My name is Eden Forge. I am fifteen years old. All I know is: my mother is dead, the Research Laboratory of Bionics is my home (read prison), and I am superhuman. Nothing else matters except training. At least, that's what I've been told. I never have time to think for myself. The scientists make sure of that. I'm always doing something that takes all my focus, like exercising on some complicated contraption or giving me a short time to eat. And when it's time to go to sleep, they give me a pill that makes me pass out instantly. I never go outside, never learn anything, and I don't even know what I look like. I am completely dependent on the scientists, they make sure of that. Bunch of control freaks.
The only time I get in peace is the resting hour between lunch and afternoon training. They put me under a mild sedative, so I'm drowsy, but not completely knocked out. It's supposed to blur my thoughts, and it worked, at first. Lately, they've been getting weaker, or my brain is getting stronger. I've been able to stay awake for a few minutes, only to stare at the bright, white walls and harsh fluorescent lighting.
Everything seems to mix together since I don't really have a sense of time. Everything is the same everyday, except for today. As I lay down on my bed for resting hour, I prepare to fall asleep in a few minutes, but I don't feel drowsy at all. The sedative seems to have no effect on me. I don't know what to feel. I should feel happy, but I don't. I should be excited that the lab's drug has no effect on me anymore. I feel nothing.
I am nothing.
Am I not supposed to feel emotions? Something? I lay down and try to go to sleep. It's kind of ironic how all this time I've wanted to be rid of the drowsiness, but know that I am, I don't know what to do with myself. I toss and turn, turn the lights on and off, and even try sleeping on the floor. Nothing seems to work.
Finally, I give up on sleep and stare at the ceiling, thinking for once.
Zebra. Post card. Toenail. Doorknob. Banjo.
Is this what happens to normal people, just random words flowing through their head? That must be very annoying. I think I prefer being brainwashed. I stare at the ceiling a while longer, more thoughts floating through my mind, when I hear footsteps near my door.
I dive back under the covers, slow my breathing, and close my eyes, pretending to be asleep. A click and squeak sound as an unknown person enters my room. I think it's a woman. I can hear the soft tap of heels.
"Oh, Eden." Yep, definitely a female. Her voice is hoarse, though, like she was recently smoking or yelling. "You can't fool me. I know you better than you think."
My eyes flutter open to see a tall scientist with her red hair in a bun and a clipboard in her arms. She looks so gentle and sweet, it doesn't make sense when my brain sends out thoughts like a tornado siren. They all screamed one word, evil.
I can't trust my instincts, not yet, but I will take caution.
"Who are you?" I say, sitting up in my stiff bed. "What do you want?"
"Oh, you don't recognize me?" She fakes disappointment, which isn't very convincing. "It's me, Adriana."
"I still don't know who you are."
She sighs and rolls her eyes like I'm some naive child, "I'm the one that brought you here. As for what I want, well, that should be pretty obvious. I want to know just exactly how you were able to switch the sedatives with the Expergo Serum."
She crosses her arms and taps her foot like an impatient teacher.
"Um... Is this some kind of test?"
"All right, you don't want to tell me? I'll find it out myself." She places her hand on my head. My vision goes blurry, my head hits the pillow, and for the first time ever, I dream.
My dream is like a movie that was water-damaged. Everyone's voices are bubbly, and the scene looks like I'm watching I through a thin layer of clouds.
I see a boy, not much older than me, sneaking around an experimenting room and ducking behind a counter every time the sounds of footsteps and voices pass in the hallway. He grabs a few serums and switches them around, along with the labels. I don't know how he doesn't break any of them, seeing that they're glass.
A pair of voices come near the door, and the boy ducks under a desk. Two men enter, dressed in lab coats and scrubs. One grabs a serum that the boy had switched and turns the encased pink liquid around in his hands.
"The daily sedative," the man says. "I could have sworn it was green."
"Maybe they changed it." The other guy suggests
They shrug and walk out the door with the serum. My serum, I guess.
The boy comes out from under the counter and gasps for air like he had been holding his breath. I realize that, he too, has a lab coat on, but underneath he wears jeans and a t-shirt. The pocket of his coat is decorated with badges and medals, much more impressive than the other scientists' coats. He looks in my direction, like he can see me.
He sighs and runs his hand through his shaggy brown hair, "I hope this works, Eden."
