章節 7: (VII) New Life
The loud trumpeting outside the tent shocked Jackson awake as his eyes quickly opened and shot up in his cot. He looked around as the sunlight peeked through the gaps underneath the tent. Everyone else in the tent looked as confused as he did as everyone gathered and exited the tent together.
A man in a suit with slicked-back hair and wide thin glasses loudly spoke as he read from a clipboard, "Good morning, everyone! I am with The Climber's Association, and we're here to help everyone following The Void Eye's terroristic attack yesterday!"
Hundreds of survivors gathered, packed together as they exited the dozens of tents surrounding the courtyard.
"Children under the age of seventeen, please step this way!" He said, raising his arm to one of the women dressed professionally, who stepped forward as a few dozen children began gathering beside her. Jackson remained back and did not gather with them, hiding behind the group.
"Young adults seventeen to nineteen!" He called out, pointing to the next similarly dressed woman, working his way until each individual had been sorted into their age groups until only Jackson remained, and the man shouted, "Little boy, did you not hear me? Join the rest of the children!"
Jackson quickly ran across the courtyard, joining the rest of the children as the man in the suit continued his speech, "You will all be reassigned to new duties from now on. Some of you may retain your old position under a new contract.
If you are a minor who has not been tested yet, you will be cared for until you can be tested, at which point you will be placed in your respective fields."
Jackson looked around curiously as hundreds of uniformed men rushed through the streets outside the courtyard, going in every direction. His attention returned to reality when the woman in a coat, tie, collared shirt, and long skirt clapped her hands together.
"Okay, children! Grab each other's hands and follow me!" She chirped happily with a giant smile, grabbing one of the children's hands and leading them away from the courtyard.
One child grabbed Jackson's hand, and another held his other hand, catching him in the middle of the line, dragging him away from the courtyard as the woman led the children through a tall metal gateway attached to large stone walls into a well-tended field in front of a beautiful three-storied manor.
The children were lined up on the gravel passageway in front of the steps where a large, plump woman with white hair and a basic black dress stood.
"Good morning, children! I am Miss Dena! You are all placed under my care here at Saint Mary's Orphanage for the Underprivileged. Here you will all be modeled into excellent citizens of Duskgate and work to support The Climber's Association!" She shouted, gazing over each child briefly.
"Now, come and enter; we're just about to have breakfast, and you can be sorted into your dormitories!" She said with a smile, turning and extending her arm as both doors opened.
All the children followed the instructions, but Jackson remained in his spot, looking around at the large manor. The woman in the suit nudged him forward by patting his shoulders as he reluctantly walked past Miss Dena and entered the house.
The doors slammed shut behind him as he followed the herd of children through dozens of corridors before entering a massive room with numerous tables pushed against one another in long lines and benches on both sides.
A long line of kids wrapped around the cafeteria wall, entering one doorway, while kids steadily exited another door, further in the middle of the wall, as Jackson joined at the end of the line.
After grabbing a tray and being served slop that could hardly be considered breakfast, he stood looking around as the children excitedly chatted amongst themselves as they ate.
Jackson lamented, not remembering any of the other kid's faces as he wandered around the cafeteria aimlessly, looking for an open seat, eventually sitting in the corner of a table in the corner of the room alone.
Miss Dena appeared along with four women, standing on both sides of her, dressed in similar yet varying uniforms, "Good morning, children!" She shouted as the children all responded in unison loudly.
"I bring great news this morning! We have new friends who joined us this morning and will be helping out from now on. Please, children, stand!" She shouted as the kids who had just arrived slowly started standing one after another.
Jackson looked around and remained seated, not wanting to draw attention to himself, before a woman in muted colors appeared, whispering, "Up, up, up!" Grabbing him and bringing him to his feet.
"Tch!" Jackson clicked his tongue, looking around, realizing he was the only one of the new kids to sit at this table. He turned his gaze, realizing that he had inadvertently sat at the outcast's table.
Scrawny, debilitating, obese... ugly! Jackson shook his head before staring at Miss Dena as she continued her speech, "They will be joining your Dormitories starting today; make sure to become good friends and help them get used to how things are done at Saint Mary's Orphanage for the Underprivileged!"
The four women behind her stepped forward, each in charge of one of the Dormitories, approaching and gathering the new residents. A woman with frazzled gray hair, dressed in an ankle-length black skirt, heeled boots, and loose-fitting collared shirt with a tie hanging loose, wearing an oversized black jacket that went down to her feet with purple trim around the edges and hems, smiled softly at Jackson as she sat down at the table across from him.
"Good morning! You may call me Tara Le Doux. May I have your name?" She said with a sultry voice, the smile on her face melting Jackson's uneasiness away as he returned to his seat.
"I'm Jackson, but everyone calls me Jax. Good morning, Miss Tara." Jackson said with a smile, holding his hand out, causing the woman to grin, covering her mouth.
"My, what manners!" She said, taking his hand and shaking it, "Welcome!! To The Violet Toads!! I know you'll fit in perfectly here!"
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