The Tag Bearer

Chapter 4 - A New Tag Bearer

I lay face-down upon the ground, haunted by what those words meant. Had I heard them right? Was this somehow a test? Was everything all just a test? 

The war had ended months ago. I saw no reason for them to continue to traumatize us like this. Let us be free! My throat closed over, leaving my mouth dry and unable to swallow. My chest felt as though a ton of bricks were on top of it, preventing me from breathing. I didn't want to believe any of it. I wanted to stay here on the ground and drown in my own tears that refused to come as though they thought they were some kind of superior part of me. Somebody clearly wanted something, and I feared they wouldn't stop until they got exactly what they wanted; even if it meant the end of me.  

I panted, still in shock. Was I really alive? I moved my hand, feeling the cool, grainy dirt beneath it. If this was heaven, it sure wasn't what I thought it'd be. Where was all the Gods? Where was all the pink fluffy clouds, ice cream and tiny fluffy dogs? 

Apparently it was in the form of a strangers hands gripping onto my arms and dragging me several feet from where I had landed. I moved my hands, attempting to push myself up off the ground, but failed, flopping back onto it. The heat of the fire no longer warmed my back and instead a cold chill crawled its way up my spine. 

"STAND!" a voice above me demanded.

I tried, but it was no use. My limbs simply refused to work; they were dead weight. I groaned. Forming words was a very difficult task to perform after nearly being blown into a thousand pieces. I felt someone grip onto my forearms in response and lift me up. I leaned on them heavily as they walked me over to the voice. 

"Thank you," I said, probably too quiet for them to hear. I didn't get an answer, and if I did, I certainly couldn't hear them anyway.

"Your arm," a vaguely familiar voice said through the thick cloud shrouding my head.

I looked up. My vision was blurred and my heart skipped a beat. I desperately needed to know who was demanding to see my arm.

To my stomach's disgust the woman in the white lab coat stood staring down at me. Shivers went down my neck again. She frightened even the worst parts of me; with her pointed nose and jet-black frizzy hair neatly pulled back off her face. There was not an ounce of dirt on her as her piercing eyes bore into mine. 

She grabbed my wrist and pulled up my tattered sleeve. Removing a scanner from her belt, I watched as she scanned my wrist and checked off my name.

"Put her with the others," she instructed to the person holding me. I felt them nod and begin to move away from the Monster standing in front of me so proudly, but no matter how far I moved away, my eyes still lingered on her face and everything that was wrong with it. 

Gently, my body was led over to a group of other processed and shaking children. I was seated down on the grass, the gaze of a young male appearing in my eye-line and breaking the stare I was maintaining on the 'Monster'. His eyes were a deep brown - darker than my own - and just as clouded. He was lost, like me, and covered in the same soot that made you want to scrub your skin until it shined red.

"You're needed more than you think," he said quietly before he disappeared out of my view. 

I never did comprehend the rest of his face - only his eyes and what he said. I was needed? Me?  What could I possibly be needed for? I'm just Ellie. The girl from nowhere who'd escaped death and couldn't even get her goddamn thoughts together! At least I hadn't died yet.

The woman I had grown to hate now stood before the group of survivors like a towering beast. A large satisfactory smirk spread from ear to ear as she addressed the crowd of disorientated human beings.