Trapped

Trapped- Chapter 8

"I've told you I don't know anymore!" Tears flooded down my cheeks, it must have been day three in the basement and she'd asked me exactly what the governments plans were, how they controlled and dealt with the correction centre. We'd been fed water with slops of flour once a day, even so I couldn't help but feel starved. It was cold, I was exhausted and the pain on my head was only getting worse.

"She's not fucking lying! Everything's kept secret!" Jed shouted as the woman shook her head again.

"Quiet!" The woman's hand slapped against his cheek angrily.

"Stop.. I've told you everything Just let us go. Let Jed go." I lifted my head noticing Daniel in the corner he looked pale, nervous and upset, avoiding my eyes at all costs.

"Why are you doing this!" I stared into her cold brown eyes, pleading for an answer.

"You want to know why?! I'll show you!"

With that we were taken out into the streets, handcuffed like criminals on a rusty metal chains. It was worst than I expected. No child looked healthy, happy, women begged on the streets carrying tiny babies crying out for milk. Litter and waste covered the floor, the only word coming to mind was the -slums. People watched us, some even clapped. Still I stayed speechless, attempting to figure out why all this was happening, why we were here.

Suddenly two figures appeared from behind a building, both carrying guns.

"It's alright, they need to see this" the woman bowed her head.

The men nodded, backing away slowly.

We carried on into a what looked like an old hospital, men, women and children lay sprawled on the floor sick and injured. Girls no older than eight were helping out, serving them what little bread they had.

"Do you know who these people are?"

Jed and I shook our heads,

"Fathers; those who's duty it is to protect their families and children from being snatched away at the hands of the government. Mothers; those who have spent so long nurturing and caring for their young only for them to be taken and tested upon, the new medicines profited at the billions. The children, so helpless and innocent. Trapped like animals, poked and prodded with needles and operated upon. The government claimed they've misbehaved, that the correction centre was merely a place to learn how to behave and grow to support our country. And we believed them, you believe them. I guess you would. You wouldn't notice the thousands of children killed by the wrong dosage of medicine each year, paralysed and ruined. You said it yourselves... you don't know who these people are."

Everyone was silent, stopped to listen. It was then that I realised I'd been living a lie, she was right. But how had I not seen this coming before, I always knew something wasn't right. Everything so controlled, no risks. No one ever could leave, word couldn't get out. I thought about Beau, Jai, Luke. They would be tested on, they would be hurt. Then I said it, those four words that I knew the woman had wanted to hear all along.

"I want to help."