Trapped

THREE

I shift around uncomfortably and wake up suddenly to a jolt outside the door. I keep my eyes on the door waiting for someone to enter. Then I see a boy around the same age walking in. "It's Celine right?" He asks me in a hushed voice. I nod uncertain who he is.

Then he comes running up to me. "We need to get out of here!" He says to me holding onto my hand. But soon I see that man again standing in the doorway.

"He's here," I whispered. The boy turns round and he faces the man.

"What are you doing here, Harry?" He says in a soft voice which creeped me out.

"Nothing, Michael." That's his name. "I was getting Celine out for a walk." He covers it with a lie thinking he won't see through it.

"Right. Hurry then."

Harry rushes out of the room, still holding onto my hand. We run past Michael and I watch his eyes, there was nothing there to be told. He's cold like someone froze his heart and he's unlovable but he's got everything else.

We continue running until we reach a door that reads Exit on the top. Harry pushes it open and leads me outside. I take a breath holding onto what seems to be real here, the oxygen. I don't walk any further but I stay stood so I'm taking it all in. I've lost ten years of my life. I don't have any memories.

"It's horrible ain't it?" Harry says in his normal voice. He sounds British but there's a hint of poshness there. "I hate how it's been ten years in our age but the world hasn't changed. It's how we left it."

"Things change all the time and it doesn't matter if we like it or not," I replied. "And we have to live with it."

"I don't like that. I don't like change." I notice Harry turning his head and bows it down. He uses his fingers to scrub his hair like he's upset.

"What did you mean by we have to get out of here?" I asked changing the topic of conversation.

"This place is torture. They put things in our head that isn't true. They ruin our lives. The outside world thinks we're dead but here we are, where it's been ten years for us but it's been a week for them."

"How did you die?" I asked hoping not to bring up any scars.

"I drowned," he said. "A life guard came to rescue me but I died before he could swim me back to shore. My last words were 'I hate you' to my mother. Now I wish I hadn't have said that."

"But it's okay. When we get out, you can tell her how much you regret that."

"That's the thing, Celine! We will never get out!" He shouts at me like I've open a wound I shouldn't have. I'm staring at Harry and I see tears forming in his green eyes.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"It's okay. I shouldn't have raised my temper. I just have memories I don't want to hold onto."

"They're that bad?"

"You must have had a life I dreamed of. How did you die if you don't mind me asking?" He asks me and truthfully I hardly knew. All I know I passed out in my sleep.

"In my sleep. I used to hold onto my breath while I was sleeping."

"I wish I died like that." Him saying that somehow ripped me. He wish he died like I did.

"Please don't wish for something like that," I said. I walk towards him and I opened up my arms for him. He lets me embrace him and I could feel his tears sliding onto my shoulders. The acid of them keeps us alive.