𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒 | liam stewart [1]

1. green

It was the beginning. The government weren't scared of the dead kids, or the empty space they'd leave behind. They were afraid of us. The ones who lived. Soon there wouldn't be any kids. Anywhere. You either died, or you went to the camps.

Pandora sat quietly on the schoolbus, keeping her head down and away from the guards who held rifles. They were exceptionally good at scaring the kids and keeping neutral faces. She noticed all the children, when she was brought on the bus by the men in hazmat suits, but sat alone and didn't talk to anyone. She touched the wound on her forhead, wincing as she felt the dried blood. Her ribs were bruised and legs too, but she didn't think anything was broken. She felt guilty that being taken away from her family gave her a sense of relief. For the majority of the journey, she played with her fingers or looked at the nature outside. Her eyes watched the window from underneath her dark hair, watching as they passed a sign saying 'Thurmhond Army Base'. The government are saving us, she had thought at the time. She was a stupid child back then. 

Pandora watched the gates shut harshly as she was dragged from her seat. She bit her tongue in order to not cry out, the guard's touch hand gripping tightly on her bruised arm. She was positive she felt blood in her mouth but was afraid to spit it out on the floor. "Let's go," An army officer shouted, acronyms and words printed on his uniform. Pandora flinched at his adept shouting but she was used to the pain and the emotional abuse from her father. She wouldn't fear them. "Don't run, don't talk, don't do anything other than what is asked of you," The officer shouted whilst waving around his gun. "Failure to follow instructions will be met with punishment," He warned, Pandora keeping her head down and staying quiet. The sun shone down on her shoulders, making her feel a slight relief in the tension of her shoulders. Her and Henry would've been playing in the park after school at this point in the year. A boy, only 16, in a crimson flannel shouted at the guard to 'piss off' and ran in the other direction. Pandora clenched her jaw, distracting herself with the pain shooting into her teeth as he was beaten up by a female officer. Then, he grabbed her wrist, his eyes burning a bright orange. Pandora watched in horror as the guard pulled her rifle away from the boy and shot herself in the head. The boy was beaten up as the line of obediant kids were pulled away swiftly. Pandora didn't know his name, she didn't know where he came from. But she kept the image in her head, to remind her of what they do to kids who don't behave. 

...

Pandora was brought to a corridor with a string of children, each one by one going in. Some came out sleepy and in guards arms, the others in yellow, blue or green uniform. "Next," The guard ushered Pandora into the room. A friendly looking Doctor smiled at her, gesturing for her to hop up on the plastic bed. "Is this a hospital? I don't feel sick," She told him, looking at the swirling machine above her. "Actually, it's not a sickness. Can I have your name?" The man asked whilst clicking continuously on his computer. "Pandora Drakes, but my friends at school used to call me Dory," She told him, his lips parting into a gentle smile. "Well Dory, did they assign you a colour when you were picked up?" He asked, Pandora shaking her head. "Well, you survived the sickness, however you're not the same. Until you are, there is no going home," He told her, clicking more buttons on the computer. "What if I don't want to go home?" She asked, putting her hand protectively by her ribs. The Doctor's eyes slid off the computer to her. "Did someone at home do that to you?" He asked, pointing at the cut on her forhead and the dried blood which smeared over her nose. She just stared at him, afraid that he might tell her someone and her father would find out. She was still stupid enough back then to think that she'd see him again. "Right," The Doctor said, seemingly understanding. "Well, we will protect you," He told her before walking backwards to a paper chart on his wall. 

"All kids are given a colour assignment which corresponds to their disorder. On the bottom are greens, basic enhanced intelligence and very resourceful. Next are blues, they have telekinetic abilities. Golds can manipulate electricity. Up here, past this line are the reds and oranges. They're the most dangerous. They are very rare, I'm sure you have nothing to worry about," He smiled. "Now, we'll put that on and I'll get something to fix you up," He told her, pressing a button on the keyboard. The blue technological circle above Pandora started to move around, focusing a beam of red light on her forhead. The Doctor stepped into his spare room, shuffling around with things. The computer buzzed, signalling its finish. Pandora stared at the open door for a few moments, hearing the Doctor talk to himself. She then observed the room, realising that their was no cameras. They didn't want a record of what they did to children, she had realised later on in her stay at the camp. Pandora let out a huffy breath, promptly pushing herself off the seat to have a look. 

Her eyes widened as pictures of her brain were put on the screen. Her eyes scanned the big bold letters which covered the screen. UNIDENTIFYABLE. TERMINATE. Pandora felt her eyes sear in heat, her hands moving up to touch them. She blinked, feeling like there was something in her eye. She then looked up, catching herself in the reflection of the computer. Her jaw slackened as she noticed that her eyes were glowing purple. Pandora gawked at the screen's reflection as her watched body started to morph. Her eyes changed colour from the purple to a bright green. She had a quick surge of adrenalin, pressing as many buttons on the computer as possible. She looked at it with satisfaction as the computer reset itself. She hopped back onto the squeaky chair, pretending to be busy staring around the room like a child room, as the Doctor walked back in. "Right at the back," He laughed, flapping the small packet in his hand. He opened the packet, pressing an antiseptic pad to her injured eyebrow, making her gasp. The sting faded and so the man putting some medical tape over the cut before turning to the computer. "Oh, I must have forgotten to press 'GO'" He told her with a chuckle. Pandora smiled at him anxiously, focusing on the green she'd made herself become before. Her eyes glowed and she could only hope that it was the green. "Ahh, there we go. Green through and through, even your eyes are showing it," He smiled, showing her her positive results. "You're one of the smart ones," He winked at her, handing her a package of green clothes before letting her go and calling out the next person. She'd somehow become a Green. She had shifted. She was a shapeshifter.