Nora~~
They forced us to change into dark gray uniforms. A parakeet-green stripe runs down the side of the pants and the long sleeves of the shirt. It's hard to believe—and it sends a stab of pain through my heart to even think it—that was the last time I will ever dress myself.
They have us lined up in the Hall, waiting to be assigned a bed. Two people ahead in line is Aaron. He doesn't fight the guards when they grab him and push him down onto what is supposed to be his forever bed, but it's nothing like ones he'd find in his home. This is an exam table. We are to be studied after all.
They're hooking him up as the guards take hold of me. I twist in their arms, locking my knees. A pathetic attempt but it's all I can manage. It's at this moment I wish I had done sports, taken self-defense classes. Fighting bad guys in a video game is nothing like fighting them in the real world. I always knew that.
I just didn't understand how different until now.
They force me onto my back onto the exam table beside Aaron's and strap me to the table. A woman in a lab coat swipes my arm with a cold wipe before another doctor inserts an IV into my arm.
My head feels light, and I'm cold and hot at the same time.
With every second that slips by, the fight leaves my body.
Someone tries to insert something in my ear, and I cringe away. Two hands grasp my hand, holding it in place, and the device is slipped into my ear. It feels the way I'd imagine a hearing aid would.
The room tilts, and I have to fight to keep my eyelids open. They're just so heavy . . .
Stay awake.
Do something.
Anything.
One hundred fifty plus one hundred seventy-five is three hundred twenty-five.
Stay awake.
Keep alert.
Seven times nine is sixty-three.
Stay awake.
Aaron's strained eyes meet mine. The pull of sleep is strong.
A tear falls over his cheek as his eyes start to close.
"Nora, I'm going to protect you in there. I don't know how. But I am."
I smile for his sake and mine. "Aaron . . ." I push past the sleep that the serum is trying to pull me down into. "I'll protect you no matter what. I promise."
With one last blink, his eyes shut, and he's asleep.
My tears finally fall.
A young man peers over me, drumming the metal base of his holoscreen tablet with his finger. "Doctor Cobbs, this one's having difficulties."
Cobbs walks over and looks absolutely jovial. His eyes glisten with a mirth that seems to feed off the horror happening around us. "Too jittery to sleep?"
"It's not quite my bedtime."
His smile stretches as he cocks his head to the side. "You are an interesting one, aren't you?"
"Would you like a biased or non-biased answer?"
"An answer means you're still awake. Increase her dosage," he says over his shoulder.
The young man obeys, and I shudder as the serum courses through me. The feeling of electricity traveling from my shoulders to my cheeks intensifies, and my willpower to stay awake slips.
My eyelids grow heavier to the point I'm almost positive that there's a rope attached to them that someone is yanking on. Probably Cobbs or Pace. They both seem sadistic enough.
I have to stay awake.
I have to.
Will my siblings, Keagan and Kandice, be subjected to this fate one day? Mom proved today she won't be the one to stop Dad.
In a silent prayer to God, I ask him to keep my siblings far from here. Let them run away from home if that's what it takes. What will they be told when I don't come home tonight? That I am just another name in a long list of missing persons?
Keagan will be suspicious. Even if we didn't always get along, he'll try to find me.
A tear glides over my cheek, pressing against the makeup I applied with such care this morning.
I close my eyes sending more tears down my face. I struggle to open them again.
Would sleeping really be that bad? My eyes wouldn't ache. I wouldn't have to fight.
A tall girl appears beside the man. Her bleached blonde ponytail sways as she looks between me and something else.
"You've been relieved," she says to him. "My father put me in charge of her."
The man looks nervous even though he seems older than her. His fingers flick across the holoscreen on his tablet. "Yes, Miss Pace."
Pace.
Once his back is to us, and he's walking down the nearest row of beds, she leans over me, and pulls out the needle from my arm. "You're like my brother, aren't you?" she mutters and unfastens my straps before removing the device in my ear. "As soon as you're able, go."
Thank you, I can only mouth the words.
Her eyes lock with mine. They're a pine green like her father's. There was a boy with those eyes. Outside that classroom.
She nods at me and leaves.
I take slow, deep breaths, drawing energy back into my muscles, my limbs. If I get out of the Hall, I'll go right. That should take me to the lobby—the only exit I know of.
I push myself off the exam table, putting me beside Aaron.
I don't hesitate. I pull out the IV and the device in his ear and undo his straps.
He remains soundly asleep.
I shake him.
Nothing.
I glance around me. One of the scientists—oneirologists—runs toward me. The way to the exit is still clear though.
I pull back my hand—I'm sorry about this, Aaron—and slap him.
Not even his eyelashes flutter.
More oneirologists head toward me.
I have to leave him behind.
"I'm so sorry."
I dart between the exam tables, pushing my legs to carry me down the aisle. With every step my energy returns.
An alarm starts to wail.
An oneirologist is in my path, but I avoid him by slipping over an empty bed and rush for the exit.
Someone's fingers brush my arm.
I take a deep breath and will myself to speed up, exiting the Hall and rounding its corner. The hallway before me is empty, but I know that won't be the case for long. I don't spare a glance behind me. I'm already aware they're on my heels. Their shoes pound against the marble floor, my bare feet only make harsh slaps. They shout at me to stop, and I feel my energy slipping away again.
Ahead the hallway fills with people until my path is blocked.
This was always a fool's mission.
But damn it, I was still going to try.
I stumble to a stop, and it's only seconds later that a needle is stabbed into my neck.
I teeter forward a few steps before wobbling back. The world spins and everything becomes too bright like the sun in the morning when it reflects off the lake in my neighborhood as I pass it on my way to school. The marble floor is gone, replaced by water. Water that's white in its reflection. I raise my hands.
Seven fingers.
A dream.
I lower my hands, and from the blurred figures closed in around me, one steps forward; and it's like someone has a dimmer on only him. His eyes are a familiar green and his bronzish hair glows.
He was outside that classroom.
He holds out his hand, but I don't make any move to take it.
I go numb as someone flicks off the light switch for the world.
Hello, my loves! I'm so excited to get into the dream world that I'll be doing a birthday update tomorrow. It's quite a bit shorter than this chapter, so I'll probably also do an update on Saturday as well. The next chapter will be from Charlie's POV.
I have a free birthday drink from Starbucks. Any suggestions? I think I want to go with a frappuccino since I don't usually get them.