Brave Fear (boyxboy)

Chapter 6

"I'm not talking about New Vancouver," Joseph said quietly.

"But New Vancouver's all there is," Zane protested weakly. As soon as he finished his statement, he realized that it was another supposed "fact" drilled into him from childhood.

Joseph shook his head sadly. "Do you know how big the world is, Zane?"

Zane shook his head.

Joseph began to toss his ball again. Thump, thump.

"I think there's more cities out there," he said yearningly. "I believe there are untouched spots of wilderness where wildlife still exists, where people can live outside of a steel wall and pick their own path in life. Somewhere I can follow my dreams, become an actor, entertain people."

"Wow," Zane said lamely. "That's deep."

"Mhm,"

Thump, thump.

The cell door released with an aerated hiss. The head soldier stepped in, followed closely by Wawrzynski. He was once again wearing the traditional gray suit with the blood-red tie. He smiled widely, and it made Zane extremely uncomfortable. The soldier, on the other hand, was completely bereft of emotion. His face seemed to be wiped clean of its ability of expression.

He simply gestured out the door, and the boys were forced to comply. What choice did they have? Even if they managed to overpower this soldier, there were many others waiting throughout the building.

Even so, Zane managed to slip the syringe into his pocket without anyone noticing. He had a faint feeling he would not be coming back to this room any time soon, and this syringe was just as much a part of him as his arm.

They walked past darkened rooms, past Wawrzynski's office, and past the door to the control room. Zane was perplexed. The enclosed, temperature-regulated rooms were all behind them, so where could they be going?

Zane thought of the syringe that he had frantically tucked in his pocket. Would he ever be able to gain back the lost part of his finger? He felt that the answer was no, but he refused to believe it. He would find a way to dissolve the syringe and get his finger back. Besides, it felt awfully weird to have no fingernail.

They reached a large metal door as equally imposing as all the others. The window was tinted so Zane could not see inside. The soldier rammed a rusted key into the large keyhole above the doorknob. He viciously twisted it until a click could be heard. Zane sensed thick tension and apprehension coming off of the soldier in waves. He furrowed his brow, wondering what could possibly be waiting on the other side of the thick door that unnerved the soldiers so much.

The lead soldier threw open the door.

It would be extremely generous to describe the scene inside as chaotic.

The room was ten times larger than Joseph and Zane's cell, and was fixed up far nicer. Five doors along one wall indicated sleeping areas. A couple ratty sofas and a disintegrating rocking chair surrounded a glass coffee table. A kitchen was set up on the far wall, outfitted with a fridge, a microwave, and a sink. They clearly did not trust anyone with a stove. A bathroom was placed opposite the sleeping rooms. A large steel table sat to Zane's left, and five metal chairs surrounded it. Two large bookshelves sat near the table, overflowing with paper-bound books that Zane had not seen since his childhood.

The scene inside the room did nothing to add to the delightful interior. A horse stood gallantly in the middle of the room, staring at Zane and Joseph with large, pitiful eyes. It did not seem to mind the two girls duking it out in front of him. One girl, with razzled blue hair and sparkling hazel eyes, was literally bouncing off the walls. She was rocketing to either side of the room with no discernible means of propulsion. She was laughing furiously as the other girl tried to catch her. The other girl stood on the ground, reaching to grab the blue-haired girl every time she flew by. But what was truly remarkable was that her arms were stretching to unbelievable heights to try and nab the girl out of the air. The horse nickered, tossing his head, trying to get the girls' attention.