Evergreen

XIV

My back was pressed flat against cold hard metal. The room from what I could see was unlike any I had seen before in the city. No longer the well-recognised white but a simple gunmetal grey.

I was Held in place upright. My legs chained to the bottom of the leant metal podium and my arms chained behind me. My head held fixed between two metal blocks either side, pressing harshly into my cheekbones, limiting my vision to just what was in front of me, and that broke my heart.

Behind the glass was Alex. The same conditions as me. Strapped to the metal, imprisoning him. I suppose the caught him too.

'Well now that you're both awake, let the fun begin.' A loudspeaker played.

I made eye contact with Alex. He looked panicked, a state that looked unnatural on his beautiful face. I shouted and shouted until I realised he couldn't hear me. He was on the other side. And the glass was sound proof. I couldn't hear him. Just able to see his mouth form desperate shapes. I continued to scream as the scene unfolded in front of me.

It was as though someone had slammed me in the chest.

I couldn't breathe as Jean continued to narrate what was in front of me. I was still screaming but I couldn't hear it. A man entered Alex' side of the room.

'You see Brianna, you may believe the diseases aren't real, but you are very much mistaken.'

The man brought out a large needle.

'Yes, you thought the cure was the real threat, wait till you see what is next.'

He stuck the needle into Alex' neck. I lost my breath, my screams became silent.

'We have been developing a strain of Hostilia. I told you they were real. You will watch the one you love, hate you. There's nothing you can do. Memories in his brain will be replaced with new ones, an unforgivable deed perhaps. You will be dead to him; now doesn't that sound fun.'

I felt myself go numb, my heart in my throat as tears involuntarily fled from my eyes. I barely threw out the words in between stutters, my throat had constricted so tight.

'You're a monster.'

Jean merely laughed, 'No. He is.'

I watched as Alex' eyes opened again. His restraints were dropped and he fell to the floor. He looked me in the eye. Now black, they'd lost their colour. He didn't look like Alex. He looked like an animal.

The glass was lifted and he went straight for my throat. I choked back tears, as I repeated over and over. 'They're messing with you, I haven't hurt you, I wouldn't hurt you. I love you!' over and over.

His hand still on my throat as I struggled for breath, he moved his face closer. Slowly moving his lips to my ear, he whispered.

'You will pay for what you've done. I don't love you.'

I knew I'd lost Alex at this point.

The doctors ripped him off me at this point, moving him back to his side and the glass was shut. But I didn't care. At least if he had killed me I would have died by his hand.