Me: "Wow, thank you guys for reviewing. Oh, and if you haven't noticed by now I respond to most of your reviews via PM, unless you are a guest. So here-"
Will: "Actually if you don't mind, wait of course you don't mind I'm William Herondale, no one minds, anyway i'd like to say a something... first of all, while Jem is, granted, amazing I am the best. So, now that's all cleared up you can finish whatever weird thing that you, being a weird person, were doing."
Me: "Yes Will, I am weird. I am..."
Cecily: "Oh no. Not another one of your weird, tacky acronyms!"
Me: "Shut it! Rude! Anyways, I am...
... Wonderful…
… Excellent…
… Interesting…
… Divine…
… Real."
Me: *Smiles smugly*
Sophie: *Timidly* "Weren't you going to do the reviews?"
Me: "Oh... uh... yeah... well, here are the reviews...
Skts73: Thank you so much for your lovely review. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
The-finale-hope: Thank you for the interest in my story. I hope you'll like this chapter as well.
Me: "Alright, on to the story."
Sophie: "... Disclaimer..."
Me: "Right! I don't own Cassie Clare's characters. Or the Star Wars allusions that occur... You people are smart. You know what I own and what I don't. Now onto the story!"
…
Chapter 3
Tessa's POV
The world began without man, and it will end without him.
~Cluade Levi-Struass
Shock flooded through her. Tessa could barely comprehend what was in front of her.
"Cecily?"
The young girl had thinned out, but in this world who didn't, her cheeks were more hollow than when Tessa had seen her. Her dark hair and pansy eyes more prominent. Smudges of dark shadow rested beneath her eyes. Cecily had been her best friend since she had moved here from London in fifth grade. They had been inseparable. Then her parents and older sister died. Her brother left her. After that, Cecily had stayed at Tessa's house for a few days then left. Tessa hadn't seen Cecily since.
Cecily burst into sobs and ran over to Tessa.
"Tessa, I'm so glad to see you. I can't handle living like this!" She wiped away her tears, and stood up straight. "I'm sorry."
"Cecy, you're fine! Be strong! You are one of the bravest girls I know." It was true, Tessa thought, Sophie and Cecily were the two bravest girls that she knew. "Also... there is one more bedroom left. Its yours if you want it." Cecily nodded weakly.
Suddenly, Sophie appeared with cup of warm hot chocolate, to which Tessa wrinkled her nose in disgust. Cecily and Sophie giggled. It was well known, at least by now, how much she despised chocolate. Sophie presented the mug to Cecily and both girls ushered her into the last bedroom to receive some well needed sleep. Tessa, who felt guilty at not noticing that Sophie had left earlier, whispered a quick thank you. Both exhausted girls checked every possible entrance to make sure they were either locked, sealed, or boarded, before retiring to their beds for the night.
Tessa woke up the next morning to the sound of raucous laughter. She stumbled, still half asleep, out into the kitchen. In one sweep of her eyes she spotted Cecily sitting on the counter, and Sophie sitting next to her making something. Pancakes? Yep, pancakes. Wow, thought Tessa, this must be a really special occasion.
Tessa realized that Sophie would count another person joining their group as a celebration. In her opinion, it would be the saving of a life. Tessa, full heartedly, agreed. Though if Cecily was like this then she wondered about her brother Will. Along with Jem. In all the years that she had known them they were inseparable. Tessa picked up her backpack, which was stuffed to the brim with books, and nodded at the girls. Sophie didn't actually go to this school, but it was unsafe for her to just stay here. So, she went anyway. Cecily did go to this school, she just hadn't attended in... a long time.
Cecily grumbled. "School? When the world no longer exists, really? And you still go? You bring Sophie with you, don't you?" Cecily looked a Sophie, who was grinning and looking back and forth between the two of them. "Poor girl. Tessa, you are such a goody-two-shoes! You need to chill out for a moment!"
Tessa smirked and pushed the energetic girl out the door. Sophie quickly followed suit. As Tessa was walking out the door her foot hit something with a clang. Looking down she realized that it was her dagger, which she had lost in the aftermath of last nights chaos. Picking it up, she slung it through her belt. They marched out the door. To knowledge!
Tessa was looking at the board which was stained with years of chalk abuse. Sophie was sitting to her right, and Cecily to her left. They didn't need to go to separate classes. There were very few students left, and even fewer teachers. While to most people she seemed especially studious, she rarely ever payed attention. She was always off in some other world, preferably one from her books.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of several people in white jumpsuits. Masks covered their faces. To prevent them from catching the disease, Tessa assumed. A snaky-looking man with white-gray hair and gray-green eyes walked up to the front of the classroom.
"Let's get straight to business. Theresa Gray, Sophia Collins, Cecily Herondale, And Jessamine Lovelace you are coming with us."
He walked over to a girl with pale blond hair and warm brown eyes. Jessamine lovelace. The one person out of the names called that she didn't know. She whimpered and stood up, following him to the front. Tessa panicked. Both Cecily and Sophie were looking to her, waiting for directions. She mouthed run at them. Lifting her hand she counted down with her fingers. Three. Two. One.
They ran, squeezing past the men and women grabbing at them. Desperately trying to keep them there. Their feet pounded on the floor. Tessa panted. Gasping for breath. She was not in shape. Heavy thuds echoed behind them. People shouted.
"Wait, we know you're immune!" The girls eyes widened. "We don't want to hurt you. We just need your help. You're the key to our experiments! Just stop running! Come back!" Something seemed off to Tessa. She ran faster. So did her companions.
They ran straight into an even larger group of people in white jumpsuits. Sophie jumped to the side, looking behind them.
"We're trapped," cried Cecily in dismay.
The white jumpsuited people ushered them onto a silver bullet-looking train.
"We will arrive at the institute tomorrow morning. Settle in."
Fortunately for the girls, they had learned how to hold onto their possessions. So, they still had their backpacks. Tessa had her books. She sighed in relief. The bus door cracked open and in walked a group of people.
•%%%%%%%%%%•
Will's POV
Will sat annoyed, and irritated, at the desk. He obnoxiously banged his pencil on his desk, much to the irritation of many others.
"Shut up Heronfail!" Gabriel Lightwood grinned. He seemed overly smug considering that wasn't even a good comeback. Besides... Will wasn't doing anything. Necessarily. Jem looked over at him. He grinned and glared. A feat! Of great magnitude!
"No, you shut up Lightworm!"
Yes. This was infinitely better than Heronfail. Come on. Heronfail. That was pathetic.
"Will. Be quiet. Just ignore Lightworm." Jem's eyes widened as he seemed to realize what it was he had just said. He clamped his pale hand over him mouth. He shot him a glare. "You are evil! A scourge to this land! You've corrupted me! How could you? To think I trusted you! I thought you were my friend!" Jem shook his head in mock disgust.
Will nodded, grinning. "Oh, but James the dark side is so much better! You won't even know till you try it. We've got cookies, and other stuff that you like." Will wriggled his eyebrows at Jem.
By now, the entire class, teacher included, was laughing. Their teacher made no move to stop the ruckus occurring in his classroom. Comedy was hard to come by these days. Every laugh mattered. This only made Will increase his act. Jem did the same.
"Jem. We are brothers. Family sticks together. Just march your lazy self over here!" Jem didn't budge. "Jem. It's two steps. Just. Come. To. The. Dark. Side. You should know the glories of the dark side. You've seen what it's done for me. Also, don't worry. These are not the droids you are looking for... and this is not like the jedi mind trick." Will bowed. Jem leaned over and rapped Will's head with his knuckles.
"Eh tu bruté! You had evidence of the force's existence and you did nothing about it!" The whole class was in hysterics. In the back, Camille Belcourt was winking at him. Gross. He winked back anyway.
The classroom door burst open. People in white suits flooded in through the open door. The class's carefree attitude of earlier was shed in favor of a wary one. A mad with a ridiculously long white beard, angry eyebrows, and gray eyes walked over to the first desk. He coughed for attention. Then slapped the table.
"This is a serious situation. Listen to what I say, then do it. I will call off a few names. Those people will be coming with me. No complaints! Gabriel Lightwood, James Carstairs, Camille Belcourt, Magnus Bane, William Herondale, and Gideon Lightwood come here. You are immune. You probably already know this."
They marched up to the front. Camille was a little too close for Will's liking, so he scooted to the other side. Before she could fill that spot again Jem moved right there. Thank goodness. Camille was beautiful, but he had always found her beauty cold. Like that of a pressed flower. Pretty and dead. Besides, she was way too pushy.
The men, and women, marched them out of the room, and onto a train. A sleek, silver bullet train.* The doors opened, Will was feeling apprehensive. Something about this situation seemed off. Will distantly registered crying. To his side, Jem looked concerned.
They passed a compartment where a girl with pale blond hair was sobbing. Jessamine Lovelace. He knew this because she had thrown herself at Will several times. The next few compartments were empty. Camille and Magnus broke off, and went into one. Gabriel and Gideon followed suit. Two train doors clanged shut.
Will and Jem kept moving forward. Will felt there was a reason he needed to keep moving, something he needed to see. He heard a bunch of murmured whispering. Warily, he looked at Jem for an answer. Jem shrugged, and motioned for them to keep going.
Will swung open a door. Nothing. He moved to next. Nothing. He turned to cross the hall, where Jem had already opened the last door in that section. Jem was in the room, talking to someone and smiling.
Curious, he moved into the room. In the corner sat a girl with dark hair, green eyes, and a silvery scar that lined her face. Across from her there was two girls slumped on the bench. One had milk chocolate hair, and warm gray eyes. Tessa. His Tessa. The one he had been crushing on since she moved here in fifth grade. The other girl had dark midnight black hair, she was also asleep across Tessa's lap. Tessa's hands rested by her. Cecily?
It had to be. Tessa was not very trusting. She wouldn't let someone sleep on her. Unless she already knew, and trusted them. Tessa bent down and whispered something into the girl's ear. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Eyes the color of a pansy. Just like his. Those identical eyes widened. "Will!" She jumped up and hugged him. It was Cecily alright.
Cecily pulled away and glared at him. "You left me. How could you?" She shook her head and sat back down next to Tessa, who wrapped her arms around Cecily's shoulder. Will ignored the hostile looks from all three girls, and the chuckle from Jem, as he sat down next to The scarred girl.
"Will, that's Sophie. Don't touch her or we'll all kill you. Twice. Maybe even three times," Cecily explained. Jem chuckled, and sat down, on the long bench, next to Tessa. In Will's spot. Or, rather, what should be his spot. Jem whispered something to her. She nodded.
Suddenly, a loud wailing noise erupted in the compartment. Jem pat his bag. No. He. Did. Not. Oh no, he did. Tessa erupted into a peal of laughter, with Sophie and Cecily soon joining her. Jem's face flushed. "James, you brought that despicable beast with us? What is wrong with you?"
Jem simply shrugged and and replied, "I'm not leaving him again."
The train started to move. It gained speed. Soon, it was hurtling past the barren land outside the windows. It was too late to toss the cat out now. Jem grinned. He, evidently, knew this.
A man with wild red hair walked in, "Lottie wants me to tell you to settle in. We will arrive tomorrow morning. Oh yes, and that in the next section there is tables stocked with food. Take your pick. Eat all you can." The man walked away mumbling something about a blasted Phosphor.
Will shrugged and remarked, "well, they're not going to poison us. So, we might as well fill our stomachs." Will walked towards the door, Jem and Cecily rose. Tessa and Sophie quickly followed them out the door.
As they entered the dining hall, the lights blasted out. Plunging them into darkness.
…
Me: "Okay, so when I was writing this I pictured the train like-"
Tessa: "Like the train that drove Harry Potter and his friends to Hogwarts, only a modern, slightly futuristic version."
Me: *Disappointed* "Yes. Well thank you for reading, and please-"
Cecily: "Review. Hah!"
Me: "Why is no one letting me-"
Cecily: "Finish your sentences. I don't even know. But, it so fun."
Me: *Rushes, so that nobody can interrupt* "Please review if you...
Want to know what happens next
Would like to read the next chapter
Have any suggestions, comments, and/or concerns
Thank you for reading. Until next time. "
~Kriz