Forever Young

Sleep Tight, Swift

My breath is caught in my throat as I attempt to think of a way out. Literally, nothing comes to mind!

I cleaned, sanitized, and organized every inch of this place, yet I can not find an alternative exit.

A distant clatter can be heard from near by and my worried eyes look in all directions for a temporary hiding place. My eyes catch the receptionist desk and I spend no extra time contemplating any other options.

Sliding under the desk, I take a couple of deep breaths, which didn't have any effect on me, whatsoever. No matter how hard I try to cover up my fear, it is still there, lurking in the deepest, darkest shadows in my mind.

"They're not in here!" I hear a woman shout, anger laced in her voice.

"We lost them," another barks.

"Calm down, they are in here somewhere. The gates are closed. There is no escaping nor entering," the man's voice echoes through out the spacious lobby.

"You knew they would escape, Matthew!" a voice that sounds so familiar to me, sneers.

"I have not the slightest flicker, sir," Matthew says, his proper and odd way of wording sentences always has been annoying to me. "Miss Swift, knew this building quite well, considering she cleaned it everyday."

Something by the way Matthew talked, I could tell he was sending me some sort of code, indirectly to me.

"Miss Swift is a clever girl. She always had a thing for being in control," he says the final word with full emphasis. "She is probably leading the boy, Ed, through a hallway, somewhere in this building."

He was definitely trying to tell me something, but what?

Then, something inside my brain, sparks. My brain flashes back to my first day of work at this place.

"What's down that hallway?" I ask, pointing to the dark, narrow hallway beside of the central control room.

"Don't ever step foot into that hallway! Do you understand?" I rapidly nod my head. "Good. Follow me, and I will show you your lab station."

He's giving the location of an escape, which was genius, might I add.

I crawl, mouse like, across the floor towards the control room, where my possible escape awaits.

"Great idea, Matthew! Spread out! We won't rest until that girl is in custody," the boss yells.

That commandment was enough to give me a stroke.

"Bring her back to me, alive," he says.

I quickly crawl back underneath the receptionist desk, having no other choice.

"What are you doing?" someone whispers to me from the other side of the receptionist desk. "You are supposed to be gone by now."

I know exactly who is whispering to me.

"I got side tracked," I whisper back.

"Follow my lead."

"What? Are you craz--"

He yanks me by the arm, pulling me up from underneath the desk.

"I found her!" he exclaims. "It looks like her friend, left her for dead."

Everybody in the room stares in our direction. I glare at him, hard, burning two holes in his skull. He squeezes my arm for assurance. How could he possible think I could trust him? He is basically throwing me under the bus for his own good.

"Brilliant work! How did you manage to pick up the trash?"

"Excuse me," I hiss at the boss, making his way over to us.

"Attention, everybody!" he says, completely ignoring my existence. "Unfortunately, the gates won't open until morning, but you may stay in your own office or the lobby, if you wish."

The boss walks towards the control room direction and Dr. Evans and I follow.

Dr. Evans, every now and again, pulls hard on my arm, leaving a visible, red handprint.

"Watch it," I say, petting my aching arm, but he pulls harder. His sudden mood changes confuse me. One second, he is all for my safety, and the next, he is leaving bruises on my arm.

We end up walking into the control room. I'm carelessly tossed on the floor almost as if I'm nothing more than a piece of trash.

"I never properly introduced myself. My name is Charles. I'm in charge of this science center."

"Well, Charles, it would be lovely if you would release me."

He laughs bitterly, loud enough to make somebody turn deaf. "And why would I do that?" He walks over to Matthew and whispers something in his ear. Matthew nods a leaves the room, which means I'm alone... with him. "After years of trying to find you, why would I throw that all away!"

"Finding me? Aren't you going to turn me in?"

He laughs even harder this time, causing my whole entire body to shake.

"You're the last one immune to the elixir, which means when you die, so does the human race."

I'm not liking where this conversation is headed to.

"That's not necessary true. People will still exist regardless of no reproduction, considering that everybody, but me, will live forever."

"Look, the government isn't happy. They don't like the side affects of the youth elixir."

"They shouldn't have forced it upon people!" I argue.

"Let me finish!" he screams, then regret splashes over his face. "Please."

I lightly nod, then he continues, "the government will stop funding us, if we don't find a solution soon. And that's when you and your friend come into the picture."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Your friend, Ed, is a hybrid."

"A what?"

"A hybrid. He in a state in which he is half immune and half affected by the elixir. If we can make him immune, then--"

"Why are his organs failing if he has the affects of the elixir?" I interrupted.

"I don't know the answer to that. We think it might be the way the elixir was injected. Maybe he had something in his system before he was given the elixir; those are some theories."

I nod slowly, digesting everything he told me. However, before I could think any further the door flings open, revealing a betrayer; Dr. Evans. A man I once trusted, but soon tore that trust apart, until there was nothing let of it. At this point, I honestly like Charles better, but not by much.

"If you don't mind, I would like to escort, Miss Swift, to her bedroom."

Bedroom? I was and still am confused by this. Why a bedroom? Why not a prison cell?

"I thought I was a prisoner, not a house guest."

Charles laughs, which makes me sort of angry. Nothing I said was funny. I usually don't care if I make someone laugh, but when it comes to him, I don't want to make him smile in the slightest.

"You're both. I'll explain what we are doing to you, tomorrow. Sleep tight, Swift," he smirks, sending me off to my bedroom of despair.