Unplugged: The Hidden World (#2, Unplugged Trilogy)

Chapter Twenty

Matthew

After the spectacle of Base Central, the next dingy hallway we enter seems less than exciting. Willis leads us and whistles an ironically cheerful tune, swinging his flashgun at his side like a parade baton. He and Natalia had taken turns describing the weapon to Alice, Ariel and I, practically jumping up and down with terrible glee. The technology allows for three options: instant death, momentary paralysis, or anti-gravity. Yeah, super-hero stuff. At first I didn't believe them, then they offered to test the weapon on an unsuspecting passerby. To my amazement, the Worker had flown upwards and smacked his head on the cave ceiling, as though thrown by a powerful invisible force.

I believe them now.

"Where are we going?" Ariel whispers fearfully. I tighten my hold on her shoulder just for show.

"To your holding room," I growl, forcing myself to sound angry. It's harder than it sounds. Willis leads us through dizzying twisting and turning hallways until my stomach groans in protest. Eventually we come upon a straight hall lit up by yellowish, glowing lights. My pulse starts to thump painfully. Each door represents a new possibility of finding Enna.

"Do your thing, daddy's boy," Willis scoffs. He turns around and starts to walk away. "We'll be back for 'em... eh... eventually." An evil laugh follows him back towards Base Central. Willis had instructed me to go ahead and stay in the prison cell with Ariel and Alice until the Master--whoever he was--validated my presence. I pull a key out of my pocket and read the small numbers engraved on it: 366.

"Let's look for Enna," Alice whispers. Her breath turns into clouds of vapor. It's freezing down here. I nod and, as I pass doors, glance through the windows hopefully...

* * *

Enna

"Well, that's it." Gale's voice. I lift my head, woken from my brief nap.

"Wha?" I mutter stupidly. Gale throws her metal food tray against the stone wall, and the sound vibrates deafeningly throughout the room.

"What's the big idea?" I hiss, instantly awake and clapping my palms over my ears to avoid becoming deaf.

"There's no way we're getting through this. No way!"

"Hey," I say with caution, sitting up against the wall. "You can't think like that."

"You shut up, Enna Price!" She screams, her face growing red. "You and me--we're not a team anymore. We've never been a team. You have people waiting for you, caring for ya. Me? I don't have anyone! No one!" She begins to weep, her back shaking repeatedly. Awkwardly, I pat her shoulder. She shrugs off my hand. Eventually she pulls herself together and straightens, wiping her eyes. I stare at her, shocked.

"What are we gonna do, Enna?" She whispers in a small voice. "What am I gonna..." Suddenly, Gale drifts off, staring wide-eyed at the window. I'm afraid to look, afraid that I'll only find yellow Reptilian eyes staring back at me.

"Michael?" she mutters in awe. Michael? I twist around to see what Gale's talking about, then time freezes. Each second feels like a thousand years. Matthew stares back at me, eyes wide. Slowly, ever-so-slowly, the door twists open, revealing a confusing scene. Matthew clutches my mother on one side and Ariel on the other. Both of them are gagged. All of them look messy and miserable, though Matthew looks like he'd aged by ten years since I last saw him. Ariel and my mom tear off their gags and rush towards me, spluttering and hugging me and explaining things all at once. I can only sit in shock and silently receive their hugs.