Emarlia Damarys

Lyris introduced ourselves to out group. We were the ones who nobody wanted. Once again, I'll say it, we were the degenerates.

"Mouse?" The tallest of the three boys asked. Raiden Miloski. A red head with yellow cat eyes.

"Can the pipsqueak not talk for herself?" The other boy asked. Sylzone Hendrix, fluffly brown hair, coffee brown eyes, and a sharp tongue.

I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. My whole life people were creeped out by my eyes. They left me alone because of the fiery color. I've always used a glare to get them to back off.

He backed away. "Nah. Mouse is mute. It gives her personality." Lyris grabbed my wrist, pulling me behind her. I let her, for now they could all think I couldn't stand up for myself.

The last boy caught my eye. He hadn't talked at all, leaving me to wonder who he was. The only thing he had said was his name, Kieran Griffin. He had midnight black hair, with hints of dark blue. It was tousled, making him look as if he had just rolled out of bed. He had vibrant green eyes, and if you looked closely, hints of black.

"Teams, the first test will be a relay race. The farthest apart will be the last person to the finish line. You will pass on a blue hair tie. Choose your line up."

Almost immediately bickering began in our group. Lyris wanted to be first, but so did Syl.

I opened my mouth, the words were there. They were on the tip of my tongue, I just had to keep hold. It didnt work. I kicked the ground, trying to force out the frustration. I was stuck in my mind, and I hated that more then anything.

A giant timer appeared above us all, counting down from 60. Each second we were wasting by bickering, was one second we'd lose by.

I looked around, looking for the track. Its dirt was loose, easy to slip on. The lines were smudged, but still easy to see.

"Everybody shut up." Kieran said. He didnt scream it, but everybody listened. His tone meant business. "Raiden, you'll be number 1. You will be the slowest, you're so obviously a gamer. Lyris, you'll be second, you seem faster, so you'll boost us up. Syl, third. Keep us going strong." He paused, looking me up and down. "Can you run?"

I nodded. A thief had to be able to run. It didnt hurt that I liked to run. It made me feel free. It also gave me a glimpse of one memory. Just a glimpse, but the glimpse made me happy.

It was just a voice. A male's voice. It was rich and seemed to echo around me. Sometimes I imagined he was my real father. All this man said was, "Look firecracker, you're a girl, girls dont fight, but they run. You're fast firecracker, use that." It was detrimental, but it was all I had.

"Good. You'll go last. I'll be fourth." He nodded, seeming to go over this in his mind.

The timer struck zero, and a horn echoed throughout the room. It buried itself inside my head, giving me the pain of a familiar headache.

We lined up, Raiden starting, then Lyris, Syl, Kieran and me. We definitely wouldn't be first, but we wouldn't lose.

The horn sounded again, but this time it didnt root itself inside my mind.

Right off the git go, Raiden stumbled, dropping the hair tie. I sighed, closing my eyes. I could hear stumble and curse as he ran. Kieran was right, I'd give him that. It seemed to take forever, but he handed it to Lyris. She was definitely faster, and wasnt as clumsy. We were in third, not too bad yet.

Lyris handed it to Syl, and waved to me. I smiled back, glancing at Syl. His steps were too heavy, slowing him down, but he got it to Kieran.

I bit my lip, shifting my foot. Almost my turn. Almost here. Kieran ran, just like Lyris. He could be better, but it was good enough. We were at sixth, it would be up to me to push us forward.

Kieran reached me, frantically shoving the hair tie into my hand. He was panting. "Win it love." He said.

I frowned, digging my toes into the dirt. I ran on my toes, that use to make me fall forward, but I got better.

Off I was. The detrimental voice was in the back of my mind. I could run. The wind blew past me, like it laughing.

I could see the finish line. I closed my eyes, and dipped my head slightly. Just a little more. I pushed. In my peripheral vision, I saw a girl. She was right next to me, so i slid.

Later, when I took off my clothes, I would see scratches and street burns on my legs, but I didnt feel it then. My foot crossed the line before she did. I beat her by literally a foot.

Behind me, my team cheered. Third, we ended in third. I didnt want to brag, but hey, I was a big part of it.

Maybe my team wouldn't suck. Maybe we would actually win and make it through this. But then again, it was just a maybe.

"Not too bad mouse. Not to bad at all." Raiden laughed.

Lyris gripped my hand, giving it a squeeze. "Proved yourself the boys already. Congrats mouse." She whispered. "I never had a doubt unlike them."

I laughed. Then coughed, then choked on my spit. I LAUGHED. A sound came out of my mouth. By the Gods, a sound came out of my mouth!

I looked at the rest of my team, no one noticed. No one but Kieran. He rose his eyebrows, silently congratulating. Either because I ran, or a sound cane out. I was too enthused to care.

That was it. I had expected more tests, but that was it. Running.

"Well, in that one race they could've tested us on multiple different things." Raiden said. We shared a dorm. Our whole team. Though it wasnt really a dorm.

Where we were, the Lounge, was connected to four different rooms. Two bathrooms, one for the girls, and one for the boys, then a girls dorm and a boys dorm. They all met up here.

"Like what?" Syl asked. He was currently sitting upside down in a chair. He claimed it made hime smarter. One word: Idiot.

"Well, our ability to work as a team for one." Lyris rolled her eyes like it was obvious.

"Our ability to work under pressure." Raiden listed.

"Our speed, or to get the layouts of our minds. See how the gears work." Kieran suggested.

Syl nodded, his face beat red from the blood. "Can I just say, outside of this room, its crao. But its pretty nice in here."

I shook my head. They were treating us to the nice things, to hide the ugly behind it. Darkness always hides behind a mask of beauty. It's why demons, fairy's, vampires, were's were all beautiful. Because it was darkness in disguise.

"That's not what Mouse believes." Lyris sang out, fetching a notepad from somewhere.

"How do you know?"

"I can understand her dumbass. We're besties. It's what we do."

"Didnt you just meet, like, today?"

"Well yeah, but that's not the point. Here." She handed me the notepad and a red pen. "Explain it to the idiots."

Everybody looked at me. I shifted in my seat, looking at the pink paper.

When I was little, I had a Hello Kitty stationary kit. I was obsessed with her, the pink paper, it brought me back. The strangest things bring memories forward.

I gulped, holding the pen. It was like an essay I didnt want to do.

I began to write, my messy handwriting suddenly making me self conscious.

Kieran's green eyes bore into me. I looked up, meeting his eyes. He nodded, as if encouraging me to keep going. I bit my lip, and took a deep breath. People were about to listen, even if it was written.

They're hiding something. I wrote, finally escaping from my mind. I can feel it. Kinda like Hansel and Gretel, behind the sweets is something nobody wants to see.

I handed the notepad to Lyris and she read it. Her eyes opened wide, "Damn Mouse, that's deep." She passed it on.

"Did you really compare our lives to a man eating witch story?" Raiden asked, laughing. "Its just a dumb reform school where the brochure lied. Sureit's scary, but we're all insane. You're just overthinking it Mouse."

I scowled, watching as Syl read it. "I think she's got a point. Like Mrs.Parlex reminds me of my first grade sub. She abused us. Not a good place."

Kieran read it, before handing it back to me. "Its just something we'll have to pay more attention to. I mean, we all know that no cannibal," He looked at Raiden, correcting his wording, "will eat us. Just pay more attention."

He then looked at me. "Write your name. Something we can call you besides Mouse."

Emarlia Damarys.

I stared at my name. I felt like it raised people's expectations. It was so long, so unique. It sounded powerful. I wasnt anything like it.

Kieran took it from my hands. "Emarlia Damarys." He read aloud.

"Oo pretty." Lyris nodded. "I've always wanted to change my name. Maybe to Mara or or Verouka. Anybody can be a Lyris. Ya know?"

I nodded, but I didnt know. I've never met a Lyris in general. Especially not one like her.

I listened to my team talk. I didnt join besides a nod or a shake of my head. Nobody looked at me for confirmation as they did eachother. I didnt really fit in, but I could blend.

I snuck out, walking into the room I shared with Lyris. A mirror stood in the corner, and I looked at the girl behind the glass.

She was me, but she was different. I was used to this though, my reflection being different. This time she was royalty.

Her silver locks cascaded down her back in curls that shone like the moon. A golden crown, braided together, sat ontop. Her eyes, a warm orange, blazed, outlined with charcoal. Freckles were splattered against her high cheekbones, prominent against her sunkissed skin. A floor length dress, royal blue, fell to the ground. A golden necklace. It was me, just dressed up. A simple wish.

"Cant get enough of yourself?" A disembodied voice laughed. I jumped, turning around sharply. Oriana, my dead best friend.

I shook my head, raising my hands as an explanation. She couldn't see the girl though, only I could.

She laughed, the sound quiet compared to the talking outside the room. "Miss me yet?"

I nodded with a smile. The ghost of my best friend disappeared. Give them what they want and they go.

I collapsed into the bed, thinking of my adopted parents. It was clear they didnt love me, but then why did they keep me?

The question plagued my mind until sleep welcomed me into her arms.