Sustainable

Chapter Six

Opening my eyes to the harsh light, I groaned. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block as much sunlight as possible from my still tired eyes. Jenny wouldn't be getting up for a while, and neither would Dad. My hand flew across my pillow in an attempt to stretch when it hit something soft and warm, and a groan accompanied it. I froze, and all my memories from the day before came flooding back. The kidnapping, the special abilities, my new bedroom, and my memories of having fun with Rowan and Elliot last night. I turned to see Rowan sprawled across the opposite end of the bed; her short red hair tangled, creating a fuzzy red halo. I chuckled quietly, and swung my legs onto the floor into the new slippers that lay on the floor. I sat on the desk, pulling out a notebook and pen, and flipped open the page. The book smelled clean and fresh, and I began to jot down all I remembered from the day before.

Kidnapped.

I stared at the word, before crossing it out. Yesterday, it was an abduction. Now I knew more, it was more like a move. A top secret move. My heart felt a twinge when I thought about my parents, and my brother. I had technically been missing since yesterday afternoon, and I hadn't even thought about it.

Scribbling in the notepad, I created a small spider diagram of my thoughts.

Left home. Taken to 'The Compound'. I scoffed at the name; it sounded like a wannabe superhero headquarters.

Spoke to Sean McKenna, the head of the place. Told me I was special, and met some others. Met Elliot, Rowan and Emma so far. Apparently more.

I looked over at Rowan, who was still snoring. I smiled, and turned back to writing.

Rowan makes fire. Mr McKenna sees the future. Not sure about the others. I paused, thinking. Will ask around today.

A tender knock at the door caused me to look up, and Elliot was smiling at me. "Want some breakfast?"

I glanced over at Rowan, who'd shown no sign of waking up. Elliot laughed. "She knows what time breakfast is. She's always been lazy." I jumped out of my chair, and followed Elliot, closing the door quietly behind me.

Walking down the corridor, I looked up at Elliot. He was wide awake and ready for the day, and I felt somewhat underdressed in my clothes from yesterday. As if reading my mind, Elliot spoke. "You look fine. Besides, it's only breakfast. We've got you some new clothes."

I walked, stunned into silence. "How many?"

"An entire wardrobe's worth, at least. Rowan insisted." A large smile curved in his face, and he stopped abruptly before a huge door. "I'm warning you, it's seriously messy in here."

Pushing open the large metal door, I held in a laugh. A long table rested in the middle of the room absolutely covered in food, and small chairs scattered around it. I stuck close to Elliot, realizing that apart from him, I knew no one in the room. A tall woman, who looked about twenty years old, sat scolding a man who looked about the same age. Her long chocolate brown hair hung in curls down her back, and she had soft caramel coloured skin to match. Her eyes were vibrant; a brilliant light blue that contrasted incredibly with her dark appearance, and they were directed at the man.

I glanced at him and my breath seized up. He was tall, even sitting down, with an angular face and defined chin and a thick head of dark brown hair that waved softly around his head. He turned, and I saw that it curled ever so slightly at the nape of his neck. His eyes were a beautiful forest green; so vivid they rivalled the woman's. He looked bored, even with the woman shouting, and he glanced around the room for something else to entertain him. As I stared, his eyes rested on me, and I dropped my gaze to the floor, my cheeks burning in embarrassment. I couldn't see, but I could feel his eyes on me, burning deep.

"Carmen, our newest arrival is here." His voice was a smooth deep baritone, and I could swear I was having palpitations just hearing it.

The woman turned, and a broad smile lit up her beautiful face. "You must be Amelia!" She ran towards me, arms outstretched, and pulled me into a hug. "I'm Carmen, and this sorry beggar is Levi." She motioned towards the dark haired man, who only nodded in acknowledgement. "Hi." I mumbled, and Elliot sat me down in the empty seat opposite Levi. The frown remained on his face the whole time me and Carmen spoke, and I dared not look at him again.

Carmen told me that she was Oneiric; meaning she could manipulate dreams, and that she'd been here since she was sixteen, two years ago. She was a lovely charming woman, and the whole time both me and Elliott hung on to her every word. Levi kept his scowl on his face, even when Emma came in and joined us. I learned that Emma was a medic for a reason; she was blessed with a complete medical intuition - meaning she could tell if something was wrong and exactly what is is. Emma was the eldest woman here at nineteen, and had been here for four years since she moved to the US from London, England. Levi stayed perfectly still and silent the whole time, occasionally looking at me, and I tried to soak up all the information being handed to me.

Mid-conversation, the door burst open to a very tired looking Ro, who slumped down next to Emma, helping herself to toast. She smiled half-heartedly at me, and I grinned back, and went back to my conversation with Emma.

The unmistakable noise of a chair screeching across the floor gathered everyone's attention; and I looked up in time to see Levi stomping out of the room. I stared, shocked at the door he'd just exited from, whilst everyone continued their morning chats.

"Elliot, what just happened?" I whispered to him, not wanting to turn it into an entire discussion. He shrugged, and my stomach turned.

"Beats me. He's always moody, though, so don't dwell on it too much. That guy goes through pre-menstrual stress more than any of the women here." Elliot chuckled at his own joke, and I settled back to my omelette. I ate in relative silence; now Ro had perked up, she was doing most of the talking anyway.

Taking a bite, I pondered over Levi's overbearing stare, and shook my head. Why would he burst out before he knows me? A horrible niggle refused to leave the back of my mind, and I gulped down my forkful of omelette with force.

"Amelia! Are you even listening?" I jumped back into reality to see a grumpy looking Rowan staring at me, and I blushed slightly as I realised that the whole table was staring at me.

"Erm, sorry, what was that? I... I was a little lost in my own world then." I replied sheepishly, and flashed a small grin at my new found friend.

"I'll say. You've been staring at that door for the past five minutes like you're expecting a green bear on a unicycle to burst through it." I cocked my head at her strange reply, and Elliot snickered next to me. "I was saying," she continued,"I thought you and I could do our hair and nails and stuff, and you can finally get a look at your new wardrobe."

I squirmed in my seat, and felt all eyes on me, waiting for an answer. "I'm not great with hair and fashion, to be honest. I'd probably be a dead weight."

"All the more reason to do it. I'm not taking no for an answer." she grinned impishly, and jumped up to retreive her now burnt toast. I scrunched my nose at the smell, and she sat next to me, munching away. "Mmm, burnt toast. The best way to have it."