The room is small and cramped with a bunk bed and a dresser with a clock on. That's all. The room doesn't fit the rest of the tower, with its stonewalls and beige covers there's no one who could call this room luxurious. Or maybe there is. Maybe if you live in the Lowkkers, if you've never had a house.

Part of me is crying; insides twisting into balls of anxiety. Part of me is relieved; happy that mom can finally pay for her surgery.

The anxiety part knows that mom is sitting in her bed and bawling her eyes out. She knows that I left only to save her and give my sisters a normal life again, but I can only imagine how hard it must be anyways. We didn't even get to say a proper goodbye. Just a hug, some tears and me running to get that one item we could bring with us.

I know the trip is only for a year. But I'm not sure I believe that, even though I want to. It feels too simple, too easy. Not to mention it sounded like we might have to go into war with whatever is out there. My chest pains at the thought of physical fighting.

The door to my right squeaks and a person walks in. She's a Lowk, a fact I know from her clothes; torn and patched pants and a tank top just a little too small. Her hair is frizzy and dark brown and her skin almost sickly pale, like she hasn't eaten for days. I press my lips together.

She doesn't seem to have anything with her, since her hands are empty and there are no pockets in her rags as clothes.

"Are you gonna keep staring at me? Maybe you want me to change rooms so that you won't have to live with some filthy Lowk." She spits. I flinch in my seat and meet her gray, annoyed eyes.

"No."

"Then mind your own business and look somewhere else." She climbs up the bed since I'm on the lower matrass, not that big a fan of heights. A stingy feeling swells behind my eye globes, forcing my waterlines to soak. I don't want to be here anymore. I want to be with my family and sleep in my own bed without a mean roommate. Laying down, I let out a weak whimper, weaker than I would have liked it to be.

"Are you crying?" the girl says.

"No."

Awkward silence thickens the air, the kind that I despise more than anything. Well, maybe not more than anything, but I definitely don't like it.

"What is your name?" I whisper, even though I'm hoping she might not hear it.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't."

The whole changing rooms start sounding pretty good, but I continue to talk instead; while I have the courage. "I just want to know what to call you."

"Just call me roommate or something." She says and rolls around in her screeching bed.

"I'm Kaaraleey."

"Did I ask?"

"No, I just –"

"Whatever. I guess you can call me Nhooraay."

A light smile makes its way to my lips. "Okay."

⧫⧫⧫

"Hello and once again, welcome everyone!" a loud mechanical voice speak, similar to the one we heard at our arrival. It wakes me up out of my almost slumber and I perk my ears to make sure not to miss any information the voice might update us on. "We hope that you have all settled in your rooms and gotten along with your new roommates. If you have not noticed, the time is quite late, eleven o'clock to be exact. We understand that a lot of you are tired and ready to go to sleep, but we would love for you to come down to our dining hall for some dinner. We promised to take care of you, so that is what we are doing."

I stretch my back in a yawn before getting up. Nhooraay is sitting in her bed, legs pressed against her chest and eyes glued to the wall. To my surprise, a faint but nasty scar tangle its way from her right ear to the right corner of her mouth. I try not to stare at it.

"Are you coming?"

"No."

"Why not, aren't you hungry?"

"No, I'm not, stop asking all these questions. Don't you know what privacy is?"

I gulp nervously. "But they said -"

"I don't fucking care what they said, okay? I don't even want to be here, so leave me alone." Her stomach grumbles, but she pretends not to hear it. Looking at her stern face I feel a mix of ache and rage, but I quickly remember how she made it clear for me not to stare, so I turn my gaze to the door.

My legs have to be forced to move out of the room because of my panicked mind. I hate new people, especially when there are a lot of them. And when I have made it through the door, I panic even more. Seeing all teenagers in a row and in order was one thing; something I could handle, but seeing all of them storm around in a hallway I feel is something I cannot bear. Suddenly I feel cold in my dress and hood, so I pull my arms around my chest as a protector of some sort. My feet won't move anymore and I don't know where to go, like all the information about the layout of the towers has drained out of my brain.

"Why are you just standing there?" a voice speaks behind me. I turn my head and to my surprise, there stands Nhooraay; her arms crossed and her hair now pulled up into a bun.

"I –"

"Just c'mon." she swifts through the crowd of people with limping legs, ignoring the stares. I wonder what happened to her but have to force myself to follow. Of course I'm not as firm and independent as Nhooraay, so I end up feeling sick after bumping into people left and right.

⧫⧫⧫

The dining hall is enormous. And due to the dull colors and lack of decoration plus Leaders, I get that this is a room made only for us, just as the bedrooms. It doesn't bother me though. I don't think I could have gotten any food in me if I had to eat in one of their regular dining halls.

People are already sitting down and eating, chatting with each other and making friends. Some are hugging like they have been friends forever, which they might even have. Just because I don't really know anybody, doesn't mean others don't.

I feel sort of comforted that some have already gotten their food, that just means the line is shorter. Well, as short as it can be. After all we are over 1000 of people here, in the same room. I shake the thought away to stop myself from freaking out once again.

Here and there I see people getting pushed and harassed for being from the Lowkkers, no one does anything, not even me. It is just the way it is. I don't like it though, and maybe if I had a little more courage, a little bit more confident, I might have helped the ones getting picked on.

"Get the fuck off me!" the furious scream makes me turn around, only to see Nhooraay squirming out a guys grip.

"Yeah!" the guy laughs. He is pretty skinny, but it looks like Nhooraays starving body can't beat him. "Like I would listen to some filthy cockroach like you."

Most people around them are hooting and laughing, I'm not one of them. Instead, I'm scared out of my life. Never have I ever seen someone being this offensive against a Lowk.

"You let go of me now you fucking bastard!" Nhooraay screams in his face and tries kicking him, but her apparently hurt leg gives up and she misses.

"Why would I? You took my place in line, just like you stood in my way before."

"I've stood here for minutes you fucking dick!"

"So you've stood on my place for several minutes, yeah?" the guys grip on her upper arms tighten and she fists her hands, stiff veins clearer through her skin. I'm just about to turn away from the horrid scene when she spits in his face. My hands fly up to my face in shock. The guy lets go of her by reflex and Nhooraay takes her chance and hits him on the jaw and his head flies to the left. The sound is awful; bone crashing against bone. The crowd that has gathered around them goes dead silent.

"What is happening in here?" a deep voice roars through the room and everyone turn their heads to the big door. A big bulky guard marches against us with fuming steps.

"I said what is going on?" he says when no one answers.

"She hit him!" a tiny voice shrieks somewhere in the room.

"That bitch was harassing me!" Nhooraay defends.

"Both of you! No food for today, come with me." The guard says. Nhooraay and the guy look like they are about to protest, but quickly change their minds and drag their feet after the man. My heart skips two beets for being alone. What am I going to do now? What if they send her home? She might not be the nicest, but at least she was someone I could be with.

"Everyone get your minds together! You need to eat." Someone from inside the kitchen shouts, and slowly the line begins to move and the chatter initiates again. I keep my head low, switching my eyes from the ground and the line in front of me every few seconds.

When it is my turn to get my food, I straighten myself a little. The guy behind the counter gives me a bored look and throws some sort of mashed vegetable and a piece of meet on my plate. I whisper a small "thanks" and move away. The food looks good and it rumors of heat. My stomach curls in hunger. I let my eyes scan across the room to find a decent seat, and find one only a couple of tables away. There is two girls sitting on the far end of the long table and there are a couple of free seats between them and the other group of people at the table. I sit down, not daring to look at anyone, and stuff my mouth with the tasty food.

Out of the blue there is a screeching sound and I jump lightly in my seat. "Thank you for coming down here to eat, and hope you are all enjoying your food.

"We are sure all of you have thousands of questions you want to be answered, but unfortunately that can't be due right this moment. Though, there are a couple of things we will inform you all about right now. First of all, you might wonder about clothes. I promise you will not have to wear what you are wearing right now, for the rest of your time here. On your way out, there are some guards ready with your new clothes. Just mention your name and you will get them.

"There will be more information tomorrow morning at eight o'clock in the grand hall. There you will get to know what you will be doing every day, whom we are and so on. Now, please, continue to eat and then get ready for bed."

I take the last bite of my meet and stand up to go leave my plate. New clothes. I smile at the thought of no one being able to see where you come from, hopefully.

Quickly I walk to the door where two guards are standing. Thankfully there is no line yet. They give me a quick nod and I clear my throat.

"Kaaraleey Rrah."

"Come with me." One of them says and walks away. I wrinkle my eyebrows and follow him. Taking a left, we come into a small hallway with a big door at the end. The guard doesn't say anything, neither do I. We just walk in silence, the only sound is soft and of our feet thumping against the carpeted floor.

Inside the room are hundreds of bags and shelves. I feel my eyes widen in amazement, are we really these many teenagers here?

The man walks further into the room, that turns out to be kind of a maze with turns everywhere. He stops and looking through one shelf with bags. I can see that there is a sticker on the front of the shelf, saying K R. I am guessing it is the place for the bags belonging to the people with those initials.

It doesn't take long until the guard has found my bag. It is red and just about as big as one of those shopping bags that so many people have. The bag smells of clean soap, and I gladly breathe it in.

"Now go." The guard motions for me to get out of the room so I do what I'm told. But I stop my step.

"My roommate-"

"What about them? We have to make room for the next person."

"She isn't down here, do you think I can take her bag with me?" I try to seem as cool as possible. But it is hard. I don't even know if Nhooraay is here anymore. But if she is, I think she would want her clothes, so I'm giving them to her. "Her name is Nhooraay."

"Nhooraay ... you don't know her last name?"

"No."

"Well I'm sorry, then I can't help you."

"Wait! Please –"

"No, I actually think I know who you are talking about. That girl who got in a fight not too long ago? The girl they took?" my heart stops.

"Did they send her home?"

"I don't know, or at least it is none of your business. But I know her full name, so I guess I can give you the bag." He says with a quick smile. I feel myself relax a bit, and when he comes back with a bag, I can't help but let out a big sigh. Taking the bag from him with a "thank you" I hurry out of the room. When I am safe from a lot of people and calmed down a little bit, I look at the name of the bag.

Nhooraay Ruuh