°November 1st 2004

I waited patiently as Louie unbuckled the restraints. He seemed calmer now. When he noticed we where awake he tried to force us up and out but Melissa stopped him before he could take us to a 'buyer'. Today would be different, anyone could tell Louie was upset with something, one wrong move and he could become outraged. "I can't believe Melissa made me wait" Louie muttered underneath his breath. "Hey buddy, where are you going to take us?" Brad called out. Louie didn't turn around, he just kept fumbling with the buckles.

When Louie was done with me he helped me up. I watched as he helped Brad out and up. "Let's go" Louie spoke as he walked over to the door. Fear ran through my veins as Brad and I walked out the door. To my surprise the hall was crowded with people from all ages. It was as if we where in a town. We walked past a window showing a market inside, buzzing with people. "What is this place" I asked Brad. He shrugged which was my answer.

We stopped in front of a giant metal door, spanning to the roof. Louie calmly knocked on the door. The door opened with a squeak, another woman peaked out from behind it. "What is it Louie" she hissed at him. Louie cleared his throat, "We have the children, they are a little shaken though". I whipped my head around to look at Brad who was staring at me with a mix of fear and anger.

Louie hurried us behind the door then closing it swiftly behind us. "Hi" the woman spoke to us with her back turned, "Would you like some tea?". I shook my head but Brad bursted. "What do you want from us" he shouted sounding angry but his voice did crack with fear. The woman turned around to look at us, her big brown eyes widened. "Oh you don't know?, I am taking you into my care. You two will make a great set of children, though you aren't really children but that will do" she said turning back a round to pour tea.

The woman introduced us to her cat (named Link). She even gave us a tour of the futuristic apartment. There where no windows what so ever and I had to share a room with Brad. "My name is Carmen" she finally said before leaving our room. When she left she shut the door and Brad began to freak out. "What is this place?" He asked, tears stinging in his eyes. "I don't know, why are you asking me I got here with you" I shouted. Brad sat on his bed, beginning to cry. I only once saw a man cry, but it was because he couldn't get anymore beers in a restaurant. But seeing Brad cry made tears weld up in my eyes.

*************

After sitting in silence for over a hour a knock came to the door. Carmen stood on the other side of holding a tray of food. "You missed roll call so I brought you guys some food for the night" she smiled softly. I nodded and took the tray and closed the door. "Roll call?" Brad said with curiosity. "It's like we are in some dystopian city" he laughed. I shrugged and placed the tray on the desk beside the door.

Brad helped himself to the food and quickly became disoriented and fell fast asleep. I picked at the apple on the side, with Brad passed out I inspected the food, which is what I should have done first but whatever. I broke a piece of bread in half and it was super moist. I took a sniff if the bread and became hungry for no reason. I set the bread down and looked the pasta, same thing. Super moist and when I smelt it I became hungry even though I hated pasta.

After inspecting the food with no results but me becoming hungry I rested my head on my pillow and drifted to sleep.

°November 2nd 2004

"Get up" Carmen's shouted at me. I opened eyes to see Carmen in all white standing beside Brad who was also in white. "What is going on?" I asked, sitting up to see them better. "Roll call, get ready fast" Carmen shouted at me. Brad and her left the room as I got up. There was a white dress placed on my dresser. I slipped into it and pulled my hair into a high ponytail. I left the room to see Brad waiting for me by the metal door.

"What took you so long?" He said, squinting to see me. I laughed "Well I wasn't expecting to get up this early". He glared at me, even in school Brad never looked at me with such hatred. I was taken back with his glare. Brad began to walk out the door, I quickly followed.

We got to the market place I saw yesterday. There where guards in black along the walls and over 300 people stood in the centre of this opening. I stood beside Brad and another girl around my age. She had dark circles under her eyes and bruises up her arms. I wanted to ask for her name but Melissa walked up to the front of the room.

"Hello everyone" she said with cheer "So yesterday we got some newbies! Don't you think we should introduce them". A guard grabbed my arm and pushed me forward beside Melissa. Brad and the girl beside me followed behind without guards. "This is Raven" Melissa said, motioning to me. The crowd cheered with excitement. "Then this is Brad and Kelli" she said motioning to the others.

After a short introduction we where given breakfast. I sat beside Kelli and a few others I didn't know. "Hi, Raven right?" Kelli asked. I nodded as a guard placed pancakes in front of Kelli and I. "You just came here too right?" Kelli asked, I nodded again picking at my pancake. "Good because I need to warn you, I've seen the things they do, that's why I got these" she said motioning to her bruises.

"What have you seen?" I asked quickly. "Well one night I went to the kitchen as they where preparing dinner and everything they made the put some sort of liquid in, I think it's a drug to brainwash these people though I'm not totally sure. The only thing I saw that was safe was the fruit. And I went to Melissa's office, she wasn't there but I barged in and there where windows looking out onto a valley" Kelli whispered. My heart sank, Brad ate that food from last night, he could be brainwashed which is causing him to hate me. As far as I know there are no valleys around my city, we must have been taken super far.

"How long have you been here?" I asked. She shrugged, "a week but I'm being introduced today because I was in trouble and they didn't want me causing more". I gasped a little too loud, causing people to look my way. "Are you serious?" I whispered knowing everyone's eyes where on me. Kelli nodded, picking up a apple, "Remember only eat the fruit" she said standing up. She tossed the apple up, catching it swiftly as she walked away from the table and me.

Hey! So Melissa and others might be brainwashing over 300 people to live in a society, why though? Comment your thoughts. Anyway the picture at the beginning was Melissa as she will come into this story a lot also I added a song which is Goner by Twenty One Pilots |-/.  So that's the chapter, if you liked it don't forget to vote, comment, and follow me for updates on this story.

~ItsTheDarkestAtDawn