Static

INTRODUCTION AND CHAPTER ONE

I stare at her eyes now but she seems totally unaware of my attention. I stare at her eyes and I wonder what they've seen. What horrors she'd witnessed with those eyes. I think about her life before they brought her here, another subject we are forbidden to talk about, but I imagine it filled with happiness. I wish that I could see what her eyes have seen. So I could understand what she's feeling and help her out of the blackhole that claimed her so greedily. But I can't see anything in her eyes now. Just a vacant pool of stagnate grey water without a trace of light that comes with being an ordinary human like she used to be.

I shake myself out of my trance and linger there a moment longer.
"You have very pretty eyes." I say, my voice cracking as I tried to Rangel my emotions. When she doesn't respond I turn away, giving up, figuring that I shouldn't have wasted my time trying to breach the untouchable shell the monitors enveloped her in. So, I walk back the way I came. Just when I'm nearing the showers I hear a voice, so small, so quite, it was hardly even a whisper. But I hear what Ant says as clear and sharp as if she were right next to me.

"I have my mothers eyes."

The morning went by like it always does, slow and dreadful. It takes all the girls here ten minuets to change clothes, brush their teeth, and tie their hair back in ponytails. Then we adjust the covers on our beds, making sure there isn't a wrinkle in sight before standing at the foot of them, facing the girls on the other side. Sometimes we stand there, perfectly still and unmoving with our hands at our sides, for up to 30 minutes. Of course, we estimate that, there isn't a clock in our bunker but we know what time it is when the people we've been waiting for come to collect us, they always arrive at 6:00 sharp. The monitors are soldiers from the U.S. Army, or were to be exact. Now they work here, at the zone, training teenagers with our particular skill sets to be soldiers against our will.

There are two monitors for our bunker, bunker number 3. They knock once on the grey door opposite of the bathrooms and laundry room before barging in, gleaming black rifles slung over there shoulders. The first one to enter is Officer Jennings. She isn't necessarily kind but she isn't cruel. I favored her over the second monitor to enter. His name was Officer Connors and he was the closest thing to the devil I'd ever had the chance of meeting.
"Attention!" Barked Jennings. I stepped in unison with the rest of the girls so that my feet were close together and my arms straight and stif at my sides.

Both officers began walking between the beds, taking their time to inspect them along with the soldiers standing at the foot of each.
Connors was on the left this morning, they alternated every day for which officer should inspect which side. Unfortunately for me, my bed happens to reside on the left side of the bunker.
"Worm!" Connors snarled at the girl who's bed was just one away to my right meaning I would be next in the hot seat.
"Yes sir!" Worm shrieked, her brown eyes bulging with sudden rising fear.
"Did your mother ever teach you how to make your bed?" The question was a rhetorical one, it was meant to sting but not be answered. Worm balled up her fists at her sides and you could see her jaw move as she worked it back and forth.
"Yes sir!" Was all she squeaked out. Her voice had gone up at least half an octave. I could tell Connors was stirring up emotions Worm had fought to keep hidden when he mentioned her mother.

"Well then." He said, somewhat taken aback that she bothered to answer at all. But he brushed the initial shock off and returned his features to their normal state, the state of looking at us like we were trash and belonged outside in the cold January air, freezing to death.

"Why don't you do your mother proud then, and tuck in this corner! You filthy fowl creatures, you have no brain! You are worthless, insignificant, I could kill you right now and no one would feel your loss. Your life is meaningless, so tell me, why is it that I haven't taken it yet?" Connors didn't seem satisfied, like he hadn't fit enough insults in his words. So he struck her across the cheek with the back of his hand. She jerked her head towards me, brown eyes sporting tears that were threatening to spill over. She readjusted her self but her chin was slightly lower.