Summary: Elena Gabriella Véga, ambitious and adventurous, Elena seeks to find out what's in the redwoods of rumors and is so driven to get out of the Colony. Along with her will be Julia Matthews her lighthearted friend whose been by her side for the past five years. What they'll find in the Redwoods will be hard to take in, but maybe it's the beginning of a new story or Elena's fate.
Characters: Elena Gabriella Véga, Julia Matthews, Alexander, Malcolm, Ellie, Tanner Gore, and Hope El' Chaidez
Rating: PG-13
Romance, humor, violence
(3/30/17-I HAD TO BRING CORNELIA INTO THE STORY, SHE'S SO BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT FOR CAESAR I'M SORRY FOR SOME OF YOU THAT BEGUN TO SHIP CAESAR WITH HOPE)
Ahem, as of that enjoy the story! And I swear this is the last time I'll be changing anything! And some of the quotes from Confinement will be in here of course.
Chapter 1: Anywhere but home
"Romeo and Juliet, the two star crossed lovers that will be doomed in their forsaken story of-Ms. Véga!"
I was sitting, my eyes gazing upon the cracked window, but my attention turned to my teacher "What?" I asked straightforward, I hated being here, don't get me wrong I enjoyed the schooling program they had here, but the teachers were...a bit eccentric, annoying.
"What do you mean 'What'!?" She snapped, and gave me a furious look, and I sighed annoyed "I am even surprised that you passed all your classes and you don't even-" The alarm blared in the school, and I smirked, just on time.
I slipped on my duffle bag over my shoulder, and picked up my torn book as I quickly walked by my teacher.
Finally, done with the school program here!
For the past five years I've been here, the Colony managed to make up a suitable teaching program for the children and teenagers of the Colony, to not lose the valuable knowledge we've gained for so many centuries.
The program consisted of; Math, Science, History, English, Long range shooting, and physical combat. For a certain program that you concealed in, your committed to the Colony in a way, for myself it was physical combat and long range shooting. I'll be most likely be submitted in security then. Though besides that, I also excelled in sign language. Some will get medic like Julia, or others will get teaching, engineering or whatever. Though that would be next year when I graduate senior year.
My name is Elena Gabriella Véga (Lena for short), seventeen years-old, in a devastated, world caused by a uncontrolled virus.
I've been at the Colony for five years, ever since I was thirteen. I was seven years-old when it happened, The Simian Flu.
It happened like if an asteroid hit Earth, chaos swept everywhere, people wanted justice, my mother Marisol was confined into a hospital, it separated my father Armando and I from her.
I used to cry for my mother, seeing her sneeze and cough blood. She was so weak, I used to remember her so clearly, she had such beautiful cocoa brown skin, brown, black ginger hair like mine, and youthful golden brown eyes that would lighten up your mood.
But when she became so frail, she lost much weight, her hair became thin, not thick like mine. Her eyes emotionless, and her skin was pale. Though every night when my Papa and I came to visit she managed a smile, but after an amount of three months after she got the flu, I watched her go limp to the ground on the hospital floor.
I was only seven, and I remember my Papa and I crying so hard. It was such a shattering moment for us.
Most of America became like a post apocalyptic place, just like the rest of the world. Papa and I stayed in Nevada for only five years, when the colony there went down hard. And we just started traveling from The spring mountains of Nevada to California. Staying in nearby camps, hunting animals.
Life was indeed hard, and this life changed me, and when I turned thirteen. It became much worse.
Papa and I ran into Hope El' Chaidez a woman originally from Washington, who was a student at seventeen years-old when the virus hit, but she was twenty three when we met her.
She heard of a Safe Haven in San Francisco, a colony, where she lived when she was fourteen to fifteen. Though when we were on our way there with old vehicles we could get a hold of. It was terrible, there were many riots in the streets, people fighting to get to the Colony.
There was an explosion, and well you can guess the rest.
Hope and I were alone, my father was in the explosion. I remember that I sank to my knee's and cried in Hope's arms who cradled me like a small child. After an hour of my breakdown, we made it to the Colony, a woman by the name of Ellie asked for our information and all that, and we had an old apartment in the Main center of the Colony.
I was depressed for some weeks, and then I thought to myself that my Father wouldn't want me like this. So my personality changed drastic.
I kept my head high, I became ambitious, overprotective and passionate in overcoming this era of well the twenty first century of the black plaque. Though I didn't let it ruin my fun, sarcastic personality.
I shook my head away from those thoughts, and continued walking home. As soon I as I got to the apartment, Hope was organizing her first aid kit as she shoved it in her bag.
Hope had actually very light tanned skin (Due to her mother being an European from Israel and her Father Colombian), and beautiful black hair that if you were in the sunlight highlights of a reddish brown would appear, like an auburn color. Along with light green, golden hazel eyes. She had an tattoo she'd gotten before the flu hit as well-a ribbon that trailed down into a crucifix. She's beautiful in my opinion, and it matched her fierce, driven attitude.
She turned to me smiling "Finally your home, what were you doing?" I rolled my eyes "Just thinking, where's Julia?" I glanced around the room, "She's in her bedroom" Hope replied and I smiled, but then I turned to her "Oh, and I forgot to mention that Julia and I will be going to the Redwoods first thing tomorrow!" I smirked, as I turned but groaned at Hope's response.
"Hold it!" Hope said sternly, and I sighed "Oh Dios mío...".
"Don't 'Oh Dios mío' me!" She replied again sternly, "Hope, it's not a big deal, I'm seventeen now, I'm almost an adult!" Which was true since I'll be turning eighteen next month.
"Nun-uh Chíca, your only seventeen, your still a child, and plus I don't trust the Redwoods, after hearing all those crazy louco rumors!" I smiled, "And that's pretty much what why we're going, it's not like this will be some Blair Witch hunt or whatever".
"Also, I 'am' almost an adult anyways..." I pointed out again, smirking lightly and Hope furrowed her eyebrows at me.
"Let's see...do you have a job?" She started and I glared slightly.
"No".
"Can you drive yet?".
"Kind of!".
"Are you able to live alone by yourself yet?".
"No...".
"Then your not an adult yet!"
We both kept up with our stare down. Though I tipped my head "Please Hope?" I begged and she looked to the side.
Hope shook her head, but looked at me "I'm not sure about this Lena..." But sighed in defeat "Fine, but you get back here first thing, got it" I nodded as I started grinning, "Thanks Hope!"
I sped to Julia's room, I met Julia along with Alexander, who Julia was Twelve, and Alexander was eleven. Now both are sixteen and fifteen.
Julia had wild, light red hair, with hints of platinum blond. She rocked that hair color, and her skin tone was a dark beige. And her eyes were a sparkling blue. She then face me excitedly as her curls bounced "So what did she say?".
I smirked, "We're going! And..." I started to grin, and Julia face turned to nervous "Lena every time when you smile like that, your up to something" I then held up car keys, "We're also taking the truck!".
"Lena you barley know how to drive..." I shrugged "I'll force myself to learn tomorrow morning" Many of the people who worked for Medic or Security had limited use in the amount of cars we've obtained for the past few years.
"This is a bad idea" Julia mumbled, "But I do hope your a quick learner in driving" I scoffed "I am, I am...".
As nightfall came, Hope helped with our camp gear; Two duffle bags, two backpacks, first aid kit, duct tape (Since one of my shoes has a hole), clothes for the wilderness, canteens, two hunting knives, throwing knives, my rope darts, and my machete, and a shotgun and ect. on all the rest that Hope packed for us.
Julia and I decided to head over to Alexander's since we'll be gone for awhile, the three amigos, spending one last night together before the other two leave to escape from the colony.
You had to be at least seventeen or older to leave the boundaries of the Colony, so that's why I picked the day after school is finally over to go to the Redwoods, I actually felt isolated here, trapped. So due to Hope's disliking I learned to climb the buildings here, to watch the night sky as I ran across the roofs, even though I broke my leg when I didn't make it across a building which sucked.
Julia knocked on the door, and appeared Ellie and she smiled sweetly at us, "Hey Jules, Hey Lena you two here to see Alexander?" She asked, and we nodded, Ellie was Alexander's stepmom and Malcolm's wife, and a very good friend to Hope.
We popped into Alexanders room who was sketching, and on his bed laid a Graphic novel he's read so many times now.
"Hey guys, what are you doing here?" I grinned "To spend one last night together" He looked at us curiously, "Your leaving?".
"Oh only to the Redwoods" Julia shrugged, and handed him a torn brochure of the old park "There's been rumors going around that there's something up there".
Alexander gave us an unsure look, "This won't turn into a Blair Witch Hunt will it" And I laughed, "No of course not, I already explained that to Hope".
For a few hours, we've just talked and joked around. We said our goodbyes to Alexander, Ellie and Malcolm as we made our way out the door to our apartment.
I couldn't contain my excitement, so I barely slept. But come on, wouldn't anyone be excited if they got to leave a place they've been isolated for five years?
Sleep finally took over me as I closed my eyes.
As soon as Morning came, the sun danced across my face, and my eyes fluttered open. I looked to the window it was probably in the middle of the morning now. I excitedly jumped out of bed and took a quick shower, and yes we had limited water source in the Colony.
As soon as I got out I combed my wet brown black, ginger hair, and wove it in a tight braid down my back. In the sunlight my hair would actually appear more lighter. I faced myself in the cracked mirror, my skin was a very light olive toned, and my face was defined splashed with freckles all over my face, my nose was narrow, and my eyes were round, and I had a seductive arch on my eyebrows. I smiled slightly I looked just like my mother.
I then hurried to my closet and slipped on a loose tank-top, blue jeans, and white sneakers. I just wanted to wear something simple.
I ran downstairs and saw that Julia was all ready and she went up to me "Oh my god, Lena! I can't believe we're doing this!" I couldn't help, but laugh at her excitement, Hope then walked to us "Now you two better be careful you understand?" She said sternly, and we both nodded.
Her face softened, and she smiled as we hugged her, "Be safe!" She called out as we ran out the door, downstairs, and I quickly went to the truck, our stuff already tucked inside.
I sat in the drivers seat, and put the key in the ignition. And I put my hands on the wheel, and Julia face turned to nervousness again, "Lena please drive slow" She warned, "I will Jules, don't worry so much" I then stepped on the gas, and felt a whiplash as we almost hit our foreheads to the dashboard and Julia glared "Lena!".
"Jeez sorry, sorry" I rolled my eyes, and then Tanner walked up. He was my ex, it makes me wonder why I stayed with him for two years, we were friends now. I simply just, we weren't just into each other like we were. We were more like siblings, let's put it at that.
"You ladies need help" Tanner smirked as he winked one eye to Julia, and she looked away flustered, "Lena lets go" She urged, but glared playfully at Tanner.
"Oh come on now, don't you ladies need protection?" I rolled my eyes at him "No Tanner, we don't need some guy to come with us" I slowly drove away.
Haha, this was pretty easy! If your going slow of course, I looked in the mirror and saw Tanner walk back inside.
As I kept on driving, I then started to hit the brakes in a panic.
"Lena do you want me to drive? We'll be there quicker" I nodded, "Fine, and yeah your right on that" We switched seats and we got to driving much faster, but we had to go through a checkout point before going on the bridge.
Security gave us allegations on what to look out for, and told us to have fun of course.
And yes, this will be the best time of our lives right now.
Stay tuned for Chapter 2