The Scars of Six

10. New Home

Listen to Rise by David Guetta Ft. Skylar Grey

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A jolt of pain shoots through my head as it comes into contact with the ceiling of my new home. I lay back down on my bed and close my eyes while letting out a small groan; pieces of my argument with Mr. Argent slowly making their way into my head again. I let out a sigh and flutter my eyes open as I tilt my head to my right to see the amazing view of green in front me. Trees tower over my new home, like protectors, their leaves filled with life and color. I smile at the sound of birds singing as the sun rises in the horizon, painting the sky a beautiful red and orange glow. I stare at awe at the view in front of me for a couple more moments wanting nothing more than to keep enjoying it, but my focus is merely interrupted by the closing and opening of the door to reveal my new roommate as he entered and exited our home in a matter of seconds; vanishing out into the woods in front of us.

I groan again and finally get up from the warmth of my bed and into comfortable clothing. A pair of black joggers lay comfortable on my hips as I slide into a sports bra and then into a black long sleeved compression shirt and finally into some appropriate shoes for my journey ahead in the green forest. I pull my hair in a pony tail and grab a green apple from the small kitchen that sits opposite from my roommate and I's dormitory. I grab the black backpack that sits in the corner and fling it over my shoulder with a swift movement before placing cold water inside of it, making sure I adjust the straps over my shoulders and secure it with two 'clicks' across my chest. Flashbacks of me preparing the bag of it's current items as I argued with my roommate last night rush through my mind as I successfully manage to push the fragments away. With a determined look in my eyes I take a bite of the apple and walk through the doors of my tiny cabin and breathe in the fresh smell of nature as I close my eyes, embracing it before I begin my journey. I open my eyes and start walking in the same direction as that of my roommates.

As I finished my apple I discarded the remains to the ground hoping it would decay and help the insects that feed off of its remnants to enjoy it, as well as the earth; in turn making it into useful compost or something viable for its habitat. As I made my way through the forest I made sure to take in the beauty of nature, not quite used to it's presence yet. I followed the many footprints that had been left in the dirt and the lingering scent of someone I once cared dearly for; letting it guide me to my ultimate destination. After about thirty minutes of walking through dirt and trees I came across a more rockier path which was stained with the vague footprints of muddy shoes and that lingering scent that only I recognized. Making sure my boots were tightly knotted up I continued to my destination, making sure to watch my step, but keeping my speed. It was only a couple more minutes before I came across three paths, one that led to a river, one that led deeper into the forest and one that required me to climb. I stood there in a trance before taking my backpack off and zipping it open, revealing some rope, some gloves and hooks among other things. I took each item out and zipped the backpack shut while securing it on my body again. I put the gloves on and grabbed the rope while I took a few steps back making space between the rocky mountain and I. I twirled the end of the rope that had a hook around and flung it with as much strength as I could muster towards the top of the mountain, with the hook securing in place as I tugged at it a couple of times.

With a couple of curse words escaping my lips, I tied the other end of the rope around my waist, securing it in place before I grabbed the two hooks on either hand and started ascending the rocky surface; memories of the day before reminding me why I wasn't prepared enough for this test.

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"Some of you did better in your evaluations than others..." Said Mr. Argent as he directed his gaze at Denali and I, "...nonetheless, that doesn't matter because you are all getting out of here, a change of scenery should do all of you good." He smiled as he paced back and forth in front of us.