The next morning, I woke up to the same single tone and prepared myself for school. My mom drove me there, and again it was silent the car ride there. I got out and headed into first period. There, our job for the day was to make a formal outline for our project and turn it in by the end of class. It was difficult, but I had it done before the end of class. Then the bell rang.
Out in the hall, the students again filed into the hall, except today, Mikey was one of the ones heading toward the principal’s office. I was confused for the rest of the day. Why was Mikey in that group?
Science went by in a blur and before I knew it, the bell was ringing for us to go to third period, which for me, was history. In history, Mr. Grail mentioned something that made me immediately snap to attention. “Your assignment is to write an essay about when creativity was outlawed in Artem Isle. Do research on your own time, but for now, I want you to write a no research rough draft.” Creativity was outlawed?! I thought. Why? What was wrong with creativity?
I stopped for a minute to think over what I was going to do about all this. I knew the first thing I needed to do was get my friends back. That was clear, but also difficult, since it seemed like Nate was the only one who really knew me. Then what? Once I’m friends with them I magically teleport home? I meant that as a joke, but rolled my eyes in my head as I realized it wouldn’t be the weirdest thing that had happened in the last two days.
Later that day, in piano class, I had a bit less trouble on Für Elise, as I was getting a bit more used to the minor key. It also seemed to come a bit more naturally here, like music had suddenly become easier to learn. The class period still felt like it went of forever, though. Finally, the monotone bell rang to dismiss us and Nate left, discretely motioning for me to follow him, so I did.
I followed him to the tree behind his yard and he pulled up the cover and motioned for me to go first, but whispered, “don’t forget how ropes work this time,” with a wink. I knew he was joking, but still gave him a slight glare.
I climbed down, this time easily able to climb down the rope, since I knew about it. I landed on the ground feet first and walked into the ‘lab.’ Nate soon followed me and I asked him, “How come you didn’t just lead me here yourself yesterday? It would have saved me from getting knocked out.”
“It was the day after my training.” He said. “They always want to check up on our progress the day after our training.” He said.
“Well, you ran out of time to explain it yesterday, so I think you should explain today.” I replied.
“Yeah,” he said looking at the ground, “I will… though we do have more time today. It’s Wednesday. That means your mom has a meeting at 5:00 and won’t be home until 6:00, so…” He went on before I cut him off.
“How do you know all that?” I asked incredulously. “I don’t even know that!”
“Well, the other you did, and I have the information saved so that we knew when you needed to leave to get home before she did. It’s pretty simple actually….”
“And why do you keep avoiding talking about ‘training?’” I ask frustrated.
“It’s hard to talk about, okay?” He yelled at me. I’d never seen him so angry. “It’s painful, and you feel like a horrible person for a while after it!” He shouted. “They essentially torture you until you hate anything new, creative, or original and even your eyes start to fade in color!” He shouted, eyes wild. “And now I hear of your utopia, where none of this happens and you come here acting all put upon when you’ve never even been through ‘training!’” He shouted then leaned back against the wall, slid down against it and just sat there sitting on the floor and crying.
I just look at him there for a moment before sitting down beside him. “Your right, I’ve never experienced it, and I probably seem like a total jerk, but I just didn’t know, I’m sorry and I’ll do anything I can do to help.”
He looked at me gratefully and said, “thanks, that means a lot.”
“Oh, by the way, I have another question for you, but a different kind.” I say.
“Okay, fire away,” he says, beginning to stand up.
“Do you have some sort of necklace?”
Nate just stares at me in shock as I ask this, “I thought you said you didn’t remember it?”
“That’s the thing, I don’t, but my mom was talking to Mr. Colstrom on the phone about it last night, something about you not having it at some point.”
Nate paled when I said this. “Oh, no, this is not good.”
Out in the hall, the students again filed into the hall, except today, Mikey was one of the ones heading toward the principal’s office. I was confused for the rest of the day. Why was Mikey in that group?
Science went by in a blur and before I knew it, the bell was ringing for us to go to third period, which for me, was history. In history, Mr. Grail mentioned something that made me immediately snap to attention. “Your assignment is to write an essay about when creativity was outlawed in Artem Isle. Do research on your own time, but for now, I want you to write a no research rough draft.” Creativity was outlawed?! I thought. Why? What was wrong with creativity?
I stopped for a minute to think over what I was going to do about all this. I knew the first thing I needed to do was get my friends back. That was clear, but also difficult, since it seemed like Nate was the only one who really knew me. Then what? Once I’m friends with them I magically teleport home? I meant that as a joke, but rolled my eyes in my head as I realized it wouldn’t be the weirdest thing that had happened in the last two days.
Later that day, in piano class, I had a bit less trouble on Für Elise, as I was getting a bit more used to the minor key. It also seemed to come a bit more naturally here, like music had suddenly become easier to learn. The class period still felt like it went of forever, though. Finally, the monotone bell rang to dismiss us and Nate left, discretely motioning for me to follow him, so I did.
I followed him to the tree behind his yard and he pulled up the cover and motioned for me to go first, but whispered, “don’t forget how ropes work this time,” with a wink. I knew he was joking, but still gave him a slight glare.
I climbed down, this time easily able to climb down the rope, since I knew about it. I landed on the ground feet first and walked into the ‘lab.’ Nate soon followed me and I asked him, “How come you didn’t just lead me here yourself yesterday? It would have saved me from getting knocked out.”
“It was the day after my training.” He said. “They always want to check up on our progress the day after our training.” He said.
“Well, you ran out of time to explain it yesterday, so I think you should explain today.” I replied.
“Yeah,” he said looking at the ground, “I will… though we do have more time today. It’s Wednesday. That means your mom has a meeting at 5:00 and won’t be home until 6:00, so…” He went on before I cut him off.
“How do you know all that?” I asked incredulously. “I don’t even know that!”
“Well, the other you did, and I have the information saved so that we knew when you needed to leave to get home before she did. It’s pretty simple actually….”
“And why do you keep avoiding talking about ‘training?’” I ask frustrated.
“It’s hard to talk about, okay?” He yelled at me. I’d never seen him so angry. “It’s painful, and you feel like a horrible person for a while after it!” He shouted. “They essentially torture you until you hate anything new, creative, or original and even your eyes start to fade in color!” He shouted, eyes wild. “And now I hear of your utopia, where none of this happens and you come here acting all put upon when you’ve never even been through ‘training!’” He shouted then leaned back against the wall, slid down against it and just sat there sitting on the floor and crying.
I just look at him there for a moment before sitting down beside him. “Your right, I’ve never experienced it, and I probably seem like a total jerk, but I just didn’t know, I’m sorry and I’ll do anything I can do to help.”
He looked at me gratefully and said, “thanks, that means a lot.”
“Oh, by the way, I have another question for you, but a different kind.” I say.
“Okay, fire away,” he says, beginning to stand up.
“Do you have some sort of necklace?”
Nate just stares at me in shock as I ask this, “I thought you said you didn’t remember it?”
“That’s the thing, I don’t, but my mom was talking to Mr. Colstrom on the phone about it last night, something about you not having it at some point.”
Nate paled when I said this. “Oh, no, this is not good.”