I walked into school on September first, ready for a regular, exciting first day back when, in reality, it wasn't any regular day. It was probably the farthest thing from regular. It was a day I'd never forget.
I was headed to the auditorium for the speech the principle always gave on the first day. The sun was shining, unlike my thoughts, and their weren't any clouds in the sky. It was perfect weather to run outside and lay on the grass, but I had places to be.
I turned the corner, and a tall boy with brown hair and emerald green eyes ran into me. We both fell to the floor, dropping our books everywhere. Considering he looked to be in twelve grade, I guess it didn't really matter that he was giving me the look he was giving me because I was twelve grade anyway.
"You're kinda cute." He complemented, giving me a grin. "I love that firey amber hair of yours. It's so long and straight. Is that natural? Actually, those piercing blue eyes are even more captivating. What's your number?"
"Umm, who are you? Why would I give you my number?" I responded.
"I'm strikingly good-looking. You should feel lucky that I'm going for you." The boy responded, smirking a disgusting smirk.
"No, I don't. I feel grossed out. Your face makes me wanna puke."
"Wow. Calm down." He said, putting his hands up as I collected my books. "My name's Dylan. What's yours?"
"Allaris. I'm pleased to be the first to reject you." I responded, standing to leave. "Hopefully, I won't be the last. I think you need a good awakening."
Dylan grabbed my wrist as I started walking away, stopping me. My body tensed at the sensation of being grabbed. The same sensation as that day. As I started recalling the day in my mind, a sharp voice startled me back.
"Don't touch her. She is clearly uncomfortable." Said a boy nearby.
His hair was a pale blue, natural it seamed, and his eyes were a soft grey. He looked to be twelve grade as well. He stepped closer to us and pulled my arms free. He stood in front of me in protection, and I couldn't help but dread this year. I just moved here from three states away, but I was dreading this school already. If every guy was stuck up, then I wouldn't enjoy it here.
"Thank you." I said, stepping back.
"Go to the assembly. I heard it's not like all the others. It's probably important, so run along now."
"Okay, stay safe." I said, giving Dylan one last glance of sympathy before running off.
"I'll see you later, and I'll have fun with it." Dylan said from the ground before I left hearing range.
"Stupid boys. They're all the same. They just want to impress a pretty girl." I muttered to myself as I entered the mysteriously quiet auditorium.
I sat in a chair in the far back, waiting for somebody to show up. The entire room was empty. Their wasn't a staff member or student in sight. I thought I might be early, so I decided to go back to my locker. I forgot to eat breakfast, so I might as well use this time for a granola bar.
Speaking of which, my mother had been acting strange this morning. She packed my school bag for me, so I didn't get to see what was inside. I wonder if she even packed me a granola bar.
I got to my locker and opened it about three minutes later. I grabbed my backpack and unzipped it, then grabbed the locker to stabilize myself.
"Mom! What the hell? Where's my school supplies!" I screamed, furious.
All my backpack had was a box of cereal, dozens of Ramen packets, five water bottles, a flashlight, extra batteries, and a blanket! Their was a box of granola bars, a container of spaghetti and meatballs, and hand warmers in front pocket, but their wasn't a pencil or notebook in sight! Why would I need any of this?
I started feeling even more dreadful, but this time, for a different reason. My mom had hugged me extra long this morning and told me she loved me, probably over fifty times. I started to have a feeling something was really wrong. My mom's instincts were never wrong. What was happening?
I checked my phone, and saw two messages. One was from my mom, and another was from an unknown number. The unknown number read...
Be safe. The youth of this generation are our only hope. This will sound ridiculous, but the sun has disappeared. We were given a secret code fifteen years ago that said we would lose our sun. It would be stolen by a band of theives from another universe because their planets were too cold. They would need it in fifteen years, and we needed to build a shelter to keep our young safe because they would take any child between the ages of fifteen and nineteen. These certain few would live on in their universe, safe and sound. They would steal the sun at 8:45 am, and it would take 8 minutes and 20 seconds for us to lose light and heat. They would come for the children exactly one week from that time, as long as they proved they could survive until then. Good luck.
This message was delivered two minutes ago. That means I only have about six minutes to get to the safe place our government had to build for us. But where is that? All the students hadn't been in the auditorium, so where was the safe house?
That's when I remembered my mom also texted me. I opened her message and gasped. It read...
My beautiful, strong, independent girl. Allaris. You must've heard by now. You must live on. The safe house is in the basement of your school. It was built fifteen years ago. Right after the message was sent that the sun would be lost, many people lost hope. The ones who didn't became determined to raise their children to be the best. Your father thought that the day he grabbed you and hurt you would be the day you became strong enough to live on. He became desperate because he loved you. I love you. Sweet baby girl, please, live on.
I checked the time. I only had two minutes to get down to the basement. This was no time for getting emotional. I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulders. I looked outside and couldn't believe this was happening. Everything looked completely normal.
I walked towards the basement, unsure if I was even going the right way, when somebody grabbed my shoulder. I turned and saw Dylan. He smiled, and I froze. His hand tightened on my shoulder.
"We need to go to the basement. That's this way." He said, pointing the opposite way with his free hand.
I was unsure but followed him anyway. I was turning eighteen in two days anyway, so I must be older than him. I'm probably stronger, too. If worse comes to worse, I can defend myself.
"I stayed back a grade, so I'm eighteen right now." Dylan said, as though reading my mind. "I was taught how to fight as a child. My parents warned me this would happen, although it was against the law to tell us."
"Oh. That's why my mom didn't tell me." I told myself out loud.
Dylan kept walking until we reached a door, but it wasn't a door to a basement. It was a door to a bedroom. A bedroom in a school.
"My mom's the principal, so when the school was built, she made a separate room for me when this day comes. She wanted me to be comfortable, and you could be comfortable with me. You will be my spouse, and you will be my wife. You will be the mother to my children, and this will be your luxury prison."
Dylan shuved me in the room, and I screamed, and then everything went dark. The sunlight stopped coming, so Dylan turned on the light. Only, how long would the electricity keep coming.
Dylan laid me on his bed and smiled greedily. My body locked up, and he climbed on top of me.
"Hello, baby." He said, and got to work taking off my clothes.