Before the first bombing, I had already left my life behind. I was sick of the orphanage. I had been in there since I was ten. Four years in that hell-hole and I was done. So I left. I packed all my books, all my clothes, and all my journals. I love writing and drawing, so I brought all my pens and markers. I collected all my money and anything else I thought might be useful. I also took a gun that I knew one of the ladies who took care of the children there had hidden away.

I was lying underneath an overpass of the highway when the first bombing happened. I hid there for as long as I could, keeping quiet, but they still found me. These strange, six-legged creatures took me away. They clamped something strange and long on my back, running down my spine. I could feel it. It hurt. I felt it from the base of my neck to the bottom of my back, before I passed out.

I stayed there for months, working for them. It felt as though I was in a dream, like all of this was just a figment of my imagination. I had no control over what I was doing, and I didn't seem to care or notice a thing. I felt like this was what I was meant for, not being human.

And now here I lay, on a palette on the floor, surrounded by a dozen others that had been harnessed with me. They had taken the harnesses off us and we were all supposed to be asleep. I, however, could not find sleep for long. I kept waking back up. I just sat staring at the ceiling, still in awe at what had happened to the world, because I hadn't ever had a chance to think about it with the creatures controlling my mind. I had heard someone call them 'skitters' and I think the name is quite fitting.

I closed my eyes and begged for sleep to take me away. Suddenly, I heard the door open. My eyes flew wide open and I sat up just in time to see someone slip outside. I didn't know where I was, but I decided to see where this person was going. Maybe I could talk to them and see if they knew anything about this place. No one told me anything except that it was the Resistance.

I placed my feet firmly onto the cold tiles and stood up slowly. I crept over to the door and opened it up and slid through the small opening I made.

Woah. The hallway is way darker than I would have thought. At least the classroom I had just exited had a candle lit inside. The hallways are pitch black!

I heard footsteps walking away to my right and I began to follow them. I picked up my pace as I heard them getting further away, until I was right by them.

"He-," was all I got out before running into someone, and knocking us both to the freezing cold ground.

"Sorry!" I said, in a high pitched voice. At least I have the excuse that it so dark in here on my side. It also helps hide the blush.

"It's okay. Who are you?" a voice asked. It was a boy and they were still on the floor next to me. I stood up, hoping to start a trend so they'd stand too.

"Emmeline."

"Ben."

"Nice to meet you. In complete darkness after I just knocked you to the floor." I said, grinning. He laughed.

"You too. Were you harnessed too? I heard you come out of the makeshift doctors office…"

"Yeah. Hurt like hell when they took it off."

"Do you have the spikes down your spine?"

"Spikes?" I whispered. I raised my hand and felt my neck. Sure enough, I felt the little prickly spikes on my back.

"Oh, yeah. Is that from the harness?" I asked.

"Yeah. I suppose so." Was all he said.

"Now I want to know what these spikes look like. Wonder if there's a mirror anywhere around here…"

"I dunno."

"I'm going to explore. Wanna come?" I asked.

"Sure."

We set off down the hall. I saw a room with a candle glowing in it. I opened the door and peered in. I saw what looked to be a bathroom.

"Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"Just seeing if you were there. I think I found a mirror."

I walked in and saw four or five candles on the edges of the sinks. A large mirror was set on the wall. I walked toward it and saw Ben come in, too. I looked into the mirror to avoid looking at him creepily. I turned to the side and looked at my neck. I couldn't see much, but what I could see was pretty creepy.

I went to pull off my shirt so I could see the spikes.

"Woah, what're you doing?"

"Chill, dude. I just want to look at the spikes." I said, rolling my eyes. The world was being taken over by aliens and he is scared of a girl in her bra looking at spikes coming out of her back.

I pulled off my shirt and turned to the side again. The spikes went all the way down my back, just like the harness had. I ran my fingers over them, slightly freaked out by what was sticking out of my skin.

"Crazy…" I said softly.

I kept looking at the spikes in shock. Tears threatened to fall, but I kept them in. I wasn't going to cry over spilled milk that someone else spilled. I put my shirt on over my head and turned to see him just standing there awkwardly.

"I suppose we should get back soon." I said.

"Yeah, probably." was all he said. I grabbed a candle from the sink so I could see down the corridor.

We walked out again and found our way back to the classroom.