Broken

Chapter 4

I don't remember much about how I got to Earth. I remember looking at my dad for the last time, how utterly devastated he was. I remember the look of pity I recieved from Levi. I don't know if he actually meant it though. Lastly, I remember how nice the guard was being to me. It was like he knew how horrible my punishment was and there was no use being mean to me. At least someone was trying to be nice. Then there was a bright flash, a sharp pain in my stomach, and I was transported to Earth.

I recall studying Earth in school; their strange food, activities, and behavior. It was all very different to what it was like in our city. I did, however, learn which foods were poisonous to us and which weren't. I know basic survival techniques and how do remain hidden from dangerous people.

I take a look at my surroundings. There were lots of trees, bushes, strange plants, and dirt. A ton of dirt. Where was I?

I decide to just start walking and hope to find some sign of civilization. I don't know what type of currency humans use or even where to get money around here. If worst comes to worst, I could just hunt an animal for dinner. Earth animals don't seem that hard to hunt.

I walk for what feels like hours. I knew I probably shouldn't fly because it would cause unwanted attention from other predators. I still haven't found any form of human life yet. Maybe I was just going deeper into the cluster of trees. I really hope I wasn't.

Suddenly, there was a loud twig-snapping sound that came from behind me. I immediately duck down behind a tree. Well, here's my chance to get some food. I listen for sounds of movement and I could tell my prey was getting closer. It sounded quite big so I assumed it was a moose...I think that's what it's called. I take a deep breath. 3...2...1...go!

I spring out from behind the tree, towards my prey, and feel an instant pain in my left shoulder. The feeling was excruciating and I fall to the ground. My vision starts to go blurry. I see people wearing bulky, black clothes and black helmets rushing towards me.

Who are these people? What's going on?

* * * * *

I jolt awake as I hit my head on something hard. I was laying on something cold. Where am I? I rub my eyes and try to sit up only to hit my head on somekind of metal fencing. Wait. I put my hands out to the sides and they touch metal fencing as well.

What's going on?! Why am I in a cage?!

I search for the door and look at the lock. Padlocked. Great, I can't pick that kind.

I feel the ground beneath me vibrating and there was a slightly sway to the left and right. I assumed I was in the back of some sort of vehicle. It was pitch black so I couldn't see a thing. Then the movement stops so I guess we were parked. Oh no, what's going to happen to me now?

Suddenly, bright light floods my vision and I'm forced to squint. I make out vague shapes of two people walking towards me. In that instant, I decided I was going to act innocent and weak so I could suprise attack them later.

I pull my knees to my chest and tuck my wings tightly behind me. The two guys stand next to my cage and cover the entire thing in a black blanket so I couldn't see a thing. Then they lift me up and start to walk out of the vehicle.

They didn't say anything to each other. The only noise was their shoes against, what sounded like, concrete. We stop momentarily and I hear a door open. So I guess we were going in some sort of building. We make a bunch of turns before I'm finally set down. I could hear a bunch of people talking now. I coudn't make out a specific conversation but I guessed there were at least ten people in the room.

The talking dies down as the blanket is removed from over my cage. People wearing white coats crowded around the table I was resting on. This can't be happening! No, no, no, I don't belong here!

"How old is she?"

"Who knows? My guess would be about fourteen."

"Old enough to be experimented on?"

"Definitely."

"Excellent."

Fourteen? Seriously? I know we don't age as fast on Earth but really? An eighteen-year-old should not look fourteen. And I'm getting experimented on? This can't be good. Now's the time to act scared.

I look around frantically at all the people and hug my knees closer to me. I dig my fingernails into my leg as hard as I could to force tears to form in my eyes.

"Okay everyone, back up! You're scaring the poor girl." A man's voice says from behind the group of people surrounding me.

The people back up and a man in his early twenties steps up to my cage. He had black hair, brown eyes, and wore a white coat like everyone else. Although, in his hand, he held a clipboard in his left hand.

"Hello, my dear. My name is Dr. Evans." The man says.

I don't give him direct eye contact. It shows weakness if you don't look at someone directly.

"I know you must be very confused and scared but you don't have anything to be afraid of. We aren't going to hurt you. Can you tell us your name?"

I hesitate. Giving them my name won't hurt, right? "Kara." I quietly say.

Dr. Evans writes that down on the clipboard. "Kara...that's a very pretty name."

I don't say anything back. Minimal talking shows that you're scared.

"So Kara, can you tell us how you got here?"

"You took me."

He gives me a look of sympathy. "Yes, I'm sorry about that. I meant can you tell us how you got to Earth?"

I shake my head.

"You don't know or you don't want to tell us?"

"Don't know."

It was the truth. I didn't really know how I got to Earth. Dr. Evans writes that down on his clipboard too.

"Why am I hear?" I ask shyly.

He pauses to think about his answer. "Well since you're not from Earth, we don't know if you could potentially be harmful. You understand that, right?"

I nod slowly.

"So we're just going to do a couple experiments to see how you behave and if we agree we are not a threat, we will release you."

I didn't believe him for a second. I obviously knew he was lying.

Going along with his story, I ask, "So if I pass your test, I can leave?"

He smiles. "That's right."

I could see right through his lie and that fake smile he was giving me. They were never going to let me leave this place.

"So now that you know what's going on and who we are, I want to let you out of this cage. I want to see if we can trust you." Dr. Evans continues.

"But who are those people?" I ask and point to everyone else who was staring at me.

"They're just here to help me do my studies. Nothing to be afraid of."

Liar. They looked like they wanted nothing more than to cut me open and dissect me.

"So would you like to come out of you cage now?" He asks again.

I nod. He pulls out a set of keys from his pocket and unlocks the cage door. I crawl out and stand up. I keep my wings tucked tight behind my back though.

"The nice guard here is going to show you your temporary room until we finish our testing." The doctor explains and gestures to a guard standing behind me. He looked anything but nice.

Against my better judgement, I go with the guard and he leads me through the building until we reach a normal grey door. He unlocks it with his own set of keys and we walk down a set of stairs.

We reach the ground floor to reveal hundreds of cells arranged like a prison. Actually, this was a prison. A prison that was going to be impossible to escape.