Eyera (The Eyera Series Book 1) Page 22

  “You’re scared, frightened, fearful,” her lips reach to my ears and whispers dark words.

  “I can show you how not to feel that, would you like that?” she licks her devilish lips.

  I feel something sharp on my stomach.

  “I will show you what’s it like not to feel fear.”

  A serrated knife perforates my stomach, she twists the blade deeper and takes it out, and cuts my throat, not deep.

  “That’s it. You’re not afraid anymore, you don’t feel Fear.”

  She flicks the knife and blood drips, she rotates the sadistic blade deeper slicing my stomach, but I grip onto the blade pulling it out, she notices my strength and tries to pull it back in but she can’t.

  “I don’t fear you anymore,” I say breaking her arm and taking the blade slicing it across her neck, her blood splatters my face and she falls, hands caked in blood, she keeps her smile.

  “All you needed was that extra push, I hope we meet again.” she says falling.

  I fall to my knees taking in everything.

  Something bleeps loudly, beep … beep … beep … A light beams on the wall and words appear. ‘Congratulations 1444, you have completed all stages of the Crixgen. Waking up you will feel different, like a brand new person. You will do what we say, you will be obedient and abide the laws. You 1444, will follow orders.’ it says trying to brainwash me.

  Two simple words come on the screen ‘Yes or No’ I twitch slightly and bite my tongue. I walk to my mirror-self and take the bokken. I twirl the bokken in my hands swiftly and walk to the screen.

  “No,” I say sharply, smashing the screen with my bokken. The screen splits in half and electricity sparks falling on the ground creating a fire. It spreads aggressively. I walk towards the fire not a care in the world. I’m not afraid of it. The fire flickers closer, and I hold my bokken tightly, the fire spreads on me and burns till I am nothing.

  I wake up taking a huge gasp. I’m back in the chair. I feel odd. Different. Strange. Something is not right.

  My head hurts and mouth begs for water. I look down still bounded by the chair, my wrist is covered in fresh injuries. I sit still, the specialist panic pressing buttons on their keyboards and touching the monitor. The man on my left speaks into a mic.

  “1444 test results,”

  Words flash on his computer screen, negative.

  “What is going on?” the man on my right says, and the other specialist shakes his head.

  “I don’t know.”

  The automatic doors open and a furious Miss Katherine Bennett steps in; she looks at both of the specialists sending daggers and they shrink.

  “What did you two idiots do?” she booms marching towards them. She watches the computer, and press buttons too, she walks to the middle monitor that shows the Crixgen drug inside my brain. Test completed flashes repeatedly in big bold green letters, on the screen shows six emotions: Happy, Sad, Anger, Surprise, Love and Fear. Love and fear have a line crossed through it, and the word terminated glowing.

  I sat admiring instead of being frightened.

  “Dammit, the Director is not going to be happy about this,” she says.

  Miss Katherine Bennett walks closer pulling a torch and flashing it into my eyes. She turns on her heels.

  “You two finish up here and then take her to floor twenty-eight, and make sure she is isolated, I will inform the Director,” Miss Katherine Bennett orders.

  She leaves the room in a hurry.

  The specialist from my right steps in front and I put on an ‘emotionless face’ he bends to my level with a crinkled face, his earnest brown eyes confused. His hands touch my face and then he waves in front emphasising if anyone is home, he snaps his fingers and claps his hands and I continue to look deadpan, and he ruffles his swept black hair trying to figure me out.

  “Hey Wade, are you sure the Crixgen only successfully took two emotions because it looks like the drug has taken them all,” he says.

  His warm breath makes me cringe.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” he snaps getting frustrated as he types on his computer.

  “Now Jarno, unstrap her and escort 1444 to her cell,” Wade replies, glasses hanging from his nose and the lights reflects on his bald white head, he scratches his scaly grey beard. Is that what I am to them now, a number.

  Jarno unstraps me from the chair; the cool air condition seeps into my cuts, at last, they finally breathe. Jarno removes the headgear and turns around writing down notes, and I know this is my chance. I creep out of the chair pulling the Crixgen needle out of the machine and forcefully swing Jarno’s shoulders round. His eyes widen. Before I know it I’m stabbing the needle in his eye; he wails, screaming his head off holding his eye, which alerts Wade. Jarno falls to the floor thrashing, and I stand over him bringing my boot crisp high and stomping on the needle causing it to go further in his eye. Before I can take in what I have done, I see Wade get up from his chair, and I run over. He is stunned at my actions and so am I. I slide across the table and grab the back of his head smashing it down on the desk, his nose crunches and my muscles tighten with rage.

  “What the hell is going on?” I curse.

  Wade shivers. I wait for a response, but he doesn’t answer. So I lift up his head and smash his bloodied face on the table again annoyed at him for not cooperating.

  “Tell. Me. Now.” I say.

  He struggles for a moment, choking on words.

  “The test failed, I-I-I don’t know how you beat the Crixgen, it’s rare,” Wade says gulping.

  I have beaten the drug … how? … my thoughts distract me as Wade wriggles out of my grip and elbows me in the face and pushes me.

  “Subject 1444 is out, she killed Jarno,” he shouts down the phone.

  I seize his head and smash it once more on the table and reach out for the telephone cord wrapping it round his red neck, I squeeze tighter and tighter blocking oxygen from his lungs, my strength gets the best and his body begins to panic for air. Feelings are running wild inside; I cannot stop myself as I grip tighter, I physically cannot, I don’t know if that’s because I want to, or have to.

  “I have a wife an-and, two children, please don’t,” he gasps.

  My hands automatically let go and he breathes desperately, guilt pops in my stomach, how can I leave those children fatherless? There is another part of me that doesn’t care if I kill him. I don’t know what is happening, what did Eyera do? Why did they make me like this? My hands pull the cord again, he struggles, squirming to escape but he can’t do anything. A voice enters my mind ‘he works for Eyera, he takes people away from their families every day, he doesn’t deserve to live, kill him’ it was like someone else said them, they are not my words, or are they, what is this madness? I manage to break from my thoughts and release my grip, Wade panics. I grab his head once more and smash it on the table, knocking him out cold, his body sinks to the floor and before I can relax an ear piercing alarm fills the room.

  “Attention, Eyera Corporation is on lock down, Subject 1444 is out,” a woman from the speaker says in a monotone voice.

  I search through Wade’s pocket hoping he has something useful I can use, a weapon or some sort, he has an access card and I take it. The guards will be here soon, and I need to move. I jog back to Jarno digging my nails in his eye to grip the needle, I yank it out and so does his eyeball, I slide his eye of the needle tossing it on the floor and crush it with my boot. I need something to protect myself; it’s better than nothing. I run to the door, and it opens, and boots pound loudly in the distance, they’ll be here within minutes. I run to another door, and it automatically opens, and a guard jumps out, and with quick reaction, I strike the needle in her neck slicing it down like she was a piece of fabric, blood run down my hands, and she drops with her gun choking to death. I look at my clothes covered in people’s blood making me sick. I undress the guard taking her uniform and quickly get out of my clothes and place her uniform on. I search through her pockets hoping for
anything useful but to my disappointment nothing. I pick up her gun wiping the blood off.

  “Attention, Eyera Corporation is on lock down, Subject 1444 is out,” her voice rings.

  I run down the long steel corridor finding a way out of this godforsaken place, I remember Cyren’s plan and use it to my advantage, but this time I won’t make the same mistakes.

  “Attention, Eyera Corporation is on lock down, Subject 1444 is out.”

  Dammit, that annoying voice of hers makes me want to cut my ears off, she is not helping my situation at all. I see shadows up ahead, guards coming my way guns clanking together. I run to the vent near the ceiling jumping at the wall which gives me a boost up. I pull myself up ripping open the vent’s door and pulling myself inside. I quietly put the vent cover over, and the guards come speeding down looking in every room trashing the place. Darkness spreads inside the vent, and I press a button on the side of the gun and a little beam produces. I travel down the vent, exposed metallic pipes heat making sweat drip down, my arm touches the pipes, and it incinerates into the uniform. I bite my tongue hard trying not to scream, the hissing sound from the pipes sounded angry that someone has trespassed on their land, and I’m not in their favour. I continue down the torture pipes turning left and turning right. I come to another vent which allows me to see what is in the other room, looking down I see a long white lab coat and a woman screaming at the guards to look for their missing ‘subject.’ Miss Katherine Bennett shouts at the guards again, and they flinch, and take off. Miss Katherine Bennett adjusts her shirt and brushes down her skirt and walks off. I move forward down the vent hoping to come to an end; the heat is getting too much. Suddenly, I hear cries of children.

  “What do they want from us?”

  A familiar voice sobs.

  I ignore their cries not caring what they do to them because they are going to experience the drug, no matter what. I turn right to another vent door and peer down to see I have come to an end, but my mind wonders to their voices. I can’t help but think about them. A dark smile etches on my face, I need them, I need them as distractions for me to escape, use this to my advantage. I back my way up, opening the vent door quietly, their eyes dart my way filling with relieve and hope. I jump down and a shadow watches. I turn to face it quickly and her face drops shocked but also glad.

  “Acelyn,” she says stunned.

  Raiya.

  Her eyes are red and bruised, even more, she looks like death, literally. Raiya has children behind her; she positioned herself into motherly mode.

  “It’s you. It’s really you. How did you get out?” she asks.

  “Up in the vents if you want to be free,” I tell the children motioning them to climb on the benches ignoring Raiya’s question.

  “Take this,” I say handing her the gun, and she accepts.

  “Acelyn,” Raiya calls.

  She touches my hand, and I glare at her touch and quickly withdrawals it.

  “What did they do to you?” she says sincerely.

  Before I can answer, she cuts me off.

  “Don’t you dare think about lying to me because I can see that they changed you,” she snaps.

  “We don’t have time, Raiya. Do you want to get out of here?” I say, and she nods.

  “Then get those kids to safety, now,” I say.

  Raiya is shocked that I raised my voice, she finally gets the message and helps the children up to the vent; once all the children are up, she looks at me.

  “It’s the drug, they used it on you,” she says.

  I stare right through her, and she accepts the facts.

  “How did you manage to survive it? No one survives the drug,” Raiya says.

  “Leave it.” I gnaw.

  “What do they want from us?” the familiar voice sobs again.

  I slowly walk around the room looking for the voice. I look to my right to see a small girl sitting, hugging her knees tightly, her long blonde hair covering her face, and she continues to cry. I put my hand on her shoulder, and she flinches, she slowly drags her head and I stare dead into her eyes cannot believe that she is still here, still surviving, Avra still alive. Her blue eyes are no longer hers anymore they are black, the Crixgen drug spreading, but how did she end up here? It’s too late, ten minutes top she will become emotionless, she will be nothing, it will kill her on the inside, and she is going to experience what I did but in her version and I don’t think she can get through that.

  “Acelyn, is that you? Are you here?” Avra says in a small voice patting to find me.

  “Yeah,” I say weakly.

  I put her hand in mine, and she grips firmly afraid to let go like her life depends on it. I don’t tell her that she will be all right, that everything will be okay because I failed. I failed to protect this little girl from harm, and I told her I wouldn’t let anyone touch her, broken promises, broken words, all lies.

  “Please help, it hurts,” she cries as the Crixgen continues to travel to her brain.

  “End it, Acelyn, don’t let them take who I am, I don’t want to be something else. Please,” Avra pleads tears stroking her cheeks, her emotions are heightening and time is running out.

  I stand up looking for something that could ease her pain; a light reflects in my eye catching my attention. I bring myself towards it picking up the blade. I bend down to her level, and I bring the blade to her throat, her left eye cowers as she feels the cold knife on her neck, but at the same time she is relieved.

  “Do it,” Avra whispers.

  The door handles rapidly move, and loud thuds hit the door, guards shouting my number.

  “I’m sorry, Avra, I failed you,” I say.

  I can’t do it. I can’t kill her. I let her go, and her face falls.

  “Acelyn, where are you?” she calls.

  I move back slowly and quietly, and she continues calling my name desperately. I stay silent not being able to bring myself to talk. Avra pats her hands over the floor trying to find a sign of me. The guards pound on the door and any moment now the door will break. I run back to the vent jumping on the bench and climbing inside the vent. I get to the opening and jump down. I look to my side to see Raiya taking down the guard with the gun, she takes his access card and opens up the iron bars; the children stand scared not sure what to do.

  “Leave now!” I shout, and they run to the exit not looking back. I walk to Raiya at the other side of the gates looking at her confused on why she is heading back.

  “What are you doing, Raiya?” I say, but she ignores me walking to her death show.

  I run swinging her round, and her voice melts with anger.

  “I’m going back, I can’t leave them, Acelyn,” she says.

  “Are you crazy? Your freedom is just out of this door, and you are going to throw it away,” I snap.

  “I don’t care,” Raiya says.

  “We need to go now,” I snarl trying to knock some sense into her.

  “What about Cyren, Parrish, and Orin huh, you can’t be serious leaving them here,” Raiya says.

  “We can come back for them,” I lie.

  “How the hell do you think we can do that?”

  Before I can respond guards round the corner bolting down the corridor, their guns aim up high firing them. I duck at the thiopental darts running to the exit. I hear Raiya crying as she gets hit by their darts four times, she falls to the floor droopy, arms shaking. Raiya tries to the fight the sleeping drug, but it’s too strong for her, Raiya reaches her hand out for help, I look at my two options help Raiya or leave.

  Miss Katherine Bennett crosses the corner, and she watches my movements, she too knew my options, and she eagerly watches what I’ll pick.

  “Help me,” Raiya barely whispers.

  She slides her body further towards me, and I shoot her a dead expression.

  I take the other option, Raiya cannot believe it, her face turns into pure hate as I run away. I hear Raiya screaming my name begging for me to come back, then she curses.
I barge through the door sprinting outside hoping there is a truck, to my luck I see the children on the truck, and it gets ready to take off. I push myself as fast as I can, it changes gear picking up a little speed. The children reach out their hands for me to grab and I push myself more. I leap, and they me pull me in, I grip on the trucks handle, my heart racing painfully, adrenaline kicking in and a shooting pain tugs in my side, I catch my breath panting like a dog. I look behind to see Miss Katherine Bennett huffing and puffing looking left and right; she finally finds me. I know the Director is furious and I do something that makes the Director and Miss Katherine Bennett even more furious. I look up at the camera that is securely on the wall, a devious smile playing on my lips and I salute making sure they see me loud and defiantly. I look back at Miss Katherine Bennet to see steam bursting out of her ears.

  The truck drives out of Eyera Corporation. I look back at the building slowly fading away, Miss Katherine Bennett slowly fading away, and freedom awaits.

  CHAPTER forty-two

  Am I free from Eyera? I’ve finally been able to escape. I can’t believe it. I wanted freedom so bad, but why don’t I feel happy about it? Over the moon, ecstatic, excited, but instead I feel sad, terrible and selfish. I don’t feel free.

  I left them. Cyren, Raiya, Parrish, Orin and Avra in that deranged place. I couldn’t go back that’ll be suicide.

  I try to wipe them from my mind, but something doesn’t let me. I have to think realistically, I’m out and they are not.

  I snap my neck high looking at the grey sky, the wind blows softly, and I inhale the cool refreshing air. The sky rumbles and rain pelts like bullets washing off blood, washing bruises and cuts, and the list goes on and on. Cleansing my soul, making me feel alive and brand new, it’s so cold and so good. The children do the same taking in a deep breath of air like a powerful drug addiction. The children keep hidden and quiet; the desire to scream is evident. The truck travels with the odd occasional bumps making the children clash heads. The truck enters through a tunnel, black and orange lights flashing quickly; they stare amazed, little giggles echoing. I peek my head around to see Elspeth City in the distance, massive buildings towering each other. I’m nearly home; an unsettling feeling sits in my stomach. The sky turns a darker shade of grey, and the rain stops. An open land of burnt trees ashes to the ground, no sign of life or grass, or nature. Filthy lumps of mud stretch across the land, broken houses sunken into bits, worn fences with little birds electrocuted to brittle … this is the Outskirts of Elspeth, no existence. The outskirts have been vaporised like it’s been like this for a long time. Then why did that guy say something is out there. Hunter was right all this time, that guy lied to save his skin. There is no such thing as the Outskirts. It’s dead.