Sense #WeAreDystopia

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER SEVEN

I watch her run, her eyes focused in front of her. She picks up the pace and there's something exiting about watching her run, something almost beautiful. She speeds up more, her hair swaying gently, her shoulders moving rhythmically.

The lane goes faster and faster and the girl starts flailing her arms from left to right, almost losing her balance at every step. I finally understand how wrong I've been. Just because I could do it doesn't mean she can last as long. I watch her struggle for another ten seconds but quickly walk up to her.

'You don't have to do this!' I yell and she takes her time replying between gritted teeth.

'Really? Doesn't seem like we have a choice!' she yells back. 'Besides, it worked ... for ... you,' she adds under shallow breaths.

'Yeah, I think that's enough!' I insist. 'Just press the "stop" button alrea-'

A beeping sound interrupts my words. She's made it. She's actually made it. I hear her slam the big button and keep her balance instead of hurting herself like I did minutes earlier. I feel a smile forcing its way on my face but I quickly stop it, biting the insides of my cheeks. The situation is far from appropriate for smiles.

One Hundred whispers something at Fifty Five and the latter quickly makes his way up one of the treadmills. A couple more guys join in, only one more girl. I stand aside and watch, switching my sight from the people running, to Sixteen and back at Fifty Five.

Clearly One Hundred was too scared to use the treadmill and ordered his lackey to do it instead. I smile at that thought. My first instinct is to humiliate him, laugh at him with a pointed finger, but I don't. A beeping sound goes off, followed by another one and soon people get on and off the treadmills. My eyes hover above them as they move and I try to unravel my memories. Where was I before coming here? I remember as much as a bedroom before they took me away. I must have parents, a

mother at least; I can feel it in me.

Is anyone worried about me? Does anyone care? It sounds horrible inside my head but it's only natural to want someone to look for me. Maybe the cops are already on the way. The cops. It's slang for police. Why can I recall slang terms yet not the face of my own mother?

More beeping, more thumping of feet. My head starts to ache and I blink nervously, trying to send away the blurry wetness of my eyes. I stare up at the fluorescent lights on the ceiling. They're so artificial. They look so breakable. The urge to smash everything in the room doesn't take long to overtake me. I kick the wall behind me, causing a scene, screaming before I drop to my knees.

Everyone's staring. Good. I want them to stare. I have to panic now. I've held it in for way too long, trying to stay composed. More beeping. 'Why won't it stop?' I yell at no one in particular. I breathe in and out, then in again. Slow, steady breaths. This will pass. I can feel my forehead pulsing and sweating. Is the beeping inside my head? No, it can't be...

I'm about to start crying when I feel a hand on my back. It's a small, soft one and surely belongs to no one else than Sixteen. I look up to a pair of confused eyes.

'Come on. Get up,' she says calmly. At first I'm stunned but then she speaks again. 'Get up.'

I slowly stand, the crowd still gathered around me. My sweat has frozen in place in little drops, I'm still dizzy yet I manage to pull myself together and move away.

'What was I thinking?' I ask out loud.

'It's okay. It's no big deal, seriously,' she replies, trying to comfort me.

I wince. If I hadn't felt ridiculous before I sure do now.

'I'm sorry I acted like that,' I blurt. 'Crying like a little girl. What was I thinking? Now they'll think I'm weaker than-'

'What did you just say?' she asks me, her eyes now wide, eyebrows raised in anger. 'Like a girl? Seriously? Don't be like that, you jerk.' She is so mad at me.

'I-I'm sorry,' I say, trying to calm her down, make her listen.

'No. I'm sorry. Next time call a guy come save your sorry ass from further humiliation, will you? Spare me some time,' she spits the words at me like poison.

I freeze because she's right. And I have nothing to say for myself. 'Just ... try to think before you open your mouth hole next time, please,' she adds. I sense something other than anger in her tone. Regret? Could she possibly regret talking to me like that? It's not like I didn't deserve every word of it.

The beeping of more treadmills goes off, annoying and distracting like it's been from the beginning. Sixteen cringes, closing her eyes, creating harsh lines all over her nose and tear ducts.

As soon as the beeping stops she looks at me, her eyes tearing up. There's no concern in her voice at all. 'Whoa, that was loud.'

I nod, pretending to have felt the same.

'So, what do you think will happen next?' she asks and I take a look around. Everyone seems to be done working out on the machines. I try to gather my words but she speaks again, quietly.

'Wait, can you hear it? Another wall's opening,' she says but I hear nothing other than everyone's whispers.

'What?' I ask impatiently.

'Don't tell me you can't hear it! The grinding noise! Just ... listen!'

Sixteen is looking at me like I'm crazy and I'm pretty sure my expression matches hers. I hear absolutely nothing. Instead I smell something, close to me. 

Fear. I'm smelling ... her fear.

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