Fahrenheit 452

~Chapter 1~

'A voice comes through the intercom, "Clarisse, Clarisse McClellan." "Yes, yes that's me" she mumbled in a groggy voice. Waking up in this dark room every day was getting exhausting. Every time she tried to get up, she ached. "Uncomfortable spring bed" she muttered. A shiver ran up her spine as she touched her feet to the cold floor. "Good morning, how are you feeling Clarisse?" a gruff voice from the intercom asked. As Clarisse stood up, she sleepily walked over to the intercom and pushed a button as she replied "I'm feeling alright, just a little sluggish; tired." She shrugged. "Just the same every time I wake up in this depressing place." She rolled her eyes as there was then a click and a beep. The door to her room slid open and there stood one of the men in the black coats. Clarisse sighed as he grabbed her arm, drug her out and shoved her in front of him. Directing her to The Pin.

'One day I'll make a run for it', she thought as they turned a corner. 'I have to get the hell out of here' . The man in the black coat grabbed her arm again as he abruptly pulled her beside him, making her stop in front of a familiar door. It beeped and slid open with a suction sound. Like air was being released from a valve. As Clarisse was pushed forward into the room, the Doctor came into view. He was standing erect by the examination chair, with lengthy hands clasped in front and sinister smile hidden under his mask. "Good afternoon Clarisse". She took a slow, deep breath, "Good afternoon, Doctor" she replied through her exhale and gritted teeth, feeling as if those violet eyes were burning into her. Something about them chilled her to the bone..; "We're just going to do the same as yesterday and every other day, okay Clarisse?" Clarisse let out a laugh with a snort, glaring at the Doctor as she replied, "Well.., no it's not okay. But I seem to have no other fucking choice."

"It's not that bad Clarisse", the doctor snarled with a hiss.

Clarisse folded her arms, "How would you know? You're not locked up in a little room for most of the day. Every. Day. You don't have only one time a day that you can go somewhere; which that anywhere is just a bigger fucking room. You're not paraded around by these big bimbos in black coats. You don't have your back hurting every time you wake up and get out of bed. You don't have to be cold almost every night! You don't have to get a damn needle__ "Restrain her and shut her the hell up!" The doctor hollered.

Two men in the dark coats strode into the room; grabbing Clarisse and stuffing a cloth into her mouth before grabbing each of her arms. "Set her in the chair." The men then drug Clarisse over, picking her up, only to throw her down in the examination chair; holding her there. The doctor then slithered over with a gleam in his eyes, as he reached up with his creepy hands and lengthy digits. Slowly grabbing two belt-like straps to go around her neck..feeding one through a buckle on the other, as his gaze lingered on her. Suddenly tightening it around her neck; like a zipetie before fastening it. He then started to buckle her wrists down in the arm restraints, then down to her ankles.

"Fuck you." Clarisse said sternly, eyebrows furrowed and heavy breathes escaping, her words muffled by the cloth. The Doctor walked across the room to a metal tray; picking up a syringe and removing the plastic cap. Then went on to pushing the needle through the rubber top of a vile of Sodium Pentothal, he turned the vile upside down and pulled the plunger back; filling the barrel of the syringe.

A small tink noise could be heard from across the room..'The syringe'..Clarisse thought. The doctor sauntered over, turned on an overhead light and sat next to her on a stool with..'Yup, the needle'. He turned her head to the side. "Just relax" he told her. The doctor expeditiously rubbed a alcohol pad on her neck. Then she felt it, the cold tip of the needle roughly pressing on her skin. Slowly it sank deeper and deeper. The doctor pushed the plunger down, injecting the pentothal. She could feel the thick, cold liquid slithering into her, under her skin, into her veins. Clarisse felt like a blob as her body relaxed almost completely and her vision went blurry. She started to get dizzy. It's like an out of body experience, not awake but not asleep; like in a dream. As she moves her eyes to look around, she doesn't seem to be in that room anymore.

The Doctor is nowhere to be seen, but instead she's back, standing in front of her house. It's fall and the trees are all brightly colored and vibrantly decorated with autumn leaves. A smile slowly crawls upon her face. She inhales and exhales; taking a big breath. Then does a little twirl as the fall leaves twist and turn in the air, making their way to the ground. She hears a door open and close behind her. As she turns around she notices it's Montag. He starts walking toward her as her eyes get big with excitement. "Montag!" She yells, and waves to him. He stops suddenly and Clarisse could tell something wasn't right. He wasn't even looking at her, but instead at the ground. As she feels warmth running down her face, she realizes she's crying. She runs to him, but she hits something hard with her body and falls to the ground. Like a big wall. "Why can't I get to him?" Clarisse wonders. "I miss him and everyone; my family. So much.."

"Montag!" She yells even louder with more warm liquid now running down her face. "He really can't hear me.., and he looks so sad." She thought. As Montag looked at the ground with a dreary look on his face, he mutters "Oh Clarisse, where have you gone?" A little leaf flutters by Montag's feet and he stoops to pick it up. "I remember when you told me about the leaves, then showed me too." He quietly said and he brought it up to his nose and takes a deep breath, inhaling its scent. "Cinnamon.." Montag whispers. Clarisse was almost overflowing with emotion now. Montag kept going "We didn't know each other for that long, I get that..., but you were the only person to show me reality again. To show me how to be human and realize how controlled we are. To show me the truth, and now you're gone.." Clarisse falls to her knees, and covers her mouth with her hands and she continues to sob while looking at Montag. She closes her eyes and whispers "I'm sorry..."