Only mine | The Darkest Minds fanfiction

Chapter 1 - Caledonia -

Caledonia was different from everything I learned and saw at Thurmond. For once it was much smaller. A lot smaller. The kids seemed to know each other. We lived in an old school with many tall windows and a library. I couldn't remember the last time I was allowed to read.

There were around 300 people here at Caledonia. They even had some yellows. The yellows had to wear gloves all the time but I was happy for them to... be here. At Thurmond there were no yellows, reds or oranges. They were too dangerous. I was a blue.

The kids that survived IAAN were some kind of mutants. There were greens - the clever ones, blues - telepathics, yellows - they could somehow do anything with electricity, reds - the fire ones and oranges - they could get into your minds. I never met a yellow, red or orange. And now I was at a camp with about 100 of yellows.

Staying at Thurmond the past two years left wounds. The strict rules manifested inside me, I still avoided eye contact. I still didn't talk to anybody, always made sure to not stand out.

I managed the latter semi well. I was the new girl and I wasn't exactly young. Especially the boys paid attention to me. That was also something that was totally new for me: in Thurmond, we girls had no contact with boys, we didn't even see them for dinner. Here we ate with them, we used the same library, we were outside together. Love affairs or sexual acts were strictly forbidden, as Nurse Grace told me on my first evening, but I couldn't even think that far. I didn't even know how to talk to a boy. The only boy I had seen since I was 10 was my little brother. I didn't want to stand out. I didn't want to be anyone again, I didn't want any of that. I wanted my life back. I was so socially awkward.

„Hey, who are you?" one boy shouted toward me. I didn't respond. „I call dibs" another laughed. I felt very uncomfortable in my own skin. „She's so pretty, dude." said a third. I never thought of myself as pretty or anything. I never looked into the mirror. We didn't even have some at Thurmond. We wanted to survive and not to attract.. anybody. Was I pretty? I had no idea.

I was very thin as everybody in the camps. My long light brown hair fell over my shoulders past my bellybutton. I was glad my skin was clear. I used to have some freckles when I was little. I didn't know if I still had them. I looked pretty ordinary. The only really noticeable about me were my eyes. Big, deep green with long, dark lashes. My mother always envied me about them.
But she was pretty. Very pretty. I always wanted to look like her. Maybe, after all, I was pretty. But who cared about that here?

I didn't know where to go so my feet dragged me to the library. The scent of old books lulled me and I immediately felt a bit more secure. I walked down a few corridors until I stopped in front of a shelf and let my eyes wander over the old-looking spines of the books.

„I tell you, Lee. It's not going to work. Drop it. Really." a dark skinned boy said to a large blonde boy. The latter looked much more confident and ready to act. „Chubs, please. You'll see. We will get out. And then we will get home. Trust me." he whispered.
The boys stood behind a bookshelf and didn't seem to be want to overheard. I felt bad instantly.

Then it hit me like a train. They were talking about escaping. Did they have a plan? Did it involve many kids or just the two of them? I needed to leave, too. Badly. I couldn't stand one more day trapped in another camp.

I must have been inattentive. Because the book I had taken before fell out of my hand while I continued to listen to the two.

They fell silent directly. The taller of the two came out from behind the bookshelf. When he saw me, he exhaled with relief, "She is one of us. It's all good, Chubs." he called out to his friend.

„I didn't hear anything, I am sorry to interrupt you." I stumbled fast looking at him. He was really handsome.

He took 2 big steps, bent down and picked up the book I had dropped. "Apparently Chubs over there isn't the only one who reads this stuff," he smiled charmingly and handed me the book.

I mumbled a quick „thanks" and went bright red. I didn't look up at the boy. He on the other hand looked directly at me. He was still smiling. „I'm Liam by the way. You are new here, aren't you? I haven't seen you around. Nice to meet you" he smiled.

I just nodded, still not being able to really look at him. „Are you alright? You seem a lot more stressed than most kids here." he asked kindly. I still didn't answer. What should I have answered anyways? That I'm terrified? That I do not know what's right and whats wrong because at Thurmond they would have killed us for even thinking about escaping. That I've never talked to a boy before? I didn't know how to feel to be honest. And this guy was a total stranger to me. You better keep your private things to yourself. That one I learned the hard way at Thurmond.

"Geez Liam, you're really making a fool of yourself. Leave her alone. She's already got all sorts of guys flirting with her all the time. Give her a break." The other boy now approached us and pulled Liam away from me.
"And girls? Not a word about the conversation earlier. Not a word to anyone. Got it?" he hissed as he walked with Liam.

I stood there for another 10 minutes, unable to process what had happened before. But what concerned me most was the look Liam gave me. I have never seen such an open-hearted look, I have never been looked at like that. The gleam in his eyes, which was usually only seen in free, happy children, was definitely something refreshingly different. And now I too had to smile very slightly. The first smile in a very long time.