The Changed

Chapter 7- Tess

After I blasted my fire column at the metal lion, I was left defenceless. To make it worse, someone had opened a trap door and I fell into it. I couldn't see what was below me. It seemed like a bottomless pit of darkness.

After using all my energy summoning the fire, my arms were burning with pain as I clung onto the edge of the trap door. When Ed finally managed to yank me up I felt done in, drained and on the verge of fainting. I saw Ed fight the mechanical lion and I heard Frost from behind me. I knew the test must be over. I hoped that they would take me back to my room with Ed but they weren't done with us yet. I felt the sharp jab of a needle for the strength test and immediately I was plunged into nightmares. I thought it would create my own nightmares, but again I somehow got linked to Edward's.

***

I was looking from above, watching Ed struggle against the rope that tied his hands. I could feel the heat of the desert as all the moisture in the air was dried up. I looked back at Ed who was now staring at the faceless man. I knew as soon as I saw him what was going to happen. Both of them were still, not daring to move.

"Run!" I screamed at Ed but he couldn't hear me. The man multiplied suddenly and lunged at Ed with their knives in hand. I wanted to turn away. I wanted to put my hands over my ears and shut out Ed's piercing screams but I couldn't. I watched as pools of blood painted the desert floor crimson red, but he didn't die, just kept on screaming...

***

I woke up in a hospital bed, my heart beating fast. There were monitors stuck to me and a breathing tube under my nose. I could still hear Ed's screams in my mind but they didn't go away. Then I realised that he was in a bed to the right of me, still trapped in his nightmares. He was thrashing about, yelling out at random times in pure terror.

Suddenly I heard voices. I closed my eyes and laid still like I was asleep and listened. "...lion work perfectly," Frost said. "Just as their parents designed it." I stiffened. My parents designed that monster?

"Yes," Dr. Brand said. "I couldn't of had better results."

"How are the strength tests going?" Frost asked.

"They are both amazingly strong, especially Edward. His ability to survive his nightmares every night is incredible. Most people that have gone through the strength tests can't handle them for more than an hour but the fact that Edward suffers nightmares every night gives him an advantage so he deals with them better then anyone," Dr. Brand said.

"But they still work, don't they?"

"Oh yes, of course. They still work very well. He is always scared out of his mind, I mean, just look at him now," said Dr. Brand. I opened my eyes very slightly and saw that Dr. Brand was gesturing towards Ed's bed. The heart rate monitor on Edward's chest was beeping frantically.

"And what about what the girl mentioned. About how she is watching Edward's nightmares," Frost asked.

"It could be any number of things," Dr. Brand replied. "We might have under estimated how strongly bonded these two are, perhaps the SRT affected that. Or maybe all of the Changed can do it and we have completely underestimated their abilities."

"Now that is interesting," Frost murmered. "How long do you think you need before we can start weapon testing?" He then said a little louder.

"Hard to say. I reckon in a couple of days. When the results come in from this test we might be looking at starting tomorrow," Dr. Brand said eagerly. "The weapons are ready for them but they'll have to start with one a day. Who knows how much energy it would take out of them."

"Very good, Dr," Frost said. "Take them to a private room when they wake up and give them some food. They need to be in top form for tomorrow."

"Yes sir," Dr. Brand said. I heard Frost's footsteps walk out of the room and Dr. Brand sigh with relief. It obviously wasn't just me who was scared of Frost.

I laid still, with my eyes closed, turning the questions over in my mind. My parents had designed that lion, which meant that they must have worked here. I couldn't understand that, they had always said that they worked in a computer store. And what did Frost mean by 'weapon testing'? That didn't sound very good either...

I listened to the shuffling footsteps of the nurses wheeling trollies around. Suddenly Edward shot upwards and gasped as he came to terms with where he was. I sat up too, preteding to be startled so that Dr. Brand didn't suspect that I was listening in to his conversation with Frost.

"Ah, welcome back," Dr. Brand said.

"What. The. Hell. Was. That?" Edward wheezed.

"Yeah," I panted. "You can't just drug us when ever you feel like it."

"I'm afraid we have to," Dr. Brand said but then continued onto an entirely different subject. "You are allowed to go to your allocated rooms. The guards will show you where they are. There will be food and drink provided. You are also allowed to walk around a bit now without the guards but the security braclets will beep if you get within ten metres of the perimeter." Edward and I stayed where we were.

"Go on, off you go," Dr. Brand said. He walked out the room with the other nurses behind him. I slid my legs out of the bed and almost collapsed as soon as I put weight on them. If it wasn't for Ed I would have fallen to the floor. He caught me with his strong arms. He was already on his feet and didn't look as shaky as me. "Are you okay?" He asked me as I steadied myself.

"Yeah, just a bit tired," I lied. To be honest, I was exhausted and was ready to pass out again. "How come you're all right?" I said remembering how weak he had been when he first went through the strength test.

"I've already been through it once, I don't know, maybe they have made me stronger," he said. I nodded but my knees were shaking. "Hey, its okay," Ed said. He scooped me up even though he must be tired too. The guards met us at the doorway but Edward brushed past them and marched down the corridor with the guards scurrying behind us.

Ed had to slow down eventually because he had no idea where he was going. The two guards, not including Nick, led us to two doors that were side by side. They pressed their palms up against the wall and let us in. Ed laid me in one of the rooms on the bed as the guards left us. There was a door connecting our rooms so Ed went through it to get a glass of water.

The room was exactly the same as the one I had slept in last night. Ed came back in and held the glass up to my mouth. I sipped it obediently."Ed, I need to talk to you," I said.

"Not now, Tess. We don't know if they are listening," Ed said.

"You're right," someone suddenly said from the door. I hadn't even realised that Nick was there. "Come with me if you want to get some answers...or get out of this place alive."