"Do you have everything?"
X asks as he fixes Dahlia uniform. A shorter version of the navy-blue uniform given to the non-combatant students.
"Yes," the girl nods her head. Fully recovered, her brown eyes look up to the young man bundled in a fluttering scarlet robe blocking her view.
"Alright, then repeat what I said." He eyes the dazed little girl.
"In order to stay on Arm's Academy's property, I have to work. Because everyone has a role here, but I'm not an official student." She replies softly as she plays with a chunky gold watch wrapped around her wrist.
"And," X says, while fixing a leather sack for her to carry.
"I only have to give the morning milk to the female students every Monday and Wednesday."
She starts to tap her polish little shoes against the wooden floor. Anxious.
"How?" He finishes packing her bag before brushing her curly hair.
"By using a Techno Watch," she raises the watch she was playing with— ugly big wires, switches and knobs. "The students use this technology to sign in with the school's communicator, so we can have access to places, or permission to leave school ground. If something happens to a student, they will know."
"Good," X says, then he throws the girl out the door. "You'll do a good job by yourself."
Before Dahlia can say anything, X slams the door in her face. She stands up from the metal floor and looks at her watch. The thick screen blinks in green lights while her stubby fingers fiddle with switches and knobs. Beep-beep. The watch echoes in the empty hall as the gps pops onto the screen.
The little girl follows it. Terrified. Men in colorful robes or uniform rushes by giving her only a glance. Only a few spare a minute to talk to the little girl. "Are you lost?" "What is a little girl like you doing in this college?" Moments like these—with strangers—Dahlia wish she can speak at her own will. Words she wants to say never comes out, stuck bubbling in her chest, until it vomits out at the worst of times.
"Are you okay." A handsome man in a scarlet uniform asks her.
She can only nod a yes. The man walks pass her into the men dormitory. A dull building of blue bricks and a tin roof.
"Yes," she speaks to his back in a soft voice dissipated by the spring's breeze.
She marches forward. Conscious. Innocent eyes soak up her surrounding like a sponge. She's always seen sand, little green on the other side of the box. The couple mostly blindfolded her. Only in X's memory and here does she see so much vegetation. So busy on the decorations and landscape, she doesn't see the confuse stares of the students. The loud clinking of milk bottles in her sack.
Finally, on the other side of the campus, she reaches the women dormitory. A building identical to the men, she pulls a wired pen from the watch and connects it to the security panels by the door. The door clicks, "You may come in." The panel coldly speaks in a female voice.
She gets to work. Every door from bottom to up, she has to knock. Afterward, she rests four bottles of milk in front of their door. One of the dorm mates comes out to thank her and picks up the milk. Others don't, too busy with classes or more important matters.
Then, it gets wild as she climbs higher. She realizes influential or wealthy people live on the higher floors. Some complains about a young girl doing the job, some ignore her, others give her treats and pat her head, or just give her tips for her service. The worst floor has to be the very top on the left side. The last room: 1A.
Knock, knock. The door opens fast, revealing two beautiful dolls with different side ponytails dressed in a scarlet uniform. They were only a head taller than her. Their mismatch eyes of silver and gold looks at her, holding an uncomfortable light.
"Gem, do you see what I see," The girl on the left asks her sister on the right.
"Of course, I do, Mini," Gem replies.
"She's very dark." Mini observes.
"She must be from the Mid-east." Gem replies.
"How interesting, I always wanted to see a desert person from up close." Mini claps in excitement.
Their eyes burning passionately, making Dahlia uncomfortable. They take a step forward. Dahlia takes a step back. It repeats. She feels her back hit the cool metal wall. The twin's hands move closer to her, but she shrinks. Curl up in a ball on the floor. The scene reminds her too much of the box.
How scientists come to their cells. "Don't worry, it won't hurt," they lie. All they can do is curl up and hope they aren't picked for the new experiment. Tired and afraid. Their hands reach out to her.
"No," she screams. Tears gushes out, clutching her knees to her chest.
"Great Mini, you scared her," Gem scolds her sister.
"Hey, you also scared her too!" Mini argues.
A girl barely a woman slams open her door. A beautiful girl of long, pink locks and amethyst eyes. If Dahlia could see her, she would have called her a princess. "Hey, who's making so much noise!" The girl glares at the culprit in contempt, while the perpetrators are too busy arguing. Of course, it had to be the troublemaking twins.
She stomps over, her eyes twitching from being ignored. It's not until she is standing by their side does, she realizes the severity of the situation. A mid-eastern child curled in a ball, crying on the floor.
SMACK
"Owww! Hana!" The twins cry.
"What did you little devils do this time!" She points at them in accusation.
"Mini did it!" Gem points.
"I did not!" Mini defends.
In the midst of the confusion, Dahlia cries for X. Not knowing X's situation was not any better than hers.
"Is the she-devil close!" X screams to his partner-in-crime as they run across the campus in terror.
Running close behind is the handsome man, who greeted Dahlia at the entrance of the men's dorm. The novel protagonist's best friend, Lance Wingman, looks behind in horror. "My God! She's getting closer!"
A moving cloud of dust hiding a tall, slender silhouette rushes forward.
"Shit! It's gaining speed!" Lance reports.
"Damn! What in Hell did you steal?" X complains.
"I'll tell you later!" Lance replies.
"What do we do now?" X asks. He has not tasted fear in a long time until today.
"Just go! She wants me! I'll be her distraction, so you escape. Someone needs to tell our story!"
Lance gives him a not-so-convincing smile.
"Lance." X gives a manly salute before dashing away. "Don't you die on me!"
"No promises!" Lance salutes back before turning to the angry bull from behind. "Hey, you ogre your mom is a *****."
"Whhrraaa," The beast snarls a battle cry, running even faster.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" X can hear Lance regret messing with one of the protagonist's harem members.
In the dorm or on campus, Monday morning was chaotic.