Subject A7

Chapter Seven

"How are you feeling Avery?"

Doctor Linda stood above me checking her paperwork as I laid on the bed. I did not want to answer her but the memory of Conner not answering her and his screaming echoed through my mind.
"I am nervous," I forced myself to say while trying really hard to not squirm.
"That is understandable," she says. "You are doing the right thing, Avery, you do know that do you?"
I swallowed. "Yes."
"Such a brave girl," Linda walks over to turn on the light that was directly above me. I shut my eyes at how bright it was. "Did you receive my package?" she asks.
"Yes, thank you."
"I am pleased to hear it, it is good to keep the mind active and creative."
I did not answer her.
"Right now, I am going to inject this syringe into your arm. It's going to put you into a sleep but mentally you'll be taken to a different place. Remember to not be afraid and you'll pass with flying colours."
"What will happen to me? Like mentally?"
"It is different for everyone, just remember it is not real and move forward."
I took a deep breath. I prayed that it would not be like it was with Conner.
She injected the syringe causing me to spasm in the bed.
"Shh... you are fine," she says pulling it away from me. "Relax."
"I can't..." I trailed off.
My eyes rolled back and felt myself leave my body.
It only last a few seconds before I regained my eyesight, I was in a dark room with a single light flickering. It was quite scary and cold.
"Where am I?" I called out expecting an answer but no one responded. Linda said this is different to everyone. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see a room so I walked over to it and expected it to open but it did not.
"What?"
I pulled harder.
"Avery..."
I turned to see Noah standing there.
"Noah? What are you doing here?"
"Avery... you did not listen to me," he whispers.
That's when I noticed his skin, it was covered in the black veins like an infected.
"Noah?"
Noah coughed out black blood. I gasped at the sight of it.
"They know" he whispers. "They want to kill me."
"Who?"
"Arcane!" he manages to say before he vanished.
"Noah?" I stepped forward.
"Avery..."
I turned to see Dylan standing before me, like Noah, Dylan was covered in the dark veins, his once warm brown eyes were now as black as night.
"Dylan?"
Dylan let out a scream and lunged at me. I screamed backing away from him. He pushed me back landing on top of me.
"Dylan! Stop!"

Linda's POV
Linda watched Avery spasm in her sleep, she was mumbling words. Not making any sense, the usual reaction.
"How is the subject?" Jaxon asks appearing at the entrance of the door.
"She has yet to start screaming, so far she's doing well," Linda replies watching the child before making notes.
Jaxon chuckles. "Makes you wish you could see what they were seeing."
"Once she wakes up, I will ask her a series of questions about the experience. Most of the subjects say its based off their worst fears."
"Just before she wakes up, I will need to take her to the punishment room," Jaxon says. "Her friend Subject A9 has been detained in his room due to suspicious activity and now Avery has been doing the same, she was not in her room."
Linda frowns. "Subject A9? Has he said a word?"
Jaxon shakes his head. "No, he is stubborn. No wonder these two get along so well. But it won't take too long to break him.
A scream came from Avery's lips, Linda tried not to cringe at the sound whereas Jaxon laughs.
"I love hearing their screams," he says. "Especially the girls."
"You know you shouldn't be saying those things," Linda reminds him sternly
Jaxon arches an eyebrow.
"After the amount of times they've beaten up my men, fought to freedom and even did this," Jaxon revealed a long pink scar along his forearm. Linda remembers that day when a group them ambushed him, the beaten him up one slicing up his arm. That group almost escaped, almost. Now they were nothing more than a monster, an infected kept in the punishment room as a reminder of what happened. The Outsiders were not allowed to engage with the others, they cannot afford to lose all their progress.
"Yes but remember that, that was a long time ago."
Jaxon snorts. He clearly was not going to let it go. She could not exactly blame him.

Linda watches as Avery's eyes begin to flutter. She looked at her stopwatch to see it took Avery almost twenty minutes to come out of her sleep, it was not the record but close to it. Very good, she puts the clipboard down and picks up a syringe.
"Whatever you do Jaxon, do not harm the subject. We still need her" Linda says and she injects the syringe into Avery's arm. Avery moaned before relaxing.
Jaxon picks Avery up. "Not to worry Linda, she is in good hands."
Linda gives him a stern look, Jaxon got things done but she also knows about the reputation he has when it comes to particular subjects.
"Bring her back soon" was all she said.