Replication

Chapter Eleven

((hope you guys enjoy this chapter!! and here is a picture of Hal, your favorite character hahaha))

I swallow hard, still glaring at Hal.

"Answers..."

Is he actually going to tell me the real reason that we are here? And why he never told me that I was his daughter? And also, why he is the most immoral and despicable man on the planet?

"Come inside," Hal says beckoningly, opening the control room door wider and revealing a dim room with many flashing screens and blinking buttons.

I stay rooted to the floor, still as a stone. All of the muscles in my body are tensed as I continue to stare at Hal.

My father.

"Do you want answers, or do you want to continue living your life like a blind lab-rat?" Hal says coldly, his voice echoing off the metal walls of the hallway.

Oh how good it would feel to punch him in his crooked, long noise.

"This is all a scam, right?" I say, crossing my arms across my chest.

"What do you mean?"

"Your lying to me, saying that you are going to tell me answers, when really you're probably just going to torture me or something. Right?" I snap.

Hal shakes his head then says,

"No Tessa, this time I swear I am not lying. I truly want to give you answers."

"Then why are you telling just me? Why won't you tell the others? They deserve to know as well."

Hal smiles, his thin, sallow lips parting to reveal those wicked, yellow teeth of his.

"Because, you are my beloved daughter," he says, his eyes gleaming.

I nearly vomit as he opens the door even wider.

"Fine," I say through gritted teeth.

What have I got myself into?

Normally, I would never consent to Hal's wishes. But I need answers. Like Hal disgustingly said, I cannot keep living my life like a blind lab-rat. I need to know what the hell is going on.

However, just when I begin to step into the control room, I hear a faint rumbling noise. I stop mid-step, straining my ears to hear the sound, which is getting increasingly louder and louder. Hal must hear it too because he immediately looks up, his eyes narrowing.

In an instant, I discern that the rumbling noise is footsteps. I whip around, my heart thumping in my chest. Someone is running at top speed, coming closer and closer until...

BAM!

Someone whips around the corner, screeching to a stop. It takes me a few moments to realize who it is. And when I do, my stomach flips.

It's Ian.

My mouth instantly goes dry as his dark eyes meet lock mine. They then flit above my head, locking on Hal.

"Tessa, don't go with him," he says breathlessly.

It's as if my tongue has turned into sandpaper; I can't move my mouth to make any sounds. All that I can do is continue to stare at Ian, who continues to look at me with those intense, shadowy eyes.