Stimulus (BOOK 1 OF 3)

NINE

I didn't react to the sight. I didn't yell or cry or even wonder why Jackson would shoot any of us. I felt just the same as I had before it happened. Because of this, I could only draw one conclusion.

Something about this place wasn't right; I wasn't behaving as I usually would.

As Maria's screams died down, Alessandro came to stand beside me. Like me, he didn't seem particularly affected by what happened, either.

I wasn't sure why I was able to keep my composure. I'd cried when officials took my parents away. I'd cried when I broke my foot. But, as I glanced at Alexia's body one last time, I felt nothing. It was almost as if I'd expected it.

Why wasn't I reacting to a girl being killed in front of me?

Jackson holstered his gun and wiped his hands on his pants. Then, he turned to us, ignoring Maria as she cried by Alexia's body. A sick kind of satisfaction shone in his eyes, and he gave us a slow smile. His gaze flickered between us as he spoke.

"I'm very much looking forward to seeing how the both you progress during your time here. Lillith, please come with me for your injection. Alessandro, you may go to your floor. I will have an official show you the way."

Alessandro nodded and looked down at me.

His face looked oddly familiar. His eyes were a shade of green I didn't think was genetically possible, and his face was undeniably the deadly -ironically speaking- kind of attractive. A light dusting of freckles were sprinkled across his nose, and his jawline was defined and strong.

Something tickled in the back of my mind; why did he look so familiar? Even his name- I felt sure that I'd heard it before.

Just as fast as we looked at each other, he was leaving. I looked at Jackson, who had a steady grin on his face. He held an arm out.

It was blatantly apparent that I needed to placate this man. He thought nothing of killing someone for no other reason except a simple "no".

Then again, was I any different for remaining just as unaffected? Unlike watching him murder a living and breathing girl, this is the thought that unnerved me.

I took his arm and we walked out of the room, leaving Maria to cry over her friend. The question of what may happen to Maria bubbled to my lips, but I knew asking this man wouldn't be prudent. I needed to do whatever he asked, or I'd die just as quickly as Alexia had.

My mind was in survival mode, and I trusted my gut completely; it'd gotten me out of a lot of bad situations before.

We made our way down a long hallway and down two large sets of stairs. As we walked, Jackson talked.

"I have a theory," He began. "Would you like to hear it?"

I swallowed and nodded.

"You and Alessandro." He said. "Neither of you reacted."

Unsure of what to say, I didn't respond. It seemed to be the right answer; he chuckled and squeezed my hand with his free one. I held back a disgusted shiver.

"I believe it has something to do with the sectors you two call home. Does this make sense to you?"

Confused, I shook my head.

"You're exceptionally smart. Don't accept everything you see or hear at face value. I'll let you figure this out."

This confused me immensely, but I didn't have time to think about it at the moment.

We stopped at a thick metal door, and he winked at me. The door opened, and he nudged me inside.

It looked like a simple nurse's office. A couple of hospital beds lined one wall, while heavy medical machinery lined the other. A desk was positioned in front of the door, and an old lady stood behind it.

"She's here for her implant," he told the nurse. She looked at me and sighed.

"Very well. Come with me, hun."

She led me to a simple blue leather seat, where I was ordered to sit. She rubbed some numbing cream on my arm, but before it could begin to take effect, she jabbed the needle into my arm with much more force than necessary. I winced as I felt something very hard get pushed under my skin.

It was over as quickly as it had started. The nurse wiped down my arm with alcohol, which burned, and slapped a tiny, sticky bandage over the small wound. She sent me off with barely a goodbye.

Jackson was waiting for me in the hallway; when I came out, he asked to see my arm. I showed him, and he studied the bandage carefully.

"Can I take this off?" He asked out of nowhere.

I knew agreeing would've been a good idea. However, the last thing I wanted was to die from infection by taking the bandage off and having his fingers poke and prod a puncture wound.

"The nurse said I can't take it off until right before I go to bed," I said. Jackson's eyes narrowed at the rejection, but he nodded. He didn't offer his arm for our walk back. He led me to the floor I'd be living in, and left very shortly after.

He reacted so harshly to even the simplest rejections. I'd have to be extremely careful around him.

Doors lined each side of the long hallway. I wasn't sure which one to use, so I walked around, opening them and peeking inside. Most of them were different types of labs with different types of equipment in them, some were janitors closets, and some were teeny bedrooms.

I opened the last door and was met with Alessandro's naked chest.

Approximate word count: 945

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