The Haven Project

Chapter 15

The young girl stood to my side and squeezed my hand.  We began to walk towards two chairs that had been set out; they obviously knew this was going happen.  I still could not take my eyes off of Samuel's dead, empty body.  His eyes were like two pools of darkness that could drown you if you looked too long.  We sat down directly across from Sydney; her eyes were full of fear and rage.  If she got free now, I'm positive that no one in this room would live to see another day.

"How are you Bryson?" Dr. Spencer's voice made my indignation towards her well up inside my body.  "Who might you be?" Her gaze shifted to the young girl beside me.  I had saved her life, and she had saved mine, and I didn't even know her name.

"Jenny."  Her bottom lip quavered; she was noticeably afraid of the woman sitting opposite us.

"What do you want?"  I wanted to get right to the point, no more stalling.

"You've put us into quite a predicament, Bryson.  You see, we were mere days away from completing The Haven Project.  The girl you saw, the one that burst into ash, helped us to fit most of the puzzle together.  We finally found a common pattern in your brain stimulus, one that lets us unlock everything up there.  Our last piece of the puzzle is you.  Had you not caused this uprising, we would be implanting in you the gifts we could only dream of.  It would have been quick and painless.  Now, however, we must come to an agreement for your cooperation.  Either you come with us and let us finish what we set out to do, or we kill your friends here and take you anyways.  It's your choice."

Jenny clutched my hand even tighter.  I looked Sydney in the eyes, and a single tear made its way down her cheek.  There were too many guards in the room to fight off, and Dr. Spencer still held a knife to Sydney's throat.  I knew that I would not be able to fight my way out of this one no matter how hard I tried.

"I'll go with you."  Just saying the words put a dark cloud above my head.  Was this really the only way?  "You have to let them go first though."

"Very well."

Benton walked forward from the group of guards and untied Sydney's wrists and legs.  She started to struggle but he grabbed her and held fast.  She wasn't going anywhere.

"Bryson, don't do this.  Please."  I could feel every word piercing my heart like ice.  The emotion in her voice almost brought me to tears, but I couldn't show weakness.  Not now.  I pulled my hand free from Jenny's and she tried to grab it again, but I pulled it away.  She ran to Sydney and wrapped her arms around her, crying softly into her stomach.  This was all to much for a girl her age to go through.  This was too much for anyone to go through.

Two guards stepped up and locked their hands around my wrists.  They led me forward towards a door in the back of the room.  I turned my head over my shoulder one last time and met Sydney's eyes.  I tried to tell her it was going to be ok, that I would find a way to break free and escape this awful place.  I tried to tell her that I loved her, and that nothing could ever break the bond between us, but you can only say so much with one look.

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Running. Constant running. Nothing but the rush of wind as I weave through the never ending forest. Helplessly running from some unknown horror, lurking just beyond my line of sight. The brush is getting thicker; I find it harder and harder to push my way through bushes and branches. All the while, the beast is getting closer. I can hear its earsplitting steps shaking the soft ground. My legs grow weak; I can feel its was breath getting closer, the stench making my eyes water. I trip over a vine protruding from the leaves underfoot. The beast is right over me now; I turn my head to see what death lies before me-

Except there's nothing there.  I spin in circles searching for what was chasing me, but all I see are mirrors.  Mirrors reflecting back at me not my reflection, but the reflection of those closest to me.  I see Sydney, my mom and dad, even little Jenny.  I see Samuel, still sitting as he always was.  I smile, relieved, and try to wave, but my arm will not move.  In fact, my entire body is frozen in place.  I begin to rotate, turning in circles towards each reflection, but they are wrong.  Each person that should be happy to see me wears a look of disappointment  of disgust.  They begin to yell out at me, saying, "You let us down, Bryson.  You failed us."  Their words are bolts of lightning sending shock after shock to my fragile heart.  I can feel it burning within me, crying out from all the hate and misery.  I am at my breaking point; I realize that my spirit is breaking, and I am losing the will to push on.  All my fears and faults weigh me down, pushing me into the soft earth under me.  It swallows me deeper with every bad thought, every statement coming from the mouths of those around me.  Only my head remains above the dirt, but it will not last long.  I take everything in before I go under, knowing I will not resurface.  I finally understand what was chasing me, what would be the cause of my death.  My worst enemy, my darkest nightmare, is me.