6 | Kel
How can one rationalize, when one cannot remember?
His name had been Kel. Actually, it was Kellan, but no one had called him that. It is though, still Kel. But it came now in a different form, the only form he knew as of now.
Number 2. What did that even mean? Number 2? But it had been some time before he recognized the number. For a long time he lay still, his dark, short-cropped pressed against the glowing white flooring, eyes closed. An uncomfortable emotion flickered across his chiseled, lean face, deepening into his tanned skin. Beyond his shut eyes, darkness wheeled. Nothing but empty, spinning darkness.
No dreams.
No nightmares.
No voices.
No screaming.
No reminder of a past life. No reminder of the seventeen years he has lived so far.
Nothing.
First a faint light can barely been seen. It’s a break in the dark. A sharp shaft. Then it brightens. Suddenly—
His eyes open, and Kel gasps in air, grasping the ground, blinking rapidly. His eyes…So blue. A brilliant, ice blue. Not cold. But rather clear, cutting. His breathing is quick, Kel’s chest convulsing. Sweat begins to collect on his neck, and beads around his forehead.
The light is blinding, and he feels light-headed, as if he is whirling in the white blankness. His breathing steadies with his shaking chest, and balmy hand. He can no longer feel his heart pulsing into his brain unbearably. That’s a good sign, maybe. Where am I? His eyes flash back and forth. Up and down.
Where the hell…What…is this place?
The bright white room is now in focus. His thoughts clear and his mouth opens, Kel’s eyes widening in horror. What is my name? Who…am…I? Why am I even thinking this? I shouldn’t be asking myself…who I am...That’s insane. This is insane…There has to be a reason…Some sort of rationality…To this… I need to think through this…
Squinting, his brow furrowing, Kel raises himself from the ground; his body feels stiff, lethargic. Fully sitting up now, he cranes his neck, looking around, taken back. “What is this place…?” he whispers, fear softly throbbing in his voice. Why does my body feel…so…….weird? Kel looks down and notices the suit he is wearing, and his eyebrows raise confused. A tight, silver shimmering fabric, metallic almost, with a harnessed, flaming eye on his chest. What in the world…
As his eyes continue to search…There’s a number too. The number two. Displayed in a bold, black outline, above the attached flaming eye-like piece. What does any of this mean? Kel can only shake his head, draw his knees in, and hold his legs. He rests his chin the top of his knees, wondering. In that moment, the Voice speaks from above…
…
Okay, so if I don’t know anything else, I know this. For sure. My name is definitely not Number 2. Also, I’m not alone. Supposedly, there’s supposed to be what, thirteen of us? Thirteen…teens given these strange powers? But why? It doesn’t make any sense…
Some sadistic games…Kill everyone to win…
What’s the purpose of all this? Changing us like this…and letting us have at it…There must be a reason. A reason behind all of this. Any of this…There always is…
Kel had been focusing on the glaring white light above, his eyes narrowed, trying to see if there is anything beyond. His arms are bowed, hands holding the back of his head as he lies fully on his back, staring, thinking…
Where are we? What is this place? It could have been anything. From a massive, monstrous highly-technical, camera-infested arena to an underground prison…Who is to know…
Those that are conducting this…This horrible…horrific…callous…inhumane…tournament. Those who can’t be seen. Who choose not be seen. Who are constantly watching. The Voice. The Voice beyond. What did they want from us? Besides the killing? Why teenagers? What’s the purpose of that?
Maybe we’re not supposed to know. Maybe we’ll never know.
I think about things too much. But still…I want to know. And I know, just know for certain I’m not alone on that. There are the others…
That girl…
“But how do you know? I mean, you don’t believe in this Tournament do you? That we agreed to all of this beforehand?” What if she had been right? What if this was all a lie? What if this Voice was lying to us?
Then again, what if he wasn’t? And we had signed up for this, knowing good and well we’d be put through this unbelievable rigor…That it was…What had he called it…An “honor.” We were serving our country…What was our country? This…New America? Kel shakes his head in spite, and his thoughts drift away with his eyes, moving slowly. That girl…Number One…
There is just…something about her. I don’t know…what it is…exactly…
Of course, she’s pretty…But there just something about her, I can’t quite place. Whatever it is…It feels good. Right.
He blinks, realizing. I will have to kill her…
Kel lifts his hands and holds them before his eyes, still lying down. How will I be able to kill anyone? Everything about it…Even if you have all the right in the world to justify it…It still is wrong. What are powers beyond invisibility? I guess…I could turn invisible and choke someone to death—Wow…What an awful thought…
His thoughts grow silent, as he swallows, his mouth becoming dry for some reason. Kel releases a panged sigh. Hopeless. Futile. That’s what this is…
“I don’t think we have a choice in this: we’ll have to fight…” She had been right. We have no choice in the matter. We will have to fight or die. But I need to focus on my other strengths… But what are my other strengths…Think…Think…
Kel narrows his eyes more, and then in that moment shuts them.
Feel.
Silence. At first. Then a thrum from the core of the darkness. The vibration carries the same word. Over and over.
Protect.
Protect.
Protect…
That’s it…Protect…I can feel it now…Firing through my veins. It’s taking control. This power. It’s becoming me. We are becoming the same. This power is me. We are now the same.
Kel opens his eyes, and gasps.
YOU ARE READING
Experiment X
Tienerfictie13 Abducted Teenagers. Genetically Enhanced. One Deadly Experiment. And Only One Means of Escape. Being the last one standing.
