Legends ➸ Ben Parish

02

    I COULD HEAR THE front door slam shut. I stood up, careful not to make a sound.
I accidentally kicked a small box as I made my way to the door. Shit. I prayed that whoever or whatever was here hadn't heard it.
Praying has never worked for me anyway.
Within seconds someone banging on the bedroom door. They yelled as if raising their voice would make me open the door. I stayed quiet.
It's a silencer. I silently panicked. I searched the room for something to defend myself with, but I quickly remembered that it'd be suicide to attack a silencer.
     Silencers would take on a human form. It was the 4th wave. They eliminated the little trust we had left by luring us in with their sob stories and killing us off.
     I opened the window and hopped out. Hitting the ground screwed up my ankle, but I had to keep going. The gashes on my face from earlier began to sting as I ran alongside a creek.
     I only felt pain, but I knew I'd feel a whole lot more if I stopped running.
     A scream came from the cabin. It was a silencer. Someone else must've needed a place to stay. At least it wasn't me.
     The waves caused me to become even more selfish, but what's the point in getting yourself killed for someone you don't know.
     As I approached an old highway, I heard rumbling just around the corner. I watched as a school bus passed.
Didn't the cars stopped working during the 1st wave? I made my way to the edge of the road when a second bus rounded the corner. They saw me before I had the chance to hide. The bus stopped and a man dressed in a military uniform stepped out.
     "Miss?" he asked.
     I stared. I had to figure out a way to escape. I knew all about these buses. They picked up kids and got them to fight against the 'infected'.
     Two more officials stepped out.
     "Miss come with us." The first official told me as he stepped toward me.
I backed up. I looked behind me, expecting to see an escape route, but the first bus was blocking my path.
     The other two soldiers grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me into the bus. Soon enough I was sitting down in the back of the bus, cursing at the driver. I nearly forgot kids around the age of six were sitting next to me.
     That's when they had to sedate me.

     Cars slammed into each other outside of the window. A moment ago the lights had gone out and now everything stopped working.
     "My phone isn't turning on." I stated.
     "Neither is mine." Cassie turned to face me.
    Suddenly, a plane fell through the air and crashed in the trees on the other side of the street as I stared in disbelief.
     My history teacher ushered the class into the gym with everyone else. I quickly met up with Parish.
     "What's going on?" I asked him.
     "I don't know. I think it has to do with that ship though." he responded.
     He hugged me. I swore I could see Cassie watching us as she left with her dad. 
     "Skylar Greene!" the principal called out.
"See you later, hot stuff." I joked for what I hoped wouldn't be the last time.
He smiled, wrapping his arms around me for one last embrace.
That was the last time I saw Ben Parish.

"Wake up." A younger girl shook me, "We're here."
"Thanks." I got up and out of the bus, making sure to glare at the driver.
As we stepped out we were given dog tags with a number on them.
"Stand in the red circle until your number is called." he said to everyone that stepped out of the bus.
I looked at my tag. A bold 430 was etched into it.
"428!" a pale woman yelled over the murmurs from the kids in the circle.
A red haired boy stepped out and followed the woman.
Ten minutes later the woman returned and called for 429.
I'm next. I looked to the kids standing beside me. They looked terrified, but I was more angry than anything else.
Once again the woman returned, "430!" She nearly shouted this time.
I stepped forward and followed her into a bright white room.
"Hello." she greeted.
I glared at her as she circled around me like a shark waiting for the perfect moment to attack.
"Hello." I replied.
     "Would you mind telling me your name?" She asked.
"I would mind." I responded.
She sighed, obviously annoyed with my defiance.
I watched as she moved toward a table holding several strange machines.
"What's that?" I questioned.
"They call it Wonderland." She admired it. "The teds use it to infiltrate our ranks, but we've been using it to map new recruits. It helps us answer the questions recruits either can't or refuse to answer."
     She placed something near my temple and stepped back.
     "This shouldn't hurt." She told me.
     "Shouldn't?" I attempted to take it off, but the woman pressed a button and everything faded to black.

     I was sitting in the back seat of a car. I tried to stand up, but soon realized that I was strapped into a car seat.
     "Look who's awake." A woman, my mother, turned to look at me from the passengers seat.
     "Hungry." The word escaped before I could even think.
     From the sound of my voice, I was around five.
  
     That was my first road trip with my parents.
     The scene changed just as quickly as it had before.

"What's your name?" A familiar voice asked from behind me.
     "Skylar." I smiled as I turned around.
     "I'm Ben." He held out his hand for me to take.

     These were my memories.

Now I was standing in the gym. The main lights were off, but small spotlights lit up the floor.
"You look great." Ben smiled.
I looked down. I was wearing a short red dress.
"You don't look too bad yourself." I returned the grin.
Ben held out his hand.
This was my first school dance.

More memories flashed through my mind, but I focused on a few in particular.
I was forced to relive the moments when my family was taken from me.

The woman was standing over me when I finally woke up.
"Stay still." She ordered before bringing a small machine to the back of my neck. She pressed a button, causing a prick of pain followed by the feeling of something lingering just beneath my skin. Instinctively, my hand shot to where the machine was just a moment ago.
"What was that?" I questioned.
"A tracker. Can't be losing any of you kids. You're our only hope." She answered blankly. She handed me a sheet of paper. "Welcome to the fight, Private Ghost. You're part of Squad 53."
They really do draft kids. I realized in horror. And I've just been drafted.
     I took one look at the paper and threw it away. It listed the rules of 'Camp Haven'.
      The woman who later introduced herself as Reznik brought me to another building filled with bunk beds and other soldiers.
     "53!" She yelled, causing the soldiers to line up in front of her, "Meet your newest member." She motioned for me to introduce myself.
     "I'm Sk- Ghost. I'm Private Ghost." I forced a smile, scanning the faces of my new squad mates.
     "Skylar?" A familiar voice asked from behind a bunk.
     "You're out of line, Zombie." Reznik growled.
     He stepped out from behind the bed. His messy hair was even messier than before, and the dark circles under his eyes looked almost like bruises.
     "Ben?" I questioned.

EDITED

Yes I know Reznik is a guy in the book, but I figured most of the 'military officials' were guys, so I just used the movie version, who is a girl.

Anyway I hope you enjoy LEGENDS so far! Make sure to vote and comment what you think so far!