Post by Croscema Trinity Aikia on Dec 15, 2006 18:13:55 GMT -5
Chapter I
Test Subject 83FJ-XL48
Test Subject 83FJ-XL48
Needles injected a dark liquid into her arms. A tube was removed from her throat. Her eyes were wide with terror. Four identical, clean-cut, men worked around her, testing on her. They flipped her over onto her stomach and began to stitch something onto her back. When they finished the stitching, they put her in front of a mirror-
Selene sat up in bed, cold sweat descending her pale face. Her emerald eyes looked around her room as she touched the skin between her shoulder blades carefully. It was a dream, just a dream. Selene sighed in relief and her long, brunette hair swished as she lay back down. No tubes were in her throat and no needles were in her arms. But more important, nothing was stitched to her back.
She looked around at her room. It was still the same old, plain room. Posters of Evanescence and Final Fantasy on the wall. A twin bed in the corner. A dresser nearby. A computer and desk next to the door. Everything was the same.
Selene knew that if she closed her eyes, the dream would come back- worse. The eighteen-year-old got out of bed and made her way to the living room. Her green nightgown made a light swishing noise as she walked, making Selene more paranoid than she already was. She reached the room and turned on all of the lights. She switched on the television and sat on the couch, wrapping her arms around her legs.
She sat there for hours until her father came in, rubbing his eyes. His hair was dark like his eyes, which were filled with concern for his daughter.
"Selene, are you all right?" he asked, coming closer.
"I had the dream again," said Selene quietly.
Marq walked around the couch and sat next to his daughter, putting a comforting arm around her.
"It’ll go away soon, I promise," said Marq, kissing his daughter’s head.
Selene leaned on his shoulder.
"Something’s going to happen to me, isn’t it?"
"No. You’re safe here," said her father, "Now, why don’t you go back to sleep? You’ll feel better later."
Selene smiled weakly.
"All right."
* * *
Selene awoke after two hours. The nightmare hadn’t graced her sleep, which forced a gleeful smile. Selene changed into a black tee and baggy pants. She swept her hair into a ponytail and grabbed the phone. Lexi, her best friend since kindergarten, probably wasn’t up, but she’d understand. After two rings, the phone was answered by a grumpy sounding Lexi.
"Selene, it’s ten in the morning. What is so important?" asked Lexi grumpily.
"I had the dream again," said Selene.
"Oh," Lexi was more alert and listening intently.
"Every time I have this dream, I feel like I’m getting closer and closer to it actually happening," said Selene, "Each time I have it, a little more is added to the dream. But I never get to see what they put on me . . . but I can feel them injecting that dark liquid into me and the tube being taken out of my throat. And I can feel them stitching."
There was silence for a moment.
"Maybe you can see the future?" provided Lexi.
"Oh, yeah. That would make me feel better. Knowing I’m going to be some kind of test subject," teased Selene.
The two laughed.
"Well, did you read or watch anything like that?" asked Lexi.
"I told you. I didn’t watch, read, see, or hear anything like that."
"Well then, I’m out of ideas," said Alexis.
"I think I’m going to take a nap," yawned Selene, "I was up for about four hours last night and I’m bushed."
"All right. Call me tonight," said Lexi.
"Sure. Bye."
"Bye."
Selene hung up the phone and walked wobbly to the couch. She felt like her whole world was spinning out of control. She lay her head down and immediately fell asleep.
* * *
Selene’s eyes snapped open. She wasn’t in her house anymore. White walls surrounded her. She now lay on a lumpy, white cot. Looking at anything in the room was like staring at snow on a sunny day- blinding. Selene looked up at the high ceiling, which was one large mirror. Her head felt lighter and it wasn’t until she looked close at it that she realized most of her long hair was gone. It had been cut just above her shoulder. Selene put her hand over her mouth. She couldn’t help but smell the antiseptic on it.
Selene let out a scream and ran frantically around the room, searching for a door. This had to be a dream. It had to be. This wasn’t happening. She found a heavy, metal door and was about to pull it, when it opened. A man stepped through the door.
"Welcome, Test Subject Eight Three F J dash X L Four Eight."
Selene’s eyes widened and she took a step back in surprise.
"Who are you?" snarled Selene, after gathering herself, "What am I doing here? What is this place? What do you mean by ‘Test Subject’? Oh, and by the way, I do have a name! It’s Selene Marioq, if you didn’t already know!"
"Miss Marioq, please, calm down. Everything is going to be fine," said the man casually.
The man’s chestnut goatee was mottled with hoary hairs. His voice was hoarse and his features were lined with wrinkles. The man looked like he was in his late fifties. Old, in other words.
"Everything is not going to be fine unless you tell me what the heck is going on!" yelled Selene, clenching her fist.
The man chuckled. The jacket of his white suit wrinkled as he shrugged.
"If you would like to know what’s going on, then you need to do what we say," said the man coolly.
"No! I want answers now!" snapped Selene.
Selene was usually the ‘good girl’ at school. But she had a temper. You could say she had two personalities. If she felt like the underdog, she’d keep her mouth shut. But, if she were feeling superior, like she was at that moment, then she would rip you apart. It usually took awhile to get under her skin, but if you did, you’d be messing with the bull.
When the man didn’t answer, Selene shot her fist toward his head. The man raised his hand and caught it. He twisted her arm around and doubled her over. Then he rammed his knee into her stomach. She fell to the floor, the wind knocked out of her. He got down and held a slightly damp cloth to her mouth.
"I thought you’d say that."
Her world turned black.
