Worse than We Thought

Prologue

The first thing Elias noticed when he woke up was the damp scent of the room he was in. He could practically smell the rotting wood and the mold growing in the corners. He blinked his eyes twice trying to adjust to the darkness, only to realize that there was a piece of fabric tied around his head.

He contorted his face a few times to make the makeshift blindfold fall down his nose, allowing him to finally get a read on his surroundings. He was tied to a school grade chair by a thin ball of duct tape around his wrists. The room was a gradient of several grays, browns, and off whites.

Dreary, was the first word that popped into his head. His brows pinched together in concentration, and he sucked in a breath. He jerked forwards, tugging his shoulders out of place with a loud pop, but effectively tearing the first layer of tape. He winced and bent his hands away from each other, driving them in opposite directions to rip the remaining tape.

"Ow." Elias whispered to himself, rubbing at the raw skin. He rotated his shoulders, hissing quietly as they settled back into place, then he leaned forwards to tug off the rope at his ankles and fully removed the piece of cloth around his face.

He lifted himself out of the chair, turning to analyze the rest of the room. There was a large fan in the center of the wall behind him. It was off and the propellers were thin enough to crawl by. Tucked in a corner was another exit: a massive, iron door. The silvery frame of it stood out against the yellowing walls.

Elias marched towards the door. Trying the handle, he flinched away as it elicited a short shock. He winced, blowing air on his hand in a desperate attempt to cool the skin, while the sparks had already burned through the surface. His skin was seared with a clear outline of the lever, pink and irritated. He peered back at the fan. Aside from the heavy, electric metal door it was his only way out, and he was willing to take his chances. He'd prefer to get chopped up instead of electrocuted to death, anyways.

He started towards the fan, grimacing at the amount of dust and grime on the metal pipe it was situated in. Mud and mold caked the crevices of the steel, creating a grotesque display. It had obviously been turned off for months, if not years.

Elias knelt into the space between the propellers, crawling stiffly through the tunnel. Just as he was making the tight slip between the fan a motor buzzed on, and the fan jolted to life. Elias yelped and managed to roll out of the way before the sharp, rusted metal wedged itself into the meat of his calf.

He hastily dragged himself through the rest of the pipe, tugging himself out and stumbling to his feet, only to be met with several people, all dressed in black-tie.

"Is it too late for me to try the door?" He muttered under his breath, preparing for the entourage of, what he assumed to be, enemy agents in front of him.

A loud crack was heard amongst the crowd, and Elias screwed his eyes shut, ready for the blistering, hot pain of a bullet to overtake his senses, but it never came. Instead, there was clapping and cheering. He peeled his eyes open, barely squinting through his eyelashes to see confetti.

"Congratulations, Agent Ashley. You passed the test." A silver haired man said, stepping through the people and nodding in a self-assured way. "Not that we had any doubt. You're a very capable young man."

Elias clicked his tongue, and his face dropped into one of confusion.

"Huh?"

The crowd laughed, and he could feel his cheeks heat with embarrassment. What was he missing?

"This was all a test, Agent Ashley. I'm Agent Johnson, head of the Organization. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Agent Johnson introduced, offering out a hand to shake.

Elias hesitated for a moment before taking his hand. Johnson's grip was firm. "I'm Elias." He replied slowly, still processing the situation he had managed to get himself into. "And, I'm sorry. You said that you were head of the Organization?"

"Yes?"

"Like, the Organization? As in, the spy Organization. The biggest government spy company aside from the FBI?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Agent Ashley, where are you going with this?"

Elias blinked a few times, furrowing his eyebrows. "Why was I taking a test for the Organization?" He asked.

Agent Johnson furrowed his eyebrows. "Because we wanted to recruit you," He stated. "Agent Ashley, you are a teenager who has perfect balance of your double life. You maintain grades and you're an excellent worker. You're driven, thorough, and full of potential. We want you to work with us."

Elias's mouth dropped open. "What?" Was the only thing he could think to say. He shook his head. "You want me to work with you guys? I mean—I just turned sixteen. I still live with my parents."

"Yes, we do, and yes, we know. We even have a family with the Organization who is willing to house you, and there's already a cover story in place for you."

"Oh my god." Elias pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to see if he was dreaming or not. "Okay. Yes, obviously. I'm flattered you even considered me."

The crowd clapped and cheered again. Agent Johnson smiled, the same certain smile he had before. "Perfect. We already have agents packing your bags and telling your parents your cover story. You'll fly out of Florida tomorrow morning."

.--.--.--.

"Oh, Eli. I'm so proud of you!" Elias's mother exclaimed.

His parents were completely unaware that he was a spy. Apparently, the Organization had told them that he was offered an internship opportunity in DC. Fortunately, his mother had always been supportive of him, so she helped pack his bag when the agents showed up to their house.

"Thanks, mom." Elias smiled, a hint of guilt settling into his throat. Hiding his occupation was one thing, but moving out of state at sixteen and lying about it? The pit in his stomach grew, but he maintained his positive demeanor

The agent looming over his shoulder cleared his throat. "We'll be leaving now." He stated in a flat, monotone.

Elias frowned, turning to his mom and enveloping her in a hug. "I love you, mom." He murmured into her shoulder.

"I love you too, my sweet boy." She whispered back. They pulled apart, and Elias's mother smiled sadly. "You're visiting on holidays, whether you want to or not." She teased, reaching up to flatten a piece of wrinkled fabric near his collar.

"I would have anyways." He shot back, grinning at her. Despite keeping the secret, he was still exhilarated to be working for the Organization.

"Let's go." The agent said, placing a hand on the side of Elias's bicep to gain his attention.

Elias and his mother exchanged one last hug before he left. She watched teary-eyed as he stepped into the van and was escorted away.

Welp, there was no turning back now.

[1171 words]