EDEN (Completed) (EDEN Series Book 1)

Chapter 5

Sydney shoves me into the observation room, and the doors slam behind me. It's a lot bigger than I thought it would be, with nothing but white walls, no windows, and a few tables. All eyes are directed towards me, and I feel like I'm in school again. I walk backward slowly and press myself against the cold, metal doors. I don't want to be in here, but it seems I have no choice. They're all wearing the same attire as me; I guess hospital gowns are in this season. A woman with shoulder length brown hair accented with streaks of gray and a concerned look heads toward me. I can tell she's older from her barely visible crow's feet and from the worried look she wears, I've given my mom and grandmother the same look dozens of times, but time has been kind to her. All my mind can focus on is that these people are all criminals. The woman stands in front of me and analyzes me from head to toe.

"Darling, are you hurt?" She asks.

Her accent is subtle and light, like her eyes. It's an English accent, I think. I remember my horrible attempts at imitating one when I was younger. She must be referring to my cuts and scrapes. I shake my head and stare at the floor. I'm intimidated by everyone in here even though I haven't met the others. She takes my arm and looks at the bandage.

"Eden, a beautiful name."

"It's Alice," I reply.

"Not anymore, darling. I am Aroma. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She courtesies and smiles at me. I do it back and almost fall over. I wonder what kind of crime a woman as elegant as her has committed. I need these people to like me. It'll make Lucy and I getting out of here that much easier.

"Come now, you must meet the rest of your new family," Aroma says.

She grabs my hand and briskly pulls me along. A young woman to our right places her palms against the wall, one after the other, over and over. Her short, curly blonde hair makes me jealous once again. She turns to us, and her face is painted white with black around her eyes. It reminds me of a mime; they always creeped me out. Hers is a little different, though. Some of it is runny and smeared like she's been crying.

"Mute, this is our new sister, Eden," Aroma says as she turns to me. "This is Mute. She is always a good time."

I smile at her, and she extends her arm for a handshake. My palms are sweaty; I hope she doesn't notice. I grasp her hand firmly, and I feel a shock pulse through my hand. I pull back, stunned. Mute goes through the motions of laughing hysterically, but doesn't make a sound. She points at her palm as she slaps her knee and wipes tears from her eyes. There's a silver buzzer in her hand, attached to her ring finger. Aroma was right; I guess Mute is a good time. Aroma puckers her lips and frowns at her. Mute rolls her eyes and delivers a robust sigh. She removes the buzzer and extends her hand again. I snatch the buzzer and shock her back as I shake her hand. Her eyes widen, and she claps and bows to me. It seems I've made a friend, at least I hope I have. Maybe I've underestimated myself. Aroma grabs the buzzer and gives it back to mute.

"Do not get her started with her little games, love; they will never end. Now, for our next sister, no loud noises or sudden movements, okay?"

I nod, but my stomach turns with anticipation. A young woman with olive skin is nestled in the corner, rocking back and forth. She looks extremely distraught and aggravated, lightly tugging at her fiery red hair. She mumbles under her breath, even though no one is in her vicinity. I'm a little frightened by her demeanor. We slowly kneel beside her; she looks me straight in my eyes, and her whispers halt as her dazzling orange eyes seem to stare deep into my soul.

"Sol, this is our new sister, Eden. She is just lovely," Aroma says. Sol scans me with her eyes.

"Is she a Gen?" Sol questions.

"Do not be silly," Aroma replies, "you know we are all family here."

"I look forward to being a part of this," I claim.

I say the first thing that comes to mind. Sol nods her head wearily like I'm hiding something. I guess she's not wrong, really. She waves me to come closer to her. I hesitantly creep forward, and she draws closer to my ear.

"Judgement day is upon us, Eden," she whispers.

She leans back and nods her head, fervently. I nod with her in agreement, though I have no idea what that means. Aroma pulls me back to my feet with her and looks under my bandage. A small stitched cut with a faint red light lies underneath. She nods and covers it back up, pulling me along to a man and a boy sitting at a table. Their attention seems to be diverted by something in the boy's hands, a game, I think.

"Eden, this is Gadget and Decoy. Can you believe Gadget just turned 11? He is so strong looking already, is he not?" Aroma says.

Decoy does a double-take at me and stumbles to get up. He runs his fingers through his black hair and smirks at me. Gadget is still staring at his game, paying me no mind.

"Eden, a gorgeous name for a gorgeous lady," Decoy says.

He takes my hand and kisses the back of it gently. This is really not the time or place to try to swoon me. Aroma snatches my hand away and gives him a judgmental stare.

"Honestly, you are such a pig," she accuses.

Decoy starts to oink and crawl on all fours. So, this is the type of guy that's attracted to me, huh? Aroma rustles Gadget's shaggy brown hair with her hands.

"Gadget, darling, do not be rude to our new guest."

He pauses his game and turns to me, staring with a blank expression, like all emotion has escaped him. His look seems arrogant like he knows he's better than everyone in the room.

"Hello," he says, "It will be equally beneficial for us if you learn the customs of our group. We shall attempt to accommodate your needs as best we can."

He turns back to his game and continues playing. I'm not even sure what he just said, but I'll take it as a declaration of friendship. Decoy, still oinking, crawls toward us. Aroma stops him by placing her foot on his head. Really, these people are criminals? My nerves ease at the sight of them. Sol still gives me the creeps, though. Decoy laughs as Aroma pulls me away from them and to a corner, alone.

"I am simply thrilled to have you join us, love." She hugs me tightly and whispers, "stand with us on judgment day."

She leans back out and smiles at me. Terror runs through me as I try to process the message. I survey the room and find approximately four cameras watching us. I'd imagine they pick up audio, too. Maybe that's why they keep whispering. But what is judgment day? Do they mean from the Bible? Maybe I should tell Sydney about the whispers traveling through here, but I don't even know if I can trust her. My head is still too scrambled from the wreck.

Yells come from outside the doors. They sound like they could be heard from a mile away. My heart sinks as they get louder and louder. Does the craziness ever end with this place? The doors burst open and a man being carried in by two guards is thrown to the ground. He looks like he just got out of the losing end of a scrap. The bald man that walks in behind him may be the largest man I've ever seen. And I don't think I've seen so many guns on one person. When I look at him, there's only one thing I can see in his eyes, hatred.