Casted

Chapter 17

"Ms. Clemons," a haunting voice taunted. I whipped my head toward the sound, only to find an empty corridor. "Ms. Clemons," the voice called again. It seemed to be mocking me, teasing me. It belonged to someone I'd met before, I just couldn't remember who.

A figure appeared suddenly, seemingly  coming from the wall itself. She wore a tattered black and white dress and her blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun atop her head- the maid from the Prep Center. Had she invaded my dream just to remind me of the most terrible time in my life? That shy smile didn't seem so innocent now. 

I opened my mouth to say something, but it seemed my voice had been taken away. She stepped closer to me. I could see the stitches now, glinting in the eerie light. The stitches that held her eyelids over her eyes so that she couldn't see. I took a step away, frightened by the demonic sound of her voice. 

Her small, pale hands reached up to her eyes, touching the stitches with a smile on her face. Then, in one swift motion, she yanked on the thread. All of the stitches came loose. My hand flew to my mouth, even though I knew I couldn't scream. Her eyelids slid open. The grin on her lips widened. And those eyes, those eyes didn't belong in this world. Those pure white, glassy eyes should have stayed where they belonged- In the Task. 

I turned around and started to run. I had to get away, I had to wake up. I knew it was a dream, but it felt so real. My feet pounded on the wood floor. 

"Ms. Clemons," the maid's voice called after me. "Ms. Clemons."

"Ms. Clemons." A gentle hand shook my shoulder, ripping me from the dream. "Ms. Clemons, we're here."

I sat up abruptly, never so happy to find myself on that stupid bus. I looked around and found the young Stormer next to me, taking his hand from my shoulder. I pushed my hair back away from my face. "Don't call me that," I told him sharply. "Please, don't ever call me that."

He tipped his head to one side, but nodded anyway. "Okay, then what should I call you?"

I sighed. "Harper. My name is Harper."

"Okay, Harper," he said with a smirk, as if trying out the name. He motioned out the window. "Welcome to your new Class."

I looked out the window and was instantly captivated. All signs of winter had disappeared. There was no snow, no ice, not even a trace of frost on the grass. But that was another thing- there was no grass. Everything was stone, metal, and glass. The roads were paved with black, the sidewalks formed from gray cement. Gigantic glass buildings stretched up towards the sky, brushing the clouds with their roofs. Cars zoomed in every direction, honking and screeching as the drivers stepped on the brakes. I was in complete awe. And the people- they were everywhere. Young, old, all different colors. Most of them were walking the sidewalks or crossing the streets between white painted lines. Their clothes were bright and new, and they looked as if they showered more than once a day. Everything was moving so quickly. The cars whipped past, the people were basically running everywhere. It felt so much more alive than Class 5, but at the same time I was overwhelmed. How will I ever fit in here?

"And I'm going to live in... one of those?" I asked, pointing up at one of the tall glass buildings. 

The Stormer laughed. "No, no. We thought that'd be too big of a change all at once," he said. "Your house is a little outside the intercity, so it's not so loud and busy. Come on, it's not too far of a walk."

I let him lead me off the bus and onto a cement sidewalk. People rushed past in a never-ending stream. Most of them held little black boxes to their ears and were talking into them, which in my opinion, made them look completely stupid. Those couldn't be phones, could they? They were far too small. And where was the cord, and the receiver?