Telepathy

15.

-Archer's POV-

I woke up from an unexpected sleep with a very stiff neck. I grumbled and let out a quiet ahh at the dull pain as I began to move it around. I exploded into a fit of coughs as a piece of dust found its way down my airway. But my coughs were cut off abruptly as I noticed the tray at my feet.

"Huh?" I leaned forward as much as I could, shuffling closer to the tray and reading the yellow sticky note accompanying the food.

You've been gifted with lemon cake, Archer. I'd enjoy it, you won't get it again.
Also, I'm going to push Dr. Tim's buttons as much as is safe. I seem to be getting info.

The note was signed by some illegible scribble that I assumed was Dr. Ray's signature. I slammed my foot on the note and kicked it back under the chair before pulling the tray closer to me with my foot.

With extreme difficulty I managed to slide my fingerless hand beneath the plate the cake was on, using the raised edge of the tray to help me. I balanced it beside my good hand while using as much movement as was available to take bits of the cake and eat it. At first it was strange on my tongue but it began to grow into one of the most delicious things I'd ever tasted. It didn't beat mum's carrot cake, but considering it wasn't bland cereal or grainy cold porridge it was fantastic.

My mind kept wandering back to the post it. What did she mean by info? What did she mean by pushing his buttons? That man was one intimidating son of a bitch, I wouldn't be trying any of his buttons. But I suppose Dr. Ray knew him longer. And besides, she could read his mind. That made me think; if you read someone's mind, do they know you're reading it? Do they sense that you're reading their mind or something?

These were questions I'd probably never know the answers to personally, and some part of me doubted that Dr. Ray would tell me any of it.

Once the cake was finished with I carefully replaced the plate onto the tray before glancing around the chair. The darkness made me uneasy at times, especially since I'd only once seen the tables and cupboards that lingered behind it. Dusty old things.

My head snapped around at a quiet tap on what sounded like glass. Hope soared through my chest as I waited optimistically for the window to smash and a search team of police to break through and rescue me. But overtime that hope began to fade as nothing happened. It made me remember that this was no fairy tale and I was no damsel in distress. I was beginning to lose hope that I was getting out of here at all.

Some more time passed before the heavy metal door made loud clunk noises and opened, and Dr. Tim's figure appeared in the doorway. But as he approached the chair he seemed a little... off.

He was missing his long white lab coat for starters, but his hair was also messy and his glasses evidentially dirty. He did not speak, he didn't even look at me. He just picked up something from another table, grabbed the tray and left as I strained my mind to the point of a headache trying to see into his head. Just a little bit! Then I could be out of here!

When the door shut again I let out a loud-ish growl that echoed around the basement. The more I thought about my inabilities the more questions that ran through my head. Who even told Dr. Tim about my incapableness to read minds? Mum and I would both hate the publicity, which is why we've never told anyone. My school was told to keep it a secret, and my best friends knew about it but they wouldn't say anything. Especially not to some creepy old dude.

I began to think about it more, thinking about who could possibly have told him about it. I went through lists of everyone who knew, and then lists of those people who might have told Dr. Tim and landed me in this mess. I would definitely have some questions for my entire family and friend circle if I were to get out of here alive.

I growled quietly to myself as the tapping sound ensued, and I tried to strain my eyes through the darkness. This bunker must be huge, because there didn't seem to be any traces of light except the basement lightbulb above my head, illuminating the spot in which I sat. Even the smallest of windows would still have some kind of light, unless we were underground.

I was highly confused now. This was a bunker, meaning it was clearly underground, and that would explain why it was so dark and the ascending stairs that lay beyond the metal door. If that was the case, where was the tapping coming from?

"Hello?" I called out into the darkness, my voice shaking from both fear and fatigue.

The tapping stopped.

"Hello?!" I called a little louder, turning on the ground to try and see into the shadows, a million questions rushing through my head at one time.

Nothing.

I jumped out of my skin as the metal door clanked again and once again Dr. Tim appeared. I watched him closely as he completely dismissed me, walking to the back of the room with a small flashlight. I adjusted my position to try and see what he was doing, but I had difficulty. My eyes widened as I heard him bang his fist on something, then he was gone, pulling the metal door shut and locking it behind him, leaving me in the silence once again.

What the hell?

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DUN DUN! What's gonna happen?
Yes I'm alive, and I'm here. I'm running out of excuses at this point haha.
Thanks for sticking around, I hope y'all are enjoying this.
Until next time,
- Whisper xo