Serial Number: 362 Chapter 1

Chapter one of my Science fiction story.

Chapter 1

 

   With the chance to actually look at her, Oliver found that, despite her bedraggled appearence, she was rather pretty. Strands of her long, white hair fell into her face. Bright cerulean eyes, the pupil missing with a black ring around the iris, stared at him apprehensivly. Her bare feet were caked with sand and that sad excuse of a tan dress was torn and dirty.

 

   Though, he supposed he didn't look much better. Shaggy auburn hair fell into hazel eyes. The bottom hem of his grey muscle shirt had come undone and the sweatshirt tied around his waist was covered in sand, the white grains standing out against the black fabric. His old shoes were starting to tear and he could feel the sand in them.

 

   With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair, taking his sunglasses off his head as he did so. He looked back at her and she seemed to shrink in on herself.

 

"I'm Oliver, by the way." He said. She was silent a moment before she looked down where she had her knees pulled to her chest.

 

"They called me 362." she said quietly. Oliver cocked an eyebrow.

 

"Not much of a name." he murmured and she cringed at the sarcastic tone.

 

   Oliver sighed again and looked around. The silence enveloped them, dragging from mere moments to minutes. He looked at her again. She was staring at her toes, watching as they wriggled in the sand.

 

"I could call you Dia." He suggested. She looked up, confusion pulling at her features as her head tilted. Oliver shrugged sheepishly. "We're in a diamond mine..."

 

   Her gaze lowered and she whispered the name, as if she were testing the feel of it on her lips. An innocent, dimpled smile pulled across her face and Oliver decided he liked the look of it.

 

"I like it." she announced, meeting Oliver's gaze with her own strange eyes. And Oliver was smiled back before he realized it. He looked out the mine's entrance before looking at Dia again.

 

"So, why were those guys after you, anyway?" he asked, and the smile was gone.

 

"I escaped." She replied and Oliver resisited the urge to roll his eyes.

 

"Care to ellaborate?" He asked with barely concealed sarcasm. Dia pulled her knees tighter to her chest and stared distantly at the ground.

 

"It's called the Institute. There are others of my kind there. They did...tests. 'Bio Genetic Mutations' is what the doctors called them. We were given one meal a day, an hour in the court yard every other day. We were kept two to a cell. Those screams, oh god every day for seventeen years, those screams..." Her already quiet voice trailing off was tears rolled down her face and her shoulders trembled.

 

"Hey, Dia, you don't have to tell me more." he said, debating if going closer would freighten her or comfort her. Finally, he sighed.

 

"Look, come back with me to my place. My uncle and I can give you clothes, food..." He trailed off.

 

   Dia's eyes widened and she shrunk in on herself again. Her tear stained face was puffy and her hands were clasped tightly together in front of her shins. Oliver stood slowly and walked in front of her. He held out a hand.

 

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

 

   Dia looked at the hand offered to her. Could she really trust this human? Someone from a species that had tortured her for her entire life? Her gaze rose to his freckled face and she realized that, yes, she did.

 

   She took his hand.

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[Prelude To A Dream]

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