VITALIS

Chapter 1 - First Contact (Part 2)

A bee is buzzing. I try to open my eyes but I can’t. I’m drowning, a big wave pulling me under. There is a tiny light above me. I try to swim toward it. My arms feel heavy but I push forward. The light becomes brighter. I go closer. Suddenly it becomes painfully bright. I close my eyes tightly.

Minutes pass.

I try to open my eyes again. Slowly this time. The light is still there but it’s not so bright anymore. The bee is buzzing even louder. I blink slowly as several dark cylinders materialize in the light. I blink more rapidly to clear my vision. The dark cylinders crystallize into human shapes.

As the fog clears, I realize that the buzzing noise is actually hundreds of people talking over each other. Correction, hundreds of teenagers. I am lying on the ground in a huge, circular room with a dome shaped ceiling. I support myself on my elbows as I look around. It looks like an auditorium of some sort with metal benches arranged in a concentric, ascending fashion around the huge room. All that’s missing is a podium in the center to complete its look.

The room is empty of all other furniture. There are no doors or windows. The walls are white. In fact, everything is white. I turn sideways and lever myself up onto my arms. I try to stand up but I’m suddenly assaulted by a bout of dizziness. I collapse onto my knees, my arms trembling under my weight. My legs feel rubbery and achy as if I just ran a marathon. I clamp my mouth shut and swallow several times to keep myself from unloading all over the pristine place.

“Hey, you okay there?” A deep voice asks me. A brown arm extends across my vision to land on my shoulder. I take several deep breaths. When I’m sure I have my nausea under control, I look up. A tall guy in gym shorts and a red jersey is leaning over me in concern. Whoa, he is really tall. He has kind eyes and a pleasant face. Despite his big body, his young face gives away his age to be no older than 18.

“I’m fine.” My voice comes out raspy. I cough into my sleeve to clear my throat. I notice then that I am in my hospital gown. Everything comes back to me. Sky leaving with Maggie. The red-headed girl. Falling off the hospital building. My last thought. I gasp in panic. I need to get back, make sure Sky is safe.

“Hey, hey, take it easy! Deep breaths, deep breaths. In, out, in, out. There you go.” The guy pats my back as I focus on slowing down my breathing.

“Thanks,” I say once I have myself under control. “Where am I?” I ask as I try to stand up again. I clasp his muscled forearm tightly this time to steady myself.

“To be real honest, I don’t know. I just got here maself.” He grins at me easily. I look around again. I see many other hospital gowns but they’re not the same as mine. I fact, I see all sorts of clothing from jeans and t-shirts to pajamas.   

“Name’s Preston by the way.” He extends the arm I’m not holding onto. I shake it awkwardly with my left hand.

“Blue,” I say as a shape materializes behind Preston. It turns out to be a girl with short blond hair. She is wearing dark blue pajamas. She looks just as bewildered to be here as I am.

“What’s blue?” Preston asks me with a confused frown.

“My name. It’s Blue,” I tell him distractedly as I see more shapes materializing around us.

“Well, nice to meet you, Blue. That’s a cute name you got there.” He grins at me widely. His teeth are very white. They contrast nicely against his brown skin.

I don’t know why but I take an immediate liking to Preston. He has an honest smile and trusting eyes.

“Is it just me or are people appearing out of thin air all around us?” I ask him as more people appear in the room. I must be dreaming. How else would people appear out of thin air?