The Chosen.

A Deal

I sit at the dining table, focused solely on eating my bowl of cereal. i've never been a morning person, that's one thing the serum will never be able to change.

My glance catches Mia as she exits from Zeke's room in her pajamas before swiftly ducking back into her own. Tom and I's gaze instantly meet.

"Looks like we're not the only ones back to normal." Tom murmurs under his breath as we watch Zeke emerge from his room.

"Hmm." i hum, taking another bite of my honey nut cheerios.

"Good morning, Dr. Gomez would like to speak with you once you're all up and at 'em." Says a man wearing all white, more chipper than i would like for 7am.

I set down my spoon in the white ceramic bowl, now too anxious to even think of taking another bite. I sigh deeply, as i begin to pray for freedom for my friends and i. Though we have been comfortable here and everything we could possibly need given to us, i can't wait to get the fuck out.

***

"Hey" i knock softly on the door frame, startling Bill from his drawing. His head shakes as he meekly stares back at me, his doe eyes making my knees feel wobbly.

My gaze breaks from him, looking down at the cold concrete floor of his room. "They asked me to come get you." i murmur under my breath hoping i was loud enough for him to be able to hear. Quickly, i turn around and walk away needing to get as far away from him as possible.

"Shit." i whisper under my breath as i exit the pod.

"Ready?" Tom asks me as he waits in the hallway for me. I smile and place my hand securely in his as we walk down the hallway together.

I study the familiar board room from our first day here at Tokio Laboratories. My feet placed firmly on the ground, sway me around in my swivel chair.

A click of a door latch calls my attention to the front of the room. The doctor from our first day appears, she's alone this time. She smiles, her expression softening once she notices us waiting for her.

"Good morning." she says, the room stays absolutely silent, other than the creaking of the chair i sit in.

"i'd like to make a deal with you." Her eyes wander around to each individual in the room, lastly falling on me and staying on me.

"Go on." i nod, she smiles.

"In exchange for your cooperation, i'd like to give you free roam of the laboratory." she out stretches her arms, gesturing around.

i sigh deeply, "In exchange for our cooperation, we'd like to go home." My stare back almost challenging her authority. I do realize i hold no power here, but she seems to think i do. If she didn't, she wouldn't look to me to answer for the group.

"Maybe... eventually. if we get the answers we are looking for." she nods reassuringly.

I grit my teeth as i give in. "What do you want to know?"

She nods again with a smirk as she looks down at her heels. Glancing back up her expression falls to seriousness.

"How did you get back here... the only way we know out of the serum is by injecting the patient with an anti-serum."

I look around to my friends for permission, permission to share what we know. Zeke nods his head once allowing me to continue.

"We died."

Dr. Gomez's face falls empty. Her jaw slightly hangs open as she racks her brain searching for possible outcomes. She shakes her head no.

"We've never lost someone during trial on the serum. We counted that as a major win for the lab... we never thought it could lead to an incomplete study."

she continues once more, "And you figured this out on your own? How did you- ?" her puzzled expression lies full of worry, worry that what we experienced was so horrible we took matters into our own hands.

I nod, not wanting to mention Ruth, Faith, and the others.

"While traveling to look for others we got into an accident. The car rolled. Guess none of us made it." I casually lie. I mean if it was all fake after all, why does it even matter?

Mia begins to speak, her naiveness always searching for the truth. Toms hand quickly grabs hers and she falls silent.

"It was my fault, I was driving... i wasn't paying attention." Zeke adds, our lies building on top of one another to create a seamless story.

I honestly can't tell you what even made me lie, it just felt right.

"Okay." Dr. Gomez says finally seeming happy with an answer. "The lab is yours. No access to restricted floors but that goes with out saying, id hope." I can't help but to giggle in my mind. Does she know what the words restricted access mean to me?

***

As we all shuffle out of the room to explore our new found freedom, a crowd of lab employees catches my attention at the end of a long hallway.

Is that?

No.

It can't be.

I let go of Tom's hand pushing him aside. I bump into a few people, not even caring to stop and apologize before shoving them away too. My feet slam against the tile floor as i sprint down towards the end of the hallway, my eyes searching for what i think i just saw.

The crowd dissipates by the time i reach them. I quickly run to the door frame to my left, peaking in i examine the room of people. No.

Turning around i run to the adjacent room. Holding on to hope that who i saw was real. My head jerks around the room. No.

With a massive sigh, i rub my hand against my forehead. i turn around and slowly walk back towards my friends, giving up the search.

Guess i'm just fucking seeing things.