I'm Alive [CANCELED]

Chapter Six- 1st Training Day

A.N.

This is late. Very, very late. Sorry about that. I hope you enjoy the update! Vote and comment please?!

<3 Hannah

*******

By the time I wake up, the clock on the table says 9:02.

I have to be at the training by 10.

Slowly, I pull myself into an upright position and walk toward the bathroom.

Once the lights are flipped on, I see myself.

My hair is sticking in every direction possible, I'm still wearing the same clothes I did yesterday. I lift up my shirt and look at my bandage the my dad wrapped before sending me off. The bandage is beaten up and is bleeding through a little bit.

Sleepily, I walk toward the bag that I brought. Unzipping the bag, I grab a white shirt and jeans. I also grab my brush, a hair tie, shampoo and conditioner, toothbrush and a little bottle of toothpaste.

Quickly, I get in the shower, taking all my belonging into the bathroom.

*******

I shut my comartment's door and run to the elevator.

When the elevator doors open, I press my finger into the 'L' button.

The elevator slowly descends down.

In the elevator is four walls of mirrors.

I stare at myself and see a girl who looks like me, but has changed so much in just a day.

My hair is braided down my back and the white shirt and jeans help me blend in with people in "The Remedy". After I got out of the shower I replaced my bandage on the bullet wound. That shower was the most painful shower I have ever taken. Soap and shampoo would get in the wound and it felt like the wound was going to burst into flames.

Mentally, I can feel myself being changed. I feel smarter, stronger and more myself.

Back when I was at home there was set rules, here it's different. You can be who you really are.

The elevator doors open with a 'ding'.

Walking out, I make a beeline to the front desk.

"May I help you miss.?" asks a man at the front desk.

"Uh, where can I find a place to eat breakfast?" I ask.

"If you turn around and go left, there is a dinning room that has breakfast until 11 a.m." says the man.

I look at the man's name tag.

DAMON is printed on the name tag.

"Thanks Damon." I say.

Turning on my heel, I follow Damon's instructions and turn left to see a room filled with tables and chairs.

All around the room is cereals, bagels, muffins, pastries, milk, orange juice and coffee and hot chocolate machines.

Just two other people are in the room, but it looks like they're about to leave.

I grab a plate and put a bagel on it.

A toaster sits on the counter near the bagels and toast, so I pop the bagel in the toaster.

While I waited for that to pop up, I go over to the hot chocolate machine, grab a cup and hit the green button. Hot brown liquid streams out of a little nozzle into my cup.

Walking over to a vacant table, I sit down.

I check the clock and it says 9:48.

My bagel pops up from the toaster.

I put the bagel onto my plate and grab a small container of cream cheese.

Sitting alone in the dinning room, I spread the cream cheese onto my bagel and take a bite.

Yum.

After about 15 big bites, I'm done with all my breakfast.

Putting everything away in the sink, I sprint out the door.

Rushing out the front doors of the apartment building, I see a bunch of kids my age rushing toward a huge hole in the wall.

When in doubt, follow everyone else.

So I do.

Running to catch up with everyone, I pack it to the middle of the pack.

Inside the hole in the wall is a bunch of circle targets with torches next to each one.

There's also a stage, kind of like one you would see at a boxing match.

Back at home, they only showed those kind of stages on TV. Here it must be reality.

"Please come in. I'll explain what will be happening during this training time." says a young girl who stands by the targets.

I stand in the front of the group of people so I can see.

"Hello members of The Remedy. My name is Alicia. I ask for all new members to step forward." Alicia says with strictness.

Stiffly, I take a three small steps forward.

A few other people step forward, but I feel like the only one.

"Welcome to training. Since you are not familiar with the schedule here, you shall be tested first. And you miss-" Alicia says pointing to me. "Will go first."

I can't breathe.

This is why I have never liked being the new kid. Usually if I had problems at school, I would just say who my father is and they'd automatically let me do whatever. Here, I don't believe it will help.

Nervously I bite my bottom lip and feel sweat collect in my palms.

"First newbie, what's your name?" Alicia asks.

I narrow my eyes at her.

"My name is Kaytilynn." I snap at her.

"Okay," Alicia says, clearly unaffected by my quick response. "Well Kaytilynn lets test some of your skills. Step up on the stage."

I walk over to the stage alone.

There are stairs next to the stage to get up, so I climb them.

Standing on the stage, I study each person's face.

"Here you learn how to defend yourself in case of an emergency or run in with the government. Since you're new you probably thought we'd ease you into this new process, but you are strongest when you least expect it. Now, Ella Freedom please come one the stage to join Miss. Kaytilynn."

I follow everyone's eyes to a girl standing tall. She has blonde hair and green eyes. She's wearing a green tank top and white shorty shorts on. As she passes people, she smiles really big like she just got the title of president.

When Ella got to the stage and stood next to me, she smiles.

Not like the smile she gave everyone else, but a cold, evil smile.

I've seen that kind of smile before. It was just once, but I couldn't not remember what it looked like.

"Now, here's how things work here. Since you're both newbies at this, we all need to know your skill level. The two of you need to fight each other until one gives up or is to beaten to continue. Let me clear the stage." Alicia says.

My life seems to have been put into fast forward.

Alicia is at joined in with the others before I can count to 10.

"Go!" Alicia says.

I turn the face Ella.

I make the first move by throwing my body at her.

Ella runs to the other side of the stage.

I run after her and ball my fist.

This is wrong.

It's called training dummy.

Before I know what I'm doing my fist connects with Ella's nose.

Blood starts running out of her nose.

Ella finally makes her move and kicks me in the side. Hard. Right where I got shot.

I hear the scream come out of my mouth, but it doesn't feel like mine.

From my vision I see Ella coming toward me.

With a lot of effort I get up. The pain in my side is like nothing I have felt in my life. It just hurt to breathe.

I have to end this.

When Ella comes at me, I move and stick my leg out to trip her.

She falls on the ground face first. I grab her leg as she tries to scramble away. Not even thinking, I feel my leg pull back and hit her in the side.

It's her turn to yelp. Actually, it's more like a scream.

"PLEASE! Stop. She won!" Ella says.

When I look at her face I see beautiful features covered in blood.

Blood and pain for Ella. All of this because of me.

"Someone help her out of here now." Alicia says, waving her away.

Two grown men rush from who knows where and pick Ella up and rush her off to somewhere to get medical attention.

"Not bad newbie." Alicia says nudging my shoulder with a smile on her face.

I keep my facial expression blank. She doesn't deserve to see my reaction.

Get used to it. This is just how things are here.

Alicia sees that my face isn't lit with a smile, so her smile falls off her face.

"What's wrong?" Alicia asks.

Telling her that the life here in training is scaring me to the core may not be the smartest move.

"Ella got that good kick on my side. Well in order to escape from my old life, I took Option #2. Right where Ella hit me was where-" I choke.

Spit it out Kaytilynn!

"That was where my dad shot me in order for me to get here." I stumble out.

"Oh. I see. Well, just this once I guess I can let you go. The examination center is the grey building. I believe you have earned a fair reputation for yourself here already." Alicia says, giving a nod to the exit.

I give a small smile and I walk away.

With fingers like ice, cold and brittle, Alicia grabs me by the shoulder.

"You did good. It's not easy adjusting to how things are here." whispers Alicia.

Not easy? It's more like hell here.

You could be dead.

True.

"Um... Thank you." I say interrupting my own storm of thoughts.

Stepping down from the stage, I can feel every person's eyes on me as I walk toward the exit.

A small group of people my age block the exit.

All 8 of them turn toward me and part, leaving me a small walkway to the exit.

Not a word is spoken by anyone.

Quickly than I normally would have, I walk through the little walkway.

I want to be anywhere, but here. Just for now.

*********

The examination center was easy to find.

I sit in the waiting room starring into space, blocking everything out. 

What am I thinking? What was my father thinking?

This place tests more than just your physical skill, but mental.

Right now, my mental levels are all over the place. The Remedy is destroying my brain, my thoughts. I stare at the clock. I've been here for over 10 minutes.

God, how am I going to survive life here?