The Institute

by Kayla Howarth

  ***

  I’m putting my shoes on when Chad comes through the door. His wardrobe has been updated too—four stripes. I guess they broke into his room as well.

  “You ready?” he asks.

  “Yes, no … I don’t know.”

  Physically, I’m ready. I’m dressed and could walk out of the door right now, but I don’t know if I’m prepared to go out there yet. We’re on our way to find out our assignments.

  Maybe I have Stockholm syndrome or something. I’ve become comfortable here.

  But I have to ask myself, would I still feel comfortable if Chad wasn’t here with me every day? Maybe not, but at least I’d still have Tate and Shilah. Out there I’ll have no one. I can’t think of anything worse than being in a town with a stranger as my partner and no one else I know.

  “It’ll be fine. The farthest they could keep us apart is a five-hour train ride away, and surely they won’t have us at opposite ends of the country.”

  He puts his arm around me, not in a romantic way but like a friend would. He hasn’t mentioned the almost kiss from a few days ago, and neither have I. It’s actually been quite easy to forget it even happened.

  “Come on, let’s go.” I’m suddenly thinking about the kiss again and welcome the distraction.

  We go down to the training centre where we’re told to meet. From there, we’ll be collected by our new supervisors.

  Chad, Zircon, and I are welcomed into the agents’ quarters, a separate building. It has a glass roof. Seeing sunlight again puts a smile on my face. They lead us into a conference room which also has windows. There, in front of me, is a bright, cloudless sky. It’s a weird shade of orange, like it’s almost sunset, but it can’t be. It’s only eleven am. Maybe these windows have an orange tint or something.

  We’re seated on one side of a large rectangular table while our new bosses are on the other. There are three of them, all middle-aged men wearing suits. Somehow I think their days of actually being in the field are over.

  “Okay, let’s get started, shall we?” says the man in the middle, directly opposite me. “I’m Agent Ryder, this is Agent Mason”—he gestures to the man on the left—“and this is Agent Logan. We’re the ones who’ll be responsible for you while you’re out there. If there are any issues, you’re to contact us first. Do you understand?”

  We all nod.

  “Great, so onto the first order of business, and that is to tell you to forget everything you just spent months learning. The theoretical side of things is just that. It’s very hypothetical and a completely different game once you get out there. There’s no textbook that will teach you any of that, you just have to get out there, experience it, learn from it, and hope you don’t get killed in the process.”

  Wow, nice pep talk.

  “So, here are each of your assignments,” one of the other men says. “Agent Daniels and Peters, your assignments don’t start for another week, so you still have time to prep. But Agent Williams, yours, on the other hand, leaves tomorrow.” He hands Chad a sheet of paper with the assignment details on it.

  “Tomorrow?” I ask. I didn’t mean for it to come out, but it did.

  He addresses Chad, even though I’m the one who asked the question. “Yes, we know it’s last minute, but unfortunately sometimes emergent situations arise, and we need them addressed. We think your target is about to up and move again. We need you out there so you can get a chance to follow them.”

  Zircon and I are given our assignment sheets. I’m going to Rockford. It’s actually not far from Eminent Falls, just a twenty-minute train ride. I might be able to go see Dad after all.

  Chad’s paper reads “Rencorn.” I’ll have to double-check on a map, but I’m fairly certain it’s on the other side of the city, about two hours away.

  I’m gutted. I was really hoping we’d be closer, although it sounds like Chad will be on the move a lot anyway.

  “Okay, so we have just a few things to go over before we introduce you to your partners,” says the third man. He reaches into a bag on the table, pulls out three square cases, and hands one out to each of us. “Your tracking bracelets. Once they’re on, we have the only key to take it off.”

  “Tracking bracelet?” Chad asks.

  “Yes, you didn’t think we’d just send you out into the world, did you? It’s for your safety more than anything else, so if you don’t check in for a while, we can know where to find you.”

  Sure it’s for our safety, not at all to do with the fact we’re Defective so they automatically don’t trust us.

  To be honest, escaping didn’t even occur to me. I know it did earlier when I first got here, but even then I knew it’d be hard to pull off. Even without the trackers, even if I tried to get away, there’s nowhere to go.

  I grab the box and open it up, finding a thin leather strap, simple but beautiful. I don’t know where the tracker is. Perhaps the leather is bound to it or encased in the metal plate where the clasp and lock sit. I’ve seen the markings on it before, but where? I shake the thought away and put it on my wrist. It’s locked with a key, and there it will stay.

  “Okay, next thing, I need you all to sign this. It’s a declaration that you won’t go and see anybody that you used to know—no family, no friends, no one. By now all of your loved ones will know where you’ve been, and we can’t let it get out that we’ve planted you back into society. If you don’t obey this rule, you’ll have your field agent status stripped away, will be transferred back to the Institute, and you’ll become a janitor for the rest of your life. Or something else just as demeaning. And you don’t want to know what happens to your family.”

  They’re very blunt and remind me of Brookfield with their attitudes towards us. If I had to guess, I’d say none of them are Defective.

  There goes my brilliant plan. I don’t want to put Dad in any danger. I just want to know if he’s okay. We each sign a declaration and hand it back.

  “Okay, now time to meet your partners and get your new identities.”

  Suddenly I remember where I’ve seen this bracelet before, or at least one very similar. Mine is more feminine than the ones the boys wear, but the one Chad’s wearing is identical to the one I fell in love with on Drew. This whole time, something I admired of his was actually a symbol of the place I dreaded most in the world, the place I’ve always wanted to stay away from but have never been able to. School reports, yearly visits, I could never stay away, and now I never will. Even worse, I’ve become one of them, and this bracelet will forever be a reminder of how I wasn’t strong enough to stand up for myself, for my kind, for others who are just like me.

  “Okay, Chad Cooper, as you’ll be known as from now on, meet your new mother.” Drew’s mother is walking in.

  Oh, it’s just clicked. Of course, she’s not Drew’s real mum. She’s trying to avoid eye contact with me—she too is the reason I’m here to begin with.

  Scowling at her, I can’t help but notice just how amazing she looks for her age. I’m almost a little jealous—not of her looks, of course, but the fact she’ll get to spend her days with Chad, and I won’t.

  “How about you two go get to work. You head out in the morning, and your cover stories need to match.”

  Chad gets up from the table and walks out, glancing at me briefly as he leaves. Is that his goodbye? Will I get to see him before he leaves tomorrow?

  “Agent Daniels, you’ll further be known as Mrs. Allira Channing. Congratulations, you just got married.”

  “Married?” I ask.

  “Well, with your ability, you need a reason to be touching your partner. Oh, here he is now.”

  The door opens slowly. I should’ve known something like this was going to happen. I’d normally put this down to coincidence, but, of course, nothing is coincidence here. Standing before me is my new “husband,” Drew.