A/N: In this chapter I reference a com watch and a 'com' in place of a call. Com is short for communication, and this is basicly how people communicate; the com watch is basically a mini super computer- it holds all your important information, medical stuff, identification, etc.
I frowned at the mass of clothes and other miscellaneous objects on my head for a moment before sighing and flopping into my swivel chair. Packing could wait. I watched my reflection lazily in the mirror as I swung myself back and forth.
My hair was in it's never-changing side braid, though not as neat as usual. Flecks of dark brown hair floated about it. My eyes were gray. Aunt Valarie liked to tell me they were blue, but they were definitely gray. I didn't really care, I liked my eyes the way they were.
I was very much a cross between Mai and Zora when it came to stature. I was pretty average, topping out around 5'6, with an oval face, thin lips, and a straight nose.
My temperament was pretty back and forth, I'm not a very outspoken person unless I want to be and it takes a lot to get me riled up. At least, I think so. I'm the quietest out of my friends, if you don't count my random quoting, which was mostly due to my photographic memory.
Sometimes it felt like if I just didn't get information out, my head would explode. I never forgot anything, even things I didn't want to remember, despite how much I might have tried.
I sighed again and stood up, having grown quickly bored of swiveling, and left my room, making sure to close the door tight, in search of adventure. Sort of. More like food.
My aunt and uncle always kept the cupboards stocked, so it wasn't hard to find some chips. Nowadays they had some sort of machine that got your food for you and organized it and what not, but they'd always hated technology. More than once they'd gone into rants about how lost society would be if all the tech cut out. Not that they're wrong.
It was then I realized I was missing something. It started out as a small niggling when I took a chip out of the bowl, and grew increasingly uncomfortable. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what I was missing.
I went through the obvious. Yes, my hair was still up, of course I'm wearing clothes, duh, yes the door is locked, my aunt's at work, remember now, uncle's at a job interview… So what was it? Did I forget the dog outside?
I whistled sharply and our German Shepard mutt Mitts came bounding in. She was brown with lighter colored feet, hence the name. We'd gotten her when I was three. They let me name her.
As I pet Mitts I still couldn't figure out was awry. Dog fed and watered, yes. All windows shut, yes. Air conditioning on? Yup. Faucets left on? Nada.
I frowned and stood up to look in the mirror. Mitts whined and followed me, not at all happy at being abandoned. I scratched her head absently as I stepped into the bathroom and examined my face.
Nothing on it. No food in my teeth.
My eyes fell on the empty spot just below my collar bone. I frowned and pursed my lips tightly. Of course.
I stormed almost angrily down the hall to my room; snatching it up and fastening it around my neck.
It was a wooden symbol- A cross within a circle- attached to a leather cord.
I don't know where it turned up or why. It was just sort of… there. I don't really remember, and neither does my aunt or uncle.
I'd tried to get rid of it many times. It unnerved me, that I couldn't remember where it came from, especially when I remembered everything. Honestly, I don't like things that are out of my control.
Every time I took it off, though, I got that same feeling. That something was missing. And it never stopped until I put the thing back on. If I thought the necklace was unnerving, the feeling of going without it was a thousand times worse.
By the time I'd entered the livingroom again, the doorknob was turning and my Uncle Jack was stepping through the door.
"Afternoon, Micah." He smiled wearily at me and rubbed his eyes, throwing a manila folder on the stand next to the armchair.
"What'd I tell you about this?" he said with a frown and gesturing at my empty bowl.
"Sorry, got distracted," I replied, scooping up the bowl and swiftly taking care of it. I grabbed my favorite book from it's eternal resting place on the kitchen counter and returned to the living room, sitting down on the floor next to Mitts.
"So how'd it go?" I asked, and opened the book up to the first page but glanced at Uncle Jack instead, whose eyes scanned what was most likely today's top news stories on his com watch. He grunted before answering.
"Not sure yet. I'll know in a few days or so." I nodded respectfully and turned to my book. I started to re-read it once more.
I would've pushed for more information, really, but Uncle Jack was in one of his moods where he didn't feel like talking much. He'd had a lot more of these since he'd lost his job. Besides, it didn't take a genius to guess he didn't think it went spectacularly well when he acted like this.
But then again, he was never really the optimist type. That was Aunt Valarie's job.
The book was a favorite of mine; a fantasy novel, nearly a century old. I loved it. I was definitely a fantasy person, though really, I'd read anything, from com casts to biographies. I didn't like not having anything to do or doing something un-occupying, so reading anything was usually my go-to.
"Did you finish packing?" I glanced up at his voice, startled.
"No." I mumbled. I could never lie to my aunt and uncle.
"You should go do that, then. Instead of re-reading that book for the millionth time." I refrained from rolling my eyes.
"I haven't read it a million times. And I'm leaving on Sunday. It's only Tuesday."
"You're a horrible procrastinator."
"I know." We were both smiling.
On Saturday, Maine and Zora showed up to take me to our favorite restaurant, Pang's Roadhouse. They served everything from hamburgers to pasta to tacos. Maine knew the owners, so we always got a discount. It was pretty sweet.
We all ordered the same thing; a double bacon cheeseburger and seasoned fries. This place had amazing burgers, though I've never really been a meat person.
Maine flirted shamelessly with the waiter, sipping her strawberry milkshake and batting her eyelashes. He was practically tripping over himself.
"You're a disgrace to us." Zora joked rolling her eyes.
"Disgracefully adorable at least, Zor." Zora glared at her.
"They're not gonna let us see you off at the hangar." She commented afterwards
"Why not?" I asked, genuinely curious. Maine shrugged and wiped milkshake off her face.
"So did you actually pack anything? Or were you planning on packing on the jet?" Zora nudged me. I scowled.
"I'm not that bad."
"Yes you are." They said simultaneously. Maybe I did tend to occasionally get distracted from things. "Are you excited?" Mai continued.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I replied sagely.
Honestly, I was pretty terrified. As much as you heard about The Base, we really knew so little. I didn't want to leave my perfectly normal life for the adventure of a lifetime. I'm not brave, not by a long shot. I have not and never will like the unknown. Human nature, right?
"What do your aunt and uncle think?" Zora asked.
"Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it. Benjamin Franklin." Usually, when I'm distracted by my thoughts and not the conversation, my quotes come out. Like now, how I'm too busy being scared.
"She's doing again." Maine said
"I think it's cool." Zora said, crossing her arms.
"In a weird 'who-wants-to-know-what-dead-people-said' sort of way, I guess."
"Hey, not all of them are dead." I told her defensively. They both dissolved into laughter.
We left when we'd finished, Mai with the waiter's number, and we traded goodbyes. I told them I'd com them when I got to Base.
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