AcademyX- School For Gifted Children

The Bars That Hold Us

"Joel, you awake?" Says a voice as I slowly rise up.

My eyes adjust and I realize that it's Jackson, and he's looking much better since last time I seen him.

"Hey, ugh!" I groan in pain.

"Just take it slow. I've been healing your wound for hours now." A soft voice comes from the other side of what I believe is a room.

Kylee walks over to me and hugs me.

"It's been awhile, but we are both okay, and that's what matters." She says.

"Yeah." I say, hurting again.

"You're gonna be okay, buddy. We are gonna get out of here and we will all survive. All the casualties, sacrifices, and hard work will not go unnoticed. There will be a change." Jackson says, standing up carefully.

His leg has a temporary cast on that looks very uncomfortable, but it's amazing that he's still gonna fight even after everything he's gone through. After all of this, it'll be unbelievable for anyone to keep fighting.

I finally decide to take in my surroundings. Stone walls, stone floors, rusty bars, and a barred door. It's a prison cell.

"Joel, are you down there?" Says a familiar voice.

"Damon?" I say, practically yelling down the hall.

Assuming that there are many different cells and we are in a long hallway full of them, people start calling to each other.

"Are you okay?" Damon asks.

"Kinda, but still in pain." I say. "Do we have a plan?" I ask him.

"Not that I'd like to discuss out loud." He says.

Just then, the sound of a metal door being slammed shut brings everyone back to to silence.

"How is everyone this fine morning?" Says a cruel-sounding woman's voice.

After nobody answers, she gets mad.

"Listen to me! I asked a question. How is everyone?" She says.

Numerous mumbles echo through the long and dirty hallway.

"Well, I guess that's good. I'm Janet, Kal's wife. He gave me the wonderful pleasure of choosing the 3 that go through the changing today." She's says and the hesitates. "So, who's it gonna be?" She asks.

"I'll go." Says the same familiar voice from earlier.

Damon! What is he doing? I guess, since I've become kind of a leader, I should probably volunteer too.

Suddenly, I hear someone in my head.

"I'm Carla, a telepath like you. Damon told me to ask you to volunteer if you're up to it. He said to hurry!" Says the voice in my head that I'm assuming belongs to this Carla girl.

"Take me too!" I say.

I didn't think I could do it, but I did and I can't change it. I hope Damon knows what he's doing.

"Very good, but I remember saying 3. Anyone else gonna volunteer, or do I need to choose? Don't make me choose." She tells us.

"Yeah, I'll go to." Another familiar voice says.

That sounded like Clara, but little Clara wouldn't do this.

The sound of the barred door is heard from down the hall from me. Next, Janet reaches my cell.

"You look like a fun bunch, so don't try anything funny. Oh, and you must be Joel. Kal has told me a lot about you." She says.

She turns the key and slowly slides the door open. I walk out and look in the direction she came from. I go to walk over to Damon, but she grabs the back of my jacket.