|TPEC|Glowing Embers Book 1|

Chapter 28: The tests

Rinaldo woke up in a strange cage. He felt weird. He didn't feel under control anymore. He saw a nearby mirror outside of the cage and couldn't help but look in it. His red eye was white, confused, he stood up.

Why am I not in Carusos?

Suddenly, a scientist walked inside. She was a brunette woman with eyeglasses, and she looked about 40.

"I see you're awake. Looks like the shot worked."

"What shot, where am I?"

"You can't tell? You're in a cage."

"I get that part, but I was in Carusos before, it's a fancy restaurant, why am I here now?"

"To put everything short, you're an experiment. All we ask is for you to cooperate, and maybe you'll get to leave."

"You can't just test on me! That's illegal!"

"Oh honey, who can arrest me? The cops? Most of them are dead or in camps. Besides. You're just a filthy murderer. Who'd even care?"

"I drank that dang potion you know, since when could I control myself?"

"Just shut up, you're getting annoying. I want to get this started."

Rinaldo looked at her with disgust. The woman pulled out a needle from her pocket and entered another room. She came out quickly, the needle had a substance in it, it was yellow. She clicked a button on a panel nearby, and a gas sprayed inside of the cage. She snatched up a gas mask from a table and applied it to her face. Rinaldo felt weak, but not tired. He sat down, and was unable to move. The woman unlocked the cage and brought herself inside.

"I changed my mind. You don't seem like a good subject. I might as well get rid of you."

"Why? Can't you just let me go?"

"It'd be one less infected in the wild to murder people. Plus, don't you want all the suffering to end? Just let me do this and it'll all be over with."

The woman chuckled for a minute.

"Any last words?"

Rinaldo stared at her. He felt helpless, a feeling he didn't have often. His mind raced with fear and worry. Death was coming to him like a rocket.

My wife.

My kids.

My friends.

My parents.

My sister.

My band.

My life.

It's all at stake.

Just because I can't do anything.

But I can't let some gas take everything from me.

You have to fight, Rinaldo.

Fight.

It's the only thing you can do.

Rinaldo's white eye instantly turned red. He flew up and ran towards the woman, who was startled. She gasped and tried to get out of the cage, but Rinaldo snatched her arm and threw her to the corner, taking the gas mask off of her just before he did. He left the cage, locking it behind him. He no longer had control. The woman was panting, fearful and scared, now she was the helpless one, stuck in a position, unable to move. Rinaldo looked at the panel, seeing a button that caught his eye.

Poison gas.

The lady knew what he was looking at.

"Don't touch that now, I-I'm sorry! You can go!"

Rinaldo looked at her, delighted by her panic. Suddenly  a group of people slammed through the door, and charged for Rinaldo. He pressed the button. On both sides of his body were flying crystals, positioned like wings. He suddenly started to hover above the ground, and swiftly flew around the men, out the door, and locked it behind them. He pointed a finger at the hut, and it started to crumble to the ground. It was like the snap of a finger. He had magic, but wasn't using it for very good purposes. Many people stared at the crashing hut, and they pulled out weapons, running after Rinaldo. He flew through the woods, but not the same direction he came. He started going a random direction, and continued that way for hours. Back at the camp, the teens heard the crashing sounds and quickly left their huts, only to see another falling to the ground. They all thought the same thing.

He's escaped.