People Change

Not-so-routine Tests

The nurse led Seth and I down a hallway I had never seen before. It was dark and cold and silent. The only sounds were of our foot steps echoing off of the white linoleum tiles. I held Seth's shaking hand. I did my best to hold myself together, so Seth would stay calm. But the truth is, I was freaking out. Had I tested positive for a mutation? Why did Seth have to come with me? Why were our parents going to be wherever we were going? Where were we going?

As we walked I noticed that there were cameras stuck in the corners where the walls met the ceiling. They were spaced out every twenty feet, so whoever was on the other side of the lens could see the whole length of the hallway we were walking in. Eventually we reached a large set of sliding doors with cameras situated just above. The nurse scanned her key card and the doors opened, but she didn't go in. She just looked at Seth and I. "This is as far as I can go," she said nervously.

"Where are we going?" I asked impatiently.

"You guys have to have a few more tests done, but I'm not authorized to administer them. You guys will go through these doors and there will be men waiting for you when you get upstairs." She gestured to the open doors as Seth and I just stood and stared at the empty space beyond them. "Go on now."

I slowly began to walk through doors with Seth pinned tightly to my side. Once we passed the door way I realized that we were standing in an elevator with another camera but no buttons. "How are we supposed to go anywhere if there are no buttons?"

"Don't worry. It will take care of itself. Good luck darlings," the nurse said shakily as the sliding doors moved closer together and she slowly disappeared in between them.

"Danni I'm scared," Seth whispered from my side.

"I know Seth. Me too, but don't worry. The nurse said that Mom and Dad should be up there too. We will be okay, I promise."

"Pinkie promise?" he asked as he held his tiny pinkie up in front of my face.

"I pinkie promise," I said as I reached up my hand and locked my pinkie with his. He smiled for a short second before the elevator jolted upwards and he practically jumped into my arms out of fear.

The elevator moved quickly, but I had no clue how high up we had climbed when it finally stopped. As the doors slid open two nurses in full body isolation suits appeared. Just behind them stood two large men wearing government uniforms and holding guns. They stood at the ready, as if they expected Seth and I to attack the nurses.

"Hello Danielle and Seth Holden. We know you must be very scared and confused, but we ask that you please follow us so we can do a few additional tests. My name is Caroline," said the nurse on the left. She was quite short, only a few inches taller than I was. "And this is my partner Amy," she said this as she pointed to the nurse on the right. Amy was very tall, and she had very bright blue eyes that were clearly visible through her bubble mask.

One of the men behind the nurses coughed and Seth jerked at the sound. "Oh don't mind them. They are only here for security reasons. Follow me." Caroline said.  The nurses began walking and I followed holding, carrying Seth in my arms.  As I followed the nurses, I passed the guards.  They watched me very intently then followed close behind.  

The hallway we walked down was almost identical to the one downstairs except the cameras that lined this hallway moved.  They were focused on me the whole time as if I were a criminal or something.  I started to feel like one. I was trapped in this building with guards and no where to hide.  It was colder here than it was upstairs, but the hallways were filled with bright florescent lights that buzzed above our heads as we walked underneath them.