SHIFT

CHAPTER 4 $ Lies $

      When I wake up I'm in a bright room. The sleeping pod smells sterile, and the sheets are rough and light blue. The room's walls and floor consist of white tile that shine with such a brilliance they must have been cleaned a million times in the last hour. There are no windows, except for one skylight embedded in the off white ceiling.
In the far corner there's a closed tan door. I put my legs over the side of the sleeping pod and step onto the floor.
The tile is cold on my feet.
      I  start to stand, but I collapse under my own weight. My legs are weak.  I grab onto the side of the pod and slowly lift myself up. Im wearing a light blue hospital gown. The skylight is casting sun rays across the room. Careful not to fall again, I reach my hand out to touch the light. It send warmth into my skin. The air is cold and crisp like a fall morning.
      Using the wall for stability I walk around to the door. I jiggle the knob but it's locked. I try it again, but it's still locked. I lay on the cold tile and try to remember what happened before I got here. I make a list on my fingers like I'm counting down the places I've looked if I lost something.
      Five fingers: I was at the Adjournment
      Four fingers: it started
      Three fingers: Aaron was with me
      Two fingers: it's kinda fuzzy, but I remember throwing up
      One finger: Aaron said he loved me in front of all of purview
      I close my eyes. Anxiety fills my chest
      What happened to Aaron?
      What's going to happen to me?
      Where am I?
      I look around the icy room and spot something in the corner on the ceiling.
      A camera.
      I'm being watched.
      I get up and my legs are still weak. I walk around the room, and the small camera is following my every move. I get back in my sleep pod when the doorknob jiggles, then the door opens. Two Wardens come in and grab me by the arms. They drag me through a long dark corridor with doors like the one that was just holding me. I wonder if Aaron's in one of them.
      We stop at the end of the corridor at a door. The Wardens open it then thrust me in and close the door.
      The room is grey and dark unlike the one I was in. There's a table in the middle with someone sitting at it. At first I can't make out the face but then I realize it's the Senator. My stomach drops.
      "Sit," she says calmly, but I could sense irritation. I get up and pull out the empty chair across from her. The chair is cold and metal and it sends a shiver up my spine. I sit.
      "What happened to Aaron?" I ask. Her composed face falters for a quick second.
      "Look, I don't want to make this hard. You have two choices. Number one, you can forget. Forget that ever happened. Never talk about it again, and redo the Adjournment, everything will be back to normal. Or number two. Be locked in that cell you were in for the rest of your life. It's your choice." She ignores my question. Now I have to choose between living a life of lies, or not living my life at all. I'm still worried about Aaron, more than my life.
      "What did you do to Aaron!" I raise my voice and slam my palms on the metal table. I'm standing. She doesn't look calm anymore. She stares into the depths of my eyes, the corners of her mouth are tuned down in dissatisfaction.
      Then she smiles crookedly, eyes fire, "we took care of that."
      I get up and run to the corner of the room and throw up. I bury my hands in my face and sob. I can't look at the Senator. So I ask the darkness in my hands.
      "How long do I have to make the decision?"
      The Senator answers, "right now."
      Aubree, Aaron and I used to play would you rather on late nights when our parents weren't home. One night Aaron asked me, "would you rather live a lie or die?" I chose die. But I never knew I would actually have to answer that question in real life. And now I have to.
      "Live a lie," I say to the Senator.
      "Good choice." Her eyes are fire.