Test-Tubes

Chapter 2

I woke suddenly with a banging headache to the pure white ceiling of the hospital and a steady beeping next to me, telling me I am still alive. Turning my head slightly to the right, I could feel the sharp tug of a cannula tube in my neck. I tried it lift my arm to tug it out but a strong force was holding it down, a thick leather strap covering both my ankles and wrists. As I began struggling to become free, the door to my left opened revealing a tall, thin woman in a lab coat and suit. Her heels made the annoying clipping noise every time she took a step and the short blonde bob that framed her face made her neck look elongated. Her face was pinched and her eyes were thin slits either side of her long pointed nose.

"So you've woken" he pursed mouth spoke it rather than asked it, "you have been under for about 3 hours".

"Hmmm, maybe it was the drugs that were forcibly shoved into my arm?" I snapped sarcastically. My sharp tongue isn't the best weapon to use when she has the upper hand but what else am I to use? Her lips stretched slightly into a small smile, as if my sarcasm was banter between us.

"Still as witty as before the tests then?" a small laugh escaped her lips, sounding like gravel being scratched along a concert floor. Clearly she hasn't laughed in a while...

I tried turning my head to look away from her, as face the wall to avoid her humorous face. Her long hand shot out, grabbing my chin in her firm gasp like a metal vice.

"Don't turn away from me." She hissed through gritted teeth as she turned my face back to hers. Literally centimetres from mine, I swear she growled under her breath. I shook my head free but didn't break eye contact.

"What do you want?" I growled, not backing down. Her face muscles relaxed slightly from the miserable expression being held on it before.

"We want to know why you reacted like you did earlier." She spoke calmly as if she had practised the speech before giving it to me.

I looked into her eyes and I swear I could literally see the maniac in them. "I reacted like that because I overheard one you say we are less than normal". Each word I spoke was chosen carefully and concisely.

"But you are..?" her expression led me to believe that she was literally confused as to why I took that offensively. "If you were normal, you wouldn't be such a threat and you wouldn't have to be under a constant stimulant to stop you from changing and/or disappearing."

"Who's fault is that.." I spat at her.

"Fate's." This was not the answer I was expecting and I was thrown for a second but collected myself fast enough to gather a few words to string together a coherent response.

"How is this fate's fault?! How is fate to blame for all the pain to you put us through. Mentally and physically!"

"If you weren't there, on that street, the day we went looking for more subjects, you wouldn't have been taken. As simple as that." She spoke literally, as if she honesty believed fate was to blame. "If fate didn't bring you to that street and if fate didn't lead us that far down, you wouldn't have been helped by us."

"Helped?!" that was the last straw, "helping us as in locking is in boxes and ruining our lives, right? Oh yeah, I am totally agreeing with you that the fact we aren't allowed outside, allowed back into reality was really helpful." I nodded sarcastically.

"You really believe you can live normal lives out there, with your gifts..?" she laughed, "you have got to be joking right?"

"No. I'm not joking about this shit." I spat back.

"Ok, here's the deal, I can give you a week in reality, without the lab and the scientists, and I you can prove that you are still able to live in the harsh reality the world has become, I'll let you and your friends free."

All the air was pushed out of my lungs as she spoke with certainty. I didn't think that the woman was of a high enough position in the board to allow us freedom, but clearly she is head of this department.

"Does this week include the others in the lab to be free?" I am questioning everything to try and find the catch.

"Yes"

"Do we receive accommodation?"

"Yes, you can use the building the scientists that travel across the world stay in."

"When does the week start?"

"Whenever you want. Tomorrow?"

"Ok..." I agreed.