M3RG3

Chapter 3

"Arista." These were the times where I cursed that my own name started with an A. The tests always started in alphabetical order, which meant that I was always first.

Lyla sent me a sympathetic look as I shoved the door open and entered the simulation room. There was one massive cushioned chair in the center that looked overly posh and comfortable. In the corner, a doctor was busy measuring the amount of serum for my simulation. Overall, the room emitted a cozy aura as a fresh smell of cleanliness spread throughout the room.

"Name please." She muttered, being the only thing in this room that sent chills down my spine. Her tone was far from welcoming and more similar to being hostile.

"Arista."

"Age." She stated monotonously.

"Fifteen."

After a moment of awkward silence, the doctor spun around, looking incredibly bored.

"I will inject you with this serum that contains a transmitter. You will be sent into simulations that reflect your inner personality. This test should take about 15 minutes. Any questions?"

I shook my head.

"Good." She inched closer towards me, her eyes framed by her spectacles. "Your time starts now."

The ache of the syringe made me cringe more than usual. As her glassy eyes blinked back at me, I realized that the dark blue color in them was the only thing that made her remotely interesting.

A sound of whooping and cheering made me swivel around. Christina, my friend in class held me in for a hug, her warm gesture surprising me.

"What's going on?" My voice was muffled into her shirt.

"Don't be stupid." She rolled her eyes. "It's about you, duh!"

"What?" I leaned away, confused.

"Your results. They're legendary." She let out a squeal. "I'm so proud of you!" It was until now that I realized the wad of paper stuck inside of my clenched fist. Slowly, I straightened out the paper to take a proper look at it.

It was true. All my results were 90 percent or above. My mouth instantly gaped open in shock.

"So..." She trailed off. "Want to spread the story to the entire class? Have some bragging rights? I mean, you even had higher points than Lyla. The Lyla!"

The results paper seemed so real. The numbers in it felt so real. Even this Christina standing in front of me felt real. Still, would I do this in real life? Celebrate and party because of an exceptional test result?

"Nah." I shook my head. "I'm good."

"You're missing out." Christina's smile was the last thing I saw before the whole simulation blurred to black.

"You are a witness of this crime. Have you seen this man?" The police gestured towards the slightly battered and greasy image. Somehow, I knew who this man was, yet if I told them his whereabouts, there would be even larger consequences.

"No," I shook my head. "I haven't."

"Are you sure you haven't seen this fine young man?" The Security's voice hardened as he scrutinized me, his eyes penetrating right through my lie.

I swallowed nervously, my fingers fidgeting. Then, I shook my head once and walked away, maintaining a steady pace while balling my quaking hands into fists. The police grabbed my arm, his nails digging into my flesh. I winced in pain, picturing his bloody red crescent nail prints on my arm.

"Little girl, you lie." He snarled, his eyes almost animistic, furious with my dishonest reply.

I whipped my head to break off into a run, but the pressure was instantly gone. Instead, what stood in front of me was a stranger's face. A face that fueled my fury irrationally to the maximum.