Endless

Chapter 13

I can barely see clearly from all my thoughts and emotions clouding my vision and pulling me in and out of focus. Brooklyn's bright, exuberant face keeps popping into my head along with wholesome memories of her. These thoughts keep encircling my mind which are slowly pulling me deeper into my depression.

The most bothersome memory is the day of our fight. I remember word-for-word what each of us said. I will never forgive myself for my wicked words of hatred toward her.

Suddenly a vision of Brooklyn that I had forgotten resurfaces itself in my mind. A memory of me noticing her from afar in a crowded hallway full of bustling people. Somewhere very different from the obstacle course. The image is hazy. I try to think hard enough and slowly her face comes into view.

Brooklyn was sitting on a fold-up chair along with two middle-aged people. One must have been her father and the other her mother. I saw her from across and down the hall while I was sitting on a fold-up chair of my own with my parents.

I noticed her through the overflowing crowd of people because of a certain spunky vibe she was giving off. Something was drawing me to her but I couldn't work up the courage to talk to her. Mainly because I knew I'd never see her again anyway.

All of a sudden it hit me. I remember where I was.

I was in the HTS laboratory. I barely remember anything from that day. All I remember is the beginning. We received a notice that all persons in our city were to come to the HTS that afternoon for special testing of some sort. Nobody really knew what that meant but we all were to obey government orders under any circumstance.

So everyone in our city showed up that afternoon and we were all sent to wait in an endless hallway to be tested. I didn't know what the scientists were going to be doing however I trusted that the government would never put its people in danger.

I am almost sure I remember what happened when a scientist escorted me away from the waiting hall. He brought me to a room the size of a closet and turned around to dig for a tool on his small trolley of medical equipment. I sat patiently on the rickety stool that was set out.

Suddenly my memory gets extremely foggy. I don't remember clearly what happened after that. All I'm seeing is a blurred image of the scientist inserting something into the side of my forehead. It didn't hurt or leave a mark. In fact whatever the scientist did was completely traceless.

We have passed seventeen levels and I barely realized it. There was little to no speaking for most levels because we're all gloomy and confused most of the time wrapped up in our own misguiding thoughts.

But we have now reached level four-hundred and twenty-nine. The level looks exactly like a clock-hand. There is no round circle accompanying it, just an extended arm coming from a small platform in the center. The clock hand is making wide turns repeatedly.

I watch intently as Grayson steps up to the edge of the base and waits for the clock hand to make a full rotation. As soon as it comes around Grayson leaps onto the clock hand and hugs it intensely as the clock hand spins him around to the base ahead.

As soon as the clock hand nears the base, Grayson lets go of the clock hand which sends him flying onto the next base landing hard on his back. He sucks in a breath through clenched teeth and gets up strongly. He goes to continue on to the next level.

It's my turn. That was quick.

My hands tremble slightly because the sight of the spinning clock hand is overwhelming me. What if I jump and completely miss the clock hand and tumble down through the sky? What if I let go too soon and fall off? I bury those feelings deep inside me and urge myself to start. Roy notices my hesitation so he mutters from behind me, "You got this, Taya."

I turn back and force the tips of mouth up to form a thankful smile. I still can't smile properly. My smiles are empty - meaningless. I shake myself out of my thoughts and take a huge breath before taking a leap of faith.

I send myself soaring into the air with my arms outstretched and ready to latch onto the clock hand. Luckily my extended arms and legs wrap around the spinning dial just in time as my torso slams onto the clock hand winding me for a solid six seconds. My chest aches of pain but I force myself to focus.

My stomach drops as I'm flung around nearing the next base. I'm squinting my eyes shut and grasping the sides of the clock hand as my stomach slowly tips and turns over. I open one eye only to see that I'm passing the base already. I gulp anxiously and squint my eyes shut again.  My hair whips around me crazily blinding me for most of the rotation. Although I don't dare lift a hand off the clock hand to move some strands of hair.

Once I see through strands of my hair that I'm nearing the base again, the adrenaline rushing throughout my body gives me the power to yank myself to the right and let go of the sides. My body is shot off the clock hand in one swift move and I'm left sprawled out on the base with blood pumping through my body and a pounding heart like nothing I've felt before.