These Dreams of Truth

Plans and Execution

Back at my room, I'd usually read or draw between tests and meals. Today, I had a mission. 

I went to the drawer my hair brush was kept in and took it out. My thick hair had broken the bristle cartridge out many times, so it was loose enough that I could pull it out and hide my paper in it.

Then I began to work out how steal a pencil and highlighter. I did have paper for drawing, but no pencils. I was only allowed charcoal and chalk. Why I was only allowed those was still a mystery, because they refused to tell me.

I knew a ward who always kept both of those on her at all times, but I wasn't sure how I would actually get them.

I would also need tape and scissors, but that would be easy because there is a supply closet that carried those two items next to the woman's bathroom in the cafeteria. My ward would escort me there so I would not be able to just go through the other door, which was locked anyway, but I did know of a vent that connected the two rooms.

Lastly I would need two bobby pins for picking locks. This I could probably just borrow from Astella. 

I began to ponder what I would do as soon as I had gathered all of these resources. Obviously I would execute my plan, but then what? I would have an excellent evidence analysis system, but I would also need to eventually gather more evidence. I would need to steal more filled out Dream Monitoring forms.

I was still in shock from finding out that it wasn't free dreaming but simulations created by The Facility, and I think this was taking a toll on my mind. 

I checked the clock. I still had seven minutes, so I decided to work out how and where I would hide everything. It would all fit nicely in the bottom of my sock drawer, or I could hide the papers within the pile of my other drawing papers.

No, Silvia liked my drawings and liked to look at them. And when the launderer returned with my freshly washed clothes, she may see the evidence. Then I went to check the vent in my bathroom, thinking no one would check in there. Sure enough, it was  at knee height and looked at though it hadn't been touched in years. I used my long nails to  unscrew the screws, which worked well enough, but I broke nail so I decided to check the supply closet for a screw driver as well.

Just as I was leaving the corner room, Silvia knocked on my door and asked if I  was ready. I opened the door and joined her in the hallway, prepared for however this lunch would go.

We were arriving at the same time as several other patients and their wards, both genders mixing to all fit through the north entrance. The left half of the Orange division was reserved for girls rooms, when on the other side of the lunch room it was reserved for boys.

I walked in with Will who seemed in a slightly more cheery mood than earlier. His ward, Zachariah began talking to Silvia as well. As we collected our food and made our way back to the table, I wondered whether I should tell him about my plan and findings.  

I decided against it, knowing that he would probably then tell Astella, who I didn't want to know. She had such high hopes for her time in The Facility, always saw the good in their intentions before the potential evil. I also wouldn't tell Sebastian because he'd probably end up telling  a bunch of people without thinking because they asked him about his day.

We ate in silence for a few minutes before Astella and Sebastian (late again) showed up. The look on Astella's face showed me that she was wrong this morning when she predicted a painless experiment. The deep red  of her temples told me that she had either been wearing a Helmet or they had just put her through so much mental exertion that not even her long brown hair could cover the physical aftermath. I wouldn't ask, in fear of upsetting her.

"Cynder, you haven't touched your food since I sat down," Sebastian said, concerned, "Where did you just come from?"

"Oh," I shrugged, "Just another dream monitoring session. The dream was just slightly disturbing is all."

"Do you want to tell us about it?" asked Astella, ready to be supportive.

"There was just a lot of death," I told them, hoping they didn't remember that the subject of death made me fascinated rather than uncomfortable.

Sebastian scrunched up his nose. "But I thought you had some weird obsession with the concept of death." Damn it. Of course he would remember. 

"Not this time." I told them and they dropped the subject.   

"What about you, Will?" Astella looked to him expectantly.

He was startled, but managed to shrug and say "I don't even know why they still bother to test me. I'm not sure I even still have the 'talent' that landed me here in the first place. It was probably just a freak accident." I remembered that when he was brought here he started in the Red sector, and was moved two years later when he had shown no sign of hostility. The boy he had unintentionally harmed when he was being picked on was hospitalized and he wasn't allowed to know their current status. I know he had that guilt weighing down on him everyday, even haunting his dreams.  

This was probably the best time for me to leave and gather my supplies. "I'm going to the bathroom," I announced, standing and walking away. Not my finest statement or smoothest exit, but good enough. 

I approached Silvia, telling her the same thing, who lead me out the door and around the side to the lavatories.

Sure enough, there was still plenty of noise coming from the cafeteria so she probably wouldn't hear me open the vent grate. This one was screwed on, just like I expected, and I was able to remove it without breaking any nails or making any sound. I silently thanked my lack of appetite as my hips just barely were able to slide through and I made it to the next room.

There was everything in here! I found I roll of masking tape and scissors just as I had planned, but there were also plenty of pencils and highlighters. As I grabbed a screw driver to complete my gathering, I wondered how I would conceal all of the utensils. They were mostly long and thin, so I would probably be able to keep at least one in each shoe, but that still left two and a roll of tape.

I realized how long I had been in here and that Silvia would probably be wondering what was taking so long, so I just shoved them in my bra and crawled back through the vent.

When I returned to Silvia, she acted as if the excess of time I had taken was inconspicuous. Perhaps it was because she wasn't allowed to think it was strange. We walked back silently and I resumed lunch with my friends. 

"Why though?" Astella asked, continuing a conversation I didn't catch the beginning of. 

Sebastian, who was stacking as many spoons as he could at odd angles on top of each other without them falling over, said "Because if we spend the rest of our lives playing along through their tests, what's the use? Do you honestly feel comfortable here?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, actually. I like it a lot. I think The Facility is-"

 He dropped his spoons and looked her in the eye. "After all they've done to you? After all those times you were promised painless operations when they broke that promise right away? You're living in a creepy as hell building, God knows where, where they kidnap the weirdest kids in your generation to perform tests on them?"

"Well, when you put it like that-"

 "When I put it like it is?" Sebastian looked at her as if he were looking at roadkill. 

I took this as my queue to speak up. Clearing my throat, I asked "Astella, could I borrow two of your bobby pins?"

She gave me a strange look, but reached for the side of her long braid. "Sure. May I ask why?" A strand of blonde fell into her face.

I shrugged and accepted the pins. "You've seen my hair? I thought maybe bobby pins would help."

Sebastian laughed and pulled a strand of my hair. "You're going to need a lot more bobby pins than two if you want to fix this."

"Shut up," I told him facetiously, letting him continue to pull at my curls. 

Lunch was over soon enough and I returned to my room. On our way there Silvia told me that I would be having one other "appointment" with Doctor Jackson today, at 4:00. This gave me about two hours to hide my supplies and even begin my work.