Arel opened her eyes to blinding light. She was covered in a thin, white blanket on a white mattress. Her black jumpsuit was exchanged for what looked like a thin white night gown. She began to sit up and-

Thump

"Ow..." she muttered, rubbing her head. Arel lifted her hands up. There seemed to be a small dome covering her.

"What?!" She yelled out. She looked through the dome and saw several other pods lining the walls. There was a sign at the far end of the room.

Contamination Area
Please wear the necessary safety equipment

Oh no, Arel thought, Not here.

She had heard many rumors about this place. People who had begun to act strangely were shipped off to here and never seen again. Their bodies were burned to be rid of any harmful viruses. Arel shivered at the thought. She had read a book about something called the "Holocaust" and those pictures have always traumatized her.

A thought pushed into her head.

What if it's like that agains here. Get rid of the "impurities" by burning them to keep the others "pure".

She quickly pushed the thought back out. Arel didn't want to panic now.

She looked around nervously for anything that resembled an incinerator.

But something seemed different about this place.

Upon closer inspection, the other pods along the walls had human figures behind their screen.

And the humans were glowing blue.

There was a blue light under her and she looked down to see that she was glowing blue as well. Her pale skin emanated a blue light, to her dismay. It was the same color as the water she had inspected.

Then, she heard the dull sound of a door closing.

Dozens of figures in white medical suits walked into the room. They all had gas masks on. They all split into groups of three and began to walk towards the different pods.

Three walked to Arel's pod and peeped in. Arel looked away in embarrassment. Hopefully her gown wasn't too thin.

One pressed a button to the side and the dome split in half and folded back on itself.

The other two figures in coats reached in and grabbed Arel by the arms.

"No! Let me go!" She tried to wriggle them off, but the two had a strong grip on her.

"This subject is showing forms of resistance," one said through its mask. It bent down and picked up the bag that was brought in and took out something.

It was a syringe filled with clear liquid.

Arel screamed. What were they going to do to her?!

"It's going to be fine, Miss," said the one with the syringe, "It'll be over before you know it."

"NO!!!" Arel kicked and screamed, but it seemed like they were the only ones there. At the back of her mind, something said that she was the only one showing resistance. Other people in thin white gowns were silent as they were being stabbed by syringes.

"No one can hear you anyway," chuckled the one holding her right arm, "They're all knocked out."

"Oh shush you," the other said, "They'll all be normal soon."

Arel let out one last scream as the needle plunged into her arm.

"Just going to give you a little nap," one chuckled as Arel's world faded into darkness once more.

¤ ▪ ¤ ▪ ¤ ▪ ¤

Arel was lying still in a world of darkness. She couldn't move her body. She couldn't look around her, but she knew there was nothing here to look at anyways.

Above her, a faint golden light started to glimmer and she turned her attention to that light.

It seemed like a savior to her, a light to guide her, much like the story she read about three wise men and a baby.

Too bad she couldn't move.

She heard whispers all around her. Arel tried to pick up on what was being said, but it all sounded like mumbling to her.

Then she smelled something quite foul and she sneezed.

The sneeze went out with such force that the darkness soon gave way to light. The golden glimmer vanished into a golden chandelier and the walls of darkness turned into the walls of a giant and almost-empty room. The whispers soon became the whispers of the people who sat in a line behind a long table in front of Arel.

The Council.

She eyed every single one as they eyed her in return. Most of them were old men with balding heads and old women with wrinkles on every part of their face, but there were a few who still had youth clinging to them and one particular member caught her eye.

A young man with long black hair. It was her brother, Elvin. He wasn't looking at her. His attention was fixated onto the tabletop as if it were the only thing to keep him from going insane. His eyes were unfocused and he seemed to be thinking deeply about something.

"Ahem"

The whispers ceased when an elderly man in the middle cleared his throat. He was wearing a long, golden robe and commanded the attention of everyone in the room.

Consul Bora.

"Arel Davies," he boomed in his deep voice. His voice bounced off the walls in the huge room amd gave out the feeling that he was sitting and speaking all around her, "You have been summoned into the Council to give us some information about your recent Surveying."

Arel nodded, scared. Her brother still hadn't looked up yet.

"Michaelis stated that he found you unconcious in a pool of contaminated water that, I quote, 'glowed blue around her, much like a sort of halo'. Is this true?"

"Yes, Consul Bora."

"Do you know the reason for this peculiar situation?"

"No, sir."

The Consul seemed to let out a sigh of relief, as did the other Council members. Elvin shifted uncomfortably in his seat, eyes still focused on the tabletop.

"That is all, thank you Miss Davies."

Arel nodded and a guard appeared from behind her and helped her up out of her seat.

She still heard the whispers of the Council members as she left the room.

"Does she know what she is?"

"Unnatural!"

"Not...human..."

The last whisper she heard sent a shock of cold shock and fear all through her body.

What....am I?