I walk at the edge of a pit of colors, with the drop to my right. I feel lost, unwelcome in my own subconscious mind. I desperately look around for the bird, but even it had flown away. Suddenly I see 12 walking toward me, I run forward to embrace her but just as we are about to touch, she disappears, and the vision in my right eye disappears with an explosion of pain. Unable to see, I stumble off the cliff. I look down expecting to see the ocean of colors, but it is gone. I am falling face forward into the concrete. I wake up upon impact screaming into the darkness of my station. Quickly, I dash to the door and yank it open welcoming a burst of comforting cold. Faint light escapes from the moon which is visible as a smear of light in the grey smoggy sky. I've seen textbook pictures of the moon from a thousand years ago when people could see it clearly. You could see its shape change through the month and if you looked closely enough, your eyes would be able to just make out the far away indentations of craters. It was beautiful, shining white against the darkness surrounded by stars. But now all you see is a faint glimmer of white light and the stars are gone, swallowed by the smog. Now the moon is all alone.
I walk through the hallway briskly avoiding eye contact. I have no interest in seeing all of the stupid still living pawns Four could have teamed up with instead of 12. Yes, I know that is despicable of me. No, I do not care. As I near Bump Nose's room I am stopped by a hand on my arm. I turn around to see 14′s worried green eyes. Class is about to start and the hallway is empty, in a grief stricken act of stupidity I wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his chest. He seems confused for a moment before he starts to politely tap my back. I begin to realize what a stupid mistake I have made, when he gives up and wraps strong arms around me. He pulls me into him close and tight, slightly lifting my heels off the floor. Gently he rests his head on mine in a silent gesture. He smells like safety and curiosity and memories from a time when I was too young to remember. I look over at his hand to see a jagged red mark where my teeth broke his skin. I gently reach for his hand and run my finger along the mark. "Thank you," I whisper, "for everything."
We both begin to awkwardly walk into the classroom, the only two seats not accounted for. Well not the only two, I think sadly as my eyes search around to see 12′s empty spot. Yet it's not empty, 12 is there sitting at her desk, her neck without a single scratch. For a moment I anxiously look around to make sure I'm not imagining things. Yet it is not just me who sees her, all eyes are transfixed on 12, the lone survivor. My eyes begin to fill with tears, real big beautiful tears of joy, the kind that I didn't think really existed. Never in my life have I been so relieved. I shoot her a look of utter awe. She returns it with a small smile coupled with joyful, yet scared eyes, threatening tears. She mouths the words, "tell you later." I nod quickly and sit down before Bump Nose can chastise me for lateness.
As soon as class finishes I pull 12 out the door, down the stairs and outside to where everyone else getting ready to run. I pull her in for a quick inconspicuous hug before asking her to tell me everything. She takes a shaky breath and begins, "We were just lying there in the dark bleeding out for what felt like hours. It must have only been minutes though, for me to survive. Then a government official came around with these huge plastic bags that said Bio Hazard and began collecting the bodies; if you were still alive all they would do is put you in head first and close the seal immediately.
I was the last one, but when he got to me he stopped because his wrist port began to beep and flash red. A voice came out saying "Title 12, test subject 9, needs to remain alive and in circulation for the study of beneficial cerebral growth abnormalities, Sector: Utopia Genetics, Subsection: Intelligence, Individualization: Arithmetic Processing." He gave me a injection that knocked me out. I woke completely healed in my station with all my homework done perfectly."
