Memory

It was a cold morning. Winter, I remembered as I pulled on my black coat and grabbed my scissors from the bedside drawer for my ceremonial haircut.

Everyone else was getting ready as well, Poppy, as we called her let her wild red hair fall down to her back, her black coat thicker and had more fur than the rest of ours.

The perks of being favored by one of the most powerful scientists in the lab.

As usual, our remaining roommates, Taye and Vickie looked on at the green-eyed girl with envy in their own eyes.

She smiled when she noticed it, just like she always fir every morning, basking in the glory that was the envious looks she got from everyone.

All but me.

The second our eyes met, that triumphant smile of hers faded away and was replaced with a sneer and she did all of her buttons without breaking eye contact.

Poopy…Poppy considered me a rival, in both beauty and favor of the men in white coats but what she didn't realize was the fact that she wasn't anywhere near me or my standards.

She was a child compared to me and it would take her at least three lifetimes to reach where I was standing not to talk of considering herself my rival.

I was just that good and they were all that inferior.

The girls would wait for some drama to occur between us every morning but I end up disappointing them by showing that I have more better and reasonable things to do with my time.

I walked into our shared bathroom which was a few rooms away from our assigned bedroom.

Opened my locker and brought out my towel and my white dress for Thursday.

They didn't let us wear anything else.

The white dresses were made of silk, the only comfortable thing in the whole orphanage, they had long sleeves that reached our wrists and the hems went down to our ankles. We all had one for each day of the week, they were washed every day and replaced with or without our knowledge.

Sometimes we looked like ghosts, the type I saw on the random videos the receptionist watched.

I took off my coat and my Wednesday dress, got naked, and walked right under the already running cold shower.

Cold because we were given nothing else, not even in the coldest winters. Hot water was like a reward system in these parts and for someone like me who could do everything the sisters wanted but not in the way that appealed to them, it was also a rare occurrence for me.

After my shower and spending extra seconds under the shower trying to get the smell of the brown soap off my skin, I dried myself off and put on the slightly better-smelling thin lotion that was left in our lockers.

I put on my dress and then my coat, and only after that did the other girls start flocking in.

Unlike me, they preferred to spend their only free two hours of the day, getting together and talking about shit they'll never get to see in their lifetimes.

I think it's already clear who is going to get the gift inside us, and none of them were on the waiting list.

They enjoyed living in blissful denial though, and that was okay.

As long as it didn't affect my goal of getting out of this place and fulfilling a purpose that was given to me right from birth.

That was my only reason for getting out of bed every morning.

I walked straight to the assembly hall, passing by the dilapidated hallways that I knew would never be fixed or renovated in this lifetime.

I passed by the receptionist, it was a new one again.

This time a young man with a head full of shaggy brown hair.

I wondered what happened to the blond who had been here for over three months as I watched the young man nod at me, his brown eyes shining with attraction. I walked past him while maintaining eye contact, I managed to catch sight of his displeased frown before I disappeared from his sight.

I don't flirt.

I am not Poppy or some of the other girls who liked to think that making friends with the people around would get them anywhere in this journey we all embarked on.

It was cute.

I sat down on one of the provided chairs, the one at the first row as always, and had to wait another hour before the girls came in and so did the sisters.

Once everyone was settled by the stern gazes the sisters had, their head, Mother Gerta, began.

"Good morning ladies, you have a great day ahead of you and I hope you all came prepared,"

"Yes Mother Gerta," Came our usual chorus reply.

Mother Gerta's entire body was covered by her Habit as usual. Leaving only her grey and cold eyes to be visible.

The girls feared her like she was the fucking plague I on the other hand had a certain respect for her due to her ability to incite such fear.

But fear her?

No.

I feared no one.

I felt nothing either.

"I hope you all remember why we all are here, why we are the only special ones in this wretched world, and why we are chosen to bless and heal this fallen planet?"

"Yes, Mother Gerta!" This time our replies were more passionate.

"You will all be assigned to your various labs today, our doctors are already waiting,"

There were murmurs and silent squeals of excitement behind me.

They all hoped the experiment today would have something to do with sex.

Their only escape.

Funny.

"Caramel, you will come with me,"

I expected that.

Seeing as the woman's eyes had not left mine since she walked into the room. I nodded and stood, walked down the podium to where she stood, and gave her that sickly sweet smile I knew she hated seeing on my face.

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance, I didn't need to see the rest of her face to know what she was feeling.

"We will cut you open today, find out if you're worthy of the gift,"

Was that supposed to scare me?

"I look forward to it," I replied.

Which was the honest truth. Today will be the day that my purpose will begin, I've never looked forward to any other thing this much.

"Walk," She ordered as she turned her back to me.

And I did.

Strangely, everything else started to blur, like there was something wrong with my eyes...I couldn't see Mother Gerta or the other sisters clearly.

I couldn't hear the girl's jealous and excited chatter.

Everything was fading and all that remained was the faint voice in the distance.

"….ra!"

"…ara!"

"Cara! We have to move!"

The voice was urgent.

Familiar.

Connor.

My new purpose. But what was he doing in my memory?

The glaze over my eyes faded at that moment and I was met with the deepest brown eyes I'd ever seen.

Wide with urgency, his firm grip on my shoulders shook me awake.

"Wake up!"

"I am awake," I muttered sleepily and forced my reluctant body into a sleeping position.

"What has happened?"

Connor smiled and shook his head, "A few old friends are here for a chat," He shrugged.

By a chat, he meant that they were here to beat him up or probably kill him.

Just how many people on this planet had he offended?

"We have to keep moving!"

Sleep-deprived as I was, my heart pounded with something I never thought I would experience in this lifetime.

Excitement.