The Forest Lives [COMPLETED]

Chapter 8 - He Feels Emotion

Poole stood outside the black door leading into the office of the CEO.

He felt afraid, an emotion he had not felt in a long time.

Slowly, the door began to slide open.

Behind it was some beautiful wallpaper, well-decorated furniture and statues in a line. As Poole stepped in he examined the statues more closely, eventually beginning to see that they were all of the same person. The same person slowly becoming less and less human.

He eventually began to approach a long table. The other end of it was drowned in darkness. Gulping down his fear, he sat on the leather chair closest to him and looked directly into the darkness.

"Hello, Mr CEO, sir. You asked to see me?" Poole spoke into the black, feeling multiple beings staring back at him.

A dark red glowing eye appeared in the darkness and stared directly back at the man. "Yes. I did." Replied a familiar silken voice. "I am aware that Subject 0290 has informed you of your... affliction. He has been dealt with appropriately."

"Dealt with...?"

"He's currently hiding from Subject 1244 in the lower levels."

"I see... If my knowledge causes trouble then I sincerely apologise." Spoke Poole, trying his best to suppress any emotion in his voice.

"I am also aware that you have attempted to seek this information out yourself... and that you threatened 0290 into giving it to you." He spoke, anger beginning to fill his voice. The eye raised as if to stand and began to move around the table, still being sure to keep out of the light.

Poole could now just make out the CEO's mouth and figure in the darkness.

"As you know, your affliction means that you're immune to a variety of things. Including the effect that my presence has on everyone else. It also means that we have no idea how to control you. You alone could mean the destruction of Lynch.co." Hissed the CEO, Poole now able to make out the unnaturally sharp teeth inside his mouth. "The council tried to convince me that you were uncontrollable, that you should've been ejected into the lower levels as soon as we found out. Now I see they were right."

Poole could not hold in his fear any longer, he stood and began to back away from the CEO. "Sir... I don't feel that this is necessary."

"I'm afraid it is, Poole. You were always my favourite subject. Unfortunately, your disease has destroyed any chance you had of seeing the sky again."

"No... please! I'll do anything!"

"Goodbye, Poole."

————————PRESENT DAY ————————

'hello'

'not dead'

'feel okay'

'found me'

'taking me somewhere'

'help'

Sasha awoke. Looking around the room, slightly confused before remembering the events of the previous few days. She took her blanket off and began to walk upstairs, looking into Reno's room to check if she hadn't just experienced a horrible nightmare.

Reno's bed was in the centre of the room, bed made, PAI still lying in the centre of it. Sasha frowned, walking to him and picking him up.

"How come you're in here?" She asked, confused.

"I apologised to Red for everything I had done to you both. He disliked the idea that I could feel sorrow and threw me in here." PAI replied, his voice again monotone.