STRANDED 005

I was taken to one of the long buildings at the end of the line. It was lined with bunks like one of the dorms in an army barrack and was filled with both male and females. "This is where you'd be staying after everyday's work" the guard only said. I looked at the spacious place that looked much better than the dumpster that I slept in at Dome.

They took me to my bed space, showed me a little locker where I could put my stuffs, the toilet and I was handed a routine to go through. I looked at the sheet of paper but did I tell you I didn't know how to read or write and my use of English language was really poor? I didn't talk much and I wasn't like some of the domites that were transferred from English countries.

I literally spent my whole life learning and mastering the Dome language.

I nodded and they left me to my own.

I stared at the white sheet for quite a while "twenty two..." I said within myself. That was the only thing I could assimilate from the routine and that was because it was written boldly on my vest while I was still at Dome.

"Hey boots!" I heard someone yell and simultaneously, an empty can flew across the room and struck me at the back of my head. "Didn't you hear me call you?" I looked across the space and on an upper bunk sat a huge red-head. She looked the eldest of the other three women that occupied the bunks at that corner. She had a huge grin on her face but I was blank. I always was.

"What? You don't understand English?" I guess she saw that I was struggling with reading the routine. "Let me help you" she got down from her bunk and snatched it from my hand. "It says..." She began, clearing her throat "dear twenty two. You would die tomorrow and we would hang your head..."

"Don't listen to her!" Someone came over and snatched the paper from her. Like her, he had red hair too but he was much younger.

"Hey jerk!" She wanted to take it from him but he was quick enough to dodge.

"Stop being a bully Ruth!" He snapped at her and with a frown, she settled back in her bunk.

"Sorry about that. Don't be intimidated by her. She's just a big teddy bear" he said with a smile. He was the first person to smile to me in elsewhere. I didn't get all that he said but I nodded anyways. "What is your name? Do you understand English?" But I was mute. He went through the paper and looked at me. "You are from Dome?" He raised a brow "oh, your English must be terrible"

"Tell me about it" Ruth added

"Shut up Ruth." He shunned "your name is Twenty two right?" And I nodded in response. "That’s awful" he sighed. "Well, twenty two, this paper..." He raised the sheet "is what you..." He pointed to me "are to do every day. Got it?"

"Yes"

"Cool. We wake up three, we go to bed eleven. You will work at a slaughterhouse..." He paused and frown pulled in his face. I heard gasps at the background and everyone began to gather at my bed.

"She is an S?" Ruth came over and lifted my sleeve to reveal the inscription on my upper arm. "Omigod. She is an S". I didn't know what that meant so, I turned back to the red-head-boy.

"It means, you'll work at a place where killing happens..." He paused and pressed the paper in my hand. "You'll figure out the rest." He exhaled again and took a step away from me. "Alright everyone, lights out." He announced and people started to return to their beds with rumors and grumbles. I was dumbfounded. What was going on? What was an S?

I was left alone to wonder what was going on.

"Slotter-aws" I said to myself as I sat on the bed then, I lay down to rest my eyes. Slotter-aws.

I rolled over. The sores on my body made it uncomfortable to close my eyes. Then I shot to my buttocks and sat upright. "Slotter-aws" I said touching the S mark on my hand.

In Dome, we just stood under letters but here at elsewhere, we were marked with it. What could this mean?

Not being able to sleep, I stood to my feet and paced the corridor between each bunks till I got to red-head's bunk. He was rolling over, tossing and turning, trembling from the cold. I watched him for a while and it reminded me of Teen. I hoped he was okay and was doing very well without me but who was I kidding? Dome was do or die.

I went back to my bunk and pulled out the thin sheets that covered the hard bed and strolled back to him. He was still shivering so, I draped it over him and subconsciously, he clutched it tightly to himself.

I should be sleeping, savoring the little time given to us for rest but Slotter-aws kept me awake.

Red-head had said it was a place where killing took place. What killings?

Well, there was only one way to find out.