Angel Of Clinia

13. The Factory

"We'll make do." Devin sets down his revolver, and his sister does the same. "What is this place?" The Burrville singer asks. "It's an old placement factory." I say, looking up and around. "What's that?" She asks. "You either get your wings or horns, based on your deeds and personality." I yell her, setting down the blanket I'd made and carried for way too long. "Why?" She asks, grossed out and confused. "I don't know. That's just what happens. Just because I live here doesn't mean I know why they do things." I shrug.

Taylor lays down on a smooth rock. I lay down on the conveyor belt. All the sudden it began to move. "Not something again, we just got chased by a mob!" I whine, as I'm being whisked away. The conveyor belt moves at a medium speed, but then chains and cuffs come flying from the sides and pin me down. "Uh, guys?!" I howl. Devin, Stephanie, and Ellie finally look over. "Oh gosh! What do we do?" Stephanie asks, freaking out as she watches me glide away. Taylor had yet to pay attention.

A semi circle hole in the wall opened up, and I'm taken through. The others now unable to reach me, I'm terrified as I see a bunch of robots. I know what this is. It's one of the factories the government had attempted to make so that robots would perform the surgery instead of people. I scream and yell and struggle. Nothing is working. No anesthesia or anything, and I'm about to have surgery performed on me!

The robot arm swings down with a large knife, and it marks up to my back when it flips me over. It slices into my shoulder blade. I scream in agony. The others still yelling for me in the distance, I cry in terror.

I pass out, unaware of what happened until I wake up.

"Mar?"

I blink, my vision still blurry.

I go back out.

"Mar?"

I can hear but it echoes.

"Mar!" It's all clear. I open my eyes and my breathing speeds up. I look behind me. "Ah!" I yell. Two tall white wings were stitched onto my back. I try to move them, and they flap lightly, still sore and fresh. "Ow..." I painfully groan.

Taylor had been the one calling my name. Seems she was finally aware. The group of three I barely trusted now knew my name. Well, my nickname.

"Are you alright?" She asks sorrily. "No, but yes." I try to laugh.

"People go through with that?" Devin makes a distorted face. "This was a never approved idea. Normally they have real surgeons perform it and it's more medically professional. This was attempted years ago to have robots perform the surgery instead so it would be quicker and more beneficial." I explain as I sit up.

"Here, have some water and berries." Ellie hands them to me. "Is it safe?" I ask.

"Yeah, I inspected them." Taylor says, sitting down beside me. "The water too?" "Yup, from a local spring we found while you were passed out."

I now had wings. I felt refreshed after eating and drinking. I assumed that the others had already had some. I gobbled it down like a maniac.

"I miss Jenny." I didn't mean to say it out loud. "Me too." Taylor joins in. "Who's that?" The others ask. "Our friend. She was kidnapped and cloned, that's when they took Emara, my other friend." I say. It felt weird calling Emara my friend, but I was happy I did.

I would see her again one day, I know it.

We all fell asleep after an eventful day.

"Stay close everyone." Taylor snuggles in because she has the shortest end of the blanket. It was uncomfortable to sleep with Devin, Ellie, and Stephanie. I just hope they won't ditch us, as much as they get on my nerves. We need all the help we can get.

I wake up, still in the factory, thankfully it hasn't collapsed. Stephanie was already up and walking. "I want wings." She looked at me when she saw I was awake. "You may want the product, but not the process." I tell her, laughing quietly to prevent waking the others. "Could I try?" She asked hopefully. "I doubt it. It's meant for the citizens of Clinia. I don't know if it'll work for you."

"I have a secret..." she looks at me sadly. "What?" I stand up and go towards her.

"I'm not from Burrville. I'm from Clinia." I back away from her. That was typical clone behavior. To say something you wouldn't tell someone. Although something told me she wasn't a clone, and that she was genuine.

"I'll trust you, but you have to go through the machine." I tell her. She nervously fidgets with her fingers, cracking her knuckles. A good sigh. She takes a deep breath in. "Okay." She lets it out.

"I'll tell the others if they wonder why there is screaming." I realize how awful that sentence is. She gets ready, but I stop her. "You really don't have to, you've proven you aren't a clone."

"I want to do this." She looks at me directly in the eyes.

I nod, and wish her luck.

Onward she goes, I hear the machines whir and grind away.

I don't hear a scream, but a muffled yell.

Then, she was delivered.

Oh no.