Beyond Control

Chapter 6

I was on the ground, laying there frozen as if I'd been paralyzed. A shock broke out from the bracelet, sending it down my veins. I stayed down for a while after the shock was over.

Concomitantly, I saw the captain stagger back as if a force had attempted to push him over as something, an aura ripples throughout the atmosphere. The entire place vibrated with it tremendously which at one point, the captain clutched onto the handle of the door. I could feel nothing of the disaster as I've already fallen on the ground but their actions seemed to tell me how bad the situation is. It looks as if a rocket is departing from earth, whereas they, as the passengers departed without their seat belts fasten.

I moved my hands towards my chest thoroughly, detecting the trembling heart of mine and blood pulsing in my veins exponentially as the ground under my eyes began losing their stability. Cracks formed on the ground gradually when the tremor began growing expeditiously immense.

When I heard the opening and closing of the door, my heart began to calm and so did the tremor. They shut off the lights utterly and left me in the dark wondering if they'd exited the room or simply watched me from the observation room in silence. I shrugged the thought off and held my wrist tight where the area the electricity came from. I twisted the bracelet but the material of the bracelet was extremely hard.

I knocked the bracelet on the wall beside me, hoping for it to perhaps form a crack but all I'd gotten in return was numbness on my arm. Though I couldn't detach the bracelet on my hand, I doubt that they would try to hurt me this soon after what had happened.

I could view the room vaguely from the insignificant lightning from the lights outside of both my room and the observation room but it was insufficient to examine the cracks formed on the floor of the room. There was just serene peace as if those workers in this place never existed.

I stared at the wall blankly, rewinding the event which had taken place a few moments ago, in which a lot had happened in a short period of time. I recalled the violent tremor and the burned light bulb, both of these events arise in one session. Most importantly, these occurred under the change of my emotions. When I was scared by the flying door which opened without any warning or noises made preceding it, the light bulb burned, presumably affected by the sudden surge of the electricity.

After an extended period of time, the door to the observation room opens finally. A few workers walked in and switched the lights on, which I raised my arms to cover my eyes against the bright lightning after hiding in the dark for ages. When the door was thrown open, one of them stood at the door with a tray of food.

They'd been sending in food for me to eat on time every once in a while. The food provided isn't any worse than what I'd had in my normal life. They'd provided vegetables, a small portion of meat and a small slice of fruit. The meal isn't one which will fill me up utterly, but it is the healthiest meal to keep me alive in places like this.

Before they shut the door, they rolled the same bucket for waste into the room which they'd given me every time they came in. I waited till they left before I began consuming the meal prepared. I had doubts on the first day that this would be entirely healthy, since I believe that they'll drug me a second after they'd knocked me out of consciousness once but that thought vanished after I began starving.

As I lifted the spoon set on the tray, the door opened again.

This time, the captain was there.

I do not understand what it is which influences my body whenever I see the captain, as my heart rate would leap higher and higher whenever he appears. I recalled the other times when workers had come in to serve me food and all those times which I hadn't had any problems with calming down. I put the meal down as I'd lost my appetite whenever I see anyone working in this place.

The door opened slightly, then gradually being pushed open in a nonchalant manner. I glared at the captain who carefully took his steps, then settled himself on the wall opposite me.

"Keep it on, please." He gestured to my meal in a more polite manner compared to his previous interaction. There was an unreadable smile on his face, gentle and warm as if he'd actually cared about me.

I grabbed at my meal, the bowl on the verge of pouring onto the ground. I noticed myself gradually calming since I hinted that they wouldn't hurt me further.

I felt awkward by the way I held the spoon to my mouth as he glanced at me chewing my food deliberately. I turned my gaze away to the workers seated behind the observation window, perceiving that some of them had commenced distancing themselves away from the window.

"Are you hurt in any way?" the captain asked in a pleasant tone.

"No." I answered, keeping my answers short.

"Do you experience any health problems?" another pointless question to put up a deliberate conversation.

I shook my head, as my gaze studied the remote controller on his hand, noticing his finger which would lie on the button in preparation is now resting under it. I attempted to read his expression, but he'd always put on an inscrutable smile as if preventing anyone from seeing his true self. Though I couldn't view his plans through sight, I can confirm that he isn't here to ask and care about my health conditions.

"If you do not mind me asking, what were you doing before the light bulbs exploded?" He questioned which made me realize that the light bulbs weren't burned, they exploded due to high voltage of electricity.

I glanced at the remaining food on my dish as I devised a lie, pretending to chew for longer to stall for time, "I was walking around."

A smirk flashed across his face before it vanished and a frown came, "Was that it?"

I nodded, shoving the last piece of food into my mouth as I thought of a story to build and support the lie. I could say that I was strolling around the room repeatedly as my limbs are starting to go numb from a sitting position.

Before I could elaborate on the lie I spoke, he gestured to the door, "Did you not interact with anything in the room which then aroused the tremor?"

His eyes were glaring at me, examining my expression meticulously while I turned away from his gaze suspiciously. I remained silent, though I knew that I was told to obey at all times.

What will it cost me to speak the truth? What does it take and what will it bring to me?

I'd anticipated a shock then, but all I got in return was a disappointing sigh from the captain before he spoke, "I guess I'll leave you to my workers then." A sentence which I couldn't comprehend on its true meaning since that command can lead to multiple outcomes.

I lowered the empty tray to the ground and pushed it away but not far from my reach. The captain exited the room and a worker who I recognized to be Derrick stepped in consciously with a clipboard and a pen in his hand. His gestures and appearance doesn't terrify me as much as the captain's, he sounds gentle and humble but walked as if he's perfect in every way.

"Hello Crystal." He greeted me with a warm smile while the captain leaned against the door and peered down on me.

When I realized that he's given me a chance to speak, I felt as if the dark clouds in my head had vanished into a bright day. I raised my gaze up, "Hi." I responded.

"I will now ask you to describe your emotions of the past." He said, "What do you feel when the place is shaking immensely?"

"My heart was beating extremely rapidly and I was shaking." I spoke with no hesitation.

He raised a brow, "Did you feel anything? Anxious? Scared? Or did you just begin shaking out of nowhere?"

"I was scared." I couldn't help but stare at the person who terrifies me whenever he appears.

Derrick tilted his head down and began writing as he spoke again, but this time it made me flinch, "We will conduct a small test on you, Crystal. We will draw a tick of your blood and you are required to accept the pain as much as you can.

"Don't resist anything."

I knew he told me not to control what triggers my emotions but I slowly began to realize that taking control is exactly what my goal is currently.