Deprave

1

SHE WOKE UP WITH her cheek pressed against cold cement. Her body was laid out uncomfortably on the hard floor. Her first instinct was to move - gain some awareness of her surroundings, but she quickly realized that couldn't be done.

Her whole body was paralyzed. Not one muscle could move except for the faint flutter of her eyelids.

The panic that set in should be sharp, but instead, she found herself strangely at ease. Her mind was dull, sifting for logic through a haze. The thoughts in her brain moved slowly, like a barge wading through cloud after cloud of muggy fog.

She was drugged.

She tried to remember how she got here - what predicament she could have been in that would have possibly led her to this situation, but nothing came to mind. She was on her way to collect samples and the last thing she saw was a bright light.

It wasn't until that moment that she noticed the awful pounding in her head and the faint smell of iron.

She tried to assess her injuries - blunt trauma to the head, a laceration along her temple, her head had been concussed. If there were injuries anywhere else, she was still too numb to notice. Her mind too warped to do a full examination.

She took note of her surroundings.

A loud, mechanical whirring echoed through the room. It reminded her of an industrial fan or some sort of large machine. She tried to pull together a theory on her location, but her thoughts were interrupted as the landscape evolved with a new sound.

Heavy, pounding steps. Like several pairs of boots stalking across a hall.

She listened to the ominous march, attempting to calm her pulse when the voices followed.

"How many were inside?" A deep voice bounced off the spacious walls.

"Thirteen." A man paused to explain. "Eight died on detonation. These five survived."

Their movement stilled. The group quieted as if they were taking the time to examine something. She waited several more seconds before she heard the first voice speak again.

"Scan them."

"Yes sir."

Boots shuffled across the floor in response. They dragged a heavy weight before she heard the unsettling flop of a body against the ground.

The beep of the scanner rang out.

"Kieran Gunson. Age 34. Last known occupation, farming. Tagged for rebel activity."

She anxiously waited for a response - some sort of judgement on the man, but none came. The fear inside her only wound tighter.

The lackeys continued, their footsteps becoming more efficient. It wasn't long before another unpleasant thud and quick beep.

"Ingrid Deleski. Age 28. Last known occupation, military. Tagged for rebel activity."

The men continued from person to person. Their footsteps grew closer, almost as if they were right on top of her. She tried to open her eyes in order to catch some glimpse of the assailants but only managed to peek at four imposing bodies through the briefest slit in her eyes.

Their boots finally came to a menacing halt behind her. She felt one of them grab her neck roughly, rolling her over until her chest pressed into the ground. They tugged at her hair, moving it quickly to get a clear view of the back of her neck. The scanner went off without a hitch.

"Adelyn Boyd. Age 24. Last known occupation, a nurse."

They rolled her body back forcefully. Adelyn felt one of them nudge her leg with their boot. Blood from her cut dripped slowly down her lip.

She had known fear many times in her life, but she couldn't remember any time that she had felt quite this helpless. She lay open to their assault while she remained paralyzed on the ground.

"No tag for rebel activity?" The commanding voice questioned.

At this point, it was more than clear to Adelyn who she was dealing with. Her heart hardened into an iron lump. If she was going to go down, she would make sure to give them nothing.

"She was found with the rest of the rebels on the outer edge of the building. She was covered in debris. It's possible she was outside the walls when the explosion hit, but most likely, she just isn't tagged."

The group was quiet while the first voice considered his options.

"Sir, what would you like us to do with them?" One man timidly prompted.

She heard the soldier shift unsteadily on his feet, but only a brief moment passed before their next order came through.

"Shoot them."

The command tolled decidedly through the empty building.

The first voice then turned around, appearing to deem the rest of this conversation and audience uninteresting.

"But sir," another one interrupted with a slight quiver. "They're rebels. Aren't we mandated to take them in for questioning?"

The footsteps paused. At this point, the man seemed nearly halfway to the door.

"Take two to the barracks. The least injured." His boots turned again and he continued walking. "Kill the rest."

It took Adelyn's mind a few moments to catch up with the verdict that had just come through.

She realized a part of her had always optimistically hoped she wouldn't die like this - at the end of the oppressor's shotgun. But perhaps she was foolish to think any different when it seemed to be the most common fate of all.

She made a conscious effort to stifle her racing heart. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction. Adelyn was happy to die knowing she fought for a cause that was just.

The soldiers moved, lining up along the bodies. She heard them cock their guns. A sense of dread pooled in the pit of her stomach and she swore she heard another captive sob.

Adelyn wondered what death would feel like. Would the pain be quick? She prayed they would at least give her a clean kill. She had watched too many slow, torturous deaths.

A loud crack suddenly shattered. The sound seemed to travel along the cement, leaving a shrill ring that loitered in her ears.

She hadn't felt anything.

A sense of relief flooded through her. At least the pain was short.

Adelyn didn't fully comprehend her state until she felt the reach of firm hands underneath her shoulders, dragging her limp body across the floor.

Shock invaded her senses. She wanted to gasp but couldn't make a sound.

Every fiber of her being wanted to kick and fight while the panic swelled up from deep inside her. It was as if she was watching the scene play out from outside her own body. Unable to aid the helpless victim as they were lugged off to their merciless fate.

"Give this one another dose. Make sure she stays out until we get to the cells."

A man grumbled in acknowledgment. They dropped Adelyn's body slightly before the prick of a needle broke through her skin.

Adelyn lost what little grip she had on her senses. Another man grabbed her heels. All of her fight left her as the drug effectively worked its way through her system. They pulled her further out of the building and Adelyn's world slowly faded into black.