Chapter 3 (9's POV)
Humans. They are all around us. I know what they look like from the books in the library, and, admittedly, from seeing those dead bodies in the City; lying on the cold streets, burns and bruises spread across their skin, blood streaming from-
But there are no humans. They are all dead. So how can they be here, staring down at us? And why are they not trying to catch us, like flies in a net, to take us to some laboratory and test on the strange new specimen that we are to them?
They are standing behind some strange glass walls that are covering two sides of the corridor. The glass seems to be covering rooms. Maybe the people are trapped in them– but no, there are doors in the glass for them to escape through. Yet they all stand motionless. I, for one, need an explanation.
I edge slowly down the corridor towards the nearest person, looking around me as I go, to make sure that none of them move for me. But they don't, so I pick up speed and reach the two humans that stand in the glass of the room closest to our entrance. I look up into one of their faces.
Two unblinking, colourless eyes bore into me. They show no passion, no feeling. The lips are positioned in a straight, impassive line. It doesn't twist into a frown or a smile. My eyes trail down the figure, and I see that the chest is not rising and falling, and this is definitely what humans look like when they breathe. Not that I have ever seen a human breathing; I awakened after they had all died. But I'm pretty sure they have to breathe...
A sudden flickering starts up behind me. I turn to see that the twins are showing a film. 5 and 7 are trying to make them stop – we don't want the humans to come for us or anything. But the twins, usually being the most timid of us all, don't look nervous in the slightest. They continue their reel and the rest of us have no choice but to watch what they are trying to show us.
On one of the non-glass walls in the hallway, the twins' film shows a black and white image of some people walking down a corridor, much like the one we are standing in. They carry tons of bags in their hands, and chat happily to each other as they walk. The picture moves left to display some very recognisable glass-walls-with-doors-in-them. And behind them stands some unmoving humans. A notice is plastered onto a wall, with an arrow pointing towards the humans in the room. It reads 'Like the outfits on the mannequins? Then come in store and look around- you're sure to find something you want!' The images flicks up to the ceiling, and some words appear on the wall; 'Sale now on at the Evergreen Meadow shopping centre- amazing bargains, just for you!' The wall turns blank.
"Of course!" says 2.
"What? That made no sense and I think we should leave this stinking building right now, before those humans smash through the glass and come and-" 1 yells, panicked.
"No, 1, that's exactly it; they aren't going to come and get us because they are not alive. They're mannequins- it's a French word, I think- just figures that are used for advertising clothes. You see the clothes they are wearing? They would've been sold to people. They're nothing to be afraid of." 2 replies.
"So you think it's safe here?"
"Perfectly. It must be remarkably well- protected if it's not even singed from the war, so I don't think anything will have got inside since then." 2 points out.
"So... can we explore?" 7 asks the question on all of our minds.
"Yes. Just be careful not to get lost, and you'll be fine."
So off we go.