Humanimals

Chapter 1

Tylee stared out the window blankly, hoping something in the forest below would catch her eye. When nothing did after several moments, she looked away staring back at her empty room, its pale white walls staring dully back at her. Tylee reached back, grabbing her long, silky black hair and pulling it to her front. She slowly ran her fingers through it while staring at the forest again. Tylee gave up searching again, dropping her eyes to the ugly orange jumpsuit she was wearing. She pulled at it, trying to adjust the uncomfortable, baggy suit. The jumpsuit was at least three sizes too big, nowhere near the correct size to fit an eight year old. Tylee closed her eyes as a bell rang in the distance, signaling lunch time. Tylee stood up from her window sill, where she was sitting, then jumped down onto her bed, then walked over to the large metal door. It lifted up, revealing two large, black suited men waiting for her. She walked between them, and they escorted her through the labyrinth-like lab to the cafeteria. Tylee grabbed the last tray off the small Tray Table, then sat at the larger table that had five chairs around it. The cafeteria was a large, practically empty room, with a door that said "Kitchen" on one side and another door on the other side that lead to the hallways. In the middle of the room was the table with five chairs, and the Tray Table was close to it. By the door that lead to the kitchen, there was a trash-can like thing that was called the Hole of Leftovers. There was no visible bottom to the hole, and that was where the uneaten food was dumped. Then next to that was the Tray Chute, where the tray and all the silverware go. Tylee looked at the four other eight year olds around her. Ryan, who sat on Tylee's left, had short red hair, freckles, and green eyes. Amanda, who sat on Tylee's right, had long, wavy brown hair and green eyes. Katie, who had short blonde hair and hazel eyes (although they were typically green) sat on Amanda's right, and James, who sat on Ryan's left, had short brown hair and brown eyes. Tylee had known her friends for practically all of their lives. They had all come from volunteer families when they no longer needed their mothers, and Tylee and her friends had grown up in the lab, going to their education classes, where they learned the basics of reading, writing and math. Tylee looked down at her tray, cold chicken-noodle soup and tap water. James was licking the remains of his soup, and Amanda was drinking her water with a strange look on her face.
"What's wrong?"
Tylee asked, tilting her head slightly. Whenever Amanda made that face it usually meant something new was going to happen, last time it had been that they were taking a surprise quiz in education classes. (Which they aced because Amanda had told them to study their notes)
"I don't know."
Amanda said after putting her drink down. She spilled a bit, wiping it up with her orange sleeve.
"I just feel like something big is going to happen today, like, super big."
Everyone looked at Amanda, their eyes sparking with curiosity.
"Is it a good thing or bad?"
Asked Ryan, his face scrunched up in worry. Amanda shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know, a little bit of both."
Just then, the intercom clicked on, the speaker on the ceiling.
"Tylee's group, time to meet the Proffesor!"
Tylee looked around at her friends, the last time the intercom came on, it had been the first day of education classes. Silence filled the air, then one of the guards blew a whistle, signaling the end of lunch. As Tylee stood up to dump her food in the Hole of Leftovers, Tylee looked around and saw the same fear and worry on her friend's faces. They all shoved their trays into the Tray Chute, then they were escorted out.

Tylee looked around the hallway after the guards ahead of her stopped. They seemed to be waiting for something. Suddenly a door burst open ahead of them, and the guards marched the kids in. When Tylee and her friends were marched inside and turned to the left ninety degrees, Tylee could see a short, stout man wearing a lab coat and wiry glasses.
"You look weird."
Said James, scrunching in face in disgust. Ryan elbowed him sharply, then after a quick,
"Ow!"
All was silent again. The tiny man walked forward, his shoes squeaking on the tile, and stopped in front of Tylee. His strange hair reminded Tylee of Einstein, but he didn't seem to have the same wisdom-filled gaze.
"Hello Tylee. How have you been? Your pack?"
Tylee lifted an eyebrow.
Pack?
"You seem confused, that's okay. Just follow me."
Tylee looked at her friends, who shrugged their shoulders, then back at the man. He took a few steps away then turned back around.
"I'm Professor Sift by the way,"
He said.
"Adam Sift."