Levels

Laying on my bed, covering myself with the blanket is like using a piece of glass to shield from a bullet coming in like a rocket, with its mission to kill. I felt vulnerable here, don't know why but I do. I could feel it, resonating in my being, like a spirit, haunting the very room they've been killed. With this lingering feeling in my gut, I couldn't fall asleep, couldn't even stay awake without being nagged by this presence. From laying on my side facing the black walls of our room, gently turning to my back, Nessa is also laying on her bed, sleeping I guess, she snores when she sleeps. First thing I noticed about her. Then I got off the bed and entered the bathroom, just a plain toilet, a small sink, and a mirror, then a shower at the end of the room. Opening the faucet, cupping cold running water was a refresher, like an oasis in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Splashing my face 2 more times before drying with the bottom of my shirt, all wrinkled and dirty, still haven't gotten a chance to take a shower since the invasion a couple of days ago. Back in the wild, I could do whatever I wanted, I took baths in the lakes, maybe if I was feeling fancy, hike up the Minx mountains and take a shower on the falls sitting above. I need to calm down, there must be an explanation for this. Are they the once going crazy or is it me? I could still recall the scenarios playing right in front of me, like a favorite film of a person, reliving every scenario in a movie by heart.

Taking my clothes off, starting from the shirt, sliding of the muscles that I've worked hard to get, scars still present from past incidents, patches of discolored skin dotting my back as I look at my reflection, reminds me of the craters on the surface of the Moon, how the shadows rest on them, making them appear darker but yet still the same material, just slightly alters by time. Dropping my shorts and underwear on the same pile, got on the shower, and turn it on. Slightly twitched from the cold, but nothing new, ever since my mother died, the only thing that I longed for was her gentle arms, lovingly engulfing me, the only thing that could make me feel warm, but wither dead, the icy cold never bothers me, I am used to it by now, with every breezing night, you'll eventually be immune.

As time goes by, water starts to warm, releasing my tensing muscles from their never-ending hold, relaxing my body. Humming to the sweet old lullaby sang by my mother, hoping to bring back her sweet smile as she watches me fall asleep all too well, without even having to worry about tomorrow's life.

Stepping out of the shower, without a towel to be seen, butt naked, walked out the bathroom, trying to be as stealthy as possible, not to wake them up just to see me like this. Opening the wardrobe in the middle of both bunk beds, there were four hanging outfits, once I've seen some children wore earlier on the lecture. 'must be uniforms then', grabbing a pair and going back into the bathroom, thank God there's underwear inside the side pockets, wouldn't want to show off a dick print anytime soon, quickly putting on the underwear and zipping the pants and the shirt to complete the set. Looking at the mirror, smiling. I usually never see myself this clear and well-groomed, before stagnant lakes are the mirrors of nature that I use. Going back out, looking at the clock hanging above the door, '12:45' shaking the bed, "Theo, wake up, it is quarter to one, better be ready." I whispered not wanting to wake Nessa up. He stirred for a brief second before opening his eyes, rubbing them to clear out the grogginess.

"Thanks," jumps from the bed with a thud and goes to the bathroom after patting my back. He steps out looking fresh as he opens the wardrobe and grabs a set of uniforms like mine and changes directly right in front of me. Taken aback, I looked away, no to be rude, and stared at the wall instead. "You wanna come along?" he suggests as he zips his shirt up, not knowing what to do anyway, nods, and follows him outside locking the door behind us.

"Where are we going exactly?" I asked, walking beside him, "Going to Area I, I still need to do a test before our finals." He answered briefly. "Finals? Why do you mean?" 'why in the hell are we going to have tests?'

"Man, you didn't participate in lessons didn't you? Well, you see there are 4 Areas right? And we are in Area IV, which means we are nearing full level, Area I is for beginners, levels 1 to 4, after completing the tasks there you get transferred to Area II and then again to Area III and lastly Area IV where we become the max level of 15, then we take the final task and then be officially called Shifters. I assumed you knew this by now, how did you even move on to Area IV if you don't know any of this?" he looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know," I say dumbly, I was dumbfounded.

"Well you better catch up on tasks and lessons, we're finishing all of this in a month or so." He walks into a walled-off section right across from Area IV, with a sign placed above 'Area I'.

I gulped down my saliva as I stepped into going after him.