Iris

by Yolanda Sfetsos

  I can’t remember anything. She hated that word.

  “Remembering” had become the bane of her existence.

  Falling back a step, her spine bumped into something firm and rough. Turning around slowly, Iris stared at the thing in front of her. It was a tree. She had no idea how she knew, but it felt good to know something for certain.

  Her fingers itched to touch it.

  She reached out, tentatively stopping before her fingertips moved of their own accord.

  The stump was huge, wider than her, and so tall that when she inclined her head, she couldn’t see the top of it. The bark felt harsh beneath her skin, but she relished every moment of its touch. It was the one real thing in her life.

  She wasn’t sure how or why she knew, but this tree meant everything to her. The green aura misted around the tattoo on her arm, and she stared at it in wonder. Is this what had called to her when she’d looked out the window earlier?

  Tiny, electric shocks tickled her palms and fingers. Touching this tree filled her with hope and life.

  “Hello,” a small voice called behind her.

  She spun around in a semi-circle. A small boy with dark hair and bright blue, innocent eyes stood a few feet away from her.

  He gasped and took a step back, his eyes went wide and averted to the ground.

  Iris looked down at her body. She was completely naked and seemed shorter. Her body looked different, too. She pulled her long hair over her exposed chest and hid behind the tree trunk. “Hello,” she returned, peering around the side.

  “Who are you?” he asked, staring at her.

  “My name is Iris, I think.” She read the name on the tattoo. It all seemed a little fuzzy inside her head. A dull throb began at her temples and spread along the top of her head. “What’s yours?”

  He looked around and whispered, “I’m Fox, but I’m not supposed to be in here. If my father finds me, I’ll get in big trouble.”

  The name sent a familiar alarm through her body. She knew someone by that name. Didn’t she? “How did you get in?” Why did her voice sound like a little girl’s?

  “Do you promise not to tell? I could get into a lot of trouble if he finds out. You’re supposed to be a secret, but I just wanted to see the tree. I’ve only ever seen those lame holograms, but this is real.” He craned his neck to look up. “Does it belong to you? My father never told me he had a girl living in here. Where did you come from?”

  She shrugged. “I’m not sure.” He sure asked a lot of questions, and she couldn’t answer any of them.

  He stared at her for a long time, turned, and started to walk away. He peered over his shoulder. “Well, aren’t you going to follow me? I thought you wanted to know how I got in.”

  With a nod, she stepped forward, then hesitated.

  The young boy rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. I won’t look at you.” He walked ahead. “I promise.”

  Iris followed close behind, but with enough space between them that she could duck behind one of the many bushes they passed, if she needed to. “Where are we?” The inner thought escaped past her lips before she could stop it.

  Everything looked and sounded so beautiful and pure. Birds chirped and sang overhead, insects buzzed as they went about their business. The grass reached her calves. She loved the sweet, moist feel of it. Somewhere above, the glow of UV rays played along her skin, making the boy’s hair appear lighter than it was.

  It must be artificial light. The sun hasn’t shimmered on this place for a long time.

  “You’re inside one of my father’s buildings,” the boy answered.

  She hadn’t expected an answer. “This is the inside of a building?” Weren’t buildings supposed to be concrete, steel, and glass?

  “Yeah, it’s the only one like it. Trust me, I’ve been inside many, and none are as cool as this one.” Fox stopped in front of a wall. “No wonder he keeps it a secret. This place is amazing.”

  She gasped. What was a wall doing amongst all of these natural, organic things? It seemed a travesty. Just when she was about to head for it, to touch and confirm what it was, she paused. Her nakedness kept her in place.

  “This is how I got in.” Fox pressed a button she’d only just noticed, and a door appeared out of nowhere, automatically sliding to the left.

  “Where does it go?”

  “It leads back to the Wentworth Corporation Tower.”

  “What’s that?”

  Fox avoided her eyes when he looked back at her. “It’s where I live with my dad and all his pathetic friends.”

  “Who is this man you call Dad?”

  “His name is Kingsley Wentworth.” Fox looked away, shrugged, and continued. “He’s one of the richest men in Nexus City.”

  Her eyes widened. A lot of what he said didn’t make any sense, yet it tickled her mind. Why?

  “Fox! Where are you, boy?” The masculine call sounded harsh and a little scary.

  Goose bumps spread along her body. It also sounded very familiar.

  “I have to go before he finds me in here,” Fox whispered.

  Iris grabbed his hand before he slipped out. “Wait, I need to know more about this place. Why am I here? What does it look like outside?”

  “Fox!”

  “Shit, I gotta go.” He yanked out of her grip and raced out the door. It slowly closed in front of her. She stepped back, disappointed not to have made it outside, and once again alone. Fox stuck his head in and whispered, “I promise to come back, okay? I’ll tell you all about Nexus, but you can’t tell him about me.” His blue eyes shone with excitement.

  Iris nodded. “Okay.”

  “I’ll come back tomorrow.” Fox shut the door.

  Iris wanted to cry, curl up into a tiny ball and wither away so she could gradually become part of the scenery. Better than having to face the awful truth...nothing inside this room was real. Am I real?

  The fauna dimmed to nothing, and a gray sky appeared all around her. A bolt of lightning cracked, and an explosion of thunder ignited a second later.

  Sweat dripped from her body as the energy zapped around her.

  She stood with her legs apart, both hands at her sides. Instead of cowering from the raging storm, she found it easier to close her eyes and absorb as much of its energy as she could. Raindrops poured over her head, face, and limbs, cleansing her of all of her confusion. Washing away the images of a world she’d never seen while being stuck inside a building with a single tree. She didn’t want to see the flashes inside her mind. This place—where the sky was blue and the sun shone as a large, yellow orb—was breathtaking. Was it another illusion of her madness?

  She sucked in the ozone of the raging storm.

  If she didn’t get out of here soon, everything inside her would break. She could feel a part of her soul already shattered. As if it had been tampered with and severed, somehow. She wasn’t supposed to be a creature of violence. Yet, when she opened her eyes and looked down, she was back inside the massive area with a tree and her hands were stained with red.

  A small scream tore out of her throat, and she took a step back. Someone was bleeding on the grass, the red dripping into a pool amongst the green.

  “Iris, what happened?”

  She whirled around, bloody hands on show for the man who now stood in front of her. He was so handsome, now that he’d grown from a lovely boy and into a strong man. She’d felt a spark ignite inside her and suddenly looked down to make sure she wasn’t naked. Not only was she clothed, but she was back in her own body.

  “Fox,” she whispered. “I don’t know what happened.” Or why you’re in here, again. Am I dreaming?

  “It was that damn Spalding, I bet.”

  “Who’s Spalding?”

  “Don’t worry about him. Come on. I’m going to get you out of here, okay? I can’t take this anymore. Too many years have passed, and I’ve just let you sit here like my father’s pet.” He took her hands in his. “I’m so sorry. I just enjoyed your company
so much. It was selfish of me, but you’re the only friend I’ve ever had.” He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers very softly, then drew away. “I think it’s time to let you go. Time to let you get on with your own life, instead of whatever stupid plan my father has.” The back of his hand caressed her face. “I’ll never forget you, Iris.”

  She didn’t get the chance to respond or dwell on his words and actions. Everything he’d just said made sense to her, but before she could put it all together, Fox grabbed a tight hold of her hand and led her across the lush area of the open floor. This time, when he opened the door and ran out, he dragged her with him.

  She was glad he started bringing her clothes after years of being embarrassed by her juvenile nakedness. Unlike her other constant visitor—the man she could never recall afterward—Fox always bought her a new gift, with each visit.

  Everything about this bizarre city of theirs had been etched inside her brain, forever. Even if everything else short-circuited, at least she could be sure the knowledge Fox had shared with her would remain.

  “Come on, we have to move!” His long legs raced ahead, out into a white, circular corridor, which seemed to take them higher as they ran around and around. Was this what had been here every single day of her life, as she lived on the other side of this wall? Why could she see the inside of the forest room?

  With every new upward step, she noticed a new detail—all the things she hadn’t been able to see from the ground. Had someone been watching her all of her life, like some sort of guinea pig to be studied or goldfish in a bowl? It made her nauseous to think that all this time she hadn’t known about this two-way glass she’d been encased in.

  Iris turned away from it, horrified. They’d almost reached the top, but as they raced around the last turn, a bunch of men dressed in dark blue outfits raced out from the glass tunnel connecting this building to another.

  “Shit!” Fox stopped, and she smacked into his back. Before they could go anywhere else, he was dragged away from her—calling out her name and extending his arms toward her as another man stepped between them.

  Iris didn’t know what else to do, but stare at the man wearing an expensive suit. Every detail about him seemed meticulous, and she already knew who he was. This was the man she could never quite remember—the one who promised her safety and instead kept her as a pet. This is the one who kept me in the fishbowl all of my life…but why?

  “Iris, where do you think you’re going?” he asked in his smooth and lovely voice.

  She shook her head and took a step back.

  “Leave her alone!” Fox protested, unable to break free from the guards keeping him away from her. A bald man held him tightly, and a blonde woman gripped his other arm.

  “Fox, I suggest you shut up. You’re already in enough trouble.” The man turned to glare at his son with hard, icy, blue eyes. It was the only feature they shared, but where Fox’s eyes were kind and lovely, this man’s were harsh and cold. “You’ve been a disappointment from the beginning, but with a little tinkering, I’m sure we can adjust your rebellious and inquisitive nature.”

  Iris met Fox’s eyes. She didn’t want to lose the only person who’d ever cared enough to be her friend. I have to find another way out, for both of us.

  She turned to run back the way they’d come but smacked into the hard chest of another man in uniform. She punched him with tight fists, rage tearing from her gut, slowly rising with so much force, she realized she was about to lose control.

  “No,” she whispered.

  “Spalding, get over here and subdue her before we get a repeat of the slaughter she has already left behind.”

  A tall man with white hair raced out from behind them, approaching her tentatively, as if he were dealing with an animal. “Calm down, Iris. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  She tried to squirm out of the guard’s grip but couldn’t.

  “Leave her alone!” Fox yelled, but no one listened to him.

  Before she could move or connect with the power of the storm already raging outside the building, a sharp jab on her arm stung her to silence. Warm liquid spread from that one spot, until she couldn’t move.

  Her body slithered down, caught by someone before she hit the ground.

  “Damn you both!” was the last thing she heard Fox say before he was dragged away, into the glass tunnel. He didn’t stop kicking and screaming her name, continuing until his voice eventually faded to a haunting murmur…

  Her eyelids grew heavy. Blackness consumed her mind and vision in one clean swoop. Sucking in a huge gulp of air, she somehow managed to yank against the restraints at her hands and feet.

  The snap echoed inside her head.

  Her eyes opened.

  Iris stared into the dark eyes of the white-haired man who’d injected her with a substance strong enough to paralyze her. The same man who’d used other syringes on her so many other times.

  Angry and disoriented, she gave into the safety and control violence provided for her, and struck out.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “What’s the matter with her?” Fox demanded. Iris’s hand had slipped from his when the convulsions started. Her spine rose off the chair as she called out his name. Both her eyes moved rapidly beneath her closed eyelids. Sweat coated her body with a moist sheen. “There’s something wrong!”

  Why was she calling his name? Weren’t they supposed to be tapping into old memories?

  “She’s remembering,” Spalding answered. He reached over to lift one of her eyelids after the other, shining a light into each. “I think it’s time to bring her out of it.”

  “Did this brilliant plan of yours work or not? I swear, if she dies on this table, I will kill you with my bare hands.” Rage didn’t cover the way Fox felt at the moment. The turmoil and uncertainty tore him up inside. After all they’d been through during the last few days, and everything they’d seen, he wasn’t going to lose her to some machine.

  “If that happens, I deserve to die.”

  “What the hell’s that suppose to mean?”

  Spalding raced over to the computer monitor on the other side of the room. He stared at it. His eyes narrowed while his fingers tapped the keyboard, and he periodically looked up at Iris.

  Fox stalked toward the professor and didn’t stop until he stood in front of him. “I asked you a damn question!” He couldn’t control his anger, couldn’t shake the wrath consuming him with every new haunted yell Iris released. She was suffering, and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Why had he agreed to let this bastard help? This definitely wasn’t helping.

  “Fox, I wasn’t lying when I said Iris was special.” He rubbed his face with his shaky hands. “She’s the reason I walked out on your father.”

  That got his undivided attention. “What?”

  Spalding’s eyes darkened, but he wouldn’t look at him. His eyes strayed from the monitor, to Iris, and back again. “Kingsley desperately wanted me to clone Iris. It’s the only thing he’s wanted for a long time, but I couldn’t do it. She has a DNA strand I’ve never seen before. I can’t even begin to understand it. No one can. He got tired of waiting, and I knew it was only a matter of time before his frustration concluded in my death, so I walked out.” The professor paused for a moment. “I have to admit that I’d left him in spirit a long time before that and started working with someone else behind his back…but I disappeared one night and lost myself in the slums. I couldn’t take it, anymore. Not after he made me…”

  “Go on! Don’t stop now, old man.” Fox wasn’t sure if he wanted to know all of the professor’s secrets, but he felt this was a good start.

  Spalding nodded, but he wasn’t looking at anyone anymore. He had a faraway look glinting in the dark depths of his eyes. “It took every bit of credits I had stashed away to hide and leave no trace behind, but I made connections pretty quickly. It’s true what they say about blood being thicker than water.”

  He didn’t understand what Sp
alding was trying to say. “Why did you bid so much at the Weasel’s?”

  “It wasn’t my money, which always makes it easier to spend, doesn’t it?” Something between a dry chuckle and a snort escaped him. “This fortress, and many others like it around Nexus, is entirely funded by the York family.” He typed some more, watched for Iris’s reaction, and then returned to the screen. When her spine relaxed and she lay motionless on the seat, he sighed.

  “Are you telling me you were bought out by another rich person?” The disgust echoed in his accusation. The fact he’d somehow stabilized Iris did nothing to return Fox’s confidence in the man’s intentions.

  “My mother doesn’t buy anyone, Mr. Wentworth.”

  He didn’t recognize the voice, so he swiveled around to find a curvy redhead now standing beside Iris’s outstretched body. She was looking down at Iris and gently brushed away strands of hair from her moist forehead. She sighed, then headed toward them. The leather of her pants creaked with every step—almost as much as her heels. Her matching leather vest barely concealed full breasts and showed too much of her tight abdomen.

  As desirable as she looked, an air of danger surrounded her. It made Fox squirm when she neared him. Who is this chick? Only one way to find out. “Who the hell are you?” he snapped.

  “Fox, this is Edna York.”

  “Spalding, I’ve told you a thousand times to call me Ed. Edna makes me sound so old.” The redhead pouted at the professor before flashing Fox a wide smile. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mister Wentworth.” She held out her right hand.

  He chose to ignore it. “You can drop the Mister and call me Fox.”

  Ed shrugged at his obvious snub and lowered her hand. “Ah, so it’s true what they say about you.” She moved carefully around the long chair in her way.

  “What do they say about me, Ed?” I might as well play along, for now.

  She pushed her curly hair away from her face. “Oh, you know. Rumor has it that the only heir to the Wentworth fortune would rather pretend he was someone else.”