A familiar brightness pierced Charlotte’s eyelids. She recognised the incessant buzzing that accompanied the bright glare. It never faltered, never stopped, not until the light died and darkness returned to her. Beneath her she could feel the cold table and the thin tissue paper that separated the cold steel from her bare flesh. She didn’t need to open her eyes, to know she was in a pale blue gown, tied behind her neck. She didn’t need to look down to know that her arms and legs were bound, holding her in place, fearing she may spring forward and attack those nearby.
Charlotte knew this place. She had been here many times following exhibitions and detentions. It had been her home for a year, but she didn’t remember that, not like the others did. It had been her home while they had experimented on her, changed her. She had been gifted her alterations here, a mere child of six years. They had made her a monster here, surrounded by the cold, tiled walls and sterile, strip lighting.
“Charlotte?” a soft voice called. “Can you hear me?”
Reluctantly Charlotte opened her eyes, blinded momentarily by the white light of the hospital. Charlotte blinked furiously, allowing the hospital surroundings come into focus.
“How do you feel?” Ashley Porter asked, looking at her clipboard. Charlotte sighed, focusing on her body.
“Fine,” she replied, her voice a bare whisper. She felt wonderfully calm, free of all physical pain. She felt as if she was floating above the table her body had been placed on, but as Ashley spoke she found that she was being pulled back down, back down to reality.
“Are you in pain?”
“No,” Charlotte muttered, as her memory began to return to her, angry tears stinging the back of her eyes.
“Are you sure?” Ashley asked, placing a gentle hand on Charlotte’s forehead and smoothing her hair back from her face.
“My body feels as good as new,” Charlotte coughed, trying to clear her throat. Ashley watched her from behind her glasses for a moment, soothingly continuing to stroke the top of her head. “I just forgot where I was for a moment – why I was here,” she muttered, closing her eyes and trying to gain control over the tears.
“I know sweetie,” Ashley sighed, moving away from her side and looking in the cupboards. “Mr Desmarais brought you to me”. Charlotte tensed at his name but didn’t speak. “He was pretty distraught to be honest. You had cracked your skull – again,” Ashley explained. “Don’t worry I’ve patched you back up, your nose, your fingers – everything”. She moved back to Charlotte, standing beside her and smiling. “It was actually quite surprising to see how concerned Desmarais was. He didn’t leave until he was sure you were safe – he doesn’t seem to be like his father at all”.
“He stayed here? Why?” Charlotte asked frowning.
“He seemed concerned over your injuries,” she shrugged, she looked at Charlotte for a moment, before undoing the straps that held her arms and legs in place.
“You know it’s not necessary to strap me down,” she said, sitting up once free.
“And I have told you enough times that it is protocol,” Ashley smiled.
Charlotte threw her legs over the side of the table and sat a moment watching as she swung her feet back and forth. “Why was he concerned with my injuries – he helped Bennett bring me below?” she pressed.
“How am I supposed to know?” Ashley laughed. “Maybe seeing you at the end of the session was enough to cause him to pity you?”
“I don’t need his pity,” Charlotte grumbled.
“No, but his friendship – that might not be such a bad thing,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Charlotte remember where you are. Don’t forget that to Elmhirst you are still disposable. You could use all the friends you can get because in here, nothing is ever written in stone,” she sighed.
“So I should just forget that they brought me below where the pain caused me to crack my own skull off the floor and rip my fingernails from my hands? Ashley, he is one of them,” Charlotte said her tone incredulous.
“Yeah, and so am I,” Ashley replied. “We’re not all monsters. I am just saying it might pay off to have somebody like him on your side”.
Charlotte stood up and nodded. “I’ll think about it”. Charlotte strolled to the door, wanting nothing more than to return to her real life, away from the hospital and the detention halls.
“Charlotte, wait,” Ashley said, her voice suddenly a little hesitant. Charlotte paused, her hand resting on the door handle. “Dr Elmhirst has asked me not to take you for our private lessons anymore,” she said. Charlotte bowed her head and couldn’t stop the disbelieving laugh that escaped from her lips.
“Of course,” Charlotte replied. “It only makes sense. He needs some excuse to keep me here”.
“I have to follow his orders,” Ashley said. “In this – I just have to”. She paused a moment. “Look, take these. Practice yourself,” she said, pushing a large box of gel pellets into her hand. “You have to control it. Just because I can’t help you anymore doesn’t mean you should stop trying”.
“There is far too much in here,” Charlotte said, examining the box of pellets suspiciously.
“Take them,” Ashley grinned. “I can’t really give you a handful now can I?”
“Thanks, Doctor Porter,” Charlotte said.
“Charlotte, he will do everything to break you now. He will try and change everything about you. First it was taking away our lessons. I don’t know what will be next but… just stay in control and don’t leave him beat you”. Charlotte left, not looking back. She grabbed her clothes resting on the table outside the examination room. They had been freshly laundered, all traces of blood removed. Charlotte changed in to her clean clothes, placing her leather watch back on her wrist. She had been in detention for over twelve hours. She had missed dinner. Frowning she hid the box of darts under her jacket and began her ascent back to her bedroom.
***
Charlotte pushed open the door, surprised to find Evie waiting for her, seated in the chair by the window. Evie was short and a little plump with kind, hazel eyes. Charlotte had little idea what age she was, but gaged her at about fifty. She had been attending Charlotte since her first evening as head girl and Charlotte had grown to trust, and even like, Evie, despite the fact she was a forgotten. Evie glanced up at her, observing her silently from behind her mask. “Evie what are you doing here?” Charlotte asked, closing the door.
“Mr Desmarais sent for me. He wanted to make sure you were okay,” she said. “He sent up food”. Charlotte noticed the tray of bread and fruit on the table at the foot of her bed.
“Does that mean I should forgive them for what they’ve done?” she asked coldly.
“Mr Desmarais is a good man Miss Owens. He means no harm. He just has to do what his daddy tells him,” Evie said standing up and making Charlotte sit in her place. “Now eat. You must be hungry”. Despite her resentment towards Desmarais, she was too hungry to refuse. She did not look up from her plate until all the food was finished, unaware of Evie’s presence.
“Miss Owens, I have drawn a bath for you,” she said quietly appearing from the bathroom. Charlotte nodded, watching Evie carefully.
“What did Desmarais say to you?” Charlotte asked as Evie prepared to leave.
“He told me that you had spent the day in detention and that it would be a good idea if I made sure you were okay when you came back. He said you had been to the hospital,” Evie said slowly, her hazel eyes searching Charlotte’s face.
“Okay,” Charlotte nodded, unsure if she was comfortable with Matthew Desmarais’ concern.
“Are you okay, Miss Owens?” she asked after a moment. Charlotte smiled gently and nodded.
“Goodnight Evie,” she sighed, standing up and leaving to take a bath.
Charlotte came back into her bedroom walking to her mirror. Uneasily she looked at her flawless face. There was no signs of where Bennett had struck her. Her nose was straight, her eyes unbruised. She ran her hand over her head, her fingers searching through her damp hair, feeling for the ridges of where she had cracked her skull, but found nothing. She glanced at her hands, her long, tanned fingers, her perfectly rounded nails. Nothing about her pointed to her spell in detention, nothing on her body remained of the phantom fire that had caused her so much physical trauma.
Charlotte sighed, wondering how long she had lain in the hospital while Dr Porter had repaired her body, as she undid the damage Bennett had caused her, when her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She glanced at her watch. It was after ten so curfew was in place. For a brief moment as her hand reached towards the handle she worried that Bennett or Desmarais would be waiting on the other side of the door.
James was pacing the floor, his pallor ghostly. His eyes were wild, dangerous almost. Charlotte opened her mouth and closed it, unsure of what to say. She had never seen his composure so shaken. He looked at her as if he had a million things to say but as he started to speak only undistinguishable noises issued from between his lips.
“Forget it,” he sighed, turning from her, stalking back to his own room.
“Seriously? Forget it,” Charlotte scoffed, folding her arms and watching him.
“I don’t know what I am supposed to say,” James said turning around again. “I mean it wasn’t my fault – not directly. Was it?” his resolve failing and his voice almost pleaded. Charlotte watched him as if he had gone mad.
“No, James it was not your fault,” she sighed, her tone deliberately calming. “I mean I am pretty annoyed that you got off so lightly,” she said. “Not that you deserved to be thrown below either, but you know…”
“He did that on purpose – punishing you and then only speaking to me,” James whispered, running his hands through his blonde hair.
“Of course he did. I know how his mind works,” she smiled gently. “I have had to put up with his shit for years. You just had front row tickets to the show yesterday”.
“How long? How long were you in there?” he asked, suddenly still, watching her carefully.
“I don’t know,” she laughed shaking her head. “You lose track of time, in and out of consciousness… Twelve hours, maybe more,” she shrugged.
“Twelve hours,” James swallowed, his green eyes darkening dangerously. “He said you were…”
“He said I was what?” Charlotte asked, stepping towards James almost threateningly.
“That you were screaming and begging for mercy,” he whispered.
“I – Never – Beg,” she said slowly in a hard voice. “I would never beg that bastard for anything”.
“Charlotte,” James breathed. “I didn’t think he would… I would never have if… It’s just I knew I couldn’t shoot you. It was like the other game all over again,” he breathed, running his hands through his hair again and again. Charlotte frowned at him.
“What did he say to you?” she asked, her tone stern.
“I don’t know,” James replied, shaking his head. “He asked me about the game”.
“You didn’t tell him it was you, did you?”
“Of course not,” James replied. “I stuck to my story. He thinks you’ve got inside my head. I knew he was paranoid but…” he frowned. “He threatened us with elimination”.
“That’s nothing new. He has been threatening me with elimination all year. I’m worth nothing dead,” she shrugged, trying to hide the uneasiness in her voice. James watched her guardedly.
“He said you can get inside a person’s head,” James said, his tone suddenly suspicious.
“If I had figured that out I would know the trick to staying out of detention,” she laughed heavily. “James, you heard Bennett last night. It’s not what I do, it’s because I exist. They hate me, more than you ever hated me. It is like a fire in Elmhirst. Bennett is just a sadistic minion, happy to punish anybody and everybody, but Elmhirst has his eyes set on me,” she sighed. “Do you know that my very first memory of this place was detention?” she breathed. “My whole existence seems to be centred around those halls and I don’t ever know why”. James seemed to be growing paler and paler by the second. “I know I have a big mouth, but it’s not that I am intentionally looking for punishment. It’s my immediate reaction when they corner me, like Bennett did last night”.
“Charlotte, you need to play the game,” James breathed, his green eyes pleading.
“Play the game?” she whispered. “I was trying to play the game. Porter was teaching me to control my alteration but Elmhirst told her she couldn’t. He’s not playing fair”.
“No, Charlotte I mean you really have to play the game. You have to play to win, that doesn’t mean behaving; it means…” he frowned as if trying to find the right word. His words were whispered breaths, weak and mumbled. She could smell the fear seeping from him as he stood opposite her.
“It means becoming like you,” she breathed, knowing what he was wanting to say. “He broke you down years ago, but I will not let him break me. I will die before I give him that satisfaction”.
“You might still,” he snapped. “For god’s sake Charlotte. This game is real life. If you can’t play, everybody on your team suffers. You are one of us. If you mess up, we suffer. Can’t you get that into your head? You have to play to protect the ones you love. I learned how to be what he wanted. You have to learn too”.
“For what? So I can be sold to the highest bidder?”
“So you have time,” he sighed, his tone almost sad. “That’s the only thing we have, can’t you see that? They have taken everything from us Charlotte. They have taken our lives, they have taken our bodies and they have taken our minds. God only knows what we were before we came here. All we have is time – the time before our altered bodies are discarded for newer models. You play the game so that they don’t take away all that you have left of your time in this twisted world”.
Charlotte had had enough. She turned from James stepping back into her room. She paused as she started to close the door and stared at his clouded green eyes and clenched jaw. “James…” she whispered bitterly. “My time was up when I came to this island”.
Thanks so much for reading Altered so far. As always please don't forget to vote and comment if you liked this chapter! All feedback is greatly appreciated - Thanks :) x