“Not The Only Ones” by Carolina M. Mirin looked back to the crowd from the stage searching for one last goodbye. Finally she found her mother's dark blue eyes and tear streaked face. Her father stood beside her clutching her shoulders in comfort. The girl waved a goodbye which only made her mother break into more sobs. She gave a playful salute to her father and turned back around to face the large man. He pushed her forward to the small tub filled with yellow water. The man handed her a bag filled with food which would last 2 years and water too. She took it with a curt thank you. Mirin swung the bag over her shoulder with difficulty for it weighed more than she had thought. She took a step forward and then jumped into the pool of yellow holding her breath. Mirin kept her eyes closed afraid to see what was around her. Going through a portal isn't what it may seem like. It isn't a quick, boom you're there. It takes longer, perhaps a year. One man who had gone through had went through a portal for 2 years. He came back alive but had lost 50 pounds. He also said that he couldn’t remember where he went or what he had learned from that place. The mayor out of deep hatred and rage killed the man by leaving him in prison to starve. That was partially the reason her mother didn't want her to go. Mirin had no choice though. Just because of her eyes. Just because of her eyes she was treated unfairly in the world. Everyone with a normal eye color was filled to the brink with hate for those dark blue eyes. Living in small apartments with old wooden furniture and scraps of twisted grass as plates. Not being able to go out to any public place like 1 school or stores. Her kind had to live off of what the government provided them. Daily rations of meat and bread. They would wear the same navy blue robes while the other people who were so called normal wore robes according to their eye color. The mayor thinking they were aliens or strange creatures believed it would be fine to send them out. Dark blue eyed people were weak and sensitive. Mirin was the second one chosen to travel out into space to discover more and bring back riches for the normals and especially the greedy mayor. ---------- Her eyes were closed the whole time. Once she had felt ground form below her she opened her eyes. She looked around and there was nothing but snow. Although it wasn’t cold and she could feel the sun's warmth and a soft breeze. She placed her bag on the ground and knelt, brushing her hand over the white fluff and confirmed that it didn’t have the earth's snow icy touch. Mirin was so mesmerized by the snow that she didn't realize the figure walking towards her who held the same eyes. ---------- Back on earth once Mirin left, the wall that held the portal’s liquid in had cracked and broke. The portal liquid spilled out and caused a chemical reaction which started a large fire which couldn’t be put out with anything. The mayor yelled to the crowd, “This is their fault! They have brought this upon us with their devilish ways!” The dark blue eyed knew that it was time. They all quickly left while the normals searched for buckets of water but failed. Mirin’s mother 2 and father, Allana and Kendro clutched a bag filled with robes. All the dark blue eyed headed for the hills because they had planned what to do if an event like this had ever occurred. They had come together to dig a tunnel underground. It was their only escape. Allana glanced back and saw the gray sky looming overhead. Finally they found the small trap door labeled by a dark x and one by one filed in. Time was running out and when 7 remained the crowd had reached them. Allana threw the bag into a young boys hands and when they met eyes she noticed that the boy looked much like her daughter, Mirin. The same soft, light brown hair and darker eyes than usual. She pushed him down the trapdoor and closed it shut. She then turned around to face the oncoming crowd and stood proud. Her stomach ached longing to see Mirin. Kendro took her hand. The crowd came with torches and knives striking their enemy with hate and scorn. Not even a scream of a cry of pain escaped Allana or Kendro. ---------- The young boy, Zume clutched the robes and ran. Now knowing he had no one since his parents had just died. He wiped the tears from his face and kept on running. He didn’t dare look back. All seemed to happen so fast. ---------- Mirin was too buried in happiness to notice the figure staring at her. She finally noticed the pair of bare feet in front of her. Her eyes widened in fear and she slowly looked up. It was a girl with blond hair and dark blue eyes. Mirin was about to run when the girl yelled out, “Wait! Don’t go. Please, follow.” Mirin just stared clutching the bag. 3 Silence. A solid moment went by Mirin stood thinking about all that could happen if she ran or if she followed. Mirin took a step forward to the girl and nodded. The girl smiled and ushered her toward a building Mirin had not noticed before. ---------- Zume began to run out of breath and his legs couldn't go on. He fell to the ground and broke into sobs knowing death would come upon him. Zume, for a boy was very over dramatic. Soon the crowds noises dimmed away and there was nothing but darkness and Zume with his robes. Zume no longer cared about the robes for they just weighed him down. He pulled out a light blue one which was about his size. He tore the dark blue one off and pulled the other on which felt amazing. The fabric was like silk and had a wonderful comfort to it. His old dark blue robe always itched. He pushed his soft hair back and felt refreshed. He began to walk through the dark tunnels searching for an exit. Much later he saw a wooden ladder perched against the dirt wall. Zume walked to the bottom of the ladder which led up to a small wooden trap door. Quickly he began to climb and pushed open the wooden door. He found himself in a field of tall grass. He climbed out onto the soft earth and breathed in the fresh crisp air. He layed down on his back and gazed up at the sky which was a strange white blue. He must have walked for a while, for there was no more gray smoke. He closed his eyes and groaned. Once opened his eyes slowly he saw a glint of a thick hairy harm and a normal women before abag went over his head. Zume began to scream until a hand clamped over his mouth. He tried 4 to bite the fingers but the hand was to strong. Ropes began to close around his ankles and his arms too. Zume struggled and squirmed until a sharp object had hit his head and all began to fade. ---------- Mirin had walked for a while soon they had reached the large building. The girl opened the doors and gestured her to go in. Mirin did and once she went in the building she was greeted by an older boy with dark shiny black hair and the same dark blue eyes. He had a warm welcoming smile which made Mirin forget about the dangers just thinking that there were more of her kind. Mirin gave a shy smile back and then the boy said, ¨Hi Mirin. Welcome to Iapra. All people like you live here. Back on earth trouble has stirred and the normals are trying to kill off all the dark blue eyed. There is only one survivor on earth and that is a young boy named Zume. We are sorry to inform you about the death of your parents.¨ Mirin, not wanting ruin her first encounter with these new people by crying, held the tears back. The boy kept on talking, ¨We have partners on earth that are normals but they are our allies. They have taken Zume and are planning to bring him to Iapra safely through another portal. He will come but we will not bring the group of normals with us. We have secret cameras set up all over earth and we keep track of all. Come and see.¨ Mirin had passed a large window which looked over a beautiful village which you would only find in old fantasy books. The houses were built like cottages and a wonderful waterfall flowed near. Wonderful flowers were blooming and there was a deep green grass surrounding the cobble roads. There 5 wasn't any snow in this area. The older boy went into a room which had a dim blue light and sat down in front of a large system of screens and buttons. Mirin stood beside him and looked at the screens come alive showing her leftover rubble and fire from the destruction on earth. The boy pressed a small blue button and on a main screen a video of a boy appeared.