Intercepted

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

I woke up on a hard, cold, and unfamiliar mattress, not sure what had happened, where I was, or why I was here. I was wearing a dark blue jump suit. I looked around the room: it was a tiny, bare, windowless room with only two mattresses occupying the space. This was when I finally noticed Ash, sitting quietly on her mattress, watching me silently.

I felt thirsty, hungry, and oddly exhausted. We were trapped in a cell, I didn't know why, or where, or what day it was. I broke down, started crying and shaking violently. I heard gasping sounds and realized that they were coming from me. I lay curled in a ball shaking for what felt like eternity. When I finally dried up and calmed down, I turned to Ash. She was still sitting there, looking at me, calmly, and comfortingly. She had puffy eyes from crying, or no sleep, I wasn't sure. She seemed calm though and that comforted me, maybe she knew what was going on.

In a dry, cracked voice I asked," do you know what is going on?"

To this, she replied," I only know this because I woke up three days before you. But from what I have heard in the halls I can tell you why we are here and what to expect. We get one meal a day, it's sometimes hot and sometimes cold, but you never know what it is. We are down here going through Testings for some sort of scientific reason. I'm not sure exactly but I think the Coats use the Testing to determine how to enhance human capabilities. None of the experiments have been successful yet and it's extremely painful if the Testing does not succeed. You can tell that by the screams that you will hear periodically. I haven't been Tested yet but They say everyone will get tested more than once. That's all the information I have been able to overhear from Them.

"I'm sorry Sky, I shouldn't have brought you to that party."

*

I sat there stunned. I mumbled," no it isn't your fault I should have talked you out of it." Guilt lingered in the back if my mind that I ruined Scottie's birthday and caused so much grief in my family. Ash was quiet though, because she knew her dad didn't care.

Then the door to our cell slammed open and Ash was pulled out of the room with me right behind her being carried by two men dressed in a white, the Coats.

I couldn't see their faces but they separated Ash from me and dragged us into what looked like two separate testing rooms. In the Testing room was a white table and white cabinets.

After a while, I heard screams. Ash screams. Her screams continually echoed down the corridors slowly melting into quiet whimpers. I saw a limp figure being dragged down the hall and then a shape filled the doorway.

It was a man, he was about six inches taller than my 14 year-old stature and piercing blue eyes. He heaved me onto the white table and harshly strapped me down while i struggled. I braced myself for the impending pain.

He inserted needles into the soles of my feet, my wrists, and my neck. I was on fire. Flames of pain licked across my body and coursed through my veins searing out any adrenaline and I was screaming.

I don't know how long it lasted, but no one seemed to care. I passed out, resurfaced, and found myself lying on my cold, hard mattress with scars on my stomach from where they injected and sliced at me.

I looked frantically around for Ash and was relieved to find her sleeping peacefully on her mattress. I waited nervously for Ash to wake up and when she did, we exchanged our Testing experiences.

We adjusted quickly to our new setting, leaving any doubt or fear buried away.