Tainted

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

I woke up to a damp pillow, still fully clothed. I got out of bed and strolled into the bathroom, rubbing my eyes. I looked up at the mirror, horrified at the sight. It looked like me, but not quite. My blonde hair was a birds nest on top of my head, knots tangling every strand together. My makeup had smudged into dark shadows under my eyes, my skin red and blotchy.

I peeled off my sticky clothes, throwing them into the washing pile. I stepped into the shower, basking in the warmth and awakening it provided. I got out a while later, finally refreshed and feeling more like me.

I pulled on a bright pink sports bra with a blue Lonsdale logo, then adding matching hot pants. I tied my hair up into a middle ponytail, naturally straight and shiny.

After applying some light makeup, I grabbed my bag, checked my phone and headed to the HQ.

When I got there, I made my way through the crowds and began my ascent to the simulation floor.

I'd been in a much better mood this morning. I felt better, now I knew Dan wanted me here. I smiled to myself but it soon vanished when i walked past a fitness suite that I had never paid attention to before. Inside, stood Dan, but he wasn't alone. I followed his eyes to a beautiful brunette; tall long legs, perfect figure, sparkling white teeth, clearly doing something to make them both laugh because they were both in stitches. My heart sunk to my stomach and I continued to stare for a moment, a lump in my throat. I looked back to the brunette, and I saw her head turn towards the door, until our eyes connected. Mine instantly fell to the floor and I ran up the last flight of stairs before hurrying along the corridor. When I got to the end, I opened the door to the simulation office, which I had to walk through to get to the studio.

Keeping my head down, tears threatening to spill, I dropped my bag to the floor and walked towards the same elderly man as the day before. I didn't know his name, I didn't care at that moment.

"Okay, so today you will be given a simulation gun. It doesn't fire real bullets but in simulation it will seem that way, because that's the general idea of simulation." He chuckled to himself. "You will have to identify three of the bad guys and eliminate them. A word of warning, three of them are the good guys and would maybe try to help you in a real life situation." He leaned closer to me. "Don't act in the moment or on instinct. Think about your surroundings, the people, and make judgements based on facts, not on initial thoughts distorted by adrenaline or fear." He advised. I nodded, absorbing the information. I couldn't help but feel that the advice wasn't just for training.

I put on the suit, pulling on all of the buttons and sensors, finally being giving the gun. It looked like a normal pistol, except the barrel was filled with a mass of wires and bleeping lights.

I stepped into the studio, my ears ringing and my head banging. I stood with my legs and arms spread apart, so the sensors and lasers around the studio could scan me for data to compare with throughout the course of the session and rest of the training. I looked in the window once they had finished, for the thumbs up. The elderly man smiled and nodded, before another figure walk up to the window. Dan smiled warmly and put his thumbs up at me, the brunette by his side. I didn't reply except with a dirty look and an eye roll. He looked confused, yet in that moment I didn't really care, it wasn't anywhere near to what I felt when I saw him and that girl.

The walls around me changed until it was a dark night sky and city landscape. Behind me was a massive warehouse, run down, yet I could see lights on inside. The front doors swung open and three angry men burst out. They spotted me and started to run towards me, but I broke out into a sprint before they could get close.

After a while, I thought I had lost them, until I heard voices close behind. I turned around and saw a man, around his forties, running with me. When he made eye contact, he smiled and nodded quickly, as did the other two who had joined us soon after. Ok, so these were the good guys. Well, that was easier than expected.

I was suddenly thrown off to the side and slammed against a tree branch. I fell to the floor and coughed, slightly winded from the impact. I saw feet approach me and I slammed the butt of the gun into his shin bone. I heard a crack and then the muscular man fell to his knees. I tilted the mans head forward and held the gun to his neck, when he lifted me by my hips and slammed me against the tree. I pushed the gun into the side of his head and pulled the trigger. A beep sounded and then the man fell to the ground. No blood, no gore. At least it was cleaner than a real gun shot to the head. Once i had recovered a little, I tried to massage my back, bruises already forming from the fight. I then sensed movement from behind a tree, about 25 metres away. I turned to face it, and a man came out and began to run towards me. I quickly reacted, rolling across the floor and up onto my knees, aiming the gun in front of me, the man fast approaching. I pulled the trigger, firing a perfectly aimed shot to his chest.

He fell to the floor and I stood up sighing.

I heard some leaves rustling from above me, I couldn't get a break in this place. I looked up and a man jumped down onto me. He punched my face, I punched him back. I then lifted the gun and shot him in the forehead. He rolled off me and I stood up, the imaginary world around me changing back to the dull reality. As the window came into view, the older man stood with a huge grin on his face, Dan looking shocked, and the brunette glaring at me. I stepped into the room, greeted by the elderly man clapping.

"Oh wow. Excellent progress Maisie, just excellent. This is astounding. So inexperienced, yet so much technique, it's phenomenal." He grinned, pulling me in for a kiss on each cheek.

"Maisie, that was amazing." Dan beamed, hugging me. I didn't hug back, obviously. I just stood there while he wrapped his arms around me, his musky, manly smell enveloping me. After a few seconds, he caught on and stepped back, his eyebrows scrunched, a puzzled look on his face.

The brunette smiled at me, yet I could tell it wasn't genuine. I smiled back, and then walked over to where the elderly man was reviewing the statistics.

--

This is a really weird ending, but this chapter was really long and I didn't want to make it last forever so I thought I'd end it early x