Xenophobe

Chapter one

The smell. Yes definitely the smell, that’s what’s wrong with the room.
I’ve been pretending to be asleep for the past half hour maybe trying to figure out what was off, I’ve just been too afraid to open my eyes.
I was used to the smell of gas from the roadway. This place smelled like a hospital and I wasn’t used to having a bed. Lemon air freshener poorly covering up the smell of powerful disinfectant, it was a sickening scent.
Now the reason I have been pretending to sleep is because two reasons. One I have absolutely no clue where the hell I am and two, I could feel multiple eyes probing my back intensely. Suddenly a booming voice came on over an intercom I didn't know existed, making me jump which I scolded myself for “SUBJECT: 05, NAME: CASSIE LANEBROOK HAS BEEN AWAKE SINCE 6:15. END OF MESSAGE”
Well shit.
Might as well get up now.
Slowly I swung my legs to the cold floor, reluctantly sitting up still keeping my eyes closed. Standing up, my hip creaked painfully, I locked my leg and twisted sharply, hearing and feeling a sharp pop. Couldn't have that hindering me if I needed to run. Finally I opened my eyes and cautiously looked around. I locked onto a mirror, searching intensely for something wrong with my face. But I could see no signs of a struggle at the moment I could only see my wide, ice blue eyes looking a bit droopy with my groggy feeling wearing off-
Oh..wait. My hair.
Whoever brought me to this place cut off a good eight inches of hair. They weren't to into making it look good either. My dark brown hair was cut close to my head, sticking out in every direction.
I needed a haircut anyways
A sound hit my ears, just a murmur but I snapped my head towards the source, my nerves more than frazzled. What I saw wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Through a small window in my door I saw two faces crammed together trying to get a look at me.
At least I wasn't wrong. I mean I was expecting eyes but not...teenagers?
Both eyes were green, one emerald, the other jade. The emerald pair belonged to a freckled, pale boy with a shock of flame red hair. I caught his eyes and he smiled sheepishly at me and said to the jade eyes in a soft voice “Told you she was awake”
Jade eyes looked up at him and frowned, I could only see half the face but I could tell it was a girl with mousy brown hair pulled back in a pony tail. She was also rather pale but not as bad as the taller boy, her voice was music like “Yea whatever. You want a cookie?”
His eyes widened “Hell yea! Haven't had one in forever”
I was frozen. Scared I frantically searched for my switch.
My...my switch...where is it? I cant find it. Why can't I find it? Oh no, no, no, no. That can't be right.
I swear I could feel my mental capacity for all this overloading my nerves and finally bending them too far. Practically hearing my nerves snap I’d finally lost my cool.
I found myself flinging myself over the small bed and towards the door with a animalistic need to get out. The eyes widened with surprise. Reaching the door I ripped it open and lunged out, fast enough to not give the two people behind it enough time to get out of my way. While i'm not tall nor muscular in any way I packed a punch. In this desperate, animal moment I used it. Slamming into the two kids. I knocked the boy to the floor, the small girl stumbled backwards, knocking into another boy who I didn't see before. I was shaking with adrenaline as I desperately looked around for exit, trying to move past the circle of new people but finding myself trapped. The lights were blinding making me blink. The redhead stood up wincing slightly “Ooow. What was that for?”
     The girl now “Hey? You ok?”
     Then she reached for me. I felt a spasm in my chest and I lashed out twisting her arm. She yelped, her face becoming a mask of pain. The redhead shouted and grabbed my arm, I only tightened my grip. Suddenly the new boy yelled “Enough!” we all looked up. I let go and drew myself back, arms up, eyes wide. Scowling at me, nursing her arm, the jade eyed girl backed away, the redhead stood in place looking worried, more over me than the girl. I locked eyes with the new one, I found myself baring my teeth as a warning. His gaze drifted over me. I let my eyes drift over him, sizing him up. Thick, wavy black hair dropped down to his deep set, russet brown eyes. His mouth was pressed into a frown, but they were full and pink. With a strong jaw clenched and an equally strong nose flaring with a heavy breath, he looked like a gladiator. He was muscular but not ripped. Just enough to be noticed.
His voice struck my ears. It was husky. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”
A cold defiance surged through me, I just stared into his eyes, straightening myself. The air grew tense
I heard a click, then a yawn. A small voice drifted to me
“Whats all the noise huh? Is nap time over?” reluctantly I glanced at the new voice. The source was just a small boy. Looking less than seven years old in a big tee shirt down to his knees, he stood down the hall some ways. A puzzled look passed over his baby-like features as his tired eyes finally landed on me.
     “Someone new?”
The redhead spoke up “Yeah. She's a scrapper too”
With a wisdom no child should have the boy said “Waking up in an unknown place, missing something you're born with can do that to you”
I saw the realization click in the jade eyed girls face and the redhead.
Again the child spoke “Have you introduced yourself? Or just ogle at her”
Looking a bit embarrassed the redhead turned back to me
“I...i’m sorry, i’m Jack”
I could only nod at him as the girl spoke up, her voice still sounding musical although more annoyed
“Angel”
The child must have saw that I was still terrified and confused for he walked up to me, his little feet shuffling across the plush carpet. Only up to my waist he looked up at me with clear, sky blue eyes he said “I'm Harlan, the tall, dark and brooding is Roman”
Huh. Roman. Goes with his looks
     Jack, Angel, Harlan and Roman. At least I knew one thing.
I opened my mouth to speak but I could only croak. I sucked in a breath as I felt a heat wave rush up my body and my head became light. I found myself swaying and my hearing become muffled.
Jack looked concerned “Hey, you ok?”
That was the last thing I heard for a while.