Fawn Yeet
The alternates
Prologue- Aisling Murray
Silence. Complete and total silence. I don’t like it. But how am I supposed to break it? It’s only me, sitting here, only me, writing this, only me, Aisling Murray. No… No… there’s somebody else here. But who is it? It smells like me. The scent of onions and sandwiches. I eat way too many onion sandwiches. Ah… Their hands are cold. But at the same time, they burn my neck. Their grip is soft, but it hardens the more I struggle. They almost choke me, but I know they need me alive. I reach for a flashlight and turn it on, shining it on their face. To my complete and utter horror, it IS me. Except paler, and wearing things Ma and Pops would never let me wear in a million years.
“W-who are you?” I mutter, surprised at how loud my voice is. It’s not usually this loud. The laugh of her pierces the silence and my ears as well.
“Aisling Murray.” She says, and with that, she pulls me away into what I believe is complete and utter Hell.
Chapter 1- Clodagh Murray
Last night, Aisling’s room was really quiet. I’m not sure what happened. She normally snores so loudly I’m too afraid to fall asleep. I wake up this morning, and she’s not standing over me. That’s weird. Maybe she slept in? My 12 year old sister, Aisling, normally wakes me up, but today I woke up on my own. That never happens… Is it okay to be afraid? Normally if she doesn’t wake me up, she’s in her room listening to her music. But I don’t hear anything. No emo tunes she’s banging her head to… I decide to enter her room. Right outside her door is her long red hair. That’s weird. She always said she loved it and would never cut it. I never thought she would lie to me. I twist the doorknob- nope. It’s locked. I rush back into my room and dig through my desk… no… no… oh, there it is! The bobby pin. I rush back out and to my surprise, my mother is waiting right outside Aisling’s door. My ma, who’s real name is Zaria Murray, doesn’t talk to Pops a lot, even though we all live in the same house. They’re thinking about getting a divorce. Maybe that’s why Aisling’s so quiet?
“M-Ma?” I say, quite surprised, as she stares at me in what feels like shame.
“What are you doing?” She huffs, and I break down into tears.
“Iwannagetintoawswingswoombutitswockedandwaaaaaaa” Ma embraces me and whispers in my ear
“Let’s go in together.” I nod pathetically and stick the bobby pin into the lock. We enter the room, and to our horror, the only trace of Aisling is a hole in the floor.
Chapter 2- Maeve Walsh
It’s been three years. I’ve gone insane. They take all of us, here in Ireland. I’ve seen a Chinese girl, a Japanese girl, American, Indian, African, British, French and Canadian too. But it’s mainly the Irish. But a new girl came today. She’s pretty, like we all are before they get to us. I’m the first to approach her after she’s dropped.
“Who are you?” She murmurs. I reply immediately.
“Maeve Walsh. 15.” She’s quiet for a bit, but in her croaky voice she replies.
“Aisling Murray, Twe-” I cut her off.
“Yeah, twelve. We’re all that age when we come down.” The little girl- Aisling- looks confused.
“Um… where are we?” I shrug.
“This… is the land of the Alternates.” Aisling’s eyes widen.
“What’s an Alternate?” My face falls. How does she not know what an Alternate is?
“An Alternate is you… but worse. We all have them. Yiang Yue Jiang, over there.” I motion to the lovely fair skinned girl from China. “She’s got one. And Akemi Sato.” I motion to the Japanese girl. I list off all the names of every girl- but the Irish ones. None of the Irish ones ever speak to me. They’re all over 18, and those girls go to a different place. “Emma Smith, Aabha Laghari, Ode Babatunde, Isabella Williams, Louise Martin and Saskia Tremblay.” Aisling nods. She looks around, obviously afraid. I think she’s odd. We haven’t gotten a new girl in a year, and we get HER? I roll my eyes. She obviously notices and slaps me in the face. Ouch… I take it back. She’s gonna be a good addition to the team.
Chapter 3- Zaria Murray
I can’t believe it. There’s a giant hole in the floor where Aisling would’ve been. I know exactly what happened to her. They’ve taken her… I remember I had to move out of Ireland for the whole time I was 12 to avoid it. Clodagh looks around, fear in her eyes. And then, determination fills them instead, as she leaps into the hole. I begin to cry out, but the hole has already spit her back up. Clodagh is too young for the Alternates, and I know that I’m too old. The hole closes up almost immediately. Tears fly out of my eyes.
“Aisling!” I sob. But I know it’s too late. Aisling is gone. Clodagh looks into my eyes, and I can see her heart’s breaking too. Poor thing, she’s only 9… I pat her back and embrace her, and we both start crying. Crying more than we ever have before. I know Aisling isn’t coming back for a long time. And there’s nothing I can do about it.
Chapter 4- Isabella Williams
Maeve comes over to us, with the new girl linked to her arm.
“It’s been a while.” Emma says dryly, but before she can say any more, Ode silences her with her ‘Omen Glare’. Maeve smiles widely and gestures to the new girl.
“This,” She begins. “Is Aisling Murray.” Aisling waves enthusiastically. I curtsy.
“We’ve all been introduced, yes?” I grin. Aisling seems to be getting a better look around this Hellhole, though. It even LOOKS like Hell, she seems to be thinking. At least, that’s what I see on her face. I can understand. Granite walls, hard floor, unfurnished. Ode’s made some stone figures and furniture for all of us, but that’s pretty much it. Aisling’s face falls.
“Why are we all here?” She asks.
“We’re all under 18. This is where we stay till then.” Saskia shrugs.
“What happens to the over 18 year olds?” Aisling asks. Yiang Yue answers this time.
“They go somewhere worse.” Aisling looks confused, but nobody builds on Yiang’s answer.
Aisling decides not to reply, and instead asks where her room is.
“We don’t have any rooms.” Aabha says. Aisling’s eyebrows raise.
“Then where do you sleep?” Akemi responds quietly this time.
“We don’t.” Aisling’s eyes widen.
“What?” Akemi just nods, and looks away. Aisling looks horrified.
“How do we get out?”
Louise sighs. “That’s what we’re trying to figure out.” Aisling’s facial expression strengthens.
“Then I’m going to help you.” We’re all shocked. But mostly me.
