I regained consciousness without opening my eyes. When I do, I immediately regret it. No longer was I at school, where I last remember I was. The slight chance that it had been a dream vanished at unfamiliarity.
I stood numbly from waking up, yet stressed and alert at the situation. I was in a big room made of wooden walls, floors, and windows. I guessed it could be around three in the morning. It was dark except for a faint silver glow coming from the other side of the room. I saw approximately five rows with six bunk beds each as I wandered to the light. As I looked back to my bed I see an arm dangling down from the top bunk.
I let out a few sobs and my eyes get teary. I desperately wanted to know what was happening, where I was, and why. I could imagine a worst case scenario was happening to us.
In not all of them, but in most, I saw kids from fourteen to no older than twenty two, sleeping. Some I recognized from my school, others were total strangers. They were as covered in blood as my sweater was. I kept walking. I saw this one young boy, with blonde hair over his eyes, and freckles. He was awake with eyes like plates. He was in shock. He was shaking. As much as I wanted them to... his eyes wouldn't meet mine when I passed.
Frequently, I glanced behind me as I reached the end of the room. There was a big window with bars a few yards away from the beds. A girl stared out of it. She looked grungy, dressed in combat boots, jeans that were seventy percent ripped, a black polka dot sweater, crimson colored hair, and skin as pale as milk.
"Hello?" I called at the girl. She stood still for a short while, then turned around. She had big brown eyes and seemed older than eight teen. She had a startled expression, as if someone talking to her was something that rarely ever happened to her.
"Do you know where we are?" I wince pressing my lips together. She continues standing quietly, then surprised me with sign language. Very quick motions of her hands. Had she heard me at all? I don't know how to make sign sentences; only some letters!
I point at her, then at my ear, then I poke my chest, while saying; "Can you hear me?" A weight lifts off as she nods. Of course she can; she turned around at my call. Yes and no questions it is.
"Sorry, I don't know sign language." She waved her hand as if dismissing my statement.
She returned to stare outside. I reached the window and leaned on the wood. There the cool breeze hit me. I was dismayed to see a campsite inside a forest of redwood trees, and two dozens of men in patrol. I sucked a lungful of air.
"How could this be? Redwood trees are from California! Just a few hours ago I was in Kissimmee, Florida! How long have I've been asleep!?" The girl, of course didn't have any answer for me. She was as much of a victim of this as me. She shook her head with irritated eyes then started shushing me. I followed her gaze to see what I provoked. In the opposite wall of the one I came from, was a hallway. Fuzzy beams of light jumped from corner to corner when someone jogged into the room.
Paralized grungy-girl held my wrist and clawed her long nails in my skin. Our hearts raced and came into a halt as he stopped in front of us. The boy who shot me.
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It's as if they jumped in the air and disappeared. There was no trace outside the hallways. No one knew where they went. How do you make forty bodies disappear in just minutes? No one knew why they were taken.
I just don't know if I'll be able to take this suffering. I felt powerless and isolated without Clover. I often imagined how better it would be if I had been taken along with her. If I hadn't been late to school, I would not be standing here now. I would be by her side.
"Cam." Mom said knocking. "Cam, honey, were about to light the cake." She stared looking at me with pity.
"Oh, right. It's my birthday." She walked in, and came to sit by where I lay in bed.
"I realize it's been a hard day. I think a little distraction won't do you any harm."
"Is is necessary? Because I don't think it'll help." I whispered without confidence.
"Cam, everyone's already here. Look just go make an appearance for, I don't know, thirty minutes? Then, if you want you can come upstairs." she eyed me expectantly.
I sighed and got on my feet. I looked in the mirror and fixed my hair as best I could, but there was nothing I could do about my red eyes and ruddy cheeks. I wobbled down the stairs.
Aunt Delilah was there with my cousins, Gretchen and Henry. My grandmother sat by the chocolate cake. Ember, my sister, was playing on the living room. And a lot of people I didn't care about enough to mention their names, were there too, whispering. I felt uncomfortable as all eyes fell on me.
Gretchen was fourteen. She was the first to greet me. She came to me with a blue plastic cup and put it in my hand.
"I poured in some Jack Daniels." She said with a wink.
I pulled her into a swift hug and joined my mom in the table of appetizers.
"Cameron, what happened in the school? I'm so confused. Everywhere I hear a new story." Mom's old friend asked.
Lost I stared a the table for a moment. I didn't want to talk about it. It made my chest tense and my eyes water. I took a mouthful of coke and whiskey and swallowed.
"I entered the school's front office because I ran late. Then we heard the things." Ms. Jackson frowned.
"You mean the shots?" She asked.
"What else would I mean." I snapped at her. She looked quite taken aback. Mom placed a supposed to be reassuring touch on my shoulder and sighed.
"I apologize for his behavior. He lost a friend today." I jerked my shoulder from her grip and glared.
"Don't talk about her as if she were dead! She is not dead!"
"Honey, she was shot in the middle of a room full of witnesses." She said looking up at my flame-thrower eyes.
"So were forty other students. But guess what. No bodies!"
With that I stormed up into my room and banged the door closed. Why did they had to take her today of all days. Why do they must ask me what happened. The ideas of what they wanted with all those bodies horrified me. She must be suffering right now...
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The man showed recognition for just a second. Then the hint of it vanished. I stood with hatred and fear of this man with the flashlight unable to move.
"Ladies, get back to sleep. You're gonna need it." He hissed, directing us with the moves of the light.
Grungy girl turned around and grabbed my wrist. I yanked myself away.
"Why am I here?" I whispered.
"Miss, be smart like your friend there. You really don't want to get into trouble here." The guy said annoyed.
"No. What I really want is to know where I am, and why."
"Don't be that kind of girl, just listen." He said pacing towards me. I could see it in his eyes that he was going to take hold of me the first chance he got.
"Please just tell me something!" I begged. I was stressed and scared and my heart was racing. The fact that this guy won't talk to me as an equal person, angered me. But the feeling that this would only get worse, was overwhelming.
I started sobbing big breaths. "I don't want to be in here".
The guy's eyes widened with a perplexed, worried look. He took a long step towards me. He had me in his arms and there was no way I could free myself, so I didn't even try.
"Shh, calm down". He pressed a cloth smelling of chemicals into my face. Everything fell away.
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