Gifted

Ch. 2

It's been about a week since I escaped the prison I was in. I got some info from some locals about the prison I was in. Its known as A.R.D. or Astros Research Department. It is a government building made to hold the Astros and 'research' us. In reality it's a prison to hold us until we are ready to be transferred to the N.E.R. I've been managing to avoid the soldiers by staying in back alleys and abandoned buildings, but I doubt I can stay hidden for much longer.
The things I've seen are horrible. There have been multiple occasions where I have seen people get beaten till they pass out or die. I have found children sleeping in alleyways with nothing but tattered cloth they call clothes. I don't know how much more of this I can take, I don't have food so I have to steal or search for some in dumpsters. I am filthy now. My clothes are dirty and my hair is a mess. I need to think of something soon otherwise I might not last to long.

...

I open up my eyes slowly looking around. For a moment I can't remember where I am, but the memories from last night quickly flood into my mind to remind me.

"Oh, yeah." I say stretching.

I was chased by some men last night because I found a scrap of chicken that they wanted. Apparently I was on their turf, so they wanted it back. Of course I refused to give them the chicken, so they chased me and I guess I ended up here.

I stand up looking around again. Where exactly is here?

I start to wonder the alleyways not really knowing where I'm going. I look up at a run down building.

I bet if I could get to the top I could figure out where I wanna go next.

I start to walk around the building looking for a hole or something so that I can get in. I find one, it is small and has wires poking out of the bricks. I'm just barely able to squeeze through the gap, making it through with only a few scratches from the wires. I wince when I get into the building. I look down at my arm and roll up my sleeve.

Shit....

My arm is bleeding where I was cut by the wire.
Well, that sucks.

I look around finding a worn shirt that was left behind in the rubble. I pick it up shaking the dirt off. The ceiling is leaking a bit leaving a small puddle on the floor. I place the shirt in the puddle letting it soak up the small amount of water and place it onto the large cut and make my way to the top.

I'll just have to fix this when I get to the top...

I find some stairs that lead to the 'roof', it's more like half of the top floor collapsed leaving half the room open to the outside world, and sit down leaning against a broken off wall. I gently dab the wet part of the shirt on the cut trying to clean it as much as I can and then take the dry part of the shirt and try to rip the strong cloth. It doesn't work, of course. I look around finding one of the sharp wires sticking out of the broken wall.

Well, that's oddly convenient.

I use the wire to rip the cloth so I can use it as a bandage. I hold my breath carefully wrapping the cloth around my arm and tying it tight so it will hopefully stop the bleeding. I let out a sigh and lean my head back on the wall.

I look over at the street watching a few people go by the building when suddenly I hear a noise below me.

I lean over placing my ear against the ground. I hear muffled voices and feel the thumping of footsteps through the floor.

Someone's here... maybe more than one?

I get up and quietly make my way down the concrete stairs. I hide behind a wall listening closely for the voices. I hear some rubble move.