Closure

12. Blue

I woke up back in my room- er... cell. I don't even know. I'm willing to bet Darcy injected me with a sedative. I still can't believe it was Darcy, but I shouldn't even be surprised at this point.

Conveniently, Michael opened the door and stepped in.

"Doctor Davenport orders that you take a shower," he informed me.

"Ok," I consented. I was in desperate need for a shower, who knew how many days I'd been here. After all, there was no way of knowing what time it was around this lab.

I followed Michael out. Once again, we turned a couple of corners until we entered a big shower room, similar to the ones at school.

"When you're finished, just press this square and I'll unlock the door," he told me.

"Ok," I said again.

He handed me a towel, a new napkin dress, underpants, and a small cardboard box. He then stepped out and shut the door.

I walked all the way in, wondering if there were other guys in here. For some reason, Doctor Davenport's creepy smirk popped up in my mind. I shook the thought away. If I saw- no there's no way.

I stopped walking and observed my surroundings. There were rows of cubicles without doors on either side of me.

I wondered why they needed so many cubicles. Maybe it was because they'd expected more clones to survive?

I noticed that the dull grey I'd seen so often was absent in this room. Clear light blue colors filled every part of the bathroom. The walls and cubicle were light blue. So was the floor, which had a pattern of tiny squares, smaller than the squares on the walls.

It was quiet. Not a single drop of water echoed in the room. I closed my eyes and sighed. For the first time since I was brought here, I finally felt at peace. I stood for a while, just feeling the undisturbed silence.

I opened my eyes, and walked farther ahead. I took quick glances to the sides, making sure there was no one else in the room. After I felt certain I was alone, I took a right and walked into the third cubicle of that row.

I put the towel the rack behind me, and set my extra clothes on the bench. Next, I carefully removed my current garments. After I got them off, I set them next to my new ones.

I walked closer to the faucet. At this point, walls blocked either side of me. I was a good distance away from my towel and clothes, and I knew they wouldn't get wet.

Warm water fell on me as soon as I turned the shower on. I instantly felt refreshed. I closed my eyes and pushed my hair back with my hands. I raised my face to water, letting it fall all over me.

I turned my back towards the water, and remembered the box Michael had given me. I stepped away and picked it up from the bench.

Opening it, I saw that it had a bar of white soap. There was also a small bottle of shampoo, and one of conditioner. I knew because they were labeled. There was also a mini sponge. I think that was the nicest thing they'd given me since my arrival.

I walked back to the faucet and cleaned myself with the soap, shampoo, and conditioner. I set the temperature hotter.

I noticed how the sound of the water got louder. Really loud. It was weird, because it didn't feel like there was an excess amount of water.

I walked backwards, and I almost got a heart attack. What I heard was the combined rushing of water from two cubicles. Mine... and someone else's.

My heart beat accelerated out of fear. Who else was here?

I walked away from the faucet, not bothering to turn it off. I stood next to my bench, but I couldn't see three feet in front of me. Two feet. One foot. A thick cloud of water vapor had filled the showering halls.

I wouldn't turn mine off. If I did, the other person would find out that I heard them. I felt perplexed and anxious. Still, there's no way they would see me through this fog. They wouldn't be able to hear me either, since both showers were on. And if they did, I'd throw my bar of soap at them and run for it.

I made it to the hall. There was a smaller concentration of vapor there. I walked swiftly, peering into every row. That's when I saw it. Vapor coming from a cubicle two rows away from mine, on the opposite side.

I gulped and walked in. Clearly, no one was in the first one. Not the second one, either. As I went on, the cloud became even thicker. By the fourth stall, I could no longer see a foot in front of me.

I held out my bar of soap a few inches next to my head, ready to throw if needed. Heck, I probably would need it.

Suddenly, my knee banged into a corner of a bench. I covered my mouth with my other hand and swallowed my scream. I moved away, and felt my leg brush against something soft.

I looked down. A napkin dress. I looked to the left and saw a slender silhouette. The figure turned around and gasped. My hands were now empty.

I saw her face clearly now. It was her. Anne May. She quickly covered her vulnerable places, as if I could see anything through the heavy cloud of water vapor.

"Anne May, I can't see anything anyway," I confessed.

I saw her drop her eyes from my face. I felt my cheeks go warm. Realizing her blunder, she quickly looked back up. Her eyes went wide and I saw her blush.

"I- I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to look.. there.. I was just- I was just," she stammered.

"Just making sure I told the truth?" I suggested. She nodded.

I averted my gaze. I couldn't bring myself to meet her eyes when I asked the question.

"So Anne May... Did Doctor Davenport tell you about his experiment?"

"Yes," She confirmed, and I heard her voice crack a little.

"He's a sick bastard," I grumbled.

"How will we ever get out of here?" She lamented.

"Honestly... I don't know," I felt hopeless.

We went quiet for a few seconds.

"Is that all we have left? Do what he wants?"

I looked up and saw Anne May's tearful eyes.

"There must be some other way," I replied.

"Do you think that's why they put us in here together? So we'd.. you know..." This time it was Anne May who averted her eyes.

"It's likely," I admitted. "But I don't want to. Not like this."

I felt hot. And I don't think it was the water vapor's fault anymore. I turned around. I couldn't stand there in front of her, it was all too much.

I began to walk when suddenly I felt her soft hand on my arm. I wondered how she reached me so fast without slipping, but I got distracted by her warm breath against my neck.

"Don't leave me," she whispered.

"Why?" I breathed out as I stood still.

"I need you. I'm afraid. Please Tanner, don't leave me. I don't want to be alone again."