The Chosen Ones: Awaken (On Hiatus)

Chapter 2

There was so much I didn't know. Why am I here? Who am I? What's my purpose? Where am I? And how do I know so many things already? I've just been thrown into this world of I don't know what... I sat up and sighed, looking into the mirror again. I twisted this way and that to get a better look at myself when I noticed a little black mark on my shoulder. It looked like a tattoo of sorts in a flower shape. Oh... What is it called? Lily, orchid?

Iris.

I jumped a little, startled. "Anyone out there?" I asked nervously.

No one is out there. I'm just inside your head.
Great, I'm going crazy.

You are not.

"Cut that out!" I thought angrily.

Testy are we?

"Who are you?" I was getting peeved. The voice was quiet for a moment.

Companion. I am Companion.

"Companion?"

I shall reveal myself to you eventually. For now I am simply Companion.

"Ok..." I went quiet for a bit. "What does the mark mean?" I asked aloud, wondering if Companion could still hear me.

Yes, I can still hear you. And about the iris tattoo, you'll learn eventually. It's not my place to tell you.

"That's what everyone keeps telling me. Some help you are." I muttered. Someone knocked on the door. "It's open!" I called out. It was Josiah. I thought Merida was going to come fetch me. I eyed Josiah warily.

"Hey girly."

He plopped down next to me on the bed. My cheeks flushed as I remembered that he saw me in the skintight clothing. It was like he knew what I was thinking about.

"You don't have to feel so embarrassed you know."

I stared at my feet. So this is why he had come instead of Merida.

"Before the skintight clothing formed, I saw you naked as a baby. I've already seen your bits and pieces." Could my cheeks turn another shade of red? He was not approaching the subject very well. Josiah cleared his throat and looked the other way.

"Not that I'll be looking at them now, that's not appropriate. Merida will do the examinations when it comes time for check-ups and things of the like. I'm just trying to say that for a while as you were growing in your incubation tube, you weren't wearing any clothing. So when we came to check up on you, well it's not like you could really hide anything. If it makes you feel better, while I was growing up in my incubation tube, a female doctor was assigned to keep watch over my growth. How's that for embarrassing?"

I cracked a smile. It disappeared when I remembered he said incubation tube.

"Incubation tube?" I asked, puzzlement laced my voice. "Is that the contraption I was in?"

Looks like my knowledge only goes so far.

"Yes. That is where everyone spends the first 16 years of their life. We'll talk more about that later. Don't worry about it. I know you're probably filled to the brim with questions."

That was an understatement.

"Let's go to lunch, I'm starving!" He got up and walked to the door.

"Coming? Don't forget, you'll also meet the others."

Right. Others.

"Yeah."

I jumped up and followed him. We walked down the corridor in silence. Josiah stopped in front of a large marked "Cafetorium". I could hear people inside. Just how many others are there?