The First

2.2

A/N: Hey guys. I hope you enjoy this chapter :) It has a little more exposition this time, so you'll learn a bit more about Gis' world. I hope you enjoy reading it and I'd love any feedback you send my way! Have a lovely day, all :)

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01 - 17 - 2089

This time when I wake up, I'm back in my room. Which is strange, because as far as I can remember I've always woken up in the testing room--or more recently, the new room-- so they can check things before they let me go.

The burning, fiery pain from my eyes is gone, and for that I'm grateful. Although, I have a feeling that they were the cause for the pain in the first place. But that's not unusual; they've even told me before that sometimes they bring the pain to watch how my body deals with it. As sickening as it sounds, it's not so bad. They always take away the pain not too long after.

I slowly sit up on my bed and lean back against the cold wall. There's no rush to get up since I'm not exactly sure what's going on. Perhaps I'm just done for the day. Or maybe this is another test. I shrug, feeling completely confused as usual.

My room's as bland as always. The desk and chair to my left, then the bathroom and towards the right corner, the door. Sometimes I like to stare at the door and wonder what everything is like out there in the world. I've learned plenty about it from history books, but it's not the same as experiencing it for myself.

I wonder what it was like before the dissolution of the United States. Things--according to the books-- really changed after the Federal Reservation of America, or FRA, arose. It was all because of the 2045 virus that struck every electronic in North America. And from what I read, that caused a total collapse in everything pretty much. Panic, wars, fighting, looting, and lots of problems came from it. It was crazy from what I could tell.

I can imagine all the panic and how scared people probably were. Doctor Acosta really relies on her A-book. I don't know what she'd do if it got hacked. But we have stuff to prevent that from ever happening again, of course. That's the one thing that the Council decreed as their base law when they rose up from the ashes of the Unites States. A security protection to prevent such a virus from ever occurring again.

And that's why they renamed the states into special territories. They claimed that it would be a fresh start. Unfortunately, for some odd reason I haven't been allowed to read into the individual territories. I only know the name of the one I'm in, which is Anteria, the special territory name. However, I don't know if that is the actual name used for this place. I have a feeling Doctor Acosta told me a different name to keep it confidential, as she does for most everything else. It's freezing outside, according to Barr. And covered in white stuff that's cold: snow.

I like snow. I wish I could roll around in it like people used to do in the books I read. It's light and fluffy and probably tastes good too. Just like waffles, another thing I have yet to try. But Barr brought me a book full of food instructions and waffles look delicious.

Wait, there I go again, getting lost in my mind. I shake my head, frustrated with myself. I feel like I'm always wondering about something or other and wish I could just know for sure one time in my life.

I feel like they are hiding things from me. Things that I deserve to know. But why? Why can't I know these things?

I scoff and cross my arms, feeling my frustration growing. I ask questions, and they don't answer. And then what do I do? I let it go. I don't ask it again.

Maybe it's my fault. Maybe I need to try harder to understand. I want to understand.

And why shouldn't I? Aren't I entitled to learn and understand things? I feel like I should be able to do those things. And Doctor Acosta is keeping me from that. Her and all the other people who work here. I just need to try harder.