The Elim Conspiracy

Chapter Three

It feels like it's been hours since the van left the corner shop, and it possibly could have been. My eyes feel heavy, and my body yearns for even a wink of sleep. The people wedged in the back with me had fallen asleep long ago, but the occasional speed bump (I hope) kept me awake. I can't figure out what time it is, since the windows are completely blacked out, but I guess that it's coming up to midnight.

The van comes to an abrupt holt, knocking my body forwards. My head hits the metal door which wakes up the people near me. I scrunch my face in pain, forcing back tears. The door opens hastily, shedding harsh white moonlight into the back of the van, making me flinch. I'm able to catch a glimpse at the people who had been sleeping beside me. Two men, who seemed to be of similar age, I'd guess late 30's.

The man who had kidnapped me pulls me out of the van, holding onto my jacket once more. I grit my teeth, becoming tired of being flung around like a rag doll.

"You're pretty quiet, scruff"

He chuckles gruffly. If I had to guess, I believe I was 'scruff'. I ignore his comment, trying to figure out where he had taken me. There's dense forest surrounding a large square building. I rub my eyes, trying to clear my blurred vision. The building was old and run down, covered in a string of poison ivy. The walls that were one a crisp white were now grey and covered in layers of dried blood, bad graffiti, and god knows what else. I can't figure out where we are, but I recognise the area vaguely. I feel like I've been here before, a long time ago, when things were normal. The men push their way through the glass doors, that were once automatic, as if they owned the place. We enter a large reception filled with tens of people in sleeping bags, and that's when I notice the signs hung above every door.

We were in a hospital.

Adrenaline surges through my body, causing every inch of my skin to tighten. My eyes widen in fear, and my mouth hangs open, but no words come out. I can't catch my breath, I can't breathe, I can't breathe. I hastily yank myself free of the mans grip, falling onto the floor and running as fast as I could out of the building.

Tears stream down my face, and my head is pounding with every step, but I don't stop running. My legs burn and my body aches, but I don't stop running. The men shout loudly behind me, footsteps following closely after me, but I don't stop running. I trip over something hard and collapse into a sobbing heap on a bed of dry leaves, kicking and screaming at the person trying to grab me.

"Leave me alone! Leave me alone!"

"Stop!"

He whispers sternly to me, holding his hand over my mouth. I breathe heavily through my nose, trying to see through tears who was standing over me. My eyes dart across his features in a panicked frenzy. I don't recognise him from the group who had just taken me, or from anywhere else for that matter. My body settles, but not completely.

"I'm not with them"

He says softly, as if he had been reading my thoughts. I settle down, just enough to feel how much pain my body was actually in. I wince, holding on to my burning calves. He moves his hand off of my mouth, wiping it on his tattered joggers. I push myself off of the ground so I'm sitting upright, brushing dry leaves and dirt off of my back.

"Come with me"

Before I can say anything, he holds out his hand. I eye him suspiciously, and then his open palm, and then him again. Shouts from behind us grow louder as the men tread closer, and I knew I had to make a decision. If the men caught me, they'd undoubtedly take me back to the hospital and then who knows what they'd do. But I don't know this boy, and I don't know what he's capable of. I stare up at his face, trying to figure out who's side he's on. He beams back at me, fear and kindness all mixed up into one conflicted expression. He doesn't seem any worse than what I've faced so far. I decide that I have nothing to lose. I reach out my own hand, and grab hold of his as he pulls me to my feet. He keeps my hand locked in his as he leads me deeper into the forest, leaving the voices of the men far behind us.