Storm-Boi

Chapter 6 - Exhibition

Chapter 6

Exhibition

It turns out all they wanted to do was make us look presentable. Apparently we’re not. In any case, the woman who attacked me was holding something called a hairbrush. Apparently everyone uses them, not that I would know that. 

The woman looks even more freakish than the purple lady did. According to her badge her name is Jaz and she is a Design Consultant, whatever that means. Anyway, Jaz had green hair. That’s right, green hair. The colour of moss, and not nearly as pretty as Holly’s. It was also in the shape of a beehive, and paired with green stuff on her lips and eyes, it looked hideous. I have no idea about fashion in the city right now, I had no idea even what fashion was up until a few minutes ago, but I’m sure that is not fashionable. How can it be?

All Jaz seemed to do was brush my hair, and it bloody hurt. What she was doing felt like she was pulling the hairs from my head. It is now officially free from tangles though, which is kind of a relief because I was sick of it being so hard to control all the time. She tied it back in a ponytail, so I know the silver parts of my hair are showing. She also made me wash my face. That’s all. Apparently washing your face makes you look better, but I washed it this morning, so I don’t know what all the fuss is about. The only thing different was the amount of stuff she made me wash it with.

Throughout this entire ordeal she was chatting at top speed with the man on our left, who had hair that was the same shade of the sky. He was also styling Crow, who looked at me like he was terrified. I just think he didn’t want the same hair as his Design Consultant.

Jaz was a fast talker, and truly terrifying. Especially with her hair.

I’m just glad she didn’t attack me with the stuff she put on her lips. Then I most definitely would have looked like a freak.

When we look ‘presentable,’ we are shoved into the next room by the Design Consultants, who wave goodbye to us, weird people. This room is a lot darker. Waiting here are eight guards, who also seem to have been assigned to us, meaning each of them grabs us. The guard who grabs me pulls a tag from a box on a stool by the corner as we go past. He pins it to my slim suit, and it lights up. I peer down at it and attempt to read it upside down. 

‘Storm-BOI - Subject no. H03’

‘Status - Sold’

It was an identification badge. 

The guard shoves me towards the centre of the room. I hadn’t noticed before now but there are eight glass tubes. One for each of us.

I am shoved in one from the far left. The guard unlocks my cuffs from behind and slips them off. I rub my wrists, which are raw from being in cuffs so many times, both in my pod and at other times. They are red, now, a mark of my imprisonment in the labs. While I am doing this, I can hear the glass opening behind me slide shut.

That’s when the panic sets in. 

I hate small spaces, I can’t stand not being in the open, where I have room to move around. It’s not as bad in the cages, because I can reach my hands through the bars, but glass cages I cannot stand. I feel like the walls are closing in on me and I cant breathe.

The open air is my home, and I do not like feeling confined. I can feel the fear pressing down on me and I try to calm myself, reminding myself that I am going to escape and never have to go through this again.

My breathing slows and I look around. On my right, the others are being placed in the tubes too. Directly beside me, Mondi is looking at me concernedly. Great! She saw my little panic attack. I smile at her, letting her know that I’m okay, and she smiles back sweetly.