Risen From The Ashes

V) The Observer

Slowly, Alyssa took one tentative step after another, careful not to let the burning pools of rock below her feet ruin her brand new Gladiator sandals.

Alyssa was unsure of how much time she'd spent in the volcano, but was sure that she didn't like it. There were no salons or shops, so of course she didn't like it.

A door to her left caught her eye. It was slightly ajar, as if someone had forgot to close it properly in their hurry. There was a keypad on the wall which had a green light flashing in the corner. Curious, she stepped towards it and listened. No obvious sign of occupation greeted her and she pushed the rest of the door open carefully. She was positive there wasn't anybody there and stepped across the threshold, unaware of the red light which started flashing above her head.

The room wasn't large, but a table with ten straight-backed seats took up most of the space. One whole wall was filled with screens showing different things; ugly, terrifying grey... monsters and pictures of barren wastelands, of bodies under solidified ash. A huge map covered the table, red dots and lines in some sort of pattern. There were smaller maps over another wall, all similair, of what looked like a base labelled and drawn over many times. It looked like a war was being fought.

A television screen grabbed her attention and she side stepped over to it, reaching down to switch it on. Suddenly, her nail snapped, falling to the ground and evaporating in the lava through the cracks in the floor. She reached to try and retrieve it and jerked her hand back as the molten lava burned her finger, forming a tiny red blister beside where her nail had been, a cruel reminder.

These stupid creatures, she thought, bitterly.

Her chipped nail looked totally out of place and ruined her look. Angered, she tore off the rest of her nails and threw them into the fiery depths.

Soon after her rash actions fueled by anger, she immediately began to regret what she'd done and leaned down on one of the walls, consequently tearing what seemed to be photographs and newspaper clippings as she went.

Alyssa didn't notice at first as she was too engrossed in looking at her atrocious nails, however, she soon saw a familiar shade of blonde hair pop in the corner of her eye. She picked up a fragment of a photograph, which was torn right in the middle, but Alyssa didn't need much of the image to realise it was her in the photograph.

She gasped slightly as she doubled checked each inch of the fragment, not quite trusting her own judgement. The girl had gentle blonde hair which tumbled to the middle of her back in gentle waves and bluey-green eyes that looked like plants in the ocean. The girl looked proud and happy as she chatted away on her iPhone, not caring that people were staring.

Alyssa didn't need to check a third time as she was sure it was her.

She threw the photograph away from her, but it curled in the air and landed right by her knee. Alyssa tried to ignore it as best she could, but she couldn't help but wonder why. It was safe to say that Alyssa was very confused, and very scared.

''Hey!''

Alyssa squeaked as she jumped at the sound of the fierce voice echoing in the room.

''What are you doing in here?''

Alyssa recongised the young woman standing in the doorway almost immediately as the woman who had brought her here, to this place. She called herself Toa, yet Alyssa knew there was something more. She could see it behind Toa's glowing eyes, though she wasn't sure what it was.

''I... er...'' Alyssa tried to explain, but no words would form.

Toa's voice cracked like a whip ''Well get out! You're supposed to be in the orientation!''