Dark Alley

Chapter 23

     It was so early in the morning when Calvin asked me to wake up for his weekly check up on me as his experiment.

     I thought he wasn't that serious of waking me up, so I closed my eyes again and sleep. Exhaustion killed me for some reason; my whole week at school was exhausting. It's been days since I cared about seeing Dean or even Mrs. Dekker and speaking of Mrs. Dekker, thinking of her just makes me give a half of my hate from Calvin to her. I wanted to throw the 'To Kill A Mocking Bird' at her and tell her that I'm already done with it. I don't know but where did I get all this hate?

     I hear Calvin's footstep in my room. He came back to check on me, fully dressed for work, while his experiment is still lying like a pig on his bed. He sees me soaked in sweat and I obviously know my shirt is starting to smell. I should bath.

     "Five minutes," he says quickly ordering me as he leaves, not wanting my explanation. I was asleep. I am tired. He should deal with it.

     "Five minutes?" I asked myself loudly. "How am I supposed to bath in five minutes?" I started looking at the clock hanging on the wall, now I have four minutes and a half.

Rush.

     I jumed out off my bed and started throwing my clothes off the ground. I went to shower and didn't really shower because that'd waste time; instead I poured water on my face and rubbed soap on some parts of my body where it really reeks when it sweats - like my arm pits. After I rinsed myself with water I went back to my room and scavenged some clothes on the closet. I almost silp on the ground when I stepped on the water that must've dripped on the ground when I didn't pat myself with towel.

     I decided to wear a plain olive coloured shirt and a pair of blue skinny jeans. I had a chance to look at the mirror and by the combination of clothes I think I look skinnier.

     I ran downstairs and found Calvin still reading with his paper.

     "Good morning Foster."

     "Good morning Calvin," I say, "I'm done, at exactly five minutes like what you asked."

     "I knew you'd take that seriously," he laughed as he flips the newspaper close with his two hands. He carefully placed it on the table and then took a sip of his coffee. "A little breakfast first before we leave?"

     Calvin taking me back to his lab, to the alley with four white cornered walls. It is terrifying to think, but when we got there my anxiety was already gone - because no matter what happens to me in this world I think this alley will always be the only place that took me and covered me from the world. I admit that I kind of missed the security it was giving me.

     Thought the looks seem threatening. Everything seems so vivid. My deep experience from isolation keeps me from wishing not to get back - but I was not alone inside. Calvin brought five tall men in white robes with him; they seem to look at me for every five seconds then scribble something into their paper they've been carrying. I assume they are studying me then taking some notes. At the middle of the alley is a black leathered seat attached with lots of coloured wires that connects to a computer.

     "Sit Foster," Calvin ordered. He points to the seat on the middle. And so I did. Some men in white started to step forward, assisting me with putting on some straps that connects the computer. Somehow it makes me scared of technology, with all the straps and future transmission of whatever. They can shut me out with this device in one snap of Calvin's finger - but I try to fight it. I try to listen to what they do and hear what they say. To anticipate.

     They stick some wires on my wrist. I can feel it sucking the nerves inside my wrist, making me unable to move. It tickles a bit. I try not to laugh so I calmed myself.

     "Foster you can close your eyes," Calvin suggested. I shook my head.

     "I won't," I say, swallowing my throat through my guts. "Don't make me."

     "Fine," Calvin smirks, "suit yourself." Both his hands rose up high then throws them back quickly to his sides. "Do it as he pleases," he says to the other men.

     I rested my head on the seat. My eyes circles open but my head kept on insisting as if they're teasing me to shut my eyes off.  I know this is not the time to be weak, breathed hard as I examine the people's movement. I look at what they are sticking on me, what they're plugging on, what they're saying, but all in all I couldn't understand everything they do.

     I stare at them, I my eyes seem strained and probably they'd think I look angry. But I'm not. It's just that my nerves hurt so much I could feel my eyes bursting. I screamed, and then Calvin held my cheat tight with his heavy arms. I almost couldn't feel him but I could with his force as if I was just pressing myself on a wall hoping to get through without breaking it.

     "Calm down Foster!" I hear Calvin shouts. I couldn't see him nor the other people around me, all I see is a blurry room with white walls. My eyes are twitching while my hands are shaking, the snaps the attached to me feels like they suck in my insides, even my brain feels airy. I hate this. I hate this fear again. The fear of going back.

They can't let me go back.

     "Foster calm down," Calvin repeats with a calmer tone. "It will lessen the pain." He holds my right hand which he must've noticed shaking the most. Even with the snaps attached are making me dizzy or nearly unconscious, I can still feel Calvin's hand on mine. I couldn't feel the presence of planning for betrayal on him, he was just seriously making me calm down. And I admit it worked a bit, because my eyes lessened from the feel of burning. "Calm down kid." He says - I couldn't see him even the white walls because now all I see is a dimension of pitch black walls when I close my eyes.