by A. M Martin
“Just a little bit Nikki. I can sleep. I can take a hot shower. We don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from. It’s not perfect nor will it ever be but it’s better than what we had.”
I straighten my legs and watch a group of kids playing with a kick ball, “Me, getting my blood test will make you happy.”
“It’d add to that little bit.” She says.
I sigh, “Do you even know why we have to do this?”
“I’m not stupid Nikki. I asked, and they said it was to check to see if we are healthy. Of course, I didn’t believe them. You taught me in these last few months never take anything at face value. And I have Nikki. But nothing came from giving blood. They took two vials and gave me a cookie and an orange juice after.”
I look at Cora. She has a gentle smile on her face and understanding in her eyes.
“Okay.”
“Thank you.”
I climb to my feet and follow Cora through the maze of Campers and people too soon we’re at the entrance to the Prison.
I cross my arms, stopping in front of my dad. He opens his mouth but Cora beats him. “Don’t dad. Just dad.” Cora says, shaking her head.
He sighs, nods his head and leads me and Cora into the belly of the beast.
We went through three locked doors and finally come to a room that looks like a normal ER. I sit down on one of the small white beds as a tech comes over and drawls my blood. The red liquid seeps into the vail and my heart thunders in my ears. I get the cookie and juice just like Cora said and we walk out of the room. No one stops us. Nothing bad happens, but then why do I have this dark cloud hanging in my thoughts.
9
ONE YEAR AND SEVEN MONTHS OF WAITING FOR SHIT TO HIT THE FAN
Dad left two days ago to go on an outing for medical supplies and Cora is working the garden. I already did my assigned work in the kitchen this morning. That’s why I'm stretched out on the bottom bunk in cell A12 with an open book in my hands.
I found it in the Prison’s library and I laughed so hard that I had to read it. Who puts new adult books in a prison library? Whoever you are, thanks.
It’s called Avery and has two wolves on the cover. I thought it was a fitting read considering the creatures that now walk this land.
I’m four chapters in when I hear footsteps coming close to my cell. I laid the book down and sat up just as two soldiers come to stand outside of my door.
They stare at me and I stare at them. I won’t be the first to speak. My pulse thuds painfully in my ears as I watch their stony faces.
“Miss Nikki, come with us.”
I stand up and cross my arms, “What for?”
“The doctor would like a word with you.”
Dread and adrenaline flow through my body. It’s been a month and I haven’t heard a peep out of the white coats. Why now?
I shrug my shoulders and step out of the cell. One soldier leads while the other one follows right behind me.
We pass through this cell block and into a central room, I see Jeff and hollor out to him, “Jeff! Find my sister.” His eyes go wide and he takes off like the hounds of hell are on his heels.
The guard behind me mumbles something under his breath, “What was that?” I snark from over my shoulders. He glares but doesn’t say anything.
Sweat starts beading on my forehead and down my spine. This is not good and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.
It’s a ten-minute walk before we get where we’re going. The back side of the prison where no one is allowed.
I step into a central room and the guard’s step back to guard the door we just walked through.
“Nikki?” A slim man with no hair steps forward.
I don’t say anything. My eyes flick around the room and count a total of seven people.
“I’m doctor Smith. We’d like to talk to you about your blood work.”
I still don’t speak and he looks behind him. The woman, this time, steps forward with blonde waves to her shoulders and brown keen eyes.
“We’ve been looking for someone like you.” She smiles.
I scoff.
“You have the very genes in your body that we think will help us in this War.” She tries again, smiling.
“Does this have anything to do with the men that came to the gates last week?” I ask.
They share a look and the lady speaks again, “Yes it does, but not all. Our sister compound was the one who first found this particular mutation and passed the word to us.”
“Did they now?” I drawl between my clenched lips.
“We’d like for you to help us.”
“Do I even have a choice?” I snap.
They share another one of those looks and I laugh, “Of course not.”
That’s the last time I saw the light of day.
I was escorted deeper into the building to a little room with a locked door and a small window. A small cot was in the center of the room with all kinds of medical equipment on either side. A small shower in the left corner where they could watch me take a shower and the toilet was in the opposite corner. My own little piece of heaven.
At first it wasn't too bad. I had CAT scans, x-rays and MRI scans done every day along with a daily blood draw. They even collected my shit and piss.
Nurse Jackie was my daily companion. She ran the tests, took my blood and collected everything from the toilet. She was in here from morning to night. Bringing me my food and monitoring the medical screens.
“So, Jackie.” I say as she drawls my blood for the millionth time. “How long have I been here now.”
I ask her every day and every day she doesn’t answer me.
“Two months.” She mumbles under her breath as she throws away her gloves.
My eyes just about bug out of my head. I know I’ve been here awhile but two months? Where is my dad? My sister? Why hasn’t something been done?
“How...”
I stop when her blue eyes shine with fear, “Listen Nikki, it’s going to get worse.”
“What do you mean?” I whisper back. My heart was pounding too hard setting off the machines.
She doesn’t get to answer when the soldiers come to the door.
I was taken out of the room and down the hall.
“Nope. Now way in hell. This is not happening!” I screech backing out of the room. It’s an operating room. I’m not going in there. But apparently, I don’t get a fucking choice.
I turn around and slam my knee into the left one’s balls and slam my fist in the other one’s nose. I make it all of two feet before I’m grabbed from behind. Five soldiers and I fought like hell.
They dragged me by my arms. I’m kicking and screaming and they slammed me down on the metal table. I lash out with my hands. My feet, even my damn teeth as the strap me down, leave me breathing hard and tears falling down my cheek.
Three people and in surgical gear come into the room and stare down at me. I don’t see a bit of remorse in their eyes.
A buzzing noise grabbed my attention and I look to the left. A fourth person has a drill and I beg in my restraints. Jerking and pulling on them.
“Please don’t do this. Please!” I scream as the drill comes down on my left hip.
I scream a blood curdling scream that doesn’t stop until I’m hoarse and coughing up blood. They do both of my hips and both of my thighs. When the drill finally stops, I’m barely conscious.
Out of swollen tear-filled eyes, I see Nurse Jackie come and start badging me up. With the help of the four soldiers, I’m taken back to my room. Pain meds are delivered and I’m out like a light. I wish I could say that’s the worst they do. But it’s not. Not at all.
10
TWO YEARS AND SIX MONTHS. AM I EVEN ALIVE?
The lights flash this god-awful blue color and I shut my eyes. A siren blares from somewhere in the building and I try to lift my hands to cover my ears. They move maybe an inch off the bed before they fall back down. I grimace and whimper
in pain from that small movement.
I slowly, inch my devastating inch, turn my head looking for Nurse Jackie. There isn’t much that Nurse Jackie does nowadays, other than patch me up when the real monsters are done with me. I lay in this bed, a skeleton of my former self and wait for the pain to start all over again.
I close my eyes as tears fall from them. A sharp pain shoots through my head. The last thing I remember is Jackie wrapping the right side of my head, injecting me with thick black sludge and giving me a small dose of pain meds. They cut into my head this time. I’m surprised it took them this long to do it.
The door slams open and I watch under heavy eyelids as a teenage girl steps into the room. She looks around, her gaze passes right over me. I’m nothing but skin, bones and scars laying underneath thick blankets.
She steps further into the room, hope shines in her bright eyes. She’s wearing a tank top with ripped jeans and black combat boots.
She goes to turn and I try to speak, a whimper comes out instead and she whips back around. Her long brown braid swinging in the air behind her.
She walks slowly to the bed and looks down. She gulps and tears fall from her eyes.
“Jason!” She yells and falls to her knees beside me.
“Oh my god! Nikki, what have they done to you?” She whispers, heartbroken.
My eyes close on their own. I’m not strong enough to keep them open. I wish I could just pass out but that’s something that hardly ever happens to me.
“Cora!” A man’s concerned voice yells over the sirens.
“In here!”
My eyes snap back open as I look at this girl. She’s older. Her cheekbones are high and a scar cuts through her right eyebrow.
I lick my cracked and bleeding lips, “Cora bear?” I whisper breathlessly and whimper from the pain in my throat.
She scoots closer and her hand is mere inches from my face. She’s afraid to touch me. “Yes Nik. I’m so sorry.” She cries.
“Did you find her?”
My eyes flick behind Cora to a dark-skinned man in tan fatigues. He keeps checking behind him with a rifle in his hand.
Cora wipes the tears from her face and stands up, “Yeah, but she’s in worse shape than I thought.”
He rushes forwards and looks down at me with dark eyes, “We’ll do damage control later. Right now, we have to go. Get a wheelchair.”
Cora nods and runs over and grabs the wheelchair.
The man pulls the blankets from my body and Cora gasps.
I’m naked. I have been for so long. Instead of peeling my clothes off of me each time to get to my bones and flesh, they decided to leave me naked. I’m just their guinee pig after all.
“Jason.” She whimpers and he grimaces.
I try to move but nothing happens. I haven’t moved in so long.
The man, Jason, untangles one of the blankets and lays it on top of me.
“Grab any bags hooked up to her. We have to go.”
He scooped me up in his arms and I tried to scream. My mouth opens and nothing comes out. Pain flares throughout my body. Cora looks on with horror in her eyes as Jason tries to settle me in the wheelchair as easily as he can.
“Give her one of the shots Cora.” Cora nods and grabs a syringe from her pockets and she injects it into the IV bag and the next thing I know is darkness.
◆◆◆
I wake to the sound of gunfire, screams and howls in the backseat.
“What?” I can barely hear my own voice but somehow Cora hears it.
“She’s awake.”
“She should have been knocked out for at least an hour or two.” Jason mumbles.
Cora climbs into the back seat and grabs a hold of my hand.
“It’s going to be okay Nikki. I promise.” She wipes tears off her face as the sounds fade in the distance along with me.
◆◆◆
The next time my eyes open I'm lying on a bed in a dark room. Pain is my constant friend as it hits me full force. I look around without moving an inch of my body.
Cora. A sad smile pulls at my lips.
She's asleep in a chair. The moonlight filters through the tattered curtains. She's grown up so much. My heart breaks all over again. What has she had to endure without me being there to keep her safe?
"Here." A whispered voice has my eyes flicking over to Jason.
He's bent down next to the bed. A water bottle in his hands with a straw. He brings it up to my lips and I suck down the warm water. As I pull away the straw slips from my blood and a little bit of blood turns the water a pink color.
Jason stares at it. A frown on his face.
"It's from all the screaming." My whispered voice cracks and I cough.
"What did they do to you?" He whispers still looking at the bottle. He seems confused.
"What didn't they do is the question." I mumble weakly.
He shakes his head and looks at Cora still sleeping.
"You're all she ever talks about. I thought she was delusional." He shakes his head and looks back at me, "Guess she wasn't."
"Guess not." I croak.
Tears fall from my eyes.
"You should try to get some more sleep. We have to leave soon."
He gets up but my whimper of pain stops him when I try to move.
"What happened?"
He looks tired and his eyes flicker back to Cora.
"The Prison was over-run. We’ve been fighting with those animals for weeks when the gate finally fell. Cora wouldn't leave without you."
He shakes his head and leaves the room.
I don't know what to think about that. I just want to know how long I've been kept as a lab rat. I want to know where our dad is. I want to know what I've missed.
11
TWO YEARS, SIX MONTHS, 3 DAYS. I’M STILL BREATHING.
I wake up to heated whispers and crack my eyes open. Cora and Jason are standing in the doorway. He tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear as she talks.
“We can’t. Not yet. She’s not strong enough.” Cora whispers.
Jason sighs, like they’ve been over this already. “We have no choice. We’re lucky no one has found us yet. We have to leave today Cora.” He kisses her sweetly on the lips and walks away. Cora stares after him in a daze.
“Who knew you’d have a boyfriend before me?” I cough as I get the words out of my mouth.
Cora rushes to my side and holds a water bottle in front of my face. I reach for it with my hand. Surprise widens Cora’s eyes as she hands it over. I haven’t been able to move these last few days but I’m healing. I always heal. That was the down side of this. Whatever they did to me, I always healed at a fast rate.
I drink the bottle empty and handed it back to Cora.
“How long have I been gone?” I asked, wiggling my fingers.
“A year and eleven months.” Cora mumbles as fresh tears pool in her eyes.
“What happened?” I ask and grunt when I try to sit up.
Not there yet, but I will be.
“They took you. Just took you.” Cora gasps out.
“I know that Cora but what happened after?” I ask, I'm already fighting off sleep.
“Dad came back a week later and tried to get you out.” She looks lost in thought and I stretch my thin legs from underneath the blankets.
“They killed him.” She looks at me with tear filled eyes.
“I thought so.” I say softly for Cora. But I’m glad. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn't have had to go through what I did. I wouldn’t have changed so damn much.
“And him?” I ask, nodding towards the door.
“That’s Jason.” She looks down at her hands. “He got stationed with us about six months after they took you.” I nod my head but I feel like I’m missing so many pieces of the puzzle. “We’re close.”
“More than close.” I say smiling at her.
She blushes and looks away.
“You’re going to have to tell me.” I say, knowing she’s
keeping stuff from me.
“Not yet. You don’t need to worry. Let me get you something to eat.”
She tries to leave the room but I stop her.
“Cora.”
She pauses in the doorway keeping her back to me.
“You need to tell me. I’ve been held a prisoner for so long and I know there are things going on that I need to know. I picked up bits and pieces from my butchers, but not enough to really understand anything.” I’m breathless when I get done and I wait.
A minute passes while I watch my sister fight with herself in the broken down door way, finally she turns towards me.
“Are you sure?”
I nod and watch as she slowly walks to the bed and sits down.
“We were wrong.”
I cock my head watching my sisters frowning face.
“They’re not beasts in the sense that we thought. About a year ago someone came to the gate wanting to talk to the Leader of the Prison. They had one wild tale to tale.” She chuckles darkly.
“The stronger ones, they call themselves the Alphas and are able to transform back to looking like a human.”
My eyes narrow but I don’t interrupt her. The butchers said I had the Alpha gene and they were looking for a way to recreate it or make it stronger.
“But they’re not human at all. They are strictly a beast. The Alpha of this territory called it The Core Territory. That’s where we are at. Anyways.” She shakes her head and starts picking at her thumb nail. “What we thought we were trying to survive is so much worse. Apparently, there are different territories and each has a different Alpha with their own set of rules and laws. I don’t really know much more than that. We’ve never ran into another Alpha or his human pet. I do know that they wanted our people to join them and follow their rules. That wasn’t happening. We’ve been at war with them ever since. They’re different sectors of rebels in and around the territories.”
