Rogue-2
Chapter Two
The earliest thing before my accident that I remember was waking up after the surgery. I remember thinking I was a freak, no one would ever love me. It was bizairre getting used to the numb feeling that was barely there when i used my new arm, that I could hardly feel what I was controlling. The doctors had told me that I was the only one who survived the physical implants, that I was special, but a group that underwent mind enhancement was very sucessful. I hoped to meet someone from the group, to meet someone like me.
I don't really remember much about the camp they took me to until I was about 12. It was pretty much the same thing every week- Monday,Wednesday, and Friday were combat training days, and we had schooling everyday except Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Sundays those who wished to do so were allowed to practice religion. The first couple of years I tried to keep my faith in God but it slowly faded. On Friday afternoon, Friday night, and Saturday we were allowed to leave the guild, but there were outer boundries that still kept us in, but there was more than enough land. The only catch to this was that you had to be atleast thirteen or with someone atleast thirteen to do so.
I had turned twelve in the January of 3149, and I had an obsession with finally getting out to The Outside, as we called it, and I was growing tired of the Guild's "city". I had felt that I, being the top of my level, should get to go out, but when I confronted the headmaster about this, he only laughed. He told me I would have to abide by the rules, and if I really couldn't wait another twelve months, I would have to make friends with a member of level 13.
And so that is how I ended up at the level 13 District that Friday afternoon. The thing was that in the time I had been to the Guild, I had never spoken to any attendees outside my level. Not knowing how to approach anyone about this, I sat awkwardly on a bench nearby the level housing. As the other kids all ran past me, wearing their blue snow gear, no one really paid attention to me, not until a stray snowball struck the back of my head, and I flew to my knees on instinct, ready to take cover. I reached up to my head to realize my hat was missing, and glanced around, looking for it desperately. I finally spotted it at the feet of a level 13 boy. He stopped over and picked it up with the tips of his fingers, and I looked down at the trampled snow as he approached me.
He placed the forest green cap back into my hand and waited until I brought my eyes to his. "Forest green, isn't that the Level Twelve color?" I nodded and he smiled. "And you want to go out, that's why you're here?" I nodded again, feeling a warm blush come to my cheeks. "I'm Seth, Seth Goldswood, I'll go with you if you want." I looked at him. Seth had golden brown hair that peeked out of his cap, and pale skin, but we all did during the winter. His green eyes shone and he took me by the wrist, leading me to the gates.
There was something liberating about being outside the inner gates, a sense of freedom no one else my age had experienced yet. I glanced around at all the freshly fallen snow, as all the higher leveled students scattered to their own groups.
"Come on," Seth tugged at my left hand. The robotic one. Did he not notice I was different? "I'll show you the lake."
Trudging through the snow, he finally pulled me along a path leading up a hill. Trees littered the place like garbage in a landfill, and for the first time in my #life, I felt at ease. The world around me was pure and so unlike some of the smog filled cities I barely remembered.
Ah, yes. My first memory of the guild that stood out to me was certainly a fond one.
As I daydreamed about the torn up bits and pieces of old memories, what my old #life was like, Seth shoved a pair of skates into my hands.
I looked down at them, confused. "I thought only year 18 and up got these."
"They do," Seth answered, putting his on. "But someone left those here, and I found them, so I didn't turn them in or tell anyone. Besides, there's no cameras up here. It's uncharted. I wanted to have fun."
"Me too, thats why I went to find someone to take me out here."
He smiled. "Here, I'll show you how to skate-"
"Wait," I cut him off, at this point realizing if he was to become my friend I should tell him. "I'm not normal, I-" I stopped myself and began to take off my glove.
Seth stopped me, resting a hand on my shoulder. "I don't care."