The Program [Book Two of The Test]

Chapter Fourteen

The Program

Chapter Fourteen

This time, instead of having a dream of touching the memory wipe tree and watching more come up, forming a harsh pain to my head as memories left, and eventually running toward a hole that would lead me to the test, I just woke up in it. And I was next to the memory wipe tree, memories still intact. 

But just like the first time, I was weak and wobbly as I forced myself to stand, taking in the view around me. It looked the same, trees everywhere and I could make out the lake in the distance. Except it all had a dead look to it. And the shacks were gone, making me also come to terms with the fact that this time Reid might also take away the advantage of materials. 

With my head feeling like it shattered into a million pieces, I tried to keep my balance, keeping myself up the only way I knew how; by not falling. And that's when I noticed two things.

One, my mark was back. The pixels running over each other in a beautiful fashion, placed on my flesh in pale rainbow colors.

And the second thing, I was alone.

I knew it was coming, after all, this fight was against me and Reid, not anyone else. But he had still hurt other kids, driving them to suicide, during this fight. Maybe to send me a message, maybe just for fun.

Whether I was prepared for it or not though, didn't matter. I was totally alone, much unlike the first test where one hundred and forty nine other teens woke up here with me.

It was actually kind of peaceful in a way, being here, being the only one here in what I knew would become a place of torture. I was planning on it even. But it was nice to know it would only be me undergoing it.

Not Annie, or Danny and Caleb. Neither John nor Jack, not anyone I care about.

And that includes Luke. Even if he's now dead, i'm glad that if he were alive, he wouldn't have to take part in this again. Because even though I am, no one should ever have to be sent to this prison again.

We shouldn't have been sent the first time.

But the silence and peaceful thoughts soon left me, watching as pixally lights from every inch of the test neared me, bright and vibrant and possibly still meaning the same thing it did the last time I was here.

Someone was entering the test.

My first guess was Reid maybe. Or perhaps he somehow made Natalie, or it might be Henry or Martha.

Needless to say, I was shocked to find it was none of them. Instead seeing a girl shorter than me, with that familiar black hair and strangely a not so evil smile across her face that I had seen the last time I saw her, the time I had shut down the test.

"Riley?" I asked, slightly confused and scared at the same time. Mainly because I knew that Reid could barely hurt me in the test, what with my ability to disrupt what he sent my way. But Riley, she was programmed to disrupt as far as I know. Making her only weakness being made from codes, but still able to hurt me. Like she had before. Computer program or not, I had to admit she would be tough competition.