Karissa Part 2

I wake up yet again. My head is pounding and my vision is blurry. The lights are dim, but it feels like I'm being blinded. Finally, my eyes adjust and I look around at my surroundings. I'm in a giant room painted all black, with a single light hanging in the middle. There are four speakers in each of the corners of the room, also in the color black. Eleven other kids lay in other spots of the room. Most are waking up, looking as confused as I felt. Others were already awake and still, others lay sleeping.

Once everyone was awake, a deep voice spoke through the speakers.

"Hello," it said. "I hope you feel welcomed in your new home."

New home? What?

Some of the other kids were murmuring and shouting yells of protests.

The voice didn't pause or wait for them to quiet. "I will introduce you all to each other. Ares. Male. Age 14. Zodiac, Aries. Ironic, huh?"

I didn't notice until now, but we're all wearing a shirt with zodiac signs on them. Ours, I believe. I know little about star signs, but I know what they look like. In the corner stood a boy with the Aries sign on his shirt.

He has tan skin and dark hair. Contrasting this, he has bright green eyes that have a yellow tint. His hair is long and curly. He looks taller and leaner than me.

The voice continues. "Becky. Female. Age 15. Zodiac, Taurus. You should read her file while you're living here."

The girl sitting next to me. She has a more stern expression compared to Ares' but softer facial features. Not surprisingly, she is wearing the Taurus's sign.

She has bright blue eyes. Her blonde hair has streaks of lavender purple and cobalt blue.

"Lawrence. Male. Age 15. Zodiac, Gemini. Be careful with him. He's two-faced like all Gemini are."

He wore the Gemini sign on his shirt.

He has grey eyes and dyed blue hair. His hair is shaggy and constantly in front of his face, covering his eyes. His skin is tanned and he's taller than Ares.

"Melanie. Female. Age 16. Zodiac, Cancer. She'll call for mommy if you hurt her feelings."

She has pale blue-dyed hair that makes her grey eyes seem bluer. She has light skin and freckles across her nose. Like Lawrence, she has sharp facial features but her jaw is more delicate-like compared to his.

"Zach. Male. Age 17. Zodiac, Leo."

He has light blonde hair and striking, icy blue eyes that pierce the air that his gaze lands on. He seems to radiate confidence.

"Vanellope. Female. Age 18. Zodiac, Virgo."

Vanellope has dark brown eyes that seem almost black. They match perfectly with her dark hair and complexion. Like Melanie, she has freckles but they're darker.

"Alison. Female. Age 14. Zodiac, Libra."

Alison also has brown eyes but instead of dark hair, her's is red. I wonder if it's dyed or natural? Her skin is light and she has orange freckles spread across her cheeks, nose, and forehead.

"Karissa. Female. Age 17. Zodiac, Scorpio."

My name. My age. My zodiac. How does this person know all these things about us? Do I know them? Why am I here?

"Justin. Male. Age 18. Zodiac, Sagittarius."

Wait, I know that name. Justin. We used to date back in our sophomore year before I found out he had been cheating on me the entire time. It was a young girl, she was still in middle school. Diane, I think her name was.

"Cameron. Male. Age 14. Zodiac, Capricorn."

Cameron has light chocolate brown eyes. His skin is light, just a bit tan. He has dark curly hair and even more freckles than Alison does.

"Aiden. Male. Age 16. Zodiac, Aquarius."

Aiden is about the same height as I am. He has black hair and green eyes concealed slightly by thick brimmed glasses. They're a bit big on him and he has to push them up his nose every once in awhile.

"And finally, Delilah. Female. Age 15. Zodiac, Pisces."

Ah, that's who Justin was with when he cheated on me.

"You are all here for a reason. That reason, however, I will not tell you. But you are all connected, you all have something in common. Something you did that hurt people," the voice says.