Chapter 7

A Chapter by Brooklyn

I remember passing out. Ian (the lion) says that I was like that so long that he thought I was dead. Every few minutes, when we were electrocuted again, I would scream and he’d know I was still alive. But I never woke up. Eventually I stopped making noise entirely. Ian didn’t have the strength to crawl over to me to see I was alive. He hoped I was.

“You stayed like that for… I don’t know, a long time,” He tells me. “Then the lab guys came back. I thought that they came to dispose of your body.” He says with a shudder, “That much I remember. I was fighting unconsciousness at the time.” He thinks about it for a minute then adds, “They did take you out of there. I woke up and you were gone.”

This next part I remember myself. I woke up in a lab room with a bunch of scientist peering at me anxiously.

“Your awake.” One of the scientists whispered, totally stunned.

“No duh. Thank you Captain Obvious.” I said snarkily. “I had no idea that I was awake.” I rolled my glowing green eyes at them

He blinked surprised, like someone forgot to tell him that I was capable of speech. He probably expected me to be mute or too stupid to talk. Then he smiled.

“Welcome.” He stepped toward me with his arms wide as if to give me a hug. I didn’t buy it for a second. Faster then a bullet, I grabbed his arm and twisted. He cried out and the other scientists raced to grab the stun guns that were always on hand. I leopard-out. They shot at me but they all had horrible aim and I was fast. And I’ve been getting better at dodging bullets. I get closer and closer to the door and none of them seem to notice. They’re too busy trying to figure out how to work the guns. Maybe I actually will escape. This hope was snuffed out by one of the scientists managing to hit me. And I went out like a light.

When I woke up again, the huggy-guy was standing over me with his arm in a sling. Now he’s unicorn-and-rainbow attitude was gone and he looked mad.

“Oh. I was hoping you wouldn’t wake.” He said extremely rudely. Well then. He certainly had a personality adjustment while I was unconscious.

Two could play at that game (not the personality part, the rude part). “I was hoping that I wouldn’t wake. Then I wouldn’t have to see your hideous face again.”Oooooooh burn. He looked affronted.

“We’ll give you a while to recover from the pain. We don’t want you to go insane. In that time you can tell us all you know or we will put you back in the electric room,” said another scientist with an Afro. Yes, a scientist with an Afro.

But, despite the goofy looking scientist, I still couldn’t hide my fright. I didn’t want to go back there. My skin was an angry red and blistered. I could barely stand. “Please,” I whispered unable to keep the desperateness out of my voice.

“Tell us what you know.”

“I don’t know anything. Please. Let me go.” I was practically crying now. And they were laughing like, well, mad scientists.

Dr. Unicorn leaned in close to my face. “I don’t believe you, Leesha.” His use of my name made it sound even creepier and more threatening.

“Please. No.”

He cackled. Then he walked towards the door. The others followed and the one with the Afro gets to the door first. As he turned to knob, Dr. Afro swiveled his head towards me and said, “You’ll tell us. They always do.” Then he and Dr. Unicorn were gone. The others were on their heels as they exited.

And I was left alone.

I never was religious but I started praying. I didn’t get up from my not-so-comfy position on the floor, but I clasped my hands and prayed to whoever was listening. I don’t know what I was expecting. A zap and this whole place and all these people disappear? How about a sign of any kind so I knew that someone was listening? That I was going to be okay.

None of that happened though. I just lay there shaking.

I fell asleep (of my own will this time). I guess my body needed time to heal. My dreams were awful. I was back in the electrifying room, but this time it wasn’t just me and lion boy. Cole was in there, too. So was my supposed family. And they were all yelling at me. They said it was my fault. They said if I hadn’t run away from school, this never would have happened. That the scientists would have left us all alone. My “mother” started crying and my “father” tried to hit me. He never hit me in my life. As soon as the scientists came in to check on us, they said all they knew. It wasn’t very much and I couldn’t make sense out of most of it. It had something to do with an adoption and a guy named Marvin Follett. I remember crying when I woke up but I don’t remember why other than the obvious betrayal of those I thought had cared.

I breathed heavily and sniffed. My hair was damp from tears and sweat. I tried to calm down but the tears wouldn’t stop. I laid there on the cool tile floor until I fell back I fell asleep crying.

When I woke up for the third time, me first lab dude that I ever met came in to lead me to the chamber again. Apparently he was going to be my official doom bringer. “Nice to meet you again,” Dr. Doom said as if I was his daughter’s friend that stopped by for a visit. More like his granddaughter’s friend.

We went back around the many corners and walked down the many flights of stair to the torture room. I didn’t even bother trying to remember what way we went. I knew that there was no hope to escape.

prev chapter