She managed to kick over many things. Her guard grabbed a hold of her, letting her go was a mistake. I found that he wasn’t under control either. He began to drag her from the room but she fell to the ground. She hit the side of her face as she dug her nails into the ground. Blood spilt from her splintered hands and tears rushed down her face as she screamed out. The man dragging her released his grip once more and she scrambled towards me. She called my name and I was wide-eyed and afraid.
“Please, Jared. We have to get out of here.” She screamed to me but I was locked in place by Lena. In an instant my body convulsed. “Let her go. You fucking idiots.” I struggled against Lena but she just held me. I didn’t care if I ripped my arm in half. I had to get to her.
The man finally reached her and slammed his foot into her face. I held my breath and stopped moving. She was knocked unconscious and he picked her limp body from the ground. Blood poured from her head and seemed to spill from her ears. I screamed her name over and over again. But the door was slamming behind the man.
Aiden turned to me with a satisfying look on his face. He began to back up towards the door. “Ha. Don’t mind me, just taking care of the trash.” He smirked to me for a long time.
“Don’t touch her. Don’t even think about it.” He smiled at me as he opened the door to let himself out. I heard things being thrown on the ground. Things were clinging loudly in the hallway, and I cringed at the sounds. “We have big plans for her.” He slammed the door.
Chapter Seventeen: Ready For the Fight
DR. RAVANA AND Joseph stayed behind in the room. They spent most of their time glaring at me and scoffing every time I made a sound. Lena practically rolled over me as she brought me to a large machine.
It was black and chains were sprung from the ceiling. I felt the cold chains as they clamped onto me. As soon as they were on, they bit down into my skin, piercing them. I felt as blood ran down my arms.
The pain didn’t stop me from yelling for Holland. Where were they taking her? She was the only person left for me to talk to. The only one left to fight with me. As soon as the chains no longer dug into my skin, I was lifted up into a standing position. My arms fell asleep thanks to being trapped with my arms raised over my head.
Joseph took a step up to me and stared me down. I didn’t flinch away until he lunged towards me, finding his hand in my gut. He punched me with a power that wasn’t physically possible for a human. Pain writhed through me and I strained out a grunt. “Shut up already. She can’t hear you. The room is sound proof. So please, do us all a favor, and shut the hell up.”
“You’re pretty brave now that I am chained up.” I spat back to him.
He walked back to his position of standing with his arms crossed beside my father, ignoring me. It was as if he were as a guard to him. My father coughed softly beside him. I rolled my eyes.
Lena stood beside me, her eyes staring blankly out the window. As I stared down at her, I was alarmed by the fact that she was probably never coming back.
I let out a gasp as my vision begins to darken. There was a sharp pinch that passed through my cheek. I looked over to see the remains of a large needle that was just shot into my cheek. Joseph held it up in triumph and I was suddenly alarmed. When did he even move? Was I just injected with the disease?
Before I can manage to comprehend anything, specks cloud my vision. Then there is complete nothingness. I feel my face become moist. I clench my teeth as I realize that I am being spit on. There is laughter. Their cackles fuel my anger but I bite my tongue to keep from lashing out since I am defenseless. I open my mouth and feel something or someone holding my mouth wide open.
I shut my eyes to snap out of my fuzzy vision, but as I try to reopen them, I am startled to realize that my eyes have been glued shut. Suddenly, a new sensation takes over. The taste of metal and some form of acid fill my mouth. Whatever was holding my mouth ajar has been removed and I attempt to spit out the material in my mouth, but it is as if it was gluing my mouth shut. I realize that I couldn’t scream even if I wanted to. My mouth was being sealed shut.
I was blessed with the ability to hear, and blessed I was. I heard Lena’s screams. In my darkness, I start yanking my arms from their chains, only to feel my skin being ripped a little more. If they were hurting her, I would rip my hands down. That was when I heard her. “Stop it!” she screamed through her shrills.
She was fighting her control. She must still be resisting and a flaw must be in their system. There is a loud sound accompanied by a low screeching sound. She makes no more sounds and I stop moving to listen to the rest of the commotion.
“Joseph!” My father shouted as I jumped in place. He was certainly frightening to hear. “Go and bring him to me. Now.” His voice was soft but his words pierced the air. “And you tell him that I need the project done faster because obviously some people are resisting. Tell him if he finishes faster that I can give him his prize much faster. Although, he doesn’t deserve it after this outbreak.” I listen intently as he sighs deeply. “Joseph, be careful with him. He is a little off balance at times.” My father spoke so kindly to Joseph. Maybe he wished that Joseph were his own son.
“I will go tell him.” There was a silence and I realized that he must have left the room. All I could hear was typing. The typing was frantic, and I was sure it had to do with Lena. Everything had to do with Lena. I felt someone staring at me. The typing ceased for a second before continuing and I knew my father was alone with me.
I felt something surround me, the claustrophobia I had was taking over, but I could not fight it because I was chained tightly in place. That was when the chains were released from my hands. I felt my arms drop harshly to my side. I felt the tingling in my arms as they tried to wake. I heard footsteps approaching me, and I stiffened in response. My vision was still gone and my mouth was still shut. I was helpless.
Something new started to close me in and I tried to move, but I was somehow trapped still. I stood just listening to my surroundings. There was only silence, and the hairs on my body began to rise because I didn’t know what to expect next.
Slowly, my eyesight returned, and I could open my eyes once more. I peered down but as I did, I was restricted. My face was cold and it dawned on me that I couldn’t move my head. All around me was cold metal that held my head promptly in place and looking ahead.
From my periphery, I saw that Lena was getting up from the ground. She was beside me once more, dazed and hypnotized as before. This time she was staring at the wall and not out the window in the room. She was fighting it. I had to believe that she was. Each time I glanced over to her, I noticed a curious thing. Her eyes began to flutter furiously every time my eyes bored into her head.
Dr. Ravana snapped me from my discovery as he walked forward holding a book in his hands. “The weak, loner Jared. Ah. At last I can say that I have you caught. I mean look at you. You are helpless. You are worthless. You thought that you could destroy me, as well as the world I have created for myself. You sacrificed so much to lose in the end. How does it feel?” he smiled menacingly, and I moved my jaw and found that my mouth was able to move once more.
“I have not lost. I have many people that will help me.” Dr. Ravana just laughed as he tossed his hand in the air to me as if to dismiss the thought.
“We will see. I am leaving the room for a little while.” He yanked the door open and I heard screaming that filled the room. Holland was being punished. I couldn’t even imagine it. “Try not to move.” He winked at me, and I felt my mouth clenching up. He slammed the door shut and the screams that filled the room halted.
I was left alone with Lena and she really was like a robot now. I had to try to get her back. I didn’t know what to do. I could not touch her but I would just try to break through her.
“Lena.” I whispered. Her head stared forward. “Lena, please look at me if you can.” She turned curiously, and my heart leapt out of my chest, but then she turned back forward as if someone call
ed for her to turn.
I continued to speak. “I need you to help me. Please. I don’t know what else to do. I need you. You need me. I love you.” She stared blankly so I tried once more. “We can get out of here. I can figure out how to make this stop. I promise you can be better and come back to me.” Her eyes began to waver. I saw her hazel eyes for a split second before they glowed once more. I groaned in frustration.
Her eyes began flickering repeatedly until their glow shined through. What worked to bring her back last time? Even though this was a different control, I refused to believe that I couldn’t bring Lena back myself.
Then I had an idea. She remembered my name when I triggered memories of me being mean to her. So I tried it because if it didn’t work, there was no harm, no foul. “Lena. You were always so weak; so useless. I sent you here for a reason. I can’t stand you.” They were all lies, but I had to save her from this control. “Lena. You were a mistake. Your own father didn’t want you to have anything to do with his plans.”
She turned furiously at me, and I smirked because she was breaking through, but she had other ideas in mind. Her eyes bore into mine and I felt the pain that she was cursing upon me. It burned through me and I felt as if my insides were on fire. I moved my head as much as it would back and forth to make her lose her focus. It worked because it distracted her. Instead of boring her eyes into mine, she bore her eyes into the metal on accident.
To my surprised and to my advantage, a small piece fell to the ground, smoking and smoldering on the floor. I had to keep making her mad because she could find a way to get me out of this personal death trap.
“Don’t you see how stupid you are?” I laughed as cruelly as I could manage. She continued to move her eyes down my body. A crack formed in the metal as she melted it with her eyes. I felt it loosen up but I didn’t hear the delicate crack of it breaking off of me.
I was about to speak once more but just then, the doorknob started to turn. The door opened to reveal my father standing there. I was thankful that I couldn’t hear Holland’s cries any longer. Lena moved back into her position and continued her blank stare. And I acted as normal as I possibly could, while being trapped in metal and attempting an escape. I looked down to the metal that was cracked but he didn’t seem to notice it was there.
“Good, you’re still here.” He smiled viciously. My throat constricted but I looked forward unfazed. “We have a visitor for you.”
Chapter Eighteen: Unexpected Visitor
GABE TORE INTO the room, fumbling to smack his self into the wall, after being shoved by Aiden. “Found him wandering around. He was trying to break into the building.” Aiden said evenly.
Gabe smirked, his most famous look. “I would have if that idiot with green hair hadn’t tried to help. He was an idiot. I swear I don’t need help from anyone anyways.” He smoothed his hair down and Aiden gripped both arms. He froze as his eyes found Lena. He smiled brightly at her and anger sprung up through me. “Jesus Christ. Jared, she is beautiful.” I couldn’t explain my anger. “Why did you have to get captured?” he asked me in an arbitrating way.
“Shut up.” Dr. Ravana hit him over the head and Gabe looked mildly annoyed as he was chained up beside me. He didn’t have blood pouring out of him, and I was grateful to not see him go through the same pain I did. Nothing went around his head either. I was sure he’d be surrounded in metal soon like I was.
“That’s okay. We have someone else to get you.” Gabe spat to Aiden.
I looked down. “No we don’t.” I told him simply.
Gabe looked over shocked. “Excuse me?” he said calmly but I could see that he was angry with me for revealing something so big.
“Holland has been captured. She was with me.” Gabe’s features changed through many emotions in that moment. He looked outraged and his mouth dropped open. I thought he was going to cry from how red his face became.
“What are you talking about?” Holland is at the safe house making weapons. This can’t be. She was there before I left. She was there.” He screamed now. His panicked stare searched the room, meeting the eyes of Aiden and then Dr. Ravana.
“Holland was with me this whole time. She tricked Kaley and we escaped the house that held Lena. She has been with me ever since. What’s your deal? I am upset because all hope is gone now.” I shook my head. “Holland is like a sister to me. She was captured and it’s a fact, Gabe.”
Gabe shook furiously. His whole body was jittering as if he just stepped out into the cold without a jacket. His teeth seemed to chatter in the exact same way and his eyes seemed to glaze over. “You lied to me!” I jumped in place from the severity in his voice. I thought he was speaking to me but he was looking right at my father. “You are all dead; do you hear me? Every last one of you! You lied to me!” He screamed scarier than I had ever heard him scream before. Come to think of it, he never screamed before this moment.
“Lied to you how?” I asked confused. “What are you talking about?” I cried out.
“They said we were the only ones captured. So I let them take me so Holland would save us. Damn it!” His eyes flickered to my face but somehow I didn’t believe him. His cool demeanor had fallen. He loved Holland and that much I knew was true.
“Well. If that was your last hope then we’re dead. Find a way to get us out.” I said as quietly as I could.
Dr. Ravana cleared his throat. “Sorry to break the lover’s quarrel. But we have to get to business.” He didn’t face us but I could tell by his voice that he was enjoying this. He wanted to see me break his whole life and he was probably going to get it.
He kept his back turned to us but spoke into the air. “Joseph will be back soon and let this be a fair warning.” He paused. “If it isn’t perfect, someone will suffer.” He moved across the room to a large chair and sat. He put his hands behind his head. He watched us intently now. He looked at Gabe in a knowing way. “No one will break out of here when Lena is fully controlled. That includes both of you.”
Aiden stepped over to Dr. Ravana. And looked at me with malevolent eyes. “Look, Jared, we can kill you now. Or let things get worse.” He faced my dad with a laugh attempting to break through. “Although, it may be more fun to see you lose everything. What do you think dad?”
“I’d like to see him lose everything.” They laughed in unison, and I cringed at it. I felt my anger bubbling up in my chest.
“Lena is still in there fighting.” I spat at them. Aiden didn’t budge but Dr. Ravana’s face turned quickly to the book in his hands.
“We know that.” Aiden said pleased. “That is why we created something new. She will never be able to speak again. Or think again. Or remember your face.”
“I don’t believe a word of it.” I wanted to believe that I didn’t but I did.
“Believe it. We had a genius create it.” I looked over to Lena who cringed inwardly. I noticed it and felt chills on my arms. She was somehow still there. She was listening too. Although she still stared blankly, her body was able to move in a way that she couldn’t if she were under full mind control. She knew who this genius was. I had to find out too.
Aiden fumed at the sight of this, and he bit down hard on his lip in concentration. He hit my father’s arm slightly and pointed but my father had missed it already. Aiden dismissed it but stared down Lena as a result.
“I will fight to bring her back. Hope isn’t lost completely.” I said simply.
Aiden’s eyes never left Lena’s face as he approached me. He was near me but not close enough to touch me. “Lose hope, brother. Lose everything. Then we will kill you.” I wished I could hit him but I thought of the only thing I could do. I spat in his face as he had before. Gabe was chocking beside me as he stifled a laugh.
His face turned red before he turned to walk away. I smiled jubilantly but it quickly faded as he reached the desk. Aiden took the glass vase off the table behind him. My laugh was small and short. “Can’t even punch me Aiden? You have to use a weapon so yo
u don’t ruin your hand.” I mocked him but he already had his hand above his head, ready to strike me. He rushed to me. He mimicked my earlier smile as he finally let his hand slam down into my face. Glass busted all around me and I heard it crash to the ground.
He held the broken piece to my neck and I gasped as I felt it dig in a little. “Funny now?” he said and I opened my eyes to see red filled my vision. My unwillingness to answer seemed to be enough to make him angry again and he raised his hand once more, throwing the glass from my throat to the ground and lunging into to punch me in the nose. Blood gushed out, and I felt the blood trickling down my face. The warm blood entered my mouth and I squinted up to see him backing away. This certainly didn’t seem like the last time I would be hit today.
Chapter Nineteen: Sacrifices
MY EYES WERE still fuzzy. I peered up only to see a black blurriness in my vision. The blackness blocking my view I knew was blood, but I could see enough. I focused slowly on the room in front of me. Aiden and my father were no longer in the room and I felt the heat flow to my face with embarrassment. Aiden had punched me and I couldn’t do anything about it.
I felt stickiness on my ear, and figured it was more blood. I looked over to see Lena still beside me. I wished she was still reacting in some way, but she was now sitting on the ground, cross-legged. She looked bored. I looked to my left and saw that Gabe wasn’t there in the room with me anymore, either. The shackles that helped hold him up where strewn across the floor with bright red fresh blood on them. Taking in my surroundings, I found red blotches all around the room. By the door, was a pool of blood, and I felt my stomach muscles clench up in alarm. What did they do to Gabe?
“Hey.” I shouted loudly at Lena. She didn’t even budge. I looked at her dazed face and felt frustration. “Hey.” I screamed even louder. The door opened abruptly. Aiden walked in and jumped slightly with a startled look on his face. He looked angry when he heard my scream.
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