Subdue-X

The Stranger & The Passenger

The night air bit through the thin fabric of the sheets, gnawing at my skin as I pressed myself against the bedroom door. My breath came in ragged gasps, my ear straining to catch every word of Christian’s hushed conversation.

“…and what if it doesn't work—” His voice was low, tense, carrying that same undercurrent of dread that had woven itself into every moment lately.

I couldn’t make out the reply, but Christian’s response cut through the air, sharp and almost desperate. “I don’t care about the schedule! She hasn’t been out of bed once; she's not well—”

A shiver, one that had nothing to do with the cold, raced through me. My pulse pounded in my temples, the pressure building until I felt like I might snap. My thoughts spiraled, memories and fears tangling into a suffocating knot. I couldn’t stay here. Why should I hand myself over so easily?

The floor was ice beneath my feet as I stumbled forward, my heart hammering against my ribs. My hands shook as I grabbed one of Christian’s shirts off the dresser, pulling it over my head with a trembling breath. My legs felt like lead, but I managed to step into a pair of shorts, the fabric clinging to my feverish skin.

I didn’t think. I just moved, propelled by sheer instinct and terror. Christian didn’t have time to react—if he did, I wasn’t sticking around to see his eyes flicker with whatever emotions he hid from me.

The hallway outside the bedroom was dark, the kind of darkness that makes shadows crawl along the walls. I had to get out—away from the suffocating walls, away from the voices that planned my future like I was nothing more than a pawn.

My footsteps echoed, too loud in the empty stairwell. I slammed into something solid, a gasp escaping me as I looked up into Eleven’s eyes, wide with surprise. His normally stoic face cracked with shock, his mouth opening to speak, but I didn’t give him the chance. I pushed past him, the sheer force of my panic driving me forward.

“Ana!” he shouted, his voice echoing down the hall, relentless. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. He was likely the one on the other side of the line with Christian, coming to check on me since he was informed of my chronic stillness. But here I was, unstill.

The front door was in sight when I heard him yell my name again, urgency now tinging his voice. I bolted through the door, the night air slicing into me like a knife as the rain began to pour. I stumbled down the steps, my bare feet slipping on the slick concrete, but I didn’t stop.

Christian’s car was parked at the end of the drive, a beacon in the downpour. I reached it with trembling hands, yanking open the door and throwing myself inside. The leather seat was cold, the smell of his cologne lingering in the confined space. My hands shook as I fumbled with the keys, glancing up just in time to see Eleven burst through the door, his eyes locked on me.

He was drenched, rain plastering his white lab coat to his body, the deluge not slowing him down. He reached the car just as I managed to start it, his fist pounding on the window. I screamed, slamming the locks down, but it didn’t stop him. His eyes darkened as he pulled something from his belt—a knife.

I froze, watching in horror as he slashed at the front tire, the blade cutting through the rubber with a sickening hiss. For a moment, I thought it was over, that I was trapped. But the car lurched forward, the tire wobbling, but holding. I floored the gas pedal, the car skidding as I pulled away, leaving Eleven behind in the rain, his fingers clawing into his bald head.

My heart pounded as the city lights blurred around me, my mind racing. Edmonton—far enough from the complex, far enough from Christian and Eleven and the twisted nightmare that had become my life.