Underground

34

Estelle
A week later, Nigel has already started training with Annaliesee, given her a haircut, and gotten her clothes.
Now, she looks like she runs a successful blog about feelings. Jane gave her a bob with straight-across bangs, and she wears big circle glasses.
As of right now, I'm curled up in bed, looking at the clock.
Half past one in the morning.
August's arm subconsciously tightens around my waist, his nose poking the nape of my neck.
I hesitantly close my eyes, forcing myself into sleep.

I was back in the labs, but the doors were all open, and everything was dusty.
The unforgettable drone of Jameson still filled the air.
I walk through the mechanical door, looking for the sound.
A scream of pain fills the room.
I twist around. "Luca?"
Nothing is behind me. I twist again and start walking into the experimentation rooms.
Most of them were empty, except two, one with a large, bubbly, water tank, the other's door was closed, light streaming from the bottom of the door.
I reach over to the keypad and type in a series of complex numbers that even I don't know.
Another torturous scream.
The door slides open.
Jameson and Charles were leaned over Luca, performing what Luca called, Shocko Therapy. Which is when they press rods that shoot electricity through them to his arm.
Luca's face was covered with a thin sheen of sweat.
I step forward shoving Jameson, who diminishes to dust. I stroll to Charles and flick him, once again same thing.
Luca springs up, trying to undo the metal strap tying him to the metal chair.
I click the button on the side of the chair which releases him.
He springs up, and pushes his hair out of his face. "Stab me."
"What?" I ask.
He grabs a scalpel from the table, then thrusts it into my hand. "Stab me."
"What the hell Luca?" I ask, grabbing the scalpel.
"If you stab me, I'll die and get out of this tragic nightmare." He explains. "Stab me."
"How selfish can you be?"
"How posh can you sound?" He chuckles at his own joke. "You'll get out too."
"I'm not going to stab you." I say, slamming the medical instrument back to the metal table.
"Stab me before they take you." He says motioning behind me.
I whirl around and see the three agents that took me to the water tank room once before.
"Please, Estelle." He says.
I grab the scalpel again, poising it to go straight into his neck.
Then six arms wrap around some point of my arms.
I scream, and throw the scalpel, which lodges itself into Luca's stomach.
Everything goes dark.

My eyes force themselves open, then I was crying, trying to hold sobs back so I wouldn't wake up August.
I gently push out of August's grasp, which awakens Atlas, who stretches and whines.
I lay there, just inches away from his hand, and just let the tears fall.
Altas walks from the foot of the bed, to right next to my stomach, where he plops down and starts to snore.
Then a pained sob bubbles out of my chest, disturbing the silence. Which causes more to rip themselves out, only muffled by my hands.
"Hey." August's raspy sleepy voice calls out. "What's wrong?"
I can only shake my head, turning away.
His hand finds a place right between my shoulder blades. "Another nightmare?"
I nod, sniffling.
"C'mere." He pulls me down, so that my head was laying on his. chest. "Will you tell me about it?" I bite my lip, trying to calm the erratic mix of sobbing and breathing.
"That's okay." He mutters into my hair, his hand already making a path up and down my back. "Can I tell you about my dream?"
"Sure." I whisper.
"Well, I was a little kid again, post-adoption, but I was at home baking oddly shaped sugar cookies with my mom, I'm pretty sure we made a few dinosaurs, it was pretty bizarre." He says, sofly chuckling.
"I'm sorry I woke you." I whisper. "No, it's okay, don't want you crying on your own." He says.
I look tearfully up at him. "Would've been less embarrassing."
He shakes his head. "Would've been tragic."
"You can go back to sleep if you want." I mutter.
"I'll wait for you." He hums, staring fondly down at me.
So we sit in a comfortable silence until I fall into a dreamless sleep.
I wake up alone in the morning, the sound of coffee brewing flows through the open door.
Atlas is sure to give me many kisses all around my face before I leave the bed.
I walk down the stairs, brushing some of my tangled hair behind my ear.
August stands by the coffee machine, leaned against the counter, scrolling through his phone.
"Hey." I say, leaning against the counter opposite to him.
"Hi." He says, turning off his phone.
"How'd you sleep?" I ask.
"Fine, do you want some coffee?" He asks.
I nod. "French vanilla please."
He nods, getting two mugs from the cabinet, then pouring the coffee and the creamer into them.
"So what's on the agenda for today?" I ask, blissfully sipping my coffee.
"Gotta head into the office and finish up a few chapters, then I'll have to go see Ned, but only for an hour, then I'll come back here to hang out with you."
"That sounds nice, if it's okay with you, Annaliesee will probably spend the day here, just so I'm not too lonely."
"That's alright." He confirms.
Then, someone knocks on the door.
I quirk an eyebrow as we both walk over to the door.
August opens the door.
There stood a boy, no older than fourteen, with curly black hair and the same eyes as August.
"Are you lost?" August asks.
The boy shook his head. "I'm September Kahler."
"Um, okay, do you want me to call your mom?" August asks.
"You're August Jones, right?" He asks.
August nods.
"I'm your brother, nice to meet you."