They Chose Me (Draft 1)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

                I followed Landon through the oversized gate and onto the deep gray paved road. It was like if someone took a pencil and dragged it as hard as they could in the middle of all these buildings. He turned left and touched a series of buttons on this keyboard protruding from the building’s wall.

                “Security,” he mutters.

                “At least it’s not a prison,” is all I say.

 The door slides open and reveals what looks like a doctor or a dentist waiting room; a desk in the corner of the room with someone sitting behind, chairs that line up against the wall and in between two there is a table with magazines. No windows, but in the corner of the room, diagonal from where I am standing, there is another door.

                “A minute please,” the man behind the desk says. A pair of glasses covers his eyes. His light brown hair is sticking up and wears a basic suit and on it reads a name tag of “Ted.”  He looks about forty.

                “I don’t know about that. I have Emma Roche with me right now. I’m sure Mary will want to speak with her a soon as possible.”

                “Everyone is sleeping. Gladly let out guest rest,” Ted argues back.

                “Yes, but something like this will catch her attention and…”

                My eyes start becoming tired of flicking back and forth between them with each of their comments. I want to sit down; however I feel like that would be too vulnerable of me, especially since I have no idea what they are talking about.

                “If I’m a bother and I can leave or something,” I say like it’s no big deal, but clearly me staying is.

                “No Emma, you must stay now,” Ted states.

                “So this is a prison,” I state.

                “Emma, please, just take a seat. Ted, just register her and set up her account. It is not much to ask particularly since a Roche is now within the encampment,” Landon says a little pleadingly. I don’t sit. Then I get those eyes that I always get when I am too stubborn. My dad always used to do that, but then we would laugh it off again. I feel my eyes start to burn as I hold back tears and obeying, sit down.

Landon and Ted talk below a whisper so I can only make out noises that sound like wind rustling through golden autumn leaves. I ask to use the bathroom, but they said in a minute, so I sit down again. I take my water out and drink while I play around with the magazines, picking one up to only read the title and then just throw it back down on the table, until one caught my eye. Stuck inside one of the older magazines, one from a few years ago, is a picture of my family; everyone, my mom, my dad, my sister, and me. I’m awed into silence as the world outside me carries on. My eyes take in every bit. I look back to the date of the magazine, and sure enough, the year is the same that the officers came into our building and took my mom and sister from me.