Misdirected

Chapter 4

“Do you think I want to know?” I retorted.

She continued, “Then I’ll put what’s happening now in simple terms.You’re going to be cleansed and tested.”

I shrugged; I had been anticipating this. Beyond these walls I might be human, but so long as I am trapped in this building, I'm nothing more than a test subject. An animal, even. Despite knowing my fate, thinking about the consequences of an unjust conviction still angered me.

 The girl nodded in response to my shrug, then stood to her feet and walked to the other side of the room. Once she reached the wall, a security prompt appeared. She typed in a certain code accordingly, and gestured for me to follow.

Like the last room, there wasn’t much inside. The only difference was that this time, the walls gave off a light blue color. The girl pushed me forward and turned me multiple times, adjusting my position. She then stepped aside, toward a wall to my left. Not to my surprise, another prompt appeared. This time, when she entered the code, nothing happened. I gave her a confused look.

“Good luck.” She gave me a pitiful smile.

At first, I didn’t know what she meant. Before I had time to think--let alone act--the ground below had disappeared, and I fell into another room. Like the first, it was white. I stood still, bewildered as to what I needed to do. Chills ran up  my spine and I clenched my fists, sweating. Evaluating the situation made matters worse. I was in a white room with no doors, windows, and a closed off ceiling. No means of escape, whatsoever. I breathed heavily, fearful of what I was expected to do next. 

Cautiously, I took mini-steps forward, making sure (or at least praying) not to trigger another fall with my movement. I poked the walls in a vain effort to find some sort of prompt, a code, something to break or guide me. I pounded my fists against the walls, kicking and screaming at them like a mad man. When I ran ou of breath, I'd  take a break and pace the room, hoping to think of some way to get out, but to no avail.

My pounding and kicking left no marks on the walls. In fact, they only became brighter and hotter  with every blow. After what seemed like hours, I slid down a corner and sat. Sweating, panting, praying, hoping that I wouldn't go insane, if I hadn't already, I began whispering to myself. I could not understand my own words, nor did I know if I was actually speaking or simply talking in gibberish to comfort myself. I didn't care.

I don't know when or how, but at some point, I fell into a dreamless sleep. The next time I woke up, I found myself in the same position as before, except this time, the room had turned into a light, ocean green. I squinted, trying to adjust to the new lighting. A sharp pain in my throat told me I was thirsty. Ignoring it as best as I could, I began focusing on the situation at hand.  I tried not to feel hopeful, but I couldn't push away the thought that maybe, just maybe, the new lighting was supposed to be a signal to guide me out of this cage.

I slowly pushed myself up, using the wall for support. My hands burned each time I touched the walls, but I didn't have the energy to stand on my own. Slowly, I inched forward, letting go of the walls that surrounded me. My entire body shook as I waited in anticipation, hoping for a voice to guide me.

Then, as if on cue, I heard something click, and what seemed like an automated voice began talking.

“Take two steps to the right and five forward.”

Breathing harder than ever, I obeyed. Trembling, I gradually took two steps to the right and five forward. The ground below disappeared once more. This time, I landed in a room of mirrors. I took in my appearance. Bags formed below my eyes, my hair was a complete mess, and a few bruises covered face, which looked gaunt, probably from the lack of nutrition. My arms were covered in bruises, and my palms were bleeding.

Before I could take in the rest of my appearance, the mirrors moved away, revealing another white room. This time, however, a voice immidiately came through the speakers.

"Three steps forward, four to the left." I obeyed. At first, nothing happened, and I began to panic at once. A drop of green, gooey material landed on my right shoulder. More drops poured from the ceiling, and eventually, I was covered in goo. Careful not to get any of the substance in my eyes, I stood deathly still. My palms began burning, and the pain was beginning to become unbearable. I let out an agonizing scream, wishing for the pain to end. After what seemed like a lifetime, the voice came back once more.

"Five steps forward, two the right." I complied, wondering what was to come next. Large amounts of water came down on me, until the goo had been washed away. My palms still burned nonetheless, but the pain had become tolerable. I shook my head like a dog, shaking the water from myself. The automated voice came back more quickly this time.

"Six steps forward, one to the right." By now, I was getting closer to the center of the room. Suddenly, a stream of air dried off the water. I looked at my palms, which were still red, but no longer burning. I stayed put, waiting for more directions.

Instead of a prompt, the wall across from me opened like a pair of automatic doors. The old man who had scouted our bus and brought me here stepped inside.