Lethal Love

Subject 021

Drip .... drop ... drip ... drop ....

I closed my eyes, listening to the slow dripping of water somewhere within my cell. I sat cross-legged on the floor, placing my hands in my lap palms up, and lacing my fingers together. I'm not sure where I learned this pose, but it's always produced a sense of calm and security for me. As long as I've been here, I've always done it at least once a day.

The woman who often visits me had just recently left. She always speaks to me, but I'm not sure why. I have no interest in talking. I don't think I even know how to any longer. Today had otherwise been pretty uneventful. The men in white coats didn't come for me today, so I assume that means they haven't created a new, strange liquid to torture me with. It doesn't matter to me though. Whether they come for me or not, I don't care. It's my purpose to serve them. It's the meaning of my existence.

As I sat there, completely delved in my own thoughts, a sort of ruckus began occurring outside. Then, the silver wall in front of me slid apart, revealing the woman who often visits me, along with another woman in a white coat I didn't recognize.

Why is she here? She already visited me today. She never shows up twice in one day.

She stepped away from the wall, motioning with her hand.  "You're free! Go ahead, we'll hold them off!"

I blinked curiously at her. Hold them off? Hold who off? Why is she telling me to leave? I'm so confused. If I need to go someplace, where are the men with the pale, white coats? Why aren't they here?

I continued to sit there while the woman stared at me. She glanced out at the hallway, then rushed over to me, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet.

"Don't you understand me? You're free now! You can live as you should!"

What is she talking about? How should I live? Did I do something wrong? She should really just tell me already so I can correct it.

There was a sudden sigh from the other woman. "Kelsi, it's pointless. Her mind is mentally damaged from the drugs and trauma she experiences everyday. She doesn't have enough cells left to figure out how to escape."

"Don't say that Lise! You said you'd help me with this!"

The woman named "Lise" sighed. "Yes, I know, and I'm here, aren't I?"

Lise was pretty tall, with long, curly brown hair that shined, and blue eyes. Kelsi, I guess that's my usual caretaker's name, was sort of the opposite. She was short, with brown hair cut short, and green eyes. She looked to be more around my age, while Lise looked like an adult.

Kelsi suddenly rushed over to my and grabbed my hands, pulling me to my feet. She produced a key, and unlocked my chains, then pulled me out of the cell by my wrist. She brought me to the cell next to mine, which I recognized easily. It belonged to Subject 022, the one just brought in around 3 years ago.

Kelsi typed in a code, and the door slid open. Inside a young girl looking to be about my age was tapping on different parts of the wall. She startled and quickly turned around to face us. I saw she was around Lise's height, with wavy black hair reaching to the middle of her back, and golden-brown eyes that seemed to glow with constant fear. Seeing feeling in someone's eyes was strange. My own emotions washed out a long time ago.

Kelsi rushed over and unlocked her chains as well. "I told you I'd come back for you."

Subject 022 rubbed her wrists, then quickly joined me and Lise. She looked at me, "Subject 021, right? You're kind of famous from what I hear."

I simply nodded. I wanted to respond with "I hear you are as well," or something like it, but as usual, I couldn't seem to find my voice.

"Okay, we need to get out of here while we can. Getting caught is not high on my to-do list."

Lise nodded, "Right. Lets move before they find us."

Lise and Subject 022 immediately rushed out, while Kelsi took my wrist and dragged me after her.

It felt like we were in some kind of spy movie I sometimes heard the other prisoners talking about. Long ago, before my so called "immunity" was discovered, I used to hear stories from many of the prisoners during breaks and meal times.

I snapped out of my reminisce moments as we stopped behind a wall. Lise put her back to the wall and peeked over, then made some waving hand motion, and we all ran to a set of shiny doors at the end of the hall. Lise swiped a card on the wall, and the doors opened, revealing a small room.

What good was a small room like this? It's not like we couldn't be found. I was so confused.

Everyone rushed inside the room, and Lise slid her card again, then pushed a little button. The doors suddenly slid shut, startling me, and the room began to move. I glanced around rapidly, unsure what was going on. About a minute later, the room jostled to a stop, and the doors slid open, revealing an office-like room. We walked in and pushed through the doors, when I suddenly realized where we were. The walls were white and shiny, the lights were bright, and the room smelled of sickness. We were standing in the exact place I last was 12 years ago, the day of my capture. Redwood Medical Facility.

I froze where I stood, and glanced around. It looked almost exactly the same as 12 years ago. I couldn't believe I was standing here again. What did this mean? And what was I to do now?

Kelsi gave my wrist a tug, which snapped me out of my daydreaming. I obediently followed after her and the others. We walked out of the hospital without even a second glance from any of the nurses walking up and down the halls.

As soon as we were out, we all broke out into a run. By now, even I  no longer needed to be pulled along. I just ran along with them. We reached the woods outside of the town, and spotted a cave a little further away. We hurried over to it, and ducked inside to hide. Kelsi and Lise quickly checked to make sure everything was safe, then we all sat in a sort of circle in the cave.

"Okay, so I guess we should properly introduce ourselves. I'm Kelsi, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Elise. I was, until now, working for the GKE." She glanced at Kelsi as she said it.

Subject 022 sat up straight. "Um, I'm subject 022..."

Kelsi immediately put her hand up. "Nope, not gonna cut it. Your real name."

"I don't remember it ..."

"Then make one up."

"Um okay then ... Kiara."

Kelsi smiled. "Kiara is a wonderful name. Now, you?"

I looked at her. So, my subject name wasn't going to cut it? But what was I supposed to say then? I didn't really know any names...

Suddenly, a name floated into my mind, and I voiced it as a whisper, "...Diana."

Kelsi leaned forward slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What did you say?"

I glanced around and made my decision. They were helping me, not anyone to fear.

"I said, call me Diana."