Dr Magannor's words hang in the air, leaving us to stand in silent fear. There's nothing we can do to stop them; it's too late for us to fight. Guards are pulling various people out of the buses by their wrists, using even more force on the brave few who try to resist. It's horrible to watch; I can barely look. We've failed, and in doing so we've risked the lives of hundreds of innocent kids and teens, and for what? To be trapped, tested on, used as lab rats?
"No," I say moderately loudly, so that several people turn to look at me. My hands are shaking and clenched into balls so that my knuckles are white. "No. You're not going to take us. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever."
A loud cheer breaks out from the crowd of people gazing at the tense conversation in front of them. Magannor gives them a look, then nods to signal to the guards that they can force them to be silent; he turns to face me, his face looking positively furious.
"I beg your pardon? You are trapped. You can't escape. We've got the better of you. Surely you don't think you can fight us off?" He smiles, but his eyes are full of malice.
"You underestimate us, Magannor. You always have. You never thought that your little playthings might grow up to despise you and start thinking for themselves, did you? For years you've tortured us in countless 'experiments'," I spit out the last word in a rush of fury, my voice rising steadily. It's like I'm on fire, invincible, unstoppable.
I steal a quick glance at Gemma, who seems to understand my message. She nudges Drew, who was previously staring in horror from me to Dr Magannor but is now whispering to the people nearby, who nod. If my plan goes in the way I hope it will, this whole thing will either end well or really, really badly. But to gain our freedom. we're just going to have to try. Several people are shifting uneasily on the spot; others look ready to spring at any moment. I don't think Magannor's noticed his prisoner's expressions just yet, he's still staring at me; his face purple and his eyes livid.
"Underestimate you? There was no need to ever do so. I have you under my thumb, it's always been the way. I don't care if you hate me; I don't exactly worship the ground your filthy little feet walk on, you little bitch. You are our property. We own you, Lela. And pretty damn soon, we'll have some lovely new toys to play with!" He ends with a manic laugh and a glance at some of the younger kids in the crowd, some of whom burst into noisy tears.
Adrian tries to lunge at him, but his hands are being gripped tightly by one of Magannor's guards. Thinking back, the words 'own you' are probably what made me snap then. Something broke inside me, and all my pent up rage was let out all at once. If we didn't fight now, it would be too late to do anything; I had to act - and fast, or else.
"Now!" I scream, and in five seconds everything seems to slow down. There are people on the floor: some of whom are trying to shield themselves from the guards, who are trying to beat us down. For one, heart-sinking moment, I realise that there's a high chance we won't make it out of here alive. This isn't some fairytale, where the good guys always overcome the bad ones. We're in the real world now, a world where we're being hunted like animals. Is that a trickle of blood on the gravel? Oh god, it is. My heart pounds in my ears; I feel a sudden surge of adrenaline as I sprint towards Adrian, who has thrown off the sentry holding him and is pushing younger children into a bus.
He glances up at me - dark and purple bruises litter his face - and yells something, but it's inaudible over the shrieks and wails. He points frantically and I turn to see Magannor, his face illuminated by the sun rising over the trees. In his right hand is a bloodstained baton, but I have no time to think about whose it is because he swings it down, aiming for my head. I dart back in the nick of time, tripping over someone's leg in the process; Magannor raises it high above his head, his grin reflecting the malice in his eyes.
I've got nowhere to go, no escape route... it'll be a miracle if I survive this. Maybe it's time to accept my fate: I was never meant to have freedom. This is how it's going to end for me; after this I'll just be another lifeless body laid out on the gravel, amongst all the other innocent people we brought into this mess. I just hope to God that if I don't make it, Adrian will. I take a deep, shuddering breath, close my eyes and wait for the pain to come, but it never does. I dare to open my eyes, and my attacker is lying face-down on the floor and Maisie is standing over him, fists clenched and cuts down her arms. She grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet; I sway slightly, dazed by the sudden rush of blood.
"Lela, please, we don't have time to waste. We really need to get out of here, right now. Come on!" She says urgently, brushing stray hairs out of her eyes. I nod and she steers me towards the bus, all the while keeping a firm grip on my arm. It's probably for the better, since I can barely stand up by myself, let alone walk.
When I look over my shoulder, Magannor's still on the floor. Unconscious or dead? Do I care? Despite all he's put us through, my guilty conscience still plagues me. I blink in the sudden light of day - and fully see all the bodies strewn on the ground. My heart's in my throat: there are some familiar faces, their eyes closed as if they're sleeping. I only just notice how eerily silent things are now, the remaining guards have retreated to tend to the feebly stirring Dr Magannor. I can't help myself wishing that he had died.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, we can't stop now, they're on the bus, we can't take them with us," says Maisie, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry." She repeats it louder and louder, until I can't distinguish words from sobs. She's been so strong this whole time.... it's always shocking to see someone so brave just break down in front of you.
I head in the direction of the bus we travelled in, but Maisie pushes me towards Riaja's makeshift hospital, shaking her head.
"Y-you're too injured. You need to get patched up first, okay?" I look at her, properly look, and see the dark circles under her bloodshot eyes, the tear stains, the bruises and decide not to argue. There's no time, anyway: the guards have noticed us and are sprinting over, trying to reach us in time. I give Maisie a gentle nod and we go our separate ways for the time being. The hospital's sentries
The engine starts up almost as soon as I set foot on the bus. I'm greeted by Riaja, who insists that I lie down while she bandages my cuts. I try to sit up, but she gently puts a hand on my shoulder.
"You need to sleep. Don't worry about anything for a while. I'll wake you up when it's time. Just get some rest."
YOU ARE READING
The Lost Ones
Science FictionThe year is 2098. Fourteen-year-old Lela and Adrian have escaped from the facility where they were trapped for ten years. They have no idea where they will go. The Earth has been ravaged by war and disease. They cannot tell if they will survive. Whe...
