My eyes open, and there are trees above my head. My back is pressed into something cold, damp, and soft. Sunlight dappled the ground around me, and tree trunks stand in uneven clumps around me. I have no idea where I am, or how I got here.
I sit up quickly and look down at my clothes. I'm wearing an outfit I remember, at least; plain black pants, black boots, and a long sleeve gray shirt. They're covered in dirt, but it doesn't matter when I see the blood on the side of my shirt. With a slightly shaky hand I lift the hen of my shirt and see a deep gash on my left side, along with a throbbing pain I hadn't noticed until now.
I stand up, cupping my hands over my side, and begin to make my way through the dense forest. I'm cold and my clothes are wet from being pressed against the dewy ground, and my side is sending shooting pains across my stomach and chest. I see a break in the trees ahead and hear the faint sound of music.
The scene in front of me unfolds quickly. There's a little carousel in the middle of a park, spinning slowly. Something about it seems . . . off. Then I realize what it is. There's no ticket booth. And there are no children riding it, either. But there is a road a few yards to my right.
I turn away from the park and run down the side of the road. I soon have to slow because my side is starting to bleed again, and my palms are covered in brownish red blood. There's a small town ahead, and people walking along sidewalks. As I near them, they give me startled looks and hurry along.
I see a restaurant and burst in through the doors, grabbing the desk where a young waitress lifts her eyebrows at me and steps back, her mouth falling open.
"Where am I?" I ask her. I look around. People are staring at me. I look back at her, and she's overcome her shock and smiles pleasantly at me. Even so, there's a worried sort of look in her eyes.
She finally talks. "This is Wayward Pines, Idaho."
I turn around in a slow circle, at all the people staring, or purposely ignoring me. My side hurts like the weapon that created the cut is still in it. I feel black creeping in at the edges of my vision and blink furiously to try to get rid of it.
The door swings open and a man walks in. I take the opportunity to run out onto the street again, but instead of running down the sidewalk, I find myself with a throbbing head and my cheek pressed against rough cement.
I struggle for my consciousness, but it keeps slipping away. As people crowd around my and the pain becomes me, I think too much and nothing at all.
Wh my mind finally starts to work again, I'm in a cold room covered by a plain white sheet. I pull the sheets up to my chin, wincing as pain darts through my body. I peek under the sheets and pull up the thin, hospital like robe I'm wearing to reveal a tight bandage stretching around my stomach, covering an awful scratch I can barely remember. The room is dark, but it is light outside the window. Just as I am about to stand, the door swings open and a garish looking nurse steps into the room.
She wears a clean white skirt with a matching top, along with white tights and nurse shoes. Her face is crossed with wrinkles and she wears bright red lipstick. Blue eyes bore into mine.
"Ms. Prior. So nice to see you awake." She says is slowly and carefully, and her voice seems to be absorbed by the still air. "Can you tell me where you are right now?"
I stare at her for a moment, trying to remember anything. A fuzzy memory surfaces, and I voice my thoughts. "Wayward Pines. Idaho." I've never heard of the place before. It must be very small. Other memories start to surface.
Driving in a car with my brother Caleb. Driving to Idaho to visit our parents. Arguing about whether or not he should get back together with his ex girlfriend, Susan. I remember him taking one hand off the wheel and running it through his hair as he turns to look at me. His face in that moment is frozen in my mind; his slightly open mouth, dimpled cheeks, green eyes, messy brown hair. I remember this moment because that one that came next is chaos.
The scream of metal smashing other metal, unbelievable heat, being jerked up and down like I'm on some sick roller coaster. And the next moment is blackness.
The nurse smiles down at me. "Very good. We were afraid you'd have amnesia." She holds up a clipboard and writes a few things down. I watch her, unsure of what to s. Then fear clogs in my throat. I ask the question anyway.
"My brother Caleb. He was in the car with me. Is he okay?" If one of us was to survive, it should be him. I will never forgive myself.
The nurse continues to smile. "I'm sorry, Ms. Prior, but your brother didn't make it." She scribbles a few more things down on her clipboard.
This first thing I feel is grief. Then anger. Then nothing. I am drained of all emotion, sitting in this eerily silent hospital in a town I've never heard of, suddenly an only child. I need to call my parents to tell them I'm alright.
"Do you have a phone I can use?" I ask the nurse, sitting up in my bed. She looks up at me, and her smile sends a chill down my spine.
"Sorry, we don't let patients use the phones. We are working on collecting your belongings at the moment, so maybe if we find your cellphone you can use it." The nurse smiles at me and leaves the room. The door shuts, leaving me in a silent, still room.
I look at the chair in the corner and see a stack of clothes. The ones I was wearing, freshly washed. I quickly slip out of the paper thin robe and pull on the real clothes. In this empty scape, they are a sense of familiarity.
I try the door handle and find it unlocked. The hallway is empty. I walk down the hallway, which is lit with dim bulbs. I listen for normal hospital noises, and hear nothing. It's silent in here. No babies screaming, no talking, no sound of carts rolling. Just the sound of my footsteps echoing off of the white walls.
I see an elevator and press the down button. It opens with a subdued ding. I step in and watch the hallway, waiting for the doors to close. The nurse appears between the doors and smiles at me. I slide back against the elevator wall.
"Ms. Prior. You are not well. We can't let you leave."
"Where is everyone?" I ask, trying not to look at her. It doesn't work. My eyes are drawn to her blue eyes.
"Busy." The nurse says with a smile. The doors slide shut, and the memory of her bright lipstick and deep wrinkles is fresh in my mind.
I step out of the hospital and find myself on what looks like a downtown street. Small shops line the two sides of the street, and a few people walk by. A boy rides past me on his bicycle. I walk down the sidewalk. I need to find a phone I can use.
I see a restaurant and slip inside. People around me at the tables eat sandwiches and talk, always smiling. I walk up to the bar counter and sit down. The man behind the counter has his back to me. When he turns around, I catch his eyes. They are a dark blue, a strange color. Calming. He has short dark brown hair and wears a plain black t-shirt.
"Do you . . . have a phone I can use?" I ask. The man nods and slides a corded telephone down the counter to me. I quickly fail my parent's home number and hold the phone to my ear, my teeth biting into my lip.
Hi, you have reached Natalie and Andrew Prior. We are not available right now, but we will be sure to get back to you as soon as we can. Please leave a message.
Straight to voicemail? They always answer the phone. The tone sounds and I begin to word my message. "Mom, dad. I'm fine. I'm sure you've heard about Caleb by now. I want you to know that I'm fine. I'm in a small town called Wayward Pines. It's in Idaho, not sure how far away from your place. I'm fine. I love you. Bye." I hang up the phone. The bartender lifts an eyebrow at me and takes the phone back.
"Can I get you something to drink? Or eat?" He speaks to me. I realize, suddenly, that I have no wallet.
"I don't have my wallet," I tell the man. It might be my imagination, but I think I can see a glint of anxiety in his eyes. Very strange.
He doesn't smile, like everyone else I've met so far. "It's on me. You look like you've had a rough time." I don't doubt it. The bartender turns away and says, over his shoulder, "You'll pay me back when you get your wallet."
I sit there, watching out the window as people walk by. I only see a few cars. How small is this town? The man comes back over to me with a basket of fries and a BLT. "Thank you," I say to him. He gives me a small, stiff nod.
The food is warm and filling, and I realize that I'm starving. I quickly eat the sandwich.
I glance back up at him when I finish the food. Something about him is familiar, but I just can't put my finger on it. I've definitely never been here before. Never heard of Wayward Pines.
He slides a receipt over to me. I pick it up. On the front, it says 612 Fairview Drive. "My name is Four," he says. "That's my address, if you ever need . . . something." I thank him and get up to leave.
When I walk out the door to the restaurant, the sky has darkened some. The night breeze pulls the slip of paper from my finger and carries it down to the sidewalk. When I bend to pick it up, I realize there's writing on the back, too.
There are no crickets in Wayward Pines.
I stare at it for a moment before shoving it into my pocket. As I walk down the sidewalk, I pass a bush. And there, I hear it. The sound of crickets chirping. I bend down and look into the bush. It's too dark to see anything. I reach my hand in and pull out a small, black box. One look at it and I know what it is. A sound maker. I turn it upside town and flip a switch. The sound of crickets stop.
The night is a silent one.
Hello, all. This is the first crossover I've done, so I hope you all like it. This is Divergent/Wayward Pines, but Wayward Pines (TV show) doesn't have a category here so it's not really on here. These chapters do take a long time to write, so this story will be updated around once every two-three weeks. Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it. See in a couple weeks or so.