Phoenix-6

Chapter 4- Emmah

"She probably just fainted out of fear, or more likely, dehydration. When was the last time you guys saw her drink any fluids?" This voice I faintly recognized pulled me back from the darkness that had engulfed me. Everything seemed so bright, so I kept my eyes shut.

"Wha- what happened?"

"Shhh... don't talk. Here, drink this." I felt something circular press to my lips, and then a cool liquid flow into my mouth. When my eyes adjusted, I saw that I was laying on a cold, flat floor. This boy with oddly broad shoulders kneeled down next to me with this concerned smile on his face. I almost recognized...

"Ahron!" I whispered, my head throbbing.

"Shhh... Emmah, everything's gonna be okay. What even happened?" He turned his attention to Zak and Zaen behind him.

"We... we went out prepared to fight, so I had my blaster drawn. She took one look at us, then fainted, and hit her head on the stone wall. She stopped breathing for a couple seconds. Scared us to death." I was so confused. What was he talking about? Then, it all came back to me in a rush: Kaylee, Caerin ditching me, following her to this underground tunnel, then seeing Zak with a gun aimed at me. I thought for sure I was dead.

"What are we gonna do with her? We can't just release her to the academy with a pat on the back..." As they started discussing my fate, I tuned them out, taking in my surroundings. I saw rows and rows of black cases, which at first I thought must be guns, but soon realized what they were: Instruments! Even on the wall it said Phoenix Music Club. What did I just get myself into? I thought.

This person I didn't recognize walked up with this bloodthirsty countenance. He looked at Caerin, and she nodded in Zak's direction.

"Emmah, I'm really sorry..." He started moving closer, and I tried to scream. He clamped his hand over my mouth, and started dragging me to what looked like a closet in the corner. I tried to fight back, but he was much too strong. He chained both my hands and feet to shackles attached to the wall, then gagged me with a piece of fabric. I was trapped. Zak looked back, a look of genuine remorse on his face, then shut the door, leaving me in darkness.

I was probably in that room for about forty five minutes, but it felt like an eternity. I couldn't hear, or see anything. I realized that the room was probably sound-proof, or sealed or something. For the second time today, tears started streaming down my face.

Suddenly, they opened the door and light flooded the room. It took me a while for my eyes to adjust, but when they did, I noticed this short, but intimidating gilly standing in front of the mob with her arms folded.

"Alright, Emmah. You've got two choices. You can either die a painless, quick death, or you can join the PMC. If so, you have to be sworn in. Now. So, what's your choice?"

"MMhh," I tried to speak, but the gag stopped me. Zak walked over, and took it off, the same look of pity on his face.

"I'll join. Just please, don't hurt me." The whole group cheered as Zak unlocked my shackles, setting me free. My first instinct was to run, but I had made a commitment. Failure to comply would probably mean death.

I noticed, as I left the dungeon, that about fifty people sat on the floor in five or six blobs that formed a circle. Each blob held a different instrument. Some, I had seen on the presentation, but others were unfamiliar.

"All the other fledglings have been sworn in, and have chosen their section. Now it's your turn," The gilly said over-formally.

"Fledglings?" I whispered to Zak.