Are We Human?

Chapter 8

My plan began the very next day when one of the sloppy cooks called dinner. I was in my room when a guard spread the news down my hall (even though I could hear that old hag perfectly clear), writing everything down in an attempt to fully remember the plan and this place. If I was going to escape the only home I've ever known, I wanted to at least hold a memory of it, even if some of them are too dreadful to even recall.

"Up and at it, Kips! Dinner time!" My afternoon training session left my legs aching, but I fought against the screaming muscles to stand. I quickly located the abandoned keys that I checked on quite frequently, even though I didn't really need to since no one was going to steal them or anything, before I made my way out the door at the guard's command, notebook clutched tightly in my left hand. I didn't know if I was applying pressure to the helpless object out of nerves or in fear of losing it, but either way my knuckles were white and there were small crevices indented into the front and cover from my powerful fingertips.

I rushed out of the dorm building and headed off towards the guard room. A couple of clones were also walking out of the area in almost a huddle, so I joined their group to avoid any curious guards that may have been watching. I walked in time with their steps and thanked them silently in my mind for not chattering amongst themselves too often, but instead held heavy frown lines and tired eyes on their aged faces. I could blend in just fine.

When we finally got to a point where the guard's room was in sight, I quietly excused myself to the bathroom and walked steadily over to it. My heart was racing and my mind was stumbling from how quickly it was moving, but I couldn't let it show. A guy typically isn't that anxious just because he needed to take a leak.

With a final, and hopefully discrete, look around me I pushed my way into the guard's room. The door was surprisingly quiet for its heavy weight and frame of metal, so I brought myself inside quickly. The moment I was actually inside, I pressed my back up against the door and held my breath. My hands were planted firmly on the cool steel behind me, shaking vigorously and slightly sweating. After waiting a few seconds in silence and not hearing anything peculiar coming from the outside, I let out a breath of relief and stepped away from the door.

The inside was the nicest room I had ever seen. It was surprisingly spacious and clean, unlike everywhere else in the camp. There was a small card table in the dead center of the room with four padded chairs surrounding it. The two walls to my left and right were lined with large lockers, painted near grey and holding not even a speck of dirt on their doors. Each metal plate held a golden plaque, the first and last name of their owner inscribed into it. Farther into the room I could see three doors, two wide open and one shut. One held a bathroom looking place with a line of secluded showers. The other held a stove, fridge, and microwave, all looking completely brand new. I growled at their ridiculous fortune before getting back to the task at hand.

I put my hand underneath each locker's knob and pulled up, attempting to open them. I did this for five lockers down the right side of the room before letting out a sigh of frustration at the locks. I kicked the sixth one harshly and swore under my breath slightly after failing yet again. I glared at the seventh with pure hatred before placing my fingers gently under the knob. I let my eyes close and my breathing pause for a few seconds before opening it. The door popped open with a satisfying click and I grinned at my final success.

With new access to the gear inside, I let my hands explore the contents of the metal cage. On the shelf at the top of the locker was a hat that all the guards wore when patrolling, a flashlight, a taser, a small pocket knife, and a gun. The tiny blue hooks that dangled from beneath the shelf held an extra blue button up, a short sleeved shirt, a black guard jacket, and a thin brown fleece jumper. At the bottom, there stood a large rat with a lump of some kind of treat in its tiny fingers. After shooing it away, I found a crumpled pair of black dress pants and many pairs of disgustingly old socks. I gagged on the stench of the contents before grabbing what I knew was essential and shutting the locker completely.

I quickly stripped and threw on the slightly smelly pants and a bit oversized shirt. I had to roll down the waist of the pants twice for them to actually rest on my hips. I put the flashlight under the waistband and the small pocket knife in the left pocket, just in case. I placed my little notebook into my right pocket and tapped it twice, feeling it through the fabric.

I had the hat in my hands, my head bent forward and prepared for the fabric to meet my head of hair when I heard hushed whispers and loud, angry footsteps coming steadily towards the door from the outside. My mind froze, along with my body. All I could think to do was utter a single word.

"Shit."

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A/N

Sorry this is like a whole week late and total crap, but last week was my first day of school and everything's been much more chaotic lately. I'll work on publishing on time, but don't expect it.