Behind the Walls

Part Eleven- Jasper

050.7 Hours Since Quartz's Disappearance

It's the second morning, umm, night? It's the second day that I've been in this strange prison. Mico and I filled multiple bits with 'bait' yesterday. The monsters had even started to bother me less then the smell. It took hours to get our pits done. I assume the other three had their own to fill.

After we drove back to the wall and parked the trucks, Mico finally started to talk again once the gates closed. He told me it was 'recreation' time. Guards led the five of us back through the building and into a lounge. There were two couches and a few beanbags strew about the room in front of a TV. Apparently, none of the others are big talkers. The guy and girl, the two I don't know the names of, had curled up on a beanbag together and each read a book with their backs together. They look like siblings, maybe twins, upon closer inspection. Their eyes are deep blue with purple cores. Lyla and Mico both sit on opposite sides of a couch and put a movie on without saying a word. I almost tried to talk to Lyla, but the quietness of the room made me change my mind. I sat in a beanbag and just watched for the next two hours. All the movie and book selections seem carefully chosen. Worse, there's a camera in each corner of the ceiling.

Now, I lay awake in my cell. The buzzer should be going off soon. Recreation time seems like a reward after we do our job. We got supper after going back to out cells. I still can't understand why we're feeding the monsters. It must keep them coming back every night. My memory is still too unreliable to tell me why anyone would want those things around. I'm sure that they kill people, but they didn't care about us last night. Mico seemed to suggest that our eyes have something to do with it. It unsettles me that I have anything in common with those monsters at all.

The buzzer still makes my entire body jerk when my door swings open. I sit and swing my feet off and stand up immediately. Today, I know what to expect. It's time to investigate now. This is clearly where I'm not suppose to be. I wasn't raised here, and I have a life to get back to; I have people to get back to.

The others are leaving their cells when I come out. Mico smiles when he seems me come out on my own. I smile back. It's better if he thinks I'm going along with this. There are still armed guards at the end of the hall. If I knew where an exit was, I could steal their weapons and make a break for it. Unfortunately, the only exit I know is the one that leads outside the wall. Even if I did get out, all they'd have to do is wait for me to try and get back in through another gate. A normal person can't go outside at night and survive.

The pair of twins mummer a good morning to each other, but we don't talk otherwise. Is talking bad? The noise can attract monsters outside, but why does everyone else rarely talk inside? Mico only talked when I asked questions, and he didn't exactly answer them.

I follow the boys down the hall and to the bathrooms. It seems counterproductive that we shower before dealing with the 'bait'. There's a stain of nasty on the bottom of my pant leg. Mico points at each cubby and explains the different sizes while the other guy goes into the last stall. There's way too many stalls then the three of us need. Mico goes in another while I pull out fresh clothes. The first stall is too close to the bathroom's exit for my liking. I'm walking past it to one further back when the stall door jerks open. A hand covers my mouth, and I'm jerked inside.

Instinct takes over. Regaining my balance, I jerk upright and slam my attacker into the stall wall. They let go of me in shock. I spin around and wretch their arm back behind them. They let out a breathless squeak. I have them bent over like that against the wall when I finally realize who it is. Lyla's hair is all messed up now, and she looks up at me with pleading eyes though her bangs. It's the first time that I realize she's probably only half my age. Barley considered an adult.

"Jasper? Are you ok?", Mico yells out in the bathroom. Lyla and I stare at each other for a silent few seconds before I answer.

"Yeah! I'm ok. The floor was wet. I slipped", I yell back. Slowly, I take my hands off Lyla so she can stand up. She tries to speak, but I shush her. I turn around and turn on the water to make noise. As long as we talk quietly, we shouldn't be heard.

"I'm sorry. This is the only place we can talk where there aren't any cameras", Lyla whispers. She gingerly rubs the spot on her arm where I had grabbed her.

"Sorry for hurting you. It seems like there's a lot about myself that I don't remember. Do you know anything about that? Mico said you weren't from..... here", I ask, keeping my voice as quiet as I can. I can finally get some answers form her. Lyla's eyes brighten.

"Yes! Yes! You're like me! The others didn't have to have their memories erased since they've been raised for this. I'm from the city. I couldn't remember much at all when I got here. I only started remembering bits and pieces about a month ago when I heard a guard mention my mother's name. She looking for me...... But that's the key! If you see someone familiar, you'll start to remember", Lyla explains all this excitedly. There's probably no one else she can tell.

"So our memories aren't gone? We can't get them back". I had suspected as much. "So, Wait, how long have you been here, Lyla? And why are you risking it all by telling me this?.

"I.... I don't know how long I've been here. A year? Maybe? There's no way for us to keep track of time. I had to talk to you after I heard you speaking with Mico. I don't remember your face, not exactly, but I remember your voice. Your voice brings me comfort.......".

"So you might know me? Um, could you turn around for a moment? For a second while I get something?".

Lyla is confused, but she turns around anyways. I put my back to her and face the shower. I feel really embarrassed to be digging around in my pants when there's a girl right behind me. When I pull out the locket, I flick it open and tell Lyla she can turn back around.

"What about these two? I think I know them, but I can't remember their names. They have to be important. I hid this locket before I lost my memories".

"I..... That girl...... I think her name is..... is Chichi. I helped her rent out..... weapons?", Lyla is stupefied by whatever memory she had regained after seeing the girl's face.

Chichi. I know her. I know her. How could I ever forget Sasha? I gave her that nickname shortly after we met. My fierce, brave Sasha. I can remember her now practicing with weapons that her father's large company made. I can feel her showing me how to hold myself in a fight. I see her again, wearing a beautiful dress that makes her glow, with running shoes underneath. I love her. I love her so much it hurts. We went to high school together, we live together in an apartment on the East side, we fight-

We fight. I look back at Lyla. It's not all there, not all of it, but I remember a bit more now. There are a lot of people who depend on me. There's something that I'm doing to protect hundreds of lives. There's also a name, my name, that sits on the edge. I can't quite grasp it, not yet.

I have to get out of here.