Fourteen teenagers crammed in one tiny place? Not a good idea. Maya, the oldest, tall and lean with black hair and black eyes, shouts for everyone to calm down. Nobody, not a single person, listens. Not even me. We all are wearing the same clothes, school uniforms. Navy blue skirts, and white blouses for the girls. Navy blue jeans and button-down white shirts for the boys. They took our shoes before they took us. I'm Aaron Warner, male, 18 years old, and an only child. I ran away from home when I was 13. I have white hair, pink eyes, and a strawberry-shaped birthmark on my neck. I clutch the bars of the back of the large black truck. This feels like a jail. What did I do wrong? Nothing. None of us did anything.

"Help!" I scream as loud as possible. A guard sitting in the comer, who's buckled into his seat, hits me with his gun. I get knocked to the ground. I try to brace my fall, but the handcuffs tightly fastened around my wrists stop me from doing so. A girl bangs on the wall and screams, then gets knocked down next to me. "Where are they taking us?" I whisper to her. She replies in a quiet voice. "A research institute. Because we all have powers." I gasp. "All of us?" I ask. "Yes, everyone: They're going to do experiments on us. She says, trying to stand up.

I

grab her wrist to keep her down. "Don't. They'll just hit you again." I whisper to her. She nods and answers, "Ok. So. What's your name?" I reply to her with a forced smile through the red-hot pain in my head from the blow of the gun. "I'm Aaron. And you are?" She smiles as well, though I can see the hurt in her eyes. "Emily. Emily Sanchez. My powers are teleportation and healing. I can't heal myself, though. Only others I nod and tell her. "Mine are | telekinesis and flying. How'd you end up here?" I inquire. "They broke into my house and took me from my mom and my dad. When I asked how they found me, instead of an answer, they just gave me a shot and I passed out." She tells me with a grimace on her face. "What about you?" I look around, then answer. "That sounds scary. I was in a store buying some water, then they did the same thing to me."

Suddenly the truck stops forcefully. I fly back into the bars on the back of the truck. I cry out in pain at the impact. All the panicked kids crash into each other, now all piled at the back. The guards have unreadable expressions as they watch from the safety of their buckled-in seats. The doors fly open, and a handful of the kids fall out of the truck onto the green, luscious grass. A crowd of guards start pulling kids to their feet. One reaches to grab me, and I scramble back. "Don't touch me!" I scream. I run into another guard's legs and she grabs me by the arm. I yank myself away. A third guard walks over and pulls out a syringe. He tries to inject it into my neck, but I move out of the way just in time. I jump to my feet and run, Guards all around me inject the other kids with the serum. I avoid looking at them, and run away, further into the field.

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I look back. The three guards chase after me but don't run very fast. One reaches for their gun and my eyes widen. I look away and notice a giant brick wall blocking my path. I stop and look around. "Nowhere to go now." One of the guards says. "Can't use your powers either, because that collar around your neck will explode if you do." I panic, then look closer at the wall. The bricks seem like I could grab onto them. I place my hand on one. I can grab it, but just barely. I put my foot on one, then slowly start climbing.

The guards point their guns at me, but I ignore them. They wouldn't hurt a kid. Right? I think back to the guard who hit me with their gun in the truck. They would. They definitely would. I quicken my pace and grab each hold as tightly as I can. How tall is this wall? It seemed to go on forever. I look down. I'm about I3 feet off the ground.

Guards shout from below. I pay no attention to them and reach for the next brick. A gunshot lands beside my arm. Wait. A gunshot? "Shit!" I mutter and climb faster. I keep climbing higher and higher. One hold after the other. I don't want to be here! I reach for the next hold. Keep going. Hand up. Then my foot. Then my hand. I look up and keep climbing. I look at a hold. Too far. More shouts from below. I reach for it. I can't make it... Can I jump? I decide not to and try to put my foot up.

No, I can't do that. I'll fall if I do. Gunshots land next to my arms and legs, just barely missing me. I look around. Nowhere else to go. Fuck it! Let's do this. I jump for the hold, and... miss.