Hiding From the Unknown

Part 14

~Author's Note~

Hello, Everyone!! I'm so excited for this chapter because it has so many new ideas, but warning, there will also be some sad parts.  Thank you so much for 600 reads!! That's incredible! The votes are coming along too :) I just wanted to say thank you so much for all of the amazing feedback, but It's been so crazy lately, so I apologize if I haven't replied to your messages, don't worry, I don't think I'm too good for you XD I would never be one of those 'un-acknowledging' authors, because in my opinion, a book is nothing without the readers! This is already too long :) So, here is Part 14.  I hope you enjoy it, and click on that little star at the bottom for me ;)

Embyr

I stared in astonishment at Chloe's face.  She was looking straight ahead, her eyes sunken into her sockets, as her head was drooped to one side, unmoving.  Yet through all of this, she hadn't shed one tear.  I didn't know whether to be intimidated or inspired, but I soon settled on intimidated after I remembered Mr.Sumners's words about never feeling pity, inspiration, or guilt over a prisoner. They were ours to command. Ours to kill.

I walked over to where she was, and took her state of being as an open invitation to taunt her. 

"Well, well, if it isn't Ms. All Star! Rah-Rah for the home team! Yeah, that's right, the pill-maker told us everything.  How you insulted her, how you took advantage of her, how arrogant you were. Well guess what, rainbows and sunshine don't make up life, Dearest."

I smirked at her, and just for good measure, slapped her with intense force across the cheek.  She winced, emitting a low growl from her throat, her face unmoving as she pretended to
be oblivious to my presence. 

"What, Princess, you too sad that your Mommy was captured? Oh boo-hoo!"

I spewed out the lie, hoping for a tear, or at least a "what have you done to my mother?", but nothing.  She stared ahead as she had been doing before, unscathed.  I didn't think before reaching out, yet again, and striking her with another blow.  A long, red mark appeared on her skin.  She was ours now.  I looked down at my screen. 

When would we kill her?

Chloe

My life was crumbling down before my eyes.  My best friend was captured and brainwashed, my stepbrother had turned on me, and lied to me, pretending to protect me, but in reality, was simply a traitor, I had no idea where my mother was, and worst of all, I didn't know where I was.  I looked at Alex again, witnessing his panic-stricken face, and drool seeping out of his mouth, too lost in his own thoughts to be aware of it. 

I was simultaneously conscious to 'Cara', standing on the topmost 'stair', slapping me across the face, taunting me with threats, and rhetorically asking herself how long I would still be in existence, but none of it concerned me.  It was as if I was trapped in my own bubble, oblivious to the outside world, trapped in a horror story of my own making.  I turned over to Alex's slab, that was being held up by a long, metal chain, and forced the worlds out of my dry throat.

"Alex? Sweetie? Are you okay?"

"I'm scared, Chloe."

He put his arms out, opening and closing his hands, as if a baby would do when wanting to be picked up. 

"Oh, Alex, it'll be okay, don't worry, it's not as bad as you think it is."

"Chloe, I've only felt like this once before.  When my parents were killed.  I watched them die, and I couldn't do anything." Tears pooled in his sad eyes.

"Alex, you're so young, you couldn't have done anything, even if you tried."

"But you don't understand! I felt like my life was falling apart, and it was! Think about it, it is as bad as it seems.  We are being attacked by war machines, and people are dying by the thousands! The person in charge of the attacks is unknown, so we can't even stop this, and worst of all, Aiden and Embyr have both turned on us!" He broke out in a fit of sobs. 

"Alex, I'm so proud of you, you're so mature for your age. I love you so much, and you have to be a strong boy! We'll get through this, I promise!"

But even I wasn't sure of that. 

Embyr

I glared at the pudgy boy, tears flowing down his fat cheeks.  I felt like grabbing him by the shirt and telling him to shut up, but he was chained, and it was too much work to get him out. 

I looked over at the largest screen in the room, placed on the wall at the far end, lighting up with commands, but none of them including DSL-3.  Nobody other than the soldiers knew what it meant, and we were the only ones capable of issuing it. 

I counted down the seconds, but Pudgy's crying filled my ears. 

1
Sob
2
Sob
3
Sob
4
Sob

I screamed, a noise I never knew I was capable of, emitting from my throat. 

Immediately, Soldier 7894 appeared on my screen.

"Is there a problem, Soldier?"

His face looked agitated, as if I had just interrupted him from his gun practice session, something all of us looked forward to.

"No Sir, just another prisoner."

He scowled as he flashed off my screen, and it returned to the dark grey it usually was.

I growled in frustration. When would the soldier bring the DSL-3?

Chloe

I heard a loud banging noise coming from the room next to us, and then squeaking, as if someone was dragging a toy cart across the floor. I craned my neck off the slab and looked over, but I could see nothing.

As if on cue, the biggest contraption I had seen being used by the soldiers was in front of me. It spanned about the size of a large tree laying on its side, and was covered with different openings and long cannon-like cylinders coming out of it.

I heard a loud noise, causing me to flinch, and struggle to cover my ears, all the while shifting the handcuffs on my wrists.

It wasn't until I opened my eyes and looked around, that I saw what it was.