This is the story of Erika, my original character from my story Old and New Attack. You do not have to have read that to understand this story, though after it's done, or before it's done, you might want to go read both Old and New Collide and Old and New Attack as they fit with this story. This is told comepletely from Erika's Point of View and starts when she's the age of three and she's in Flint, Michigan inside an Itex building. The rest you'll learn in this chapter. Please, enjoy this first chapter, and the entire story.

Chapter One

I have to be dreaming, this has to be a dream, but it seems so real!

I look around from my view point at the top of a hill. I'm seeing plains, hundreds of acres of just plains. Not a building in sight. I can also see a huge forest with all of its trees, none chopped down. There are pure-water rivers all over; no pollution in them at all.

I'm seeing the outside in the way I imagine it by what I've been told. I've been told that it's pure and beautiful; or it will be…

It's slowly destroyed. Piece by piece it's changed into a land of buildings - a city. My beautiful paradise is gone; transformed into a horrible, busy, disgusting, and polluted city.

A car comes towards me, the driver on a cell phone and probably drunk. I'm crossing the street and don't see or hear the car until it hits me. I'm falling now, gone. Then, I feel myself waking up…

…I sit up. I look around and see bars. I sigh and sit back. I'm in my cage in the Itexicon building in Flint, Michigan.

I open my tiny black-and-white wings and put one of the metal bars of my cage between the spots where my wings attach to my back as I lean back. My wings stick out of the cage and I feel a bit calmer because of the cool metal there.

I let myself relax as my tired mind and body feels its need for sleep and rest. I fall asleep…

I wake up, but it only feels like it's been five minutes, even though I know it's been longer.

Looking through the bars of my small-sized cage, I see the other cages in the room and realize that I'm the last one in the room up.

I've learned over the past year that except for me, this room is used for experiments that are going to die in the next couple of weeks, or if the experiment is lucky, they last a month. Most only lasted a week, a week and a half, or two weeks, and most that pass that only lasted three weeks, but I've seen a few last a month.

Taking a closer look at the experiments themselves, I see that two had died last night and two new ones are in their places. One of the two had been one of the lucky ones and had lasted three and a half weeks in here. The other… had lasted six days…

I feel bad for every experiment that comes in here. The scientists tell them that being in here means that they'll be stronger and last longer. I know this because in the beginning, every experiment repeats those words over and over, like a prayer in a way.

Truthfully, I'm the only experiment in the room ever taken out alive. I'm the only one tested on that's in this room. I'm also the one that every person in this room thinks is going to die. Whenever I'm taken for testing, the newest experiments mutter under their breath that I'm being taken from the safe room and that I won't come back; I always do.

For a year I've been in this room, watching in horror at the beginning and now just feeling sad as every day another experiment dies. For a year experiments have muttered around me about how they're going to live and how one day I'm not going to come back to this room. For a year I've lived this fear-filled life of how I'm going to be the next one to drop dead. For a year I've worried that I won't come back to this room…

Now that nightmare has come true.

A scientist walks into the room with something I recognize from a year ago: a room change order. Looking closely, I see that it's for me and I sit up.

They're finally, after a year, taking me out of this room of death? I guess so because the scientist opens the door of my cage and motions for me to get out.

I get out of the cage and follow the scientist to the door. The other experiments are muttering the usual, especially because of the form in the scientist's hands. They all can tell that I'm not coming back and a few of the ones that have been moved around just know that I'm leaving for good this time, and they know it for sure.

I'm led into a new room with a bunch of medium-sized cages in it. They're all larger than the cage I had in the room of death, but I don't see any experiments in them at the moment. There are six cages in the room in total, so that means five other experiments, probably.

The scientist roughly forces me into the smallest cage in the room. I sit on my knees by the door to the cage, holding the bars and sticking my head in between two bars as far as I can without it getting stuck, and watch the scientist leave the room before sitting back. Silence floods into me like nothing I've ever felt before. It's been a year since I've been in a room alone.

Looking around the room, I realize how different being alone is compared to that room of death where there were always at least fifty others with me, waiting for their deaths without knowing it. The other five cages tell me that I won't be alone in here, but it will be much quieter, and that will be a big change.

I lean back into the bars of my cage, close my eyes, and go into a half-awake half-asleep sort of sleep. I can sense what's around me, but I can't look around anymore; I'm too tired to open my eyes. I just let my hearing do the seeing while I rest my eyes.

The more awake part of my mind is trying to figure out why I'm so tired. With a sudden realization that wakes me up for a little at least, I remember that I had been put through a very energy-demanding test yesterday. My body's only trying to get that lost energy back by sleeping it off, since that's the easiest way to get energy when they barely feed you.

I close my eyes again, relax my body against a bar, and fall back to an uneasy sleep. I'm still awake enough to wake up at any sudden noise, though, and that's why it's an uneasy slumber.

My alertness wakes me up full of adrenaline just before the door opens and five others are led it. I stay back so that I'm not seen right away and watch as they're forced into their cages before the – wolf-men I've seen around Itex leave the room. Then I hear a voice.

"Stupid Eraser clawed my arm." I hear the shuffle of clothing as the boy, or at least it sounds like a boy, put his shirt on the cut.

"They got you again?" It's a girl talking this time. "Don't you know how to not get hurt by those Erasers yet Kyle?"

The first boy, Kyle, growls. "Of course I know how to Jen, but it's so much more fun to irritate them!"

"Kyle," a new voice starts, "try not to irritate the Erasers again, okay?"

"Fine… but only because it's you, Shawn."

The boy, Shawn, sighs. "Sorry Jen, but that's the best I can do."

"Hey, at least he'll stop. That's all I'm asking for."

"Guys…" It's a new voice; another boy.

"Yes, Brandon?" The fifth and final person finally speaks, and it's another girl.

"I thought you'd like to know that the sixth cage has finally been filled…"

The room falls silent except for everyone's breathing and the sounds of the other four, or maybe only three, shuffling around to try and see me. I stay in the back of my cage as I wonder how that kid, Brandon, had known I was here. None of the others had been even close to noticing me, or at least Kyle, Jen, and Shawn hadn't been. I can't say anything about the fifth one.

After a few minutes of silence, the fifth person, the girl without a name yet, speaks. "Hey there. I'm Alexa. What's your name?"

I'm so scared that I can't answer. I think my answer: My name is Erika. I just can't bring myself to open my mouth as say it out loud. I can't even move.

"Alexa," Kyle sighs. "Don't bother. It's probably another failure of an experiment that can't think, let alone talk."

That stung me into replying. "I can to think and talk!"

"Oh," That's all that the stupid boy Kyle can say.

"Do you have a name?" I can tell Alexa is the kind one of the group. Or at least she's being the kindest one.

"Yeah, it's Erika."

"How old are you Erika?"

I pause and then stutter out my answer. "I-I'm th-three…"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Kyle bursts out. "They sent us a freaking three-year-old? What are these scientists thinking?" He sighs loudly.

I sat there, my anger growing more and more at the boy Kyle. He'd been nothing but mean since the five had come into the room.

"Kyle!" Jen yells. "Take that back!"

"Why should I? She's only a stupid three-year-old."

"She's probably not stupid and she's young; that's all Kyle!"

"I'm not just a three-year-old, Kyle!" I throw in.

"No, you're – wait… how do you know my name?"

"I listen and I think – some things you don't do!"

"Why you little bitch! You are just a dumb little three-year-old that belongs in the room of the corpses because you should be one!"

I sit here, stunned. He thinks I'm just a dumb three-year-old that should be dead? I feel silent tears running down my face.

"Idiot!" Shawn yells at him. "She's a child that doesn't need to be treated like that! She's an experiment just like us!"

"Why defend her? She's three, dumb, and a girl!"

"And what's wrong with being a girl?" Jen and Alexa say so synchronized that I can tell they've said it before.

"Um… well… uh… I didn't mean it like that!"

"Right… Kyle, you always say you didn't mean it like that," Jen says back to the scared boy, obviously rolling her eyes.

I try to block their talking out and I'm surprised when a voice enters my mind, blocking out their talking.

Try to ignore them Erika. Other than Alexa, those guys always fight every day over something. Alexa only joins in when Kyle says something about girls like he just did.

Brandon…? I ask it uncertainly, not sure if my guess is right.

Oh sorry. I forgot you didn't know I could read minds. That's how I knew you were in here by the way. I heard your thoughts. I can also talk to people in their minds, as you can see since we're doing it right now.

Oh… Cool.

It's been very helpful at times for us. Anyways, ignore Kyle. He's always not thinking before talking and just doesn't like younger kids.

How… how old are you all?

Shawn is nine and the oldest of us all, so he's trying to be the leader of us, but he's not very good at it. Jen and Kyle are both seven, though Jen is older by a few months. Alexa is six and the youngest of us all. I'm eight, though these guys all think I'm like five or something because of how small I am, so I tend to pretend I am. Truthfully, it's only Kyle who's dumb enough to forget I'm eight, the rest all know.

I laugh at that quietly. So… what sort of experiments are you all?

Avian-hybrids, as the stupid scientists call us. We have wings.

I know what an avian-hybrid is…

You do? How? Wait… are you one too?I don't bother to answer because he reads my mind and can tell the answer. Oh man… that's why they put you in here with us. You're one of us.

My mind spins as I realize what he said. I'm not alone. There are more people like me! I'm not the only person like this anymore, and I can find out what they all know!

Erika, you aren't alone anymore and we'll take care of you. We'll make sure that everything will be okay. You'll be fine now and we'll teach you all we know and maybe even help you find out your power when you're a little older. We all have them.

"Guys," Brandon says, preparing to tell them all about how I'm one of them.

"Yes Brandon?" Alexa is clearly curious. I have this feeling that Brandon only speaks out loud once in a while and mostly uses his mind to speak or is silent.

"Erika is one of us. She has wings."

I hear three gasps and the gaspers try to catch sight of me again, but I panic and try to hide even more. Then a voice speaks up and calms me down.

"Guys, leave her alone. She's three and is probably freaking out right now. Give her time and she'll show us later." Right now I'm feeling grateful to Alexa; she's saving me from my fear of all of this.

Alexa can read feelings. She was the only other person to not be surprised when I said you were in here. She knew from the moment we came in and your feelings hit her. She knew you were scared, nervous, tense, and all the other emotions you felt at the time. She also can tell you're scared right now.

Pass her a thank you from me please. I needed someone to stand up for me.

She says that you're very welcome and she'll be glad to help you out with these guys.

I smile slightly and then move out of my corner just enough so that I can turn around and show them my back, and in turn, my wings. I heard gasps coming from them as they see my wings. I wonder if it's because they're so small, because I have them, or for another reason.

All three. I frown, still confused. Erika, we knew they'd be small but it's been a while since we've seen wings on someone as small as you. The others didn't realize you were really one of us and didn't believe me. Finally, they look… so – well, I don't know how to put this nicely, but they look dead.

I stare in the direction of Brandon's cage in amazement at what he had just told me. My wings look dead to them? How are they supposed to look? I've never seen wings on anyone else, so to me they look fine.

A slight movement startles me until I realize that it's a wing being poked out through the bars of a cage. It's coming from where Alexa's voice had come from, so I'm guessing that it's her wing. I look at it closely and then I realize why they all think my wings are dead. Compared to hers, my wings are covered in a layer of dirt, exhausted looking, and are ready to fall off.

Her wing has light brown secondary feathers and her primary feathers are a light gold. They seem to shine, even in the dim light of the room. They look strong and are used to being held in place like that. Mine normally hang down my back, barely moving. They seem dull and don't shine in any way at all. Now I realize what Brandon had meant very clearly.

Sighing, I sit back against the bar, the same way I had when I'd woken up in the middle of the night, and let the cool feeling of the metal calm me down as I watch her pull her wing in. My exhaustion is coming back full force, making my eyes close and my senses dull down until I can barely hear Brandon telling the others out loud that I'm exhausted and need sleep. I fall asleep and I fall asleep deeper than I have since I was moved into the death room.

In my sleep, I dream of my paradise again, but this time I can see five flying things in the air and I realize with a start that they're my faceless avian-hybrids from my room. I just watch them fly; feeling more relaxed than I ever have before. Knowing that I'm not alone anymore has turned my fear and anxiousness into calmness and happiness.

Well, this is the first chapter of my newest story. I have up to chapter nine written and edited already, so I won't take forever to update yet, though please bear with me as I'd prefer to update once a week so that I can stay ahead of myself in this story.

Now, please, review on this chapter and tell me what you think of it. It's taken me a lot of work to put this together, but between my other stories and my friend Erika (yes, I used her name for this character), I got this plot idea going.

Just review and tell me what you think. I reply and I don't bite.

Posted: 10/17/09
Edited: 5/15/10