ILLEGAL

Chapter 6

We were in a huge room that looked like a high school gym, wooden boards as the floor and all over the place. There were trampolines here and there, and big mats that felt like a humongous pillow. Several lab stations were set up in the corner, out of the way. The vast room was entirely empty. It was the testing room, made for crazy inventions and dangerous chemicals to be tried out so that no one would be injured. Most of the time.

Chelsea and I walked into the room, her heels making little noises that echoed, and my combat boots silent. She carried the box of air shoes(which is what she decided to call them). I was weary of the situation. I didn't really want to do this, but if I'm going to die, why not have a hell of a ride into death?

Chelsea handed me one and said,"This is the most powerful. I'm just gonna see how much force we need to lift up a person of your size. By the way, how much do you weigh?"

I shrugged with the band in my hand."I don't know, probably somewhere around one-twenty?" She nodded and scribbled something on her clipboard.

I slipped them on, right about where the middle was on the sides of the shoe. I observed what it looked like."So, how does it work?" I asked.

Chelsea smiled, and for the first time today I realized she had dark bags under her eyes."Well, I was up all night making these things. I thought why not make them voice activated? So all you have to do is say,'on'. It's that simple."

I nodded and started to say 'on' and Chelsea stopped me."Uh, stand on the mat, please. It would probably help the product sell more if it didn't have 'unsuspected death from falling' on the warning label."

I rolled my eyes, but stepped backwards on to the giant marshmallow anyways. I gave her a thumbs up to signify 'can I finally test your damn product?'. She nodded.

I took a deep breath. "On."

Nothing happened.

Chelsea looked slightly worried."Um, maybe try saying it louder?"

I bit my lip, preparing myself for my future grave. "On."I said, nearly shouting. My voice danced across the room and bounced off the walls. But there was no sound of activation.

"On. On. On. On! On! On! On!" By now I was getting mad, stomping my feet.

Chelsea bit her lip."Be careful, Cole!"

"On! Oh my god, these damn things won't turn on! What the hell, turn on already!"

I was suddenly shot back against the wall. I somersaulted forward, my feet whisking me away and to the other side of the room. The world was a blur, until it halted as I crunched against the hard wall. I slid up since that was the direction my feet were going, and I was pressed against the ceiling, going as fast as a race car.

My head banged back and forth as it hit pipes and boards and anything in my way. I was heading toward the lab tables, I screamed and covered my head as I sailed into them. Like dominoes, I hit the first one and then that proceeded to knock down the next and the next and the next. Glass vials and tubes shattered everywhere.

I was flung against the other wall, my back in the shape of a 'U'. I hit the wall and it flattened me so I became more like a lowercase 'L'. I tried to control it, but every attempt that I made didn't work. As I flew, I tried to sit in a pike, but all it did was uncomfortably shoot me against one more wall.

I strained to stand straight and just levitate, but it would just rocket me into the ceiling. I tried to look at Chelsea, who was watching me fly around like a ping-pong ball. She noticed that all of the injuries I was sustaining weren't life-threatening, and she had her hand over mouth trying not to giggle. I flipped her off as I went from one wall to another.