by Sara Daniell
The man’s mouth remains in a hard line as he places the next photo on the table. It takes every ounce of strength I have to not completely fall apart. It’s my father. Dead.
My body begins to shake, and I play it off as being cold. I feel tears burning my eyes and force them not to fall. I look up at the man. “I have no idea who this is.”
After a series of simple questions about my life growing up and pretending to know nothing, I pass the test. I’m not sure how I do. Inside I feel like a complete wreck.
I wish I could have asked questions about my father’s death. I wish I could have had a shoulder to cry on. I wish I could scream at Plath for betraying me. I wish I could march up to the Constable and ask why they want me to forget everything.
The man and Plath leave the room. A white suit walks in, and it’s obviously a woman. The tight-fitting suit exaggerates her curves. She instructs me to follow her. I stand to my feet and wrap my arms around myself as I follow her.
“Will you please tell me where you are taking me?” I ask as I try to keep up with her fast pace and keep my tears at bay.
“We are going to the cafeteria. It is time for dinner.”
I follow her through more tubes and try to ask questions, but she ignores them all. I take a deep breath and let it out. I try to push the image of my father far from my mind. If I don’t, I will lose it. And one thing I know for sure, I don’t want to go through the breaking process again. Not ever.
I sit down, numb from what I experienced during questioning. I’m seated with four others who appear to be my age. I look around the large cafeteria and notice we are one of three small round tables. The four others are sitting up extremely straight. I do my best to follow suit.
Plates are set in front of us, and it actually looks appetizing. I go to reach for my fork but stop when I’m slapped on my hand by one of the white suits. Instinct would be to beat the shit out of them, but I refrain from doing so. I simply place my hand softly back into my lap. I look around and notice no one else is eating either.
They finally announce that we can eat, and I begin devouring the food. Honestly, I’m shocked I even have an appetite after everything I’ve been through. The three others at my table begin talking to one another. I ignore their conversation and continue eating. They start whispering to each other as they stare at me. I keep my eyes on my food. The cafeteria is quiet besides forks hitting plates.
I look up when I hear doors shut. Plath walks past me, and all of a sudden, I’m no longer hungry. I instinctively feel my pocket for a knife. I tense at the realization that there isn’t one there. There hasn’t been one for the past… Well, for however long I’ve been here.
I don’t like the way Plath has his hands folded behind his back and his chest puffed out like he’s more important than all of us. I look around, and no one else seems bothered by his demeanor.
“I will see all of you in twenty minutes.” Plath avoids my eyes as he walks back out of the room.
I push my plate to the side and rest my head on my hand. I look at the girl sitting beside me, and she nervously shifts her eyes from me and then to her shoes. I think for several seconds on whether or not I should say hi. She speaks first.
“My name is Marah.”
“Orion.”
Her lips twitch like she’s going to smile, but it never happens. “To my left is Kyle, and to my right is Dex.” I nod at each of them.
“What is in twenty minutes?” I ask Marah.
She shakes her head too fast, and it makes me uncomfortable. “We… We don’t know. We never know.”
Okay? I look at Dex and then at Kyle. They both avoid looking at me. I cover my ears and scream when a loud noise fills the room. I feel my ears to make sure they aren’t bleeding from a busted eardrum. I look around, and no one else is fazed by the noise. Do they not hear it? Or do they, and they are just used to it? I grit my teeth to keep from screaming more. They all stand to their feet and make their way to the doors opposite from the ones I came in. I follow, still holding my hands over my ears.
We walk into a room that’s so small we all have to stand shoulder-to-shoulder. I squint my eyes as I look up. The florescent lights against all the white burns my eyes. I concentrate on a light bulb that is flickering. It finally goes out. I want to ask a million questions but can’t. No one speaks. They keep their eyes forward. I’m shorter than the ones standing in front of me so I can’t see what they’re looking at. I’m not sure I want to.
I would feel much better if I had a gun. Being this close to others I don’t know sets me on edge. I stand on my tiptoes to try to get a better look at what everyone is staring at. Before I see anything, I feel something wet under my feet and look down. What the hell? Blood?
No one moves or even acts shocked that blood is pooling beneath our feet. I feel like I’m going to throw up and have to cover my mouth with my hand. I want to run, but there’s no way out. Not with the way we are standing so close. They would notice and then… Well, then who knows what would happen if I tried to escape.
I do my best to look past the others in front of me. I see a man with silver hair step up onto a pedestal, glowering down at us. He speaks, and his voice is terrifying. You can tell it’s naturally that way, and he’s not doing it on purpose.
“Thank you all for coming.” I scoff at his words. Like we had a choice. “Concentrate on the blood! The blood of those who have fought against us, betrayed us!” Everyone begins to chant and yell screams of victory. This is insane. I feel a light tap on my back and look over my shoulder.
Marah avoids looking at me as she speaks. “You’re not blending in.” Her tone is cryptic enough to make me understand that me not doing what the others are doing isn’t okay. I nod and begin to yell with the others.
“Silence!” the man yells over us. “There is still more to be done and more of the fallen to find!”
The fallen?
“Now, as you stand in the blood of your victories, I want you to focus on each word that emerges from my lips.”
Focus? I feel sick again as I notice the blood is thickening beneath my feet.
“We are far from being finished! This task still has years to accomplish, and we need all of you! You will all receive assignments exactly two hours after leaving this room. I want you to meditate on them and prepare your minds.” He closes his eyes and inhales deeply.
I want to pull the collar of my shirt over my nose to weaken the scent of blood. I look down and am shocked when all of the blood is gone. My shoes are still stained, but it’s off the floor. My whole body begins to shake, and I can’t control it. I agreed to something bigger than I could have ever imagined, and it’s something awful.
We are dismissed, and everyone forms a large line as we wait to leave the room. I’m being shoved and moved around as others cut in front of me. I would normally stand my ground and take back my spot in line, but I’m scared. I finally make it back into the large cafeteria and look around for Marah. I see her waiting near the door that leads to the hallway. I hurry over to her and pull her to a corner.
“What the hell was that?”
“Not here, not ever, Orion. This conversation can’t happen. Got it?” She walks away from me.
I lean my head against the wall and close my eyes. Maybe I can make a run for it. I look around for a way out. I used to be so good at this. I’m about to run for a door on the other side of the room when I’m grabbed by the arm.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I clench my jaw as I look in the eyes of the one who betrayed me.
I knee him in the groin. He falls to his knees and holds his breath as he tries to cope with the pain. “They can hang me for all I care. You were right, I should’ve chosen death.”
He glares up at me. “They won’t hang you. You will be tortured, Orion. You accepted becoming their puppet. You are now forever bonded to that. Death isn’t a way out, and they won’t let that be an option. Not now.” He stands up and grabs my arm again. I st
art to jerk away, but he grips harder. “I’m taking you to your room, and I suggest you follow my lead.”
We walk to a hallway that is labeled Vesper Hall. He brings me to a door with the number five on it. “You will now be referred to as Vesper Number 5. This is your room. I’m going to treat you like shit so be prepared.”
I scoff. “Be prepared? I wouldn’t expect anything different from you. You’re-”
“This conversation is over.” He opens my door and pushes me in, closing the door behind me. I hear a loud click and instinctively try to turn the door handle. It’s locked from the outside! I’m on the verge of hyperventilating and have to sit down to keep from falling on my face. I pull my knees to my chest and bury my face in my hands. I take deep breaths to try to calm myself down.
“ORION!”
I peek through a hole in the wall when I hear Sage screaming for me on the other side of it. I kick the wall and scream her name back. I hear heavy footsteps and metal scraping against the concrete wall. It’s getting closer and closer. I hold my breath and close my eyes as I try to think of a way out of here. Tears fall down my face, and I know this is probably the end for us. I want to tell her to be brave, but I have to stay quiet.
I use the little bit of light that is shining through a crack in the wall as a guide for a way out. I feel the wall for a door, but there’s nothing. As I walk, I feel something being pushed by my feet. I do my best to stay quiet as I squat down to feel for it. A chain. As the footsteps get closer, I pull the chain to see where it leads. To hell with staying quiet! I pull faster. When the chain pulls tight, I pull back all the slack and feel slightly relieved when I realize I have enough to use this to my advantage. I back into a corner and wait.
I hear the heavy, labored breaths of the Hunter. He’s inches from me. The sun through the crack shines slightly on his nose. I ready the chain, which makes a rattling noise, giving away that I’m right in front of him. He growls, and I feel a sting. Then I feel an intense pain in my right shoulder. The son of a bitch stabbed me! I scream through the pain and pull the chain above my head and around his neck.
I wrap it as tightly as I can. My arm burns and throbs. I can feel the blood spilling from it and becoming heavier as I pull the chain tighter. When his body falls to the floor, I know I’ve killed him. But just to be sure, I feel for the knife as I cry out in pain. I retrieve the knife and feel his chest to determine where his heart is. I stab him as hard as I can and twist the knife just to be sure.
I OPEN MY eyes and gasp for air. I quickly sit up from the cold concrete floor and scoot my back against the wall. I rub my eyes and look around. I’m in my room in Vesper Hall. I tuck my hair behind my ears and wipe my sweaty palms on my pants. I take a few deep breaths as I try to wrap my mind around what I just saw in my dream. That Hunter’s life was the fourth life I took in our first year on Earth. That wasn’t just a dream. It was a flashback.
I stand up on shaky legs and feel for a light switch. I flip it on and squint as the fluorescent lights flicker on one by one. A bed, a closet, and a bathroom. That’s it. I walk over to the closet and look inside. Nothing but a few sets of the same white uniform I’m already wearing with Vesper 5 placed boldly in black on the back of each shirt.
I close the door and walk to the bathroom. I walk up to the mirror and almost look away. My face is pale; my hair is all the way down to the middle of my back, and I look frail like I could shatter into a million pieces any second. I turn and look at the bed. There is a folder with my number on it. I walk over and open it. I sit down on the hard mattress as I read:
Vesper 5,
At this time, your duty remains confidential. The tools you will need will be given to you in exactly 2 hours with further instructions. Thank you for your service.
The Constable
I close the folder and stare at it for a few moments. Tools? Instructions? My duty? What service? I let it fall to the floor and lay back on the bed.
I wrap a towel around me as I step out of the shower. I feel clean, yet dirty. I sigh heavily as I walk over to the closet. I open it and groan at the sight of white. After I dress, I comb my wet hair. I walk to the door and try to turn the handle, but it’s still locked. I look around for a clock, but there isn’t one. I sit down on the edge of the bed and read the letter from the Constable again. None of this makes sense.
I set it down and jump when I hear the doorknob move. I watch as the golden knob turns slowly. The door inches open, and I see Marah peek her head in. I furrow my eyebrows at her. “Marah?”
“Come with me to Kyle’s room.”
“Am I allowed to leave this room?” Naturally I would want to do this. I would want to rebel and live on the edge. Anything to defy the Constable should be tempting. But something tells me I don’t want to piss them off just yet. Maybe not ever.
“The rumors about you must be lies,” she says; then a deep frown settles on her face. She doesn’t seem nervous like she did in the cafeteria.
I raise an eyebrow. “Rumors? And what’s with the new personality? You acted scared shitless at dinner.”
“It’s an act. And yes, rumors. That you are fearless and non-conforming? Are you coming or not?”
I hesitate before answering. “But—” She starts to close the door. “Wait!”
She smiles. “Follow me.”
I start to go get my shoes, but she waves her hand at me telling me to come on. My bare feet patter quietly across the floor. She opens the door and holds my hand as we run down the hall. When we make it to Kyle’s door, she lightly taps it two times with her index finger.
He opens the door and smiles as he moves to let us quickly run in. His room is exactly like mine, only his bed is pushed against the wall instead of in the middle of the room.
“Glad you came. We usually hang out like this while the Constable sleeps. The white suits are supposed to keep an eye on us, but when you have mind control they don’t remember much.” Kyle walks over to where Marah and Dex are sitting in the floor. I follow him and sit down after he does.
“So, did you really escape the Sphere?” Marah asks with her back against the wall.
My head is spinning. So much is going on, and I don’t know how to process it all. I blink a few times then answer her. “Sage and I did on accident.”
Everyone looks at each other with grim eyes then back at me. “Did I miss something?” I ask completely confused.
“Sage Emer-” Marah barely gets out.
“Marah!” Dex interrupts her. “Not now.”
Marah looks embarrassed and looks down at her hands. “Sorry, I figured she already knew that Sage was-”
“Marah!” Dex and Kyle both yell. She pretends to zip her lips and smiles as sweetly as she can as she tosses the imaginary key over her shoulder.
I furrow my eyebrows. “Ummm, I’m really confused.”
“Don’t be. Marah is just being stupid.” Kyle cuts his eyes at Marah who bats her eyes at him, trying to appear innocent.
I close my eyes and rub my temples. I should push for them to tell me, but, honestly, I’m worn out and don’t have the mental strength to deal with it right now.
“What is it like on Earth?” Dex asks, an obvious, poor attempt to change the subject. He takes Marah’s hand in his. My eyes linger on their hands for a moment. It seems ridiculous to pursue a relationship in this hell.
I look at Dex. “I don’t really want to talk about it.” I avert my eyes to look at the wall and not at their pleading stares. I don’t even know these people.
“Do you honestly think you made it to Earth by accident?” Marah asks. Kyle quickly gives her a serious look and shakes his head.
I look at Kyle and give him an appreciative smile. It’s apparent he wants Marah to keep her mouth shut, but I also think he can tell I don’t want to talk about anything that has to do with how I ended up in this mess or how it’s my fault my best friend and father are dead. Tears start to build. I wipe them before they can fall.
M
arah whispers something to Kyle then looks at me. “Do you remember everything about life before you came to the Constable Headquarters?”
“Am I not supposed to?” I know Plath made it clear that I’m not, but I can’t exactly trust him. I’m not sure if I can trust Marah either, but I know one thing for sure; she has to be safer than Plath.
She laughs. “Remember I told you in the holding room to blend? We don’t remember anything from the past, got it?”
I nod. Kyle stands up and motions for me to follow him. I hesitantly get up. I follow him over to a corner, and he leans against the wall.
“Would you like more information about the situation you are in?”
“Yes!” I reply too quickly and too loudly.
He laughs and nods his head. “Okay, but it does not leave this room.”
“All right.”
“Orion, I am serious. We will all be tortured if they knew that we know these things.”
I roll my eyes. “Okay! Now tell me.”
He laughs a nervous laugh and shakes his head. “You should have chosen death. This life is unbearable, Orion.”
“Just tell me already!” I want to know why they need us so badly. No, I have to know. I have to figure them out so I can manipulate their plan and get the hell out of here.
“Now that they have you, it would be easy to do away with you. Don’t you see? They have four of us who have the ability of mind control. And… You and Marah are girls, and we are guys.”
I look curiously at him. I look around at the four of us. “What does our gender matter?”
“Reproduction of our kind. They want to breed us like dogs.”
I stutter as I try to respond. “Wh-aat?”
“That’s not the worst of it, though.” He shakes his head.
“What else?”
“The jobs that we do are nothing to be proud of. The very first job you will have to do is make your own family forget who you are.” I feel a sting in my heart.
