Transformation

Chapter 3

Emily awakened with a minor headache in the main room of her living quarters. The power was still out and she was one of the first to regain consciousness due to her prep work. She swiftly rose to her feet and rushed over to her bedroom. She pulled sheets from the closet and tucked them underneath the covers to give the false impression that she was in bed sleeping. Any moment now, the employees of this facility would be waking up and checking their prisoners in a panic to ensure that no one had escaped. Almost everyone remained unconscious but the post-transformation protocols specifically outlined the necessity of this check. Emily strode over to bathroom and hid behind the door. Peering through the crack, she had a perfect view of the front portion of the main room.

Emily could hear frantic activity nearby and tensed with anticipation. She would either escape now or die within several days at the hands of security operatives under the strict initiation of the post-transformation protocols. The front door burst open and two men rushed inside. One was medium set with brown hair and blue eyes while the other was short with cruel blue eyes, a stubby nose, and an intense frown on his face. They both wore black shirts and khaki pants. Just as Emily had previously foreseen, they quickly scanned the room for her. They glanced first at the seemingly empty bathroom before honing in on the bedroom where she’d intentionally left the door closed.

“Are you awake in there?” the shorter man asked.

When she failed to respond, they scooted forward. The shorter man hung back with his stun gun held at the ready and nodded at the other man to proceed. Both of them now had their backs to her so Emily slipped out of the bathroom and out the front door. Her telepathy was stronger now although only at level four strength. The improvement was enough to allow her to sense that both men were focused on her huddled form under the sheets of the bed. Emily raced down the hall that she had preplanned on her travel path. Virtually no one was awake so it was unlikely she’d happen upon any staff here. She located one of the uniform rooms which was kept unlocked. Emily slipped inside and changed into a security operative uniform.  Unfortunately, name tags and stun guns were locked away in a secure location. She would only fool those who didn’t examine her too closely. Hopefully, she would avoid encounters with any of the staff.

Emily traversed down the hallway and made a beeline for the stairs. She opened her telepathic awareness so she would sense anyone nearby before they could spot her. Emily dashed down the stairs and managed to make quite a bit of progress before she became aware of a couple of security operatives heading for the door below. They were intending to travel up the stairs but she couldn’t tell how far. Emily went up to the next door and slipped into the empty hallway. They clambered up the stairs at an agonizingly slow pace. Emily wished they’d hurry up. She retreated to a bend in the hallway in case they came through here. Fortunately, they didn’t. She waited until they were a flight above her then quietly slipped back to the stairway and stealthily scrambled down them toward the second floor. Emily silently congratulated herself upon making it safely to her destination. She reached out with her mind for any presence before emerging in the hallway.

She had only gotten halfway to her target when she sensed a staff member in one of the rooms getting ready to leave. She couldn’t determine the identity of the individual so she rushed past the door right before it opened. She was too far to reach a bend and duck out of sight so she slowed her pace to a brisk walk. Hopefully, if it was someone who had worked with her, they wouldn’t recognize her from behind. Emily’s stomach clenched with anxiety and cold shivers danced at the back of her neck. She carefully sensed the presence behind her who happened to be walking in the same direction that she did. She could tell that it was a male and he hadn’t recognized her but was paying a moderate amount of attention. The man wasn’t suspicious yet but wondering about her. Emily loosened her gait so she wouldn’t look tense. It was imperative that she give the appearance of being a fellow staff member.