Harsh afternoon sunlight beat down on Brix. She sat curled up on a chair, arms wrapped her about her leg, her chin propped on her knee. Past the stone railing, that encircled the balcony, was a never ending forest. Beyond the edge of the forest the faint outline of skyscrapers touched the horizon. She blow furiously at a stray strand of short black hair. The hair fluttered, but remained dangling before her sight.
"Brix," a male voice called out.
Brix ignored the the call. She heard footsteps just inside the room behind her.
"Brix," the voice said again.
The footsteps drew closer. Brix waved a hand causing the doors to the balcony to slam shut in front of the guy's face. A second later the guy appeared in front of her. He had a tall, lanky build, sandy blonde hair, pale blue eyes and a pointed chin. Without looking at him, Brix flicked a finger, sending a stone flying towards him. The guy disappeared and reappeared a foot over. The stone sailed through the spot the guy's face had been seconds before.
"That's not funny," he said.
Brix shrugged, still not looking towards him.
"I don't know about that Rory, I found it amusing," she said.
Rory crossed his arms and leaned against the stone railing.
"Talk to me Brix," he said. "You know I did what I did to protect you."
Brix looked at him, her face hard. Brown eyes, dotted with golden flecks, glared at him from a pale, narrow face.
"Protect me?" she said, her voice cold as ice. "How could you stopping from me escaping possibly be you protecting me? Do you know what is in a month? Have you forgotten?!"
Rory dropped his gaze.
"Of course I know what's in a month. I just don't think it will be as bad as you think."
Brix scoffed, turning her attention back to the endless sea of evergreen.
"You're delusional if you think that," she said. "The Induction is worse than death."
She looked up at Rory, who met her gaze, her face revealing fear, anger, determination.
"I don't want to spend the rest of my life being a pawn for The Republic," she said. "Used like a weapon because of my abilities. Never to be my own person. Never to do as I wish. Always less than human."
"We will be useful, Brix," Rory said. "We will able to do something with what we have been given instead of locked away."
"But what if I just want to live? What if I want to know what's it's like to ride a rollercoaster? Walk on the beach or go to college? I don't want to be useful, I want to live a life. Find my parents, see if they even remember that they had a daughter."
She broke from Rory's caring blue eyes, focusing on the edge of the chair.
"Why don't we deserve to live?" she whispered. "They are so scared that we will do terrible things that they haven't ever given us a chance to be normal. Locked away only to be brought out when we can be controlled for good."
"Brix..."
She looked up, finding his eyes pleading with her.
"I can't stay here, Ror," she said. "I have to get out. Even if it kills me."
"Might I remind you that it will, or are you forgetting the little device in your neck?"
Brix absentmindedly touched the side of her neck where a star shaped scar lay.
"You know why they don't have to have camera watching us, they can track us. Kill us with a push of a button if we so much as step beyond the fence."
Brix hugged her leg tighter, glaring at the forest, imagining the menacing fence that encased her, Rory and the stone mansion.
"Maybe death would be better," Brix said, softly.
"Don't say that," Rory said. "There's no one else who would be my friend. You can't leave me, Brix. Please."
Brix remained silent. Below them the sound of tires on the gravel drive reached them. They both looked over, watching as a line of black SUVs pulled to the front of the mansion. Brix looked at Rory.
"Want to go see?" he asked, eager to take Brix's mind of her plans of escape and death.
Brix look to the cars, hesitating but her curiosity won out. Rory stretched out a hand and she took it. They vanished from the balcony only to reappeared on a sloping lawn beside the building. They moved closer, crouching in the shadows. Men in green uniforms stepped from the car, the insignias on their arms marking them as Republic officers. Among the men a guy about 17 emerged. He had messy dark brown hair, black eyes, high prominent cheek bones and strong jawline. Though his hands were cuffed, he held himself with a bored, careless air.
The front doors to the mansion opened and a thin man with graying hair walked down the stairs towards the new arrivals. The most imposing officer, with muscles that pushed against the boundaries of his jacket, stepped forward.
"Captain Docks, I'm pleased to see you again," the gray haired man said.
"Dr. Thornton, the pleasure is mine," Docks said.
The man gestured to the brown haired guy.
"I have a new addition for your academy," Docks said.
Brix and Rory shared a mocking look.
"This is Zane Townsend. I'm sure he will be very comfortable in your care," Docks said.
"Of that, I have no doubt," Dr. Thornton said.
The officers split and Zane moved out from their protective bubble. He looked over the mansion and grounds, his face devoid of emotion.
"Zane," Dr. Thornton said. "I'm sure you will be very pleased with the accommodations here. I hope you will make yourself feel at home. We look over all who go here with the utmost care."
Brix scoffed. Zane made no reply, his eyes like two dark wells. Dr. Thornton looked back to Captain Docks. While the men exchanged more words, Zane slowly wandered away. Brix stood and stepped out of their hiding spot. Zane's gaze locked on her as she walked over to him, Rory trotting behind.
"Hello, I'm Brix," she said. "Welcome to prison."
Zane looked her up and down. She was a head shorter than him and looked small compared to his toned physique.
"You the welcoming committee?" he asked, his voice low and husky.
"No, they are waiting for you inside. The blonde got the position instead of me. There was something about my presentation they didn't like."
She gave him a mocking smile. Zane nodded. He looked passed Brix to Rory. As he turned his head, Brix caught the sight of the star shaped scar right below his ear.
"This is Rory," Brix said, looking back.
Rory moved to stand beside her, his hands tucked into his pockets.
"Hi," Rory said.
Zane gave him a single nod.
"I can take care of those for you," Brix said, looking down at his cuffs.
Before Zane had time to reply Brix had lifted a finger and the shackles fell away.
"I appreciate that, but I was fine," Zane said.
"Oh?"
Zane held a hand over the cuffs and they morphed into two limp noodles.
"So why keep them on?" Rory asked.
Zane shrugged.
"Makes them feel safer. Besides there's nothing I could do, they can kill me in a snap."
"Makes sense," Brix said.
Zane looked up at the four story, stone mansion.
"What do you do for fun around here?" he asked.
Brix smiled.
"Plan out how to escape," she said.
Zane's attention snapped to her. A smile slowly cut across his face.
"That sounds like my kind of fun."
***************
Hi!
So this story idea came to me while I was trying to go to sleep. It was actually super annoying because I was tired, but what are you going to right?
The base of the plot would be Brix, Zane, and Rory breaking free of their prison and trying to live normal lives, but constantly facing struggles from every side. That's about as far as I got.
What did you think? Let me know!
Vote, comment, follow!