Red Level

CHAPTER 4

Chapter 4

John

I lie down in bed, which is nothing more than a metal frame with one mattress. They're going to take me to the Red Level, that's all I can think about. My head feels empty, I go to the window which is my only view of the sky now filled with heavy clouds through which the rays of the sun barely break through. They will put me in their project with five other people whose families resented my father. I run my fingers over the cracks in the once white wall, now stained with my blood spilled after my father's punishments. There will be six of us, three must be killed in order for the other half to live, if he wants to kill them, why not do it quickly, without suffering. I glance over the rack of weapons and black uniform wardrobe. I have to escape, but first I have to get my father's key card to gain access to all the doors and hallways. I take a gun, two knives and go to my father's office.

I knocked on my father's office door, nothing, when I went to knock a second time, he opened the door.
"What are you doing here, soldier?" I heard him say with a hint of irritation in his voice.
"I thought you called me, sir," I answered, looking him everywhere except in the eyes.
"How many times do I have to tell you to look me in the eye when you talk to me, soldier, but since I'm in a good mood today, I won't punish you but I'll escort you to your room to make sure you don't cause any more trouble," he said. walking out of the office, "Yes sir," I said as I grabbed the spare key card from the side table by the door.

Around two in the morning I left the room and walked down the long narrow corridor, I had to walk quietly and cautiously because of the night watch but I moved quickly. I walked past a row of doors to the rooms of other lower class soldiers. The key card worked and I got to the part of the building meant for the higher class soldiers, it's completely different here, less gloomy, all the lights work and the corridors don't feel like they're going to collapse. As I was lost in my mind looking at my surroundings, I tripped and the sound spread down the long corridor. I cursed mentally. The night watchman informed my father of my unauthorized presence in this part of the building, and I took off running. At the end of the corridor was a large metal door, I was a bit worried because I didn't hear the footsteps of the soldiers behind me, but I still went through the door, it didn't lead outside. I was in the lab. The room is illuminated by a blinding white light that gives a headache, papers, half-full test tubes, needles are laid out on the tables, but what horrifies me the most were two tables with two unconscious human figures.

On the first table lay a girl with light brown skin, she has ruddy lips and her dark hair was in dreadlocks decorated with beads. She has many earrings and three piercings on her nose, which gives her a rebellious look. The screen next to her head read:
,,Name: Elips Tudor
Date of birth: 17.5.2005.
Place of birth: Kenya, Africa"
On the other table lay a guy with messy dark hair, soft features, and on the table next to him were his glasses with black frames. The monitor next to him showed:
,,Name: Dominic Verd
Date of birth: 8.2.2005.
Place of birth: Oceania, Australia".
I knew that my father had many enemies, but I did not know that he had them on other continents. Just then I felt a needle prick in my neck. "Looks like you'll be going to Red Level earlier than planned" I heard my father say happily, and that was the last thing I heard before I completely lost consciousness.