The First

2.1

A/N: So, hello there! Enjoy this chapter. I wrote it just for you. *winks at you*

-

01 - 15 - 2089

The next morning I wake up as usual. My eyes open to the bright lights coming on in my room at precisely six o'clock in the morning. And while fighting the normal headache I receive from those monstrous lights, I shuffle towards my bathroom where I shower and get ready for another long, suffocating day.

Once I've showered and brushed my thick hair, I turn to my drawing until the first meal arrives. I usually have at least ten minutes to get some drawing in before I have to eat and get ready for my first test.

I set to work on setting out my charcoal pencils and sticks, careful not to break the delicate pieces. I lay them out on the floor in front of me in a neat and straight line before picking up the hardest charcoal pencil I have. I stare at the swirls on the wall, almost completing the delicate pattern I'm working on. It will be a symbol of the sun once I'm done, but right now it doesn't look like much of anything. Just some random lines and dots.

I envision the golden sun, shining down on the cold Anteria lands and reflecting on the snow like millions of diamonds. It's a vivid picture that's all in my head; I've never seen the sun. I've read about it in one of the many books I've had access to, but since there are no windows in my room, I haven't been able to catch a glimpse of it.

But I hope to one day. I've asked Doctor Acosta about it before, but she always changes the subject. At least Barr is a little more honest with me. He's outright told me that I can't. But I don't hate Barr for it. He's nice, and one of the reasons that I enjoy this place.

A silver meal tray clanks onto the cement floor, startling me from my wandering thoughts. I glance back at it, then back to my drawing. I didn't even get to add one line to the drawing, thanks to my wandering, crazy mind.

Shrugging, I leave my drawing tools out and grab my tray from the floor. When I stand, my eyes lock onto the door, getting a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. Almost like someone is watching me.

"Nice..." I mumble, shaking my head at my ridiculous thoughts. Of course someone is watching me. They're always watching me. I've long learned that they monitor everything I do. And I mean everything.

I take a seat at my desk, slapping the tray onto the small surface. My eyes widen as they scan over the meal. It's different. Instead of a bowl of nutrient dense meal and milk, there's a strange yellow squishy thing on my plate and a glass of something orange and thick.

I look back at the door, half expecting someone to rush in and switch trays with my usual meal. But that can't be, because they don't make mistakes. Or, at least, that's what everyone tells me. But that discussion is for another time, and I clap those thoughts closed before they can run rampant in my mind.

I sniff the strange meal and lightly poke at it, wondering if it's safe to eat. I've never seen this stuff before, so it feels natural to be wary of it.

Static fills the room, then a crackly voice. "It's your first meal, Gis," Doctor Acosta's voice comes through the hidden speakers in my room. "It's safe to eat, I assure you. Just hurry up; you have ten minutes." Then the speaker turns off, and I'm alone again.

Well, here goes nothing... I think as I pick up the plastic cup and bring it to my lips. The liquid slides down my throat, bringing a new sensation to my mind. It's... good. Almost, tangy? It tastes similar to some fruit I've had before, and I like it. There's a salty aftertaste, which is weird, but other than that I'd say it's pretty good. I only wish I knew what it was called.