The Switching

Chapter 7

The hall was dark and cold when I walked down the empty corridor. Frigid air swept all around me, and I shivered. The doors on the sides were marked with names or numbers. At the end of the hallway was a door marked Training Room 1. I pushed the door open, and heard a scuffling going on. Then a yell of pain, and a noise that made my ears pop. I ran towards the sound, my heart throbbing with terror. What just happened? There was a room with many weapons and training things. I viewed the sight from a far corner, not able to be seen. Finally, I found Alice on the ground, Tara looming over her. I was about to run out when Tara stretched out her hand, and Alice clasped it with a smile. They must've been training. I stepped out of the shadows, where they could see me.

"What are you doing out of the infirmary, Emmilyn?" Tara's eyes gleamed. Alice stood next to her, heavily breathing with her arms crossed.

"I, I heard something, so I wanted to check it out. I didn't mean to interrupt anything but what the heck is going on here?!" I stifled a shout. Tara walked toward me.

"Emmilyn, this is the place all Retrievers go to be trained. You are...different than normal Retrievers though. You are a Switch. Which means you can summon portals." She didn't take her eyes off my hands.

"So... normal time travelers can't create portals? Then how can they go through time?" I held my breath, waiting hungrily for an answer. Tara sighed.

"That part is complicated, but I can tell you other things. The reason everyone was extracted was because we needed your memories extracted. Everyone was successful but you. We don't know why, but you are immune to the nasal gas." I was shocked. My palms were clammy, and the way Alice watched me didn't help.

"So all the other Retrievers lost their memory. Why were the memories extracted?" Nothing was making sense. Tara looked at Alice, and she disappeared out the door, to her dorm room. I shivered. Being alone with Tara was strange, and her face was so serious that she could've punched me without moving from her position.

"The Retrievers mustn't know what there past was like. They will be too afraid to move on. Now, you will learn more tomorrow, but now you need rest. Go to your dorm, you share it with Alice. Goodnight, Emmilyn." She frowned, and shut the door, leaving a cold breeze to creep up my neck. I stood up straight, and followed her, leaving my feelings and all emotions behind me.