surrounded by more darkness. He leaned towards Quebec to ask a question.