Decay

Chapter 1

"I would like to dedicate this book to my dear friend kayla who told me to kill off the cat!"

Skyler:

My feet crunch in the hardened snow as I walk home from another long day of school. I feel the familiar buzz of my phone in my pocket, its probably Cole, I ignore it. I push a blond strand of hair away from my face as I admire the sky. Ever since I was little the sky always seemed amazing to me, so big and mysterious. Maybe it's my name Skyler. Suddenly the sky starts to fall, and I have barely enough time to duck before the fire hits me. The world goes black. I try to open my eyes but it's too blurry, I can only make out figures running for their lives.

I wake up in what appears to be a hospital, except the walls are complete concrete, around me are things that look like people, sound like people, but are too bloody to see. I wonder about my own appearance, the pain in my lower back suggests that I've been through hell and back. "Good, you are awake!" a woman talks to me is a cold voice, she seems to be in her early forties with light brown hair streaked with grey and icy blue eyes that are so cold it gives me the shivers. I manage to mutter the words "Why am I here?" I must have said it louder than I thought because everyone is looking directly at me. "That is to be explained later, let's just say you were chosen over many others." I just glare at her for a second. "Where is my family?" I say trying to sound bitter. "If you want to live its best you not ask any more questions." I regain a bit of my memory, my name is Skyler, I am 14 years old, I have a pet dog named Bruno and a little brother named Jordan. The woman standing in front of me is named Mrs. North. There is a sound and I hear a muffled voice that sounds like its coming out of the woman's ear phone The subject has regained a small amount of her memory, more will be regained later, she is able to communicate, and is aware of her surroundings. The woman writes something down in her book, "We are ready to go!" she unhooks something from my head and then my arm and tells me to stand. I follow her orders surprisingly it's easy to stand. As she leads me out of the room and I get my chance to have a real look around the room everyone seems so bloody and broken, what happened?

The woman leads me out of the room into a small hallway, my head full of questions, how did I get here?What is my purpose?Where is my family? Who is this woman to think she can control me. Suddenly I am faced with two black doors which seem to be very heavy. This strange women opens it, almost effortlessly. Behind the two doors is big room full of people; all wear the same white uniform as me. The smell of food tickles my nose, it smells so good, I can almost taste it. It feels so long since I last ate, although I have no idea how long its been. The woman is saying something to me but I am barely listening to her, my eyes are focused on the boy who seems to be staring directly at me. Do I know him? I feel like I give him a small smile. "What are you smiling at? Are you even listening? Just take this sheet and read it, find somewhere to sit the food will be out in a minute or so." I sit at the closets table that's empty and start to read.

You have been chosen to be one of the survivors; you are to be trained to fight. You are to be given a room and schedule. Your room is room 675. You are to report to every meal on time or there will be serious consequences.

Consequences, before I can even imagine what those consequences might be the food pops up in front of me. It appears to be a weird shaped noodle covered in cheese. I examine it for about a minute before realizing its completely pointless since I'm starving. I pick up a fork. I eat carefully, I feel like everyone is staring at me. After I finish I finally get a chance to get a real look around the room; concrete like the other room, there are about thirty or so desk like tables like the one I'm sitting in. Some are turned and some are facing forward like mine. Then my eyes me those of that boy, they are dark blue, his hair black like raven feathers. A stern voice comes on the intercom All subjects are to report to the training room immediately! Everyone in the room quickly gets up, I follow along trying not to look confused. We are lead to a hallway with four doors; they swish open with a loud ding. Somehow we split up and I end up in a room with a small table and potted plant, starts to move which startles me. I scan this strange moving room for the boy from the cafeteria. The ride in the moving room is short and we are rushed into a big room filled with various gym equipment and weapons. A man stands in front of us, he looks almost identical to the army generals you see on cartoons, those of which I only have a vague memory of. He wastes no time "You have been chosen to live because we believe you may be of use to us; don't make us regret our choice! You will be assigned stations; some of you will be chosen to fight the rebels, while other may be chosen to be the faces of the beginning." His voice stern, yet kinder then the woman that I first met. "You are to line up in accordance to age. Age 13 stand in section 1, age 14 stand in section 2, age 15 stand in section 3, and finally age 16 stand in section 4." I follow the other 15 year olds to section 2. Once everyone's in their sections the man continues "You test results we be passed out, your names will be called out, where you will be lead to a room and told your stations." Funny I don't remember taking a test.

I stand for about 20 minutes until my name is called; a short quirky looking woman leads me into a light green room with a desk in the middle. Sitting at the desk is a man with grey hair and grey eyes to match. "Skyler, I can tell by looking at you that you are not like the others, your eyes are magnificent my dear, emerald green!" he says in a kind and shaky voice. " I am to make you into a star," My heart starts pounding again. "However, you ou also tested solider due to your strong physic. It is your choice!" My choice, do I want to die a hero or live and be made famous. Famous, I've always wanted to be famous, I....I don't know," I mumble. "What was that dear?" "I need more time" I say, louder this time. The mans face changes, it is hard to read, it looks to be a mixture of fear and anger. "You must chose, or else we will have to put certain measures in place." Again with these consequences. Am I really someone people can look up to. "I guess I'll choose the uh famous one. The man mutters something under his breath and then says loudly. "Sign here please." After I sign the sheet I am escorted out of the room, the short woman leads me to the elevators, during which a very cold silence endures. I hear the ding and I am very grateful to be able to leave. She leads me down a hallway with about 20 doors all with numbers on them, 671, 673, 675. "This is your room, and here is your key!" The woman says handing me a small card as I open the door. I'm met with a small bed, a closet, a very small bookshelf with one small book placed on it and a small door leading to a bathroom. I sit on the bed, the blanket is silky and soft. His name is Cole, when they called him they called him Cole. I can only hope that he and I are in the same section. He must be, handsome with that hair of his. He's celebrity material. Celebrity material, how am I celebrity material? I walk into the bathroom and look at the small mirror. I see a girl, tall, with dirty blond hair draped over her shoulders, and green eyes that stare back at me. As if automatic I find myself walking out of the bathroom and am draw to that strange book. I flip through it. It has a strange title; "To kill a mockingbird. " On the first page there is something written is pen.

Dear Skyler,

I know this is all very confusing, I also know that you are brainwashed. You think what you are doing is good. But trust me it is very wrong. I have managed to sneak this in because I know you are stronger than this. Stronger than them, all of them. Strong enough to break this, strong enough to know who you are, to know us you're family. I am your older brother, and you have a sister. We love you please remember us.

Fraizer

With a small squeak sound I throw the book away from me. This is utoo much I need to sleep. The sheet though soft feel like needles. And then I just sleep.

I wake up to a small chiming sound, the room changed while I was asleep there is a table besides my bed with a schedule on it and the book is now missing. There is a clock in the right corner that reads 0:750. I pick up the schedule, its light like a feather, with words printed in thick black ink. I touch the crisp corners, and trace my fingers on the words, it seems like it has been a while since I've even written anything. Of course there is no way of knowing. I search for the numbers 0:750. It is the first thing on the list: 0:750- Mandatory wake up, 0:800- Morning feeding, Morning feedings? 0:900-Building tour 0:1800-Night feeding 0:1900- free time 0:2200- Bed time. Before I can even react the intercom cuts in all subject head to room 105 for morning feeding. I open my door and head towards the elevators, I am in an endless cloud if people heading in an unknown direction to nowhere in particular, like clouds on the wind with no idea who we are or where we are going. Cole catches my eye, his blue eyes sink deep into my heart and I have a strange feeling that I know him from somewhere far away from here, a completely different planet. My heart is beating in my chest fast and hard, my palms are sweating, cold shiver cover my entire body. Suddenly I wonder things about him I've never wondered, what is his assignment? Does he feel the same about me? How can I have such strong feelings for someone I don't even know?