Practice Writing A-7: Infected Moments

Writing Practice(s): File A-7 Date Published: 2:10, 25 March 2013 (Minnesota Time) Category: Comedy/Humor/Drama Title: Infected Moments

Writing Practice(s): File A-7

Category: Comedy/Humor/Drama

Title: Infected Moments

 

      “Oh gross!”

“Tony that’s disgusting!”

      “Why would you even do that?”

      “I think I’m going to be sick,”

      “Oh come ‘on Nichelle, it’s not that bad,”

      “And that’s supposed to reassure me? This is coming from the guy that used to live in a sewer,”

      “Your living conditions weren’t much better,”

      “At least they were clean,” retorted Nichelle to her incessant mouthing-off cousin. Serpent smiled, showing off his enormous white snake fangs. Nichelle rolled her eyes and pushed her long dark bristre bangs out her face. Anyone would have freaked out if they saw someone with fangs like Serpent’s, but around here it’s fairly normal. Everyone’s used to Serpent’s fangs and scales and forked tongue, just like they’re used to Wolf’s canine-like behavior or my silver eyes.

You see, almost everyone here has these types of “toxins” in our bodies, but instead of making us sick or killing us it enhances our bodies. For example Volt has the Electrosis toxin which enables him to charge up electromagnetic pulses through his skin, or with Sparrow and his Shadieus toxin which allows him to change the pigments in his skin to mimic the light waves of his surrounding, a bit like active camouflage. The only real problem with our toxins is that they kill most people they infect. Each toxin works through the body in a different way, so some toxins are easier to survive and less painful than others, but in general if you get infected with one of them say your prayers, you might not survive the next few minutes of your life.

“OK Tony, you’ve made your point you win the round, just please stop it,” I pleaded calmly; though I’m sure everyone caught the urgent note in my tone.

The preteen shrugged and smiled. “OK, hey Sparrow can you pass me that towel?”

“Gladly,” replied a thin teenager with a dark tone and threw the green towel to Tony.

      OK, so we’re playing this game called “truth or dare” and Tony was dared to lick nacho cheese off his feet . . . apparently it was no big deal to him and he happily obliged. Now after only five minutes of watching it everyone’s feeling a little sick to their stomachs, including myself.

      Tony wiped his feet and smiled triumphantly. “You guys, if you’re gonna give a dare at least issue off a good one,”

      Zeene ducked his head slightly. “I thought it was a good dare...”

      “No kidding,” agreed Volt, a pale teenager with long blond hair that reach down below his waist.

      Nichelle elbowed Serpent. “Still think your little brother doesn’t have a problem?” she asked and pointed her thumb at Tony.

      Serpent shook his head and smiled in the way only he could. “Nah, he’s just bein’ a boy and provin’ he ain’t no chicken,”

      I don’t know, I’d have to agree with Nichelle. Who tracks through ankle deep mud, doesn’t bathe for three days, and goes and licks melted cheese off his feet?

      I sighed. “Serpent, that was by far some of the worst grammar I have ever heard,”

      He shrugged. “So?”

      I just stared at him. “So? So you’re using the English language incorrectly,”

      “And that’s a bad thing?”

      “It’s not necessarily a good thing-“Serpent held out his hand to cut him off.

      “Is it illegal?”

      “Well no, but-“

      “Did you understand what I said?”

      “Yes, but-“

      “Then I really don’t care Silver Eye,” he leaned back into the couch cushions and took a swig of his root beer. We wouldn’t let him buy beer or anything else alcoholic mainly because Tony has a tendency to follow closely in his big brother’s footsteps. Plus we’re trying to help him become more legitimate and clean since just a couple of weeks ago I found out he had pick-pocketing people and had been stealing money from Cody. I suppose it’s not really his fault, he spent a third of his life living in the sewers and had to pick-pocket people to support both himself, his little brother Tony, and the rest of his gang.

      I found out when he was haggling with our next door neighbor about buying his horse (a very long story in which I have no interest in going into right now) and offered a trade with $750 plus a necklace. He accepted and took the necklace and the money and gave us the horse. When I asked Serpent where he got the necklace he told me he got it from around some woman’s neck. So lately we’ve been trying to give him a hand.

      “OK Wolf it’s your turn, truth or dare?” Lina asked. A large teenager with very hairy and huge arms with well developed muscles looked up. “It is? Oh OK, um, truth,”

      “Alright, let’s see...” mumbled Lina, not quite sure what to ask him.

      “Oh hey I got something,” said Zeene enthusiastically.

      “Is it anything like that dare you gave me?”

      “Shut up Tony. Alright Wolf, have you ever,” he spoke slowly, prolonging the moment. “Drank out of a toilet?” he said finally and quickly.

      Everyone burst out laughing. Even Nichelle suppressed a chuckle. Wolf blushed and glanced around at us nervously. I don’t blame him; I’d be embarrassed too if someone asked if I had drunk out of a lavatory.

      “Well, I um...” his face was beet red and his shoulders were hunched up to his chin. If he had a tail it would be tucked between his legs right now.

      “Come ‘on Wolf, have ya?” teased Possum, a tall teenager with black hair and a bandana on his head.

      “Yeah Wolf, have you?” prompted Serpent in a taunting manner.

      I suppressed a chortle. Poor Wolf, he looked so embarrassed. I hoped for his sake he hadn’t ever drunk out of a toilet, otherwise these guys would be teasing him about it for months on end.

      Wolf gulped. “Yes...” he said in a small voice. Everyone burst out laughing, even Nichelle laughed audibly. Tony was laughing so hard tears rolled down his face.

      He held out his hands. “But it was when I really little! I had broken my leg and the doctors gave me some kind of drug that didn’t let me think straight,” he spilled out quickly in his defense. But I don’t think anyone was listening because they continued to laugh. If anything it only made them laugh harder.

      I suppressed a giggle myself. You have to admit, it’s at least a little humorous.

      I cleared my throat, still suppressing my laughter. “So whose turn is it now?”I asked to no one in particular.

      Lina coughed and continued to chuckle, but contained her amusement long enough to answer my question. “Serpent’s,” and she fell back into the couch cushions and recommenced her laughter, but seconds later sat back up and cleared her throat. Everyone else seemed to notice her and their laughter died down. Wolf shot me a grateful look and sunk back into the cushions, gnawing on a hunk of beef jerky.

      “Serpent,”

      “Hm?” he looked up at Lina, a wide smile decorating his face.

      “Truth or dare?”

      “Dare,”

      “Alright then, I dare you to-“

      “Do something so strange that you scar someone in this room for life,” finished Tony.

      The room went silent and everyone stared at him. Volt was the first to speak up. “That’s a strange dare,”

      “Why’s that?”

      “Tony, I was supposed to give Serpent a dare,” protested Lina.

      “But girls never give any good dares!”

      “Since when?”

      “Since forever!”

      “Whoa guys, chill. Tony you really should ask before you-“Sparrow began but was interrupted by Serpent.

      “Hey, it’s cool. I’ll figure something out,” he leaned back in his seat and thought for a moment. He smiled and quickly plopped down next to Lina.

“Hey I just slept with you, and this is cra-zy, delete my number, and keep the baby,” he sang, patting Lina’s belly at the end and then immediately plopping back down in his original seat and took another swig of his root beer.

For several minutes no spoke or moved. Not only had he succeeded in emotionally scaring Lina for life he managed to scar just about everyone else in the room and create the most awkward moment of my (and most likely everybody else’s) life.

I shifted awkwardly in my seat away from Serpent. He had done some strange things before, but nothing like this. I stole a glance at Lina. Her face looked horrified as she tightly gripped the sides of the armchair she was sitting in with tense arms. Poor Lina, I think she would have been better off if Serpent had hissed at her and showed off his impressive fangs and forked tongue.

“Serpent gets that one,” I said at last. That seemed to snap everyone else out of their trance as they shifted positions or take a drink of whatever beverage they happened to have. Serpent smiled triumphantly and leaned his head back against his hands.

Lina slowly turned to him. “Don’t ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, do that again,” she warned through gritted teeth, like it was the only thing keeping her from lunging at him.

He laughed. “No problem, but you have to admit, that was pretty good,”

She glared at him. His smile immediately vanished and he grabbed his root beer and guzzled down at least half of the liquid in the bottle.

“So whose turn is it now?” asked Possum.

“I think its Shane’s,” Volt replied.

“OK then Shane, truth or dare?”

“Truth,” I replied to Lina. After the many different dares I’d seen so far there was no way I was going to commit to one myself.

“Oh Lina, can I take this one?” requested Serpent and smiled charmingly at her.

Lina blinked in surprise but nodded. “Sure, go for it,”

I gave her a sympathetic look. She sounded a little disappointed, but maybe that was because she had something really embarrassing to ask me.

“Alrighty then Silver Eye,” began Serpent, his forked tongue flicking in and out of his mouth. His pupils narrowed into thin slits within his menacing bronze eyes. I gulped. While Serpent is one of my closest friends he still makes me nervous sometimes. He’s willing to risk his scaly hide for me but that doesn’t stop him from throwing a few bombs in my direction.

“I’m curious; name a time when your toxin worked against you and not for you, besides when you got abducted by C.R.O.W., ‘cause that doesn’t count,”

“Or when you first got infected,” added Tony.

“When my toxin worked against me?” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Gee, I’m not sure...” I don’t remember a time when my toxin didn’t work in my favor.

My toxin, the Raim toxin, gives me abnormal human strength and speed (or “super” strength and speed if you prefer to think of it as that), accelerated healing, an “immunity” to pain (not necessarily, if it’s severe enough it hurts, but I don’t feel most minor injuries and if I do the right breathing exercises I can numb pain in almost every part of my body), it lets me survive long periods of time without food or water, allows me to survive in harsh climates without feeling the full intensity of the climate or receiving any type of sickness or injury due to the weather conditions (meaning I can’t get frostbite or third-degree burns from the climate of my environment), and according to Forge, our private doctor and scientist, I may actually live longer than the average human being because of the way my toxin circulates through my body and have the body of a thirty-year-old when I’m eighty.

For the most part, I’m not sure how exactly my toxin can work against me. I mean, I have super strength and speed, I heal at a rapid pace, I don’t feel pain, I can survive in harsh climates without food or water and not die, I don’t gain excessive weight (I tried once when I was sixteen when my toxin was burning more calories than I was putting in. I asked Dr. Calosis if I could have an increase on my food rations because of my rising toxin levels, but it didn’t do anything, if anything it only made me burn fat faster), and I live longer than the average human being and get to keep the body of a young adult. Not bad for a supposed “deadly decease”.

The only flaw I can think of is when I would be in a situation where I am being tortured or something along those lines. My toxin allows me sustain wounds that would otherwise kill most other human beings. Thanks to my accelerated healing it repairs any wounds or injuries I have accumulated at a fast enough pace to keep me sustained and awake during the entire session...

A figurative light bulb lit inside my head and my eyes widened. I suddenly remembered that scenario, back at C.R.O.W. when I was about to strapped to the GXS for the second time. A time when my toxin actually worked against me...

Serpent must have seen the look on my face because he nudged me. I looked up at him.

“Hey pal, you got somethin’?”

“Yeah, I do actually,” I cleared my throat. “It was back when I was at C.R.O.W. some months after Lina’s arrival. She was about to be strapped to this horrible machine called the GXS, the same device that gave me my scar. I didn’t want her go through that so I volunteered to take her place,”

“I don’t see how this has anything to do with your toxin working against you,” commented Zeene.

“I’m getting there,” I quipped back at him, my irritation clear in my tone.

“They took me to Dr. Haverd, the scientist in charge of the experiment-“Serpent hissed at the mention of the head scientist of C.R.O.W. When we first met Serpent we had discovered that he too had been a subject at C.R.O.W. (a very rebellious and unruly one at that) and also that he and Dr. Haverd shared a very ugly history, and from the sounds of it if either had been given the chance to kill one another both would have leapt for the opportunity. Even now Serpent holds a grudge for the cruel scientists and would drive a knife through his heart or a bullet through his skull or even his own fangs into the guy’s neck in a heartbeat if given the chance.

“-And somehow managed to convince him to use me in the experiment instead of Lina-“

“I still don’t see how this relates to your toxin not working in your favor,” interrupted Zeene for the second time.

      I glared at him. His smile immediately disappeared and he ducked his head, taking the hint that he needed to shut his mouth or it would be shut for him.

      I took a deep breath. “So they led to this room to be prepped for the GXS and-“I hesitated, unsure of how to word my thoughts. “A few things went wrong you could say,”

      “Did they go wrong in a good way or wrong in a bad way?” asked Serpent.

      “Let’s just say I panicked a little...”

*****

      I was shoved harshly into the room by one of the guards, almost making me fall onto the floor. I looked back and glared at him. It wasn’t my fault I wasn’t moving fast enough, you try walking with your ankles in shackles.

      The guards grabbed me by my arms and forced me forward. I hated this. Being treated like a dangerous criminal when I hadn’t done anything wrong. Unless being toxic has suddenly become illegal.

      “Hold him there,” commanded a tall woman with red hair wearing a white lab coat. Her voice was cold and her eyes appeared to be made of white stone and hard jade. She stared at me with a merciless expression. She strikes me as the kind of person you wouldn’t think is capable of love.

      I was yanked back slightly held in place by the guards’ relentless iron grip. The woman stepped towards me and grabbed my chin examining my face. She let go and started groping around my body to examine my health and my muscles and whatnot. Her hand momentarily grabbed at my rear making me jump. I never did get used to that and don’t think I ever will.

      After several long and agonizing minutes she finally returned to my front and stared coldly at me like I was some kind of criminal. She nodded curtly to the guards to unlock my hand and ankle cuffs and then step back.

      I rubbed my wrists when they were released. The cuffs had been rather tight and hurt my wrists.

      “Thanks,” I said to her.

      “Quiet!” she barked and pressed a button on the remote in her hand. Electricity shot out of my collar and coursed through my body. I let out a short strangled scream and clutched my collar and bent over like I was going to puke. Thankfully the shock was short and ended moments after it had started and immediately my toxin kicked in and numbed my burnt throat.

      “Strip,” she ordered and fingered the buttons on her remote in a dangerous threat.

      I sighed and began to remove my clothing. Out of all the procedures in C.R.O.W. I hated this one the most. It was humiliating. It always made me feel defeated and vulnerable, but I suppose that’s the point. It’s meant to mentally break you.

      Once everything but my underwear was removed (and I wasn’t about to discard that unless I was told to) she nodded and snapped her fingers. A couple shorter men came out suddenly started rubbing this strange cream all over my body which made my skin appear to be even paler than it already was.

      I felt awkward as they rubbed it all over my body; on my chest, on my legs, on my face and neck, on my back (and some other places I prefer not to mention.) I remembered the first time this had happened. When I was fifteen, the first time they had strapped me to the GXS. At the time I hadn’t known what was happening or what the horrors that had been laid in store for me. It had been so strange, nothing like that had ever happened to me before. Being lead around in my underwear and heavy shackles was a new experience for me, and one I had hoped never to relive. I had never expected to be in this situation again, but then again I had never expected another Infectant to be brought to C.R.O.W., let alone a girl close to my age. I didn’t have any friends on the outside, and until Lina introduced me to the Lord and helped me to get saved she was my only friend in the entire world.

      The scientists stopped rubbing the cream on me and handed some high-tech restraints to the guards. They stepped towards me and began locking them in place. My hands were tied behind my back by a pair of cold stiff and very heavy handcuffs while my ankles were locked in cold and heavy leg restraints. The two cuffs were connected by a short and very thick chain that would make it very difficult to walk. I sighed inwardly. Looks like there will be a lot of shoving and dragging on this escort.

      My collar was replaced by a thicker tighter restraint collar that almost made me gag it was so tight. Some other strange restraints were placed on my body; some strange metallic armbands were locked onto my arms and something of a similar design was placed on my exposed legs.

      The red-headed scientist nodded her approval and turned to the guards. “Make sure you don’t touch his skin, only his restraints or we’ll have to start all over,”

      They nodded quickly. I had a feeling she was feared by a great many others here and was the kind of person you don’t want to get on their bad side.

      “Lock him that cell over there until it’s time for the experiment,” she ordered to the guards. They grabbed me by my armband restraints and pushed me inside the tiny glass cell and sealed the door behind me. My shoulders slumped and I sighed. I sat down in the chair that had been provided and hung my head in defeat awaiting the inevitable.

      A part of me wanted to cry. I sent up a silent prayer to God that I would survive this or that something would go wrong and I wouldn’t have to go through with the experiment. I was terrified. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would beat out of my chest. I was trembling in fear so hard I could hear my chains rattling.

      Lord help me. I begged desperately. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so scared before in my entire life.

      Something tapped on the glass that made up my cell. “Excuse me, are you Subject: 2458?”

      I turned my head to the right in surprise. Standing outside my glass cell was a short scientist with blond hair staring at me intently.

      “Yeah,” I replied weakly.

      “Are you really toxic?”

      Inwardly I rolled my eyes. “Yes, otherwise I wouldn’t be here,”

      “Oh yes, of course,”

      I slumped my shoulders again and clenched and unclenched my hands nervously.

      “Why the long face Subject: 2458?” inquired the diminutive scientist casually.

      I looked up at him with an irritated expression. “My name’s Shane and I’m about to be strapped to a torture machine, why do think I’m freaking out?”

      “I’m sure you’ll be fine, it’s only an experiment,”

      I let out a nervous chuckle. “Right, and suddenly cows will sprout wings and fly,” I commented sarcastically.

      “Relax Subject: 24 �" I mean “Shane”, the GXS is merely an experiment, not a “torture machine”,”

      “Speak for yourself; you’ve never been strapped to it,” who does this guy think he is anyway? He’s just another annoying scientist kissing up to his superiors so he can get a higher rank.

      “Guards, escort the subject to Lab 25B, make sure he doesn’t try anything,” ordered Dr. Haverd to the guards. His voice was muffled by the Plexiglas, but that didn’t stop his words from striking even more fear into my heart. They were taking me in for the experiment.

      My breathing quickened as the door to my small cell was opened and I was dragged out of the lab and down the bare white hallway. They dragged me by my armband restraints as I struggled to keep up with my legs chained so closely together. I was on the brink of hyperventilating for crying out loud. And I never hyperventilate! I don’t think I’ve felt so terrified before in my life. Last time I didn’t know what was in store, this time I knew exactly what was waiting for me, and I was going through with it voluntarily.

      The guards pushed me into an elevator and stepped inside just as the door closed. I was pushed out again and practically dragged the entire time. I was trembling with fear of what was to come. We passed by Lab 19B, Lab 20B, Lab 21B...

      I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t go through with it. I couldn’t let them strap me to that torture machine again!

      I slammed my head back into one of the guard’s faces, knocking him down onto the floor, releasing his grip on my shackles and knocking him unconscious.

      “Hey! What do you think you’re doin-“my forehead connected with his, making him scream and knocking him to the floor and in an unconscious heap next to the first guard.

      I hadn’t meant to knock them out, I’m most likely going to get punished for that later, but right now I could honestly care less. I took a sharp, deep breath and banged my head against the wall as hard as I could, hard enough that it would have knocked any normal person out cold.

      I paused for a brief moment. How was I still conscious? I should be lying in a motionless heap alongside the guards right now. What in the world was going on?

      I purposely banged my head against it again. Hard. And again. And again, and again, and again. Each time as hard as the last. I growled in frustration and raw anger. Why wasn’t it working? I should be unconscious right now! How was I still standing?

      I paused for a moment in realization and sighed heavily in frustration, banging my head against the hard steel.

      My toxin. I forgot about that. My toxin was healing me faster than I could hurt myself.

      I needed sedatives. It was the only thing I could think of that could put me out, if only for a while.

      But where would...? I paused when out of the corner of my eye I saw the door to one of the labs. I smiled.

      They weren’t strapping me to the GXS tonight.

      I leaned down to the guard nearest to me with my hands still chained behind my back and took the keys from the guard’s belt and undid the cuffs. I sighed and rubbed my raw wrists. My Lord, those things had been tight. If they had been any tighter I’m sure they would have cut off circulation.

      I unlocked the shackles binding my legs together and kicked them aside, rubbing my raw ankles in relief. Finally, I tried to undo the tight collar around my neck but to no avail. I tossed the keys on the floor. There must be something else to unlock it. Oh well. It doesn’t really matter anyway. Once I’m unconscious the collar will be meaningless.

      All I knew was I was not going to play their guinea pig for their sick and cruel experiments.

*****

      I slammed into the thick steel door with every ounce of strength I possessed. It broke down with ease and fell with a loud SLAM as it crashed to the metal floor.

      The scientists inside froze and dropped the test tubes in their hands in panic, letting them crash to the floor and shatter into millions of pieces, the multicolored liquids slowly spreading in irregular circles.

      “Where are they?” I shouted at them. They gaped at me in horror, shaking in terror and unable to respond.

      I grabbed the one nearest to me by the lab coat. “Where are they?” I shouted again.

      He gulped and opened his mouth shakily to speak. “W-W-Where a-are w-w-w-what?”

      “The sedatives! Where are the sedatives?!” I roared angrily. I didn’t have much time before my escape would be discovered and some guards were sent down to apprehend me. If I was going to knock myself out it had to be right now!

      “I-I-I-I-I-“he stammered, too paralyzed with fear to properly respond.

      I groaned angrily and dropped him. He immediately backed away from me, scared of what I might do next.

      “Never mind, I’ll find them myself!” I began to frantically shift through the various cabinets and drawers within the lab, searching desperately for the sedatives. They had to have some! It was mandatory for each lab to contain sedatives somewhere! Otherwise there would be severe consequences for the scientists in charge of that particular lab. They would be treated the same way Lina and I were treated for a few weeks to several months. And nobody wants to be treated like a dangerous criminal for any period of time.

      Where are they?!

      My hand glided over something. I felt around it and cringed slightly when the tip of my finger was punctured. I quickly pulled it out and smiled triumphantly. A sedative! Looks like I wasn’t going to the GXS after all.

      I jabbed the needle into my arm and sighed, feeling the cool liquid surge through my veins.

      I waited for the effects of the chemical to kick in and I would begin to feel sleepy and eventually crash to the floor in an unconscious heap, but it never came.

      I opened my eyes and looked down at the needle in my arm. I yanked it out and stared into the vile. It was completely empty. And I knew it was a sedative. I had been injected with them so many times I was a little surprised to still be alive. I knew what they looked like and what they felt like. What I had injected into my arm was definitely a sedative. So why wasn’t it working?

      I paused and sighed heavily, resting my face into the palm of my hand.

      It must be my toxin. It was cancelling out the sedative.

      I searched the cabinets and drawers frantically for more. Maybe if I injected enough sedatives into my body quick enough it would be just enough to override my toxin and knock me out.

      I opened a drawer and smiled widely. Inside were at least fifty sedatives, all ready to be injected.

      I reached for the first and jabbed it into my arm, and immediately after the first one was empty I injected the next. And again, and again, and again, and again. Each time I felt more tired and woozier by the continual injections.

      I held up the seventieth sedative and chuckled. This was the last one I would need. I was already on the brink of collapsing and my eyelids were as heavy as lead.

      Sorry C.R.O.W., but you’re not clipping this eagle tonight.

      I jabbed the needle into my arm and sighed as the soothing chemical surged through my veins, cancelling out my toxin and slowly forcing me to my knees. Just as my eyelids were about to close and the final effects of the sedatives were kicking in a huge electrical surge coursed through my body, forcing me back to my feet. I screamed in agony at the powerful shock, clutching onto my collar for dear life. It stopped as quickly as it had started. My breathing came out long and slightly ragged, as if it had sucked the life out of me. I blinked and realized I wasn’t unconscious. I growled in frustration slammed my fist into the floor, cracking the pallid tile.

      “Are you kidding me?! Do you have any idea how many sedatives-“I was suddenly slammed against the wall by two powerful guards and my hands were chained behind my back while my ankles were once again chain together by stiff and heavy shackles.

      NO! I screamed inwardly. I was so close! Just a few more seconds and I would have been unconscious!

      “Well, well, well,” I blinked and was immediately secured by the guards’ iron and unmovable grip. My eyes widened with fear and my shoulders lowered in defeat. It was Dr. Haverd.

      “Shane, I thought you wanted to be strapped to the GXS. Or did you forget about your girlfriend so quickly?” he mocked, the cruel smile on his face the only proof needed to show that he was clearly enjoying my torment.

      I blinked in confusion. Girlfriend, what is he talking about...?

      My eyes widened slightly and I sighed heavily in anger at myself. Lina! How could I have forgotten I was doing this so see wouldn’t have to! Man, I’m such an idiot!

      “Ah, I see I struck a nerve there. No matter, you’ve delayed the inevitable long enough. The experiment is going to proceed without further delay,” he grabbed my collar and yanked me down closer to his height. “And there will be no chance of escape this time, Subject 2458,” he released his grip and chuckled darkly at my fearful expression.

      I hung my head in defeat. There was no way I was getting out of this one.

*****

For several minutes no one said a word. They just stared at me unbelieving in stunned silence.

Serpent was the first to speak. “Wow, seventeen sedative, huh?”

I shrugged. “Yep, and it still didn’t work. Stupid collar,”

He snickered quietly. “I hate those things; damn thing left some pretty nasty scars on my neck,”

“Serpent!” Lina scolded.

Serpent turned to her and shrugged. “What? What did I �" Oh, sorry,” he apologized once he realized he had sworn (a habit we were also trying to get him out of.)

Lina rolled her eyes at Serpent and stood up, plopping down next to me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and her head rested on my shoulder.

“Well I’m just happy to have such a caring friend,”

I smiled and wrapped an arm around her. “Aw, thanks,” I paused. “But I will never do that again.”

“And I don’t expect you,”

“That wasn’t fun,”

“I can imagine.”

“Yeah, never want to go through that again,”

“Hang on, I’ll be right back,” said Nichelle as she stood up and left the room.

“OK,” answered Serpent and took another swig of his root beer.

“I’m hungry,” said Tony out of the blue.

“Then go eat something,” replied Serpent.

“But I just ate a bunch of nacho cheese and I don’t wanna get up!”

“Then what are you complaining about?”

“Oh boy,” muttered Sparrow under his breath as he face palmed.

“Guys, seriously. Tony if you’re hungry then-“began Wolf and was then silenced when Nichelle whacked him in the back of the head with a baseball bat. He fell forward and landed face first into the cushioned foot rest in front of him.

“Nichelle, what are you doin-“she hit me as hard as she could in the back of my head with the bat. Lina screamed and ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow while leaving me to take the full force of hit.

“OW! What was that for?!”

Nichelle set the bat down on the kitchen table. “I just wanted to see how much truth was behind your story,”

“What does that have to do with whacking me in the back of the head with a base ball bat?!”

“You said it was really hard to be knocked out because of your toxin, so I put it to the test,”

“But why did you have to knock out Wolf?” questioned Serpent to his cousin.

“Comparison,” she replied and plopped down in the armchair, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

      She turned to me. “You Ok?”

      I stared at her in bewilderment. “You just whacked me across the head with a baseball bat, what do you think?”

      “Does it hurt?”

      My hands dropped from my head to my lap and I just stared at her like I do when Cody asks a really dumb question. “No, I’m just faking it, of course it hurts!”

      “Oh! Oh!” Tony raised his hand and waves it frantically in the air.

      I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Yes Tony?”

      “I have a dare for Sparrow!”

      I leaned back into the couch cushions. “Go for it,”

      “OK Sparrow, I dare you to eat an entire jar of mayonnaise!”

      Lina threw her hands up and stood up. “That’s it, I’m outta here,”

      Sparrow stared at Tony in horror. “No!”

      Lina face palmed and shook her head, turning to all of us just before she left the room.

      “You guys are terrible, seriously, these dares are disgusting! You-You’re all so immature! The only ones even remotely mature in any way, shape, or form is Shane, Volt, and, maybe Sparrow,”

      There were cries of protest from all the boys whose names weren’t called.

      “Immature? What are you talkin’ about?”

      “I’m mature!”

      “Maybe? What do you mean maybe mature?” protested Sparrow.

      “You know what? You guys are just, just gross, I’m out of here. Come ‘on Nichelle, let’s go,”

      “What? Why do I have to go?”

      Lina turned around and glared intensely at her.

      Nichelle threw up her hands in defense. “Alright, alright, sheesh,” she stood and followed Lina upstairs, shrugging to Serpent, who in return shrugged back.

      Serpent turned to me and laughed.

      “What?”

      “You’re still stuck in the friend zone,”

      My hands dropped into my lap. “Shut up,” I retorted and pushed him gently away.

      “At least I’m not, um, someone without a potential girlfriend,”

      But that only made him laugh harder. “Dude, that was terrible!”

      “Whatever...” I laughed and pushed him away. “At least I’m not some jobless bum,”

      Everyone burst out laughing at that point. Serpent slammed his bottle down on the coffee table. “Oh shut up,”

      Cody laughed and looked up. “He’s got you there, Serpent,” he laughed.

      “Cody!” yelled Serpent and stood up.

      “Uh oh!” Cody quickly stood up and ran into the kitchen with Serpent right on his heels. Cody ran to the kitchen table and Serpent to the other side. The two practically pranced around the table before Cody bolted across the room and plopped down next to me and clutched my arm.

      “Shane help!”

      I just stared at him in bewilderment. “Why are you asking me for help?”

      Cody paused and looked at me in confusion. “Hm, I dunno, you won’t help me anyway,”

      I pulled out Dia’s stuffed toucan and held it up in front of Cody’s face.

      “Toucan,”

      Cody screamed and bolted out the door at full speed and slammed the door behind him.

      I laughed. “Works every time,”

      I turned my head and realized Lina had been watching and her hands were on her hips and her foot was tapping angrily.

      I shrugged.

      “You know, I take it back, none of you in this room are mature, none of you,”

      “What? How does Shane’s immaturity suddenly become mine?” protested Volt.

      “Hey!”

      “Oh please, I saw what you did; you shocked Cody as he ran out!”

      For several moments he just sat there in silence. “No I didn’t...”

      Lina rolled her eyes. “Oh yes, real mature,”

      “James!” yelled Cody from the door.

      “What?!” screamed Serpent and sprinted after him.

      Lina face palmed and went back upstairs shaking her head. “You guys are unbelievable, you guys really are,”

      I laughed and shook my head. Just another typical day in our “family.”

Author's Note

I post these practice writings every two weeks. Let me know if you have any requests.