The First

1.1

A/N: Hi guys! I hope you enjoy reading it and please let me know what you think of it! I really appreciate feedback.

Also, I started this thanks to SciKick who hosted a 2017 Sci-Fi contest.

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01 - 14 - 2089

Green. The color of trees. The color of plants, and all things living. The color of life itself. It embodies all other colors, enveloping our world. The color represents growth, new birth, and life. But to me, it means so much more.

Green--more specifically, spring green-- is my favorite color. And although I have never actually seen it, I have learned enough about the world to call it my favorite.

I hold my hand steady as I grip the stick of charcoal, drawing one more fluid line. I'm almost finished, just a few more strokes to make it perfect. With an image in my mind, I add a couple more precise lines to my drawing before setting down the charcoal pencil. I dust off my charcoal covered hands and step back, admiring my work. It's taken me several days to finish, but I'm completely happy with it.

Stretching across the smooth white wall of my room are branches upon branches filled with little charcoal birds and all kinds of animals. They all lead down to the main trunk of the tree, filled and shaded in with dusty black. It's a ghostly image, portraying a picture that I long to see.

A soft beep and click signals the unlocking of my door and someone entering. I hear the familiar soft padded footsteps as Doctor Acosta enters my small room.

"Gis, dear, I do believe that is your best one yet," she says, coming to stand beside me. I look up at her, used to feeling small as always. Doctor Acosta--and everyone else, for that matter-- is taller than me by at least a head. She always tells me that I'll hit my growth spurt soon, but I'm starting to feel like that won't ever happen. Perhaps I'll always be doomed to be a tiny, stick-like girl.

I shrug, dismissing her praise. She says that with each new drawing I make. I scan my eyes over the other three walls of my room, admiring my previous drawings, almost covering every bare inch of the walls. Soon I'll have to start drawing on the floors.

A grin comes to my lips as I imagine Doctor Acosta's white shoes gathering charcoal dust all over them. She'd be furious, that's for sure.

I bend down and finish packing away my charcoal pencils and sticks in my little grey, canvas container while Doctor Acosta waits patiently. I always know when she's coming, but I like to change things up once in awhile and make her wait. I don't get many choices in my small life so I like to take advantage of the ones I do get.

I tuck the grey bag at the corner of my square desk that rests next to my bed and glance around my room to make sure I gathered everything. Besides those items tucked into one corner, my room is completely bare. The walls, bed, and even the chair for the desk are white. Not to mention the toilet room that connects to my room is also white.

I decided long ago that white must be Doctor Acosta's favorite color, just like green is mine. Otherwise, why would so many things in this place be white? However, I wish I had the power to choose what color my room was. If I did, everything would be green, not white.

Once I'm finished cleaning up and getting distracted, I follow Doctor Acosta out of the room and past the auto doors that click shut behind me. We head down the white halls and past the guard station where two uniformed soldiers sit, playing cards. I watch them with mild interest until they are out of sight. I've always wondered how to play the game, but Doctor Acosta and the others have never offered to teach me. And even if they did, I don't have the cards to play with.