Resident 35

Party in my Uncle's Creepy Basement

The familiar soreness of traveling through the void took hold of 35 as she could feel weight return to her body. Focus on the primary objective, find the exit. Anticipation and fear consumed 35. Remember, it's only a simulation.

She was going to open her eyes when she picked up on a smell that was foreign to her. To 35, it smelled something like the rotten desserts they serve at lunch, combined with the smell of burning fuel. She could hear coughing and ragged breathing in the distance but didn't think anything of it. Then, 35 heard a wretched scream that traveled through her with a sickening scratch. Immediately she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. 

At first 35 had no idea where she was, but then the word came to her.  Basement, I'm in a basement. She turned to her left and could see sunlight streaming through windows. 35 chuckled, but it ended quickly once she saw what was taking place around her. From what 35 could tell, around six people were in the same predicament as her, but worse. Everyone except her was chained to the wall, bodies bloodied and barely conscious. The girl on the end was bleeding from her ears, nose, and mouth. 35 took a closer look at her and saw that she wasn't breathing. An immediate feeling of dread fell over 35 as she knew who the girl was. She must have been the girl that screamed. 35 heard the sound of shoes shuffling on the ground as a man walked from behind the stairs to face her.

"I know that you must have questions for me 35, but there's no time. We must be on our way."

The strange man took out a knife and cut the zip ties. 35 looked at her wrists and saw that there were dark circles around them. Whenever she moved them there was a slight soreness. Remain focused on the task. Find the exit.

With many complaints from her body, 35 stood up and surveyed the area around her further. It made her feel uneasy. The walls and floors were to clean, while the light shining through the windows seemed too bright. 

"It's called the sun, child." His voice was warm and soft, almost pulling 35 away from her task, but she ignored the comment and continued to investigate the unusual room.

She walked toward the bodies strung up on the wall. At first, they seemed as if they were flesh and blood, the smell still attacking her nose. But, as she continued to stare at the dead, the smell became non-existent, 35 could begin to see slight flickers throughout the bodies. she reached out to touch them. Her hand could feel the heat radiating off their bodies when the man laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It is not your place to interfere with the ones you see. That time will come on a later day." 35 wanted to trust what the man told her, but she felt a connection to these so powerful it almost seemed to pull her towards them. Don't worry, it's only a simulation. The more 35 told that to herself, the less meaningful it became.

With certain slowness, 35 backed away from the beings before her and turned to face the man. His hair was shoulder length, and platinum blonde while his eyes twinkled violet. He wore a black button-up, with camo pants and running shoes. His appearance was foreign to 35, as she had never seen anybody with white hair, or what she somehow knew to be camo pants and running shoes. He was everything that everyone she knew wasn't.

"What are you?" The man chuckled at 35's response. The child is quick to ask. He noted to himself.

"I am Elton. A program the people you know as the Electors made to be in final evaluations. There are other programs like me that handle other final evaluations, but I was programmed specifically for you."

"Why? Surely I could have had some other program be in my final evaluation." Elton sighed.

"Based on the fact that your final evaluation is premature, the Electors felt it necessary to create a new program to make the evaluation equal to the others."

35 felt a pang of annoyance ring throughout her. I'm just as capable as the other 16's. I don't need a simplified program to guide me through my final evaluation.

"This situation does not relate to capability, 35. It is pure regulation. Every 16 that takes the final evaluation before 16 and 5 months must have a program created that will challenge them at an appropriate level."

 A wave of shock traveled through 35. How is he able to read my thoughts? He's just a program. 

" I don't read your thoughts, 35. Your mind projects a signal that I can translate into words. I can only translate a signal that is loud enough for me to hear. I never intrude on your thoughts, I only know the thoughts that are loud enough to hear." 

35 was about to speak when a rumbling sounded from upstairs. 

"Is that supposed to happen?"

Elton was going to respond when the door at the top of the stairs burst open. Three men came walking down the stairs, all the while glaring at Elton. The first man was shorter than the other two, and stocky while the other men were tall and lean. 35 looked over at Elton. A certain calm was in his eyes that startled 35. Elton turned to face 35 and nodded before he walked over to the three men.

"This is a very important time for the girl, gentleman. I suggest that you escort yourselves off of the premises."

The man in the back stepped forward. His appearance was strange to 35. His ears were pierced multiple times, yet he was wearing a suit, and his hair was the color of the morning sky.

"It is not the girl we wish to take with us, Elton. It's you."

Elton stared at the man, with a pain in his eyes that would never go away. The twinkle in his eyes dulled to a dim gloss.

"Josiah, the information they gave to you is false. I never committed the crimes that they say I did. Brother, you have to trust me." For the slightest bit, something changed in Josiah's eyes, but then they returned to normal.

35 was beside herself. She knew none of this was real, but it felt so real to her like she had been through this situation before. It's only a simulation, she told herself. None of this is real. Remain focused on the task at hand, find the exit.

"So those are the kind of lies Elton has been feeding to you. I knew that as soon as we let him go he would do something like this. Minions, retrieve him."

As if the other two men had no control over themselves, they walked over to Elton and seized him. Why isn't he fighting?  Why isn't he trying? I know it's a simulation, but he should still try. Elton looked over at 35 and smirked.

"You have to learn patience, 35." Before 35 could comprehend, both of the men holding him in place were on the ground and Josiah's throat in his hands.

"I don't want to do this to you brother, but you've made it so." With a quick flick of the wrists, Josiah's neck cracked and he fell to the floor.  Elton turned back to face 35, a pleading look in his eyes.

"You need to get out of here, 35. Before more of them arrive. The door at the top of the stairs will take you where you need to go." 

The exit, 35 thought to herself, it's here. Without another word 35 ran up the steps to the door. Before she opened the door 35 turned around to see that Elton and the other men were gone, as well as the bodies on the walls. With pleasure, 35 turned back around and opened the door as she let the void engulf her.