All Which Remains

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The director

How dare she? You can't just fire me after all I've done and call me by my given name. Of all the nerve.

God, that woman pisses me off.

I clench my fist.

Just wait, Farrah. Your reckoning will come.

I open my hand and look at my palm.

Little dots of blood have started to trickle out from under my skin.

I need to punch something. I head towards the dorms.

Ramelan

I wake up to the sound of screaming. It's a younger, high-pitched female voice. I throw my blanket off and go to investigate. Other children around me start to leave their beds slowly and with caution. I peek around the last bunk bed to The director holding a girl by her hair. Even from here, I can see her scalp ripping from her weight. She's crying and flailing her arms. She doesn't know what to do.

I step out from behind the bed and walk to them.

"Leave her alone," I say, grabbing The director's wrist.

"Do you think I wanted to do this? The bitch got in the way of my plans," The director yells. Not necessarily at me, but to everyone in the room. He's worried about how we'll perceive him.

"Let her go right now."

The director drops her. She falls to the floor, her crying turning into full-on screaming.

"Get out," I growl at The director.

"All of you are always so pushy." He encroaches on my space and jabs my forehead with his finger. "I'm not taking any more of you or your bull. Why don't you get out? You've ruined my life!" The director smacks me in the face.

I feel like crying. It hurts so bad.

"Get out and don't come back," I hiss at him and point at the door. He flips me off but leaves. I fall to my knees, shaking.

"Crap," I whisper. That was scary. I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand. Someone pats me on the shoulder.

I look at him.

"Good job, Ramelan," Fadhlan says, grinning at me. "You're really strong."

"Thanks." It's all I can say. Fadhlan sits down beside me. I can't stop shaking.

"It's okay. You're safe," Fadhlan says without looking at me.

"Do you remember...?" I ask him.

"Some stuff. Up until the three of us first met."

"Oh, me too," I say. Are we remembering things at the same speed?

"Hey, where's Arron?" Fadhlan says, looking around.

"I— I actually have no idea. Sleeping?" I shrug. Fadhlan stands up and brushes his pants off.

"I'll go look for him."

"It's the middle of the night," I say, grabbing at his pants. I don't want to be alone right now.

He shakes me off. "I should go."

I look away.

Arron

"Get away from me!" I yell as I run down the hallway. I don't know where I'm going. What if this is a dead-end?

I look behind me.

He's gone.

I slow down, panting.

"Heh." I feel like laughing. Adrenaline is pumping through my body. I look around.

Where am I?

The white walls around me all blend together. It's easy to get lost.

There's a door at the end of the hallway. Should I open it?

As I near it, I stick my hand out. I need to open this door.

I place my hand on the doorknob and turn it. Inside, there's a large mirror.

What? That's it? What—

I step into the room and see a girl on the other side of the mirror. She's curled into a ball, crying. I place my hand on the mirror.

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

Her head shoots up. "Who are you?" Her eyes are bloodshot.

"I'm Arron. I'm another test subject here. What's your name?"

"I lost my name a long time ago. Now, I'm known as L-10." She steps closer to the mirror.

I want to flinch away from her. She's a mess.

Her skin hasn't got enough melanin. Her hair is so long that it almost reaches her ankles. She's wearing a long dress that looks like a hospital robe. Underneath her robe, it looks like she doesn't eat enough. Her nails are short and bleeding. Her face has sunken in, but you can still see a faint sense of natural beauty. Her eyes look empty.

"How long have you been— in here?" I ask.

"Time is meaningless."

"Do you know why you're here?"

She shakes her head. "Let me out of here."

Should I?
What if she does something bad? I'd be responsible.

"I'll find a way to get you out. Just wait for a while." I don't wait for a response. I leave and close the door behind me.

Wow, she's scary. I feel bad for lying to her but it's best that she holds onto some kind of hope.

Now, to find the way back to the dorms.