US (Formerly The After Effect - Book 2)

33 - C L E A N S E

A new sound filters through my ears. A zippy whisp! speeds past me and I hear a thud on my left, followed by the firing of a machine gun, which mows down a good twenty people in front of us. I drop my jaw at the site and check my side to find Brink on the ground, motionless. My vision blurs as Zeriah blows up a forcefield around the four of us. Stella bounces on top of Brink to check his status.

"Stella?" I shriek, my voice cracking in the middle. "Stella?"

"He's...unconscious!" she pants.

"But—what? I thought we—!"

Zeriah's forcefield dissipates and I reach for my mom and tug her close as bullets spray from another gun. My mother ducks into me, wincing and squeezing me with all her might. This is happening too fast, I can't keep up.

"Brink—"

Another whisp! and Stella buckles at the knees.

"What is happening?" I scream. More bullet spray. Then I feel a sharp needle poke directly behind my ear and I trip over my feet and collapse beside her. Double vision is temporary before I lose it entirely.

***

Schhhhhh.

It's black. Water is showering down on me from somewhere, but I can't see.... A few tiny lights filter through the metal grate flooring, and I'm sitting, so I stand, but my head is fuzzy when I do. I choke on some of the water from above as different spouts turn on and aim at my sides. Only now do I realize I'm completely nude in some kind of shower.

Spihhhh...

A new noise brings a new action. The room lightens to a neutral gray and the water cuts off. Then thick, white smoke fills the tiny box I'm held in from a tiny hole in the wall. I shut my eyes and hold my breath as it continues to spray. When I finally take a daring breath, I cough relentlessly on it; it's like breathing in chalk dust from pounded chalkboard erasers or unwanted bus exhaust. My lungs burn, and then the gas ceases.

Next is some kind of scan. A metal bar rotates around the entire box, deeply humming as it covers every inch of me. Instinctively, my arms go around my torso to shield my body from whoever is on the receiving end, but the process continues and then one of the walls drops down, where a table holds stacks of grey and white clothing. Multiples of white, long-sleeved shirts and grey, straight-legged pants lie folded atop a lengthy wooden table. I tiptoe out of the box and peek around the corners for anyone, and step out, still covering myself to the best of my ability.

I scan the table of clothing, searching for mediums, and then hurry to throw them on. The material is soft and silky, but not silk. They are comfortable nonetheless, despite the unexpected built-in bra. Below the table are slipper-like shoes, made of rubber and plastic. Again, I scour the pile for my size and slide some over my feet.

Once I'm fully clothed, my nerves drop somewhat, but the confusion is still present. Are we inside? Or is this a strange version of Heaven?

Like I'd deserve Heaven at this point.

Spinning around, I wait for the next move, next direction, when two guards come barreling in after me, dressed in military uniform.

I gasp when they back me into a corner and snatch my arms, saying nothing. We march into a long concrete hallway with wires and pipes lining the tunnel ceiling and walls. I grit my teeth at the pressure of the men's' fingertips jabbing into my skin as they drag me along beside them. Naturally, I keep quiet.

We approach two more geared up, buff, military-looking guards, standing by on either side of a huge vault. And I can't help thinking to myself, This is it.