A Dreamy Nightmare

I think about my friends and what they’re doing right now. They’re probably at school in math class. I hate math but what I would give to be in that boring class again. Anywhere but this damp prison cell. I was starving because they were right about giving me enough food to survive. I heard the door open and a guard stepped in putting me in handcuffs. He dragged me down the hall to a room with a table and two chairs. He sat me down, his hands firmly planted on my shoulders. A man in a spotless business suit walked in and I guessed he was a government official. Nobody ever sees them unless you were in some deep waters, otherwise you just heard the suburban housewives and the teenagers at school gossip about them. Nobody had names in this town. When you are born you are assigned a feature about you and that’s what you’re called. I of course have a name for I avoided that fate so many years ago. My sisters are Freckle and Red Eye. My friends are Curly, Short Legged, and Pale.

“So it seems your reign of terror has ended.” The man said, taking the seat across from me. 

I jut my chin out at him. “I suppose or maybe it just begun. There is no cure for crazy as you call me.” 

“You are a special kind of crazy. A genius in fact. You avoided us for so long. I’m actually quite impressed. What is your power?” 

“Nothing. I just slipped under the radar. I got lucky.” 

I shiver as he runs a meaty finger down my neck where my tracker is. “Well you’re going to need a lot more than luck to help you now.” He brought out a knife and cut my skin and let the blood trickle into a glass vial. 

“I’ll call medical staff to clean you up. We’re taking this blood for testing. There’s something special about you.”

I open my mouth to speak but I’m dragged away and strapped to a table. I cry out in pain as they disinfect my wound and put a bandaid on it. I want to struggle against my restraints but I just feel numb physically and mentally. I didn’t know doing nothing could be so draining. The doctors walk off leaving me tied to the bed. I weakly pick my head up noticing a guard standing there. He was staring right at me. It’s not like I could run away. I manage with great effort to slip my hands out of the handcuffs. I start to untie myself but the guard runs over to me slapping me hard across the face. I flinch as it stings and I’m sure there’s a handprint on my face. I stare him down and he meets my gaze as he continues to tie me to the bed. How long were they going to leave me here? 

At this moment I wish I had gone pee before they came. I didn’t have time, which is shocking cause all I had was time. 

“I have to pee.” I blurt out. He pulls out a pan and pulls down my pants and underwear and puts it under me. I grimace in disgust however I manage to pee into the pan. I felt exposed and extremely uncomfortable. When I was done he pulled up my pants and underwear. Was this normal for him? How many times has he done this before? His face didn’t alter in the slightest. Sick f**k. He probably enjoyed seeing me half naked. I zoned out thinking about my ways to escape. When the guard comes to get me I could knee him in the balls. I took a self defense class. No, that wouldn’t work. There probably would be a ton of guards around and  I would get ambushed by all of them and then who knows what they’d do to me. Was it even worth the shot? I felt strong arms around me and I felt myself being carried. Whoever was carrying me dumped me down on the cold hard cot and slammed the prison door cell behind me. The bed I was tied down on was more comfortable than this. I felt tears prick my eyes but I wouldn’t dare let them fall. I wouldn’t let them see me cry. I wouldn’t let them have that power. I felt sick. I wanted to puke my guts and brains out. Everything hurts. My vision goes blurry and I hold onto the bed’s chain for support. I passed out on the bed. 

I had a dream that night that I was with my sisters. We were at a picnic laughing and talking without a care in the world. We were eating tiny egg salad sandwiches and drinking cups of herbal tea with a purple flower in each fine china class. My friends were there rolling down luscious green hills getting grass stains all over their clothes. I laughed at their foolishness not wanting to get my pastel blue dress dirty with mud and grass. I smooth out my dress and take out my favorite book, turning to the spot I left off. A summer breeze gently blew my hair but my blue headband held it down. It was gently curled thanks to my oldest sister. Curly was by my side and we lay together under a tall tree. Pale was pushing Short Leg into a lake as he screamed like a little girl. I turn to look over at Curly only to be met with the government official’s ugly face. I jolt up panting and in a cold sweat. Sleeping was going to be difficult.