Alpha Academy: Misfit's Rise

Chapter Eight: The Examination

Mrs. Waverunner didn't say anything as she lead me down yet another hallway. That seemed out of character, but I wasn't complaining. She hadn't exactly been the most comforting person so far.

The hallway led to a large room. I blinked as I stared around. I felt like I'd walked onto the set of Star Trek, except everything was whiter than I remembered The Enterprise being. Around the outside of the room were some complex and unfamiliar looking machines, some of which were beeping or emitting green light. In the center of the room was a table big enough for a man to lay on, or a barely-in-the-tall-percentile teenage girl. Next to the table were three rows of gray straps, perfect for tying up this same hypothetical teenage girl.

I'd seen way too many horror movies for this set-up not to make me little bit uncomfortable. Just a little.

A woman looked up from the other side of the room and smiled at me. "Welcome, Billie Runningdeer. My name is Gloria Paige."

I didn't bother to ask how she knew my name. In fact, I'd be willing to bet news of my arrival had spread around this entire facility. It was not every day a magical Rusty came to visit.

And by that, I mean it had never happened.

Please," she gestured to the table, "lay down."

It was a simple enough task, but I couldn't make my feet move.

"Don't worry," she smiled again. "It won't hurt you."

Like I hadn't heard that in any horror movie before. Not that this lady looked particularly threatening. She had short silver-blond hair pulled back into a ponytail and wore glasses and a white lab coat. She looked just like a doctor, the nice kind that gave you suckers and stickers if you didn't fight them while they stuck you with needles.

Then again, it was always the nice ones you had to looked out for.

I forced myself to take a deep breath, and managed to get on the table without hyperventilating, though it was close. The woman crossed over to the other side of me. She didn't say anything, but smiled at me again. Her hand brushed over one of the straps, and I flinched.

"Don't worry. I won't have to use these as long as you lie still. Okay?" She smiled once again.

Maybe it was because I was used to Ms. Waverunner, but Ms. Paige's niceness was starting to freak me out. Still, I nodded to show her I understood.

She smiled, yet again, before nodding to Ms. Waverunner. "You may leave now."

"If it's all the same to you," Ms. Waverunner drawled, "I'll stay here."

I couldn't see her, but I bet Ms. Waverunner accompanied that with a smirk.

The lady's smile faltered for just a second, but it was back in place by the time she returned to me.