Stranger's Side

¶Chaos 0.5

The man ordered them into the trucks.

Maybe a knew orphan home? In the night? The little girl thought. She jumped to her feet and onto the hard cushions of the seats.

The door slammed shut, leaving them in the dark, except for the small light that peeked through the crack of the door.

A dozen children crowded into the back of the automobile. Their cheeks sunken in, their eyes tired in the night. Some children leaned against others for warmth. She stayed awake, watching the different streams of light wash over their faces.

Eventually, sleep overcame her.

***

When she awoke, she felt a leg over hers. She kicked it away, making the boy stir in his sleep.

The truck came to an abrupt stop. She lurched to the side. The doors opened and she shied away from the sudden light.

"Get out." A man ordered. No one moved. "Now!" He yelled. She flinched. The boy at the door jumped out. Everyone followed after.

Everyone was stationed in a block building.

The children lined up in rows. "You will address me as sir." The man yelled. No one replied. "I said you will address me as sir! Got it!?" He yelled once more.

"Yes sir," children mumbled.

"Louder!"

"Yes Sir!" They screamed in fright.

"You will wait here until your name is called. Got it!?"

"Yes Sir!"

***

Everyone had been called except for one.

She watched as some of the children came back out. Some didn't come back. The ones who did, came back with scribbled numbers on their hands.

100

129

27

The highest number the girl had seen was 423.

"E28, E28, PLEASE PROCEED TO THE WEST ENTRANCE."

The girl got up. She walked to the door only to find a woman. She wore scrubs beneath a white lab coat.

"Hello sweetie!" She greeted. There was nothing friendly in her voice. It was practiced. The girl stepped inside. "Now, why don't you just hop on up on that bed right there." The nurse nodded to the rectangular bed.

"Age?" The nurse asked. She didn't reply. "Now, you wouldn't want those scary soldiers in here, would you dear?"

"Nine."

"Good. Alright, I'm just gonna put this on you, okay?" It wasn't a question, because the girl knew that the woman would put it on anyways. They were two circles that stuck to her temples. It was connected to wires that led to a monitor. "Everything you will see is fake, alright? Now, close your eyes, and relax."

The girl did so. She let her eyelids sink her into darkness.

She woke with a startled shock. A boy stood in front of her. She recognized him. He was the boy who she had kicked in the truck. He looked just as frightened as she was. Why were they here?

This wasn't real.

Suddenly the boy drenched in sweat came at her. He was not much larger than she. The girl moved and stuck her leg out. The boy fell hard. He cried out in pain.

He got up and came at her again. This time, he caught her. She fell and they wrestled along the cold floor. She was punched in the face. He grunted when she kneed him in between his legs. She got up. He lay there rocking.

In her hands appeared a gun. It was cold and heavy. She caressed her finger over the trigger.

Finish him.

She raised it to aim at the boy. He was now sobbing. She didn't know how she knew what to do. She released it from the safety and cocked it.

The girl took aim and fired. Blood everywhere. She didn't know if the ringing in her ears were caused by the gun or her scream.

She woke up. Her heart beating fast. Her breaths quick.

She was back in the room with the nurse.

"Hey darling. You did such a good job." The nurse said. She plucked the wires off the girl's head. She took the girl's quivering hand and wrote a number.

"What is this?" The little girl croaked.

"Your score. You got a perfect score hun."

The girl just looked at the number. This was no ink. She could not rub it off.

"Ah! What's your name girl?" The nurse asked.

"Tsen."