The Anomalies

Chapter 3

I sat on my bed looking at my red dress. I only had one idea about what I should do. My eyes would be seen by everyone. I would have to attempt to not let my mutation be discovered.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door, " Can I come in?"
"The door is unlocked." I replied still analyzing my dress.
As the door creaked open my mother appeared in the doorway.
"Your father and I have come to a decision," she spoke softly, " You will attend of course, but we must try to limit your social interaction. Keep your head down and conversations short. Avoid the large crowds of people and stay with your father and I."
I simply nodded to her and turned back to my dress.  As I did this I felt the bed dip down and my mothers hand on top of mine.
"Honey, I know you are worried but we will get through this. Hopefully you find your soulmate and he can look past your mutation. Until then you just need to lay low for awhile."
After that she stood up and walked out of my room closing the door behind her.
****
The ball starts in an hour and I still have yet to put on my dress. My hair and makeup have been done. I have left my hair down so I can hide my face easier while at the celebration.

My mother walks into the room holding my dress. I slip off my clothes and lay them on a nearby chair. After stepping into the dress my mom ties up the corset. I turn around and smile at her.
"You look beautiful, dear." She looks at me with tears in her eyes.
"No matter what happens tonight mom, I will always love you."
Her expression changes to a worried one, " Don't say that everything will work out."

Before I could say anything else my father walks in. "Iris! You look more beautiful than your mother on the first day I meet her!"

19 years ago my mother and Father meet at the Aequalris Celebration Ball. Most people found theirs on this night and I was slightly hopping I would find mine.

As we walk out the front door you could easily see all the other families waiting on their front steps for the CTU or the Civilian Transportation Units.

As soon as we stepped on the CTU, my stomach dropped. I'm immediately regretting my decision. I have to face the inevitable; there's no way that I won't be at The Asylum by tonight.

Keeping my head low, I look around and try to get a glimpse of the others. I recognize a majority of the people aboard as my neighbors. None of them know about my mutation, and I hope they never do. My fate is already set in stone in my mind. Even if I do find my soulmate tonight and they accept me, there's no way to keep it hidden from those around me forever.

The abrupt stop of the CTU immediately pulls me from my thoughts. I stumble forward slightly into the person ahead of me as all the seats were full, and I was only holding onto a small bar above me. I mumble a quick apology making sure not to make eye contact and step out the door.

Instinctively I looked up at the large building in front of me. It was one of the most significant and most elegant buildings I had seen in my lifetime. Although I hadn't seen a lot considering I had to hide away from the public for the last few years. Ahead of me, I saw a sea of red and white as others began to climb the steps to attend the ball.

Taking a deep breath, I attempted to gather myself as I held the front of my dress in my hands and started up the stairs. I wasn't even halfway, and I was already huffing and puffing. All out of breath when I reached the top, I stopped and leaned against one of the white pillars. However, as I stood there, I felt the gaze of someone on my back. I quickly whipped my head around to look for the owner of the gaze but saw no one's attention on me—only men and women entering the doors to begin their night of dancing.

"Honey, are you all right? You look as though you've seen a ghost." said my mother.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just out of breath those stairs really got to me."

My mother just smiled and nodded her head towards the door. She held onto my hand as we walked through the doors with my father close behind.

This was it. This is the night that my life begins and ends all at once.