Illusions (A Dystopian Story)

6: The Experiment

A woman with red hair and glasses enters the room as Marcus smiles widely at her.

"Morning Doctor Cally. Good to see you" he says through his teeth. Either she isn't a doctor, or she's one of the higher ups. Probably both.

Cally ignores him so he signals for us to follow him out of the room.

He leads us down a short tunnel as we are suddenly greeted by a hallway filled with door on either side.

Marcus shows Carlee a room and says that it's where she will be sleeping.

Marcus then turns to me and smiles.

"Here is the issue with your sleeping arrangement. See each dorm there are two people. However, we currently have one more girl then we should. Which means you have to share a room with a male" Marcus explains as I cringe.

He leads me to another door and knocks quickly. A few moments later it opens to reveal Kayden.

"Fuck you want? " he asks as he shoots daggers with his eyes as he glares into Marcus's soul.

"Ash is to be your new roommate. You are one of the only males without one, and we are out of girls to place her with one" Marcus says as he returns the look.

I just stand there quietly until Kayden shifts his gaze onto me.

"Whatever" he says as he vanishes back into the dark room. Marcus turns on the lights as the two of us enter the small area.

There are two twin sized beds parallel to each other. There is maybe four steps from one bed to another. Which means I am going to feel claustrophobic half of the time. I'll get used to it eventually.

I sit down on my bed, seeing as Kayden is already on his.

Marcus leaves us after saying he will fetch me sets of clothes to wear and stuff like blankets and pillows.

I stay quiet until Kayden finally breaks the silence.

"How did you end up here? " he asks quietly.

"Um. I dug a hole and fell into a tunnel as an attempt to flee a stimulation" I say as he looks at me.

"This whole thing is so weird. So fucking weird" he says as he looks around the room.

"It's been a few months since these stimulations and tests started. Right after our new president was elected. Seems a little strange doesn't it? " he says as I just sit there.

"I... I guess? " I say. I'm not sure how to respond to that.

"I bet this was the presidents idea. To get the smart people away from the idiots. Perhaps he's going to turn us into weapons" Kayden says as he lays down on his bed. He puts his hands behind his head and stares at the ceiling.

That's an interesting thought.

"How long have you been here for? " I ask as he sighs.

"Start of summer break. I wonder if my parents even noticed my absence at home" he says as I go quiet again.

"I bet they did. Even if you have had a Rocky relationship with them, from what I experienced myself, you are still their son. So they noticed. They probably care" I say.

"What did you experience? " he asks.

A lot. Way too much. I did my best to normalize my life after my dad left. And I really don't feel like bringing it up. But I will anyways.

"My dad. Left when I was five. I mean it seems okay. Until you never get to see him again. And then your mom drinks for years" I say, trying to avoid major parts of my mom's past drinking issues.

"You don't have to talk about it if it bothers you. My parents simply give more of a shit about my little sister. Oh. Don't accept Marcus's offer for his experiment. He wants to set a tracker in you to be a pervert. He only asked girls to be apart of it" Kayden says.

My eyes widen. Okay. I know that Marcus is a smart person. I know he's a little weird. But he is anything but a pervert. He said he's doing the experiment on himself.

Kayden just lied to me.

He's trying to be mutuals with me, and he's doing so by lying.