Red was not my favourite colour
anymore. It was too bright. I needed something much more subdued. Grey was the
dominant colour of the world, why shouldn’t it be my favourite?
I swung my legs back and forth cutting lines across the smooth pavement with my bare feet. Stoping abruptly I flexed my toes against the cool surface.
The enclosed space of the yard pressed against me, I was trapped and my body shuddered with the feeling. “I will never look up” I muttered to myself. Up was dangerous and bright and it didn’t matter how oppressing the yard was, it was safer than up there. So I let the greyness of the ground wash over me.
A strong arm grabbed my hair and yanked me up off the bench. The pavement receded as I was lifted higher and a single red droplet marred its perfect blandness. Blood was too bright, I saw it too often. A thought occurred to me; gravity would always pull the crimson liquid down. It ruined my whole theory of down being safe. I sighed and raised my gaze.
I swung my legs back and forth cutting lines across the smooth pavement with my bare feet. Stoping abruptly I flexed my toes against the cool surface.
The enclosed space of the yard pressed against me, I was trapped and my body shuddered with the feeling. “I will never look up” I muttered to myself. Up was dangerous and bright and it didn’t matter how oppressing the yard was, it was safer than up there. So I let the greyness of the ground wash over me.
A strong arm grabbed my hair and yanked me up off the bench. The pavement receded as I was lifted higher and a single red droplet marred its perfect blandness. Blood was too bright, I saw it too often. A thought occurred to me; gravity would always pull the crimson liquid down. It ruined my whole theory of down being safe. I sighed and raised my gaze.
Arber was
still suspended from the wires; his body had started to crust over. They all
did that, the ones who died in here. It may have something to do with the
doctors, but then again it may not.
I turned my hips to the left and swung back around to the right gaining momentum. With a few more twists I was able to flick a solid kick against the body that belonged to the arm. I heard a distinct break. It let out a yelp and released my hair. I fell to the ground landing squarely on my back looking up at my attacker.
The muscled arm that was attached to the now bruised and broken body belonged to Stats, he had never liked me. Stats thought too much, thought I was evil. I nimbly switched positions to my stomach and scurried away blending perfectly with the shadow of the surveillance tower.
I turned my hips to the left and swung back around to the right gaining momentum. With a few more twists I was able to flick a solid kick against the body that belonged to the arm. I heard a distinct break. It let out a yelp and released my hair. I fell to the ground landing squarely on my back looking up at my attacker.
The muscled arm that was attached to the now bruised and broken body belonged to Stats, he had never liked me. Stats thought too much, thought I was evil. I nimbly switched positions to my stomach and scurried away blending perfectly with the shadow of the surveillance tower.
I ended my escape behind the water purifier,
my back against the warm pipes. They sloshed and groaned under the weight of
the prison’s water supply. I risked a glance up and regretted it instantly. The
sky billowed with a deep purple tinged with black. The black most probably
being the Carrions that circled overhead in altitudes so high they would make
my brain explode. They weren’t the problem though; the shafts of piercing white
light that echoed each other across the sky were.
Were they bi-products of the sun? I hated the sun. It burned my eyes and rendered me useless. What good was a shadow in the sun? My eyes began to produce water, such a strange sensation I thought. I stretched out my lithe body and slid down against the pipes, settling closer to the ground. Placing my palm against my smooth cheek I brushed away the droplets absentmindedly.
Were they bi-products of the sun? I hated the sun. It burned my eyes and rendered me useless. What good was a shadow in the sun? My eyes began to produce water, such a strange sensation I thought. I stretched out my lithe body and slid down against the pipes, settling closer to the ground. Placing my palm against my smooth cheek I brushed away the droplets absentmindedly.
Waking up I
found myself back in the medical room. The first tinge of fear slithered
through my body. How did I get here? Tension took hold of my sinews as I
strained to move. Locked down, locked in and locked up. How was I being moved
about without my own knowledge? Shadows are meant to be un-catchable, non
tangible and immune to the effects of bio-warfare.
My mind began to calculate possible scenarios to explain how this was happening, but each thought petered out without an ending. Not for the first time in my existence confusion gripped me. Shadows aren’t meant to be confused or seen, are they?
Small black eyes of a masked figure focussed steadily on my body. I followed their gaze as they traced my exposed skin. The range of markings that covered me stood out clearly against the high grade light being emitted from the lamp.
Swirls and spidery ebony lines encased my arms, transforming into scripture that trailed around my chest. Thousands of tiny curves and edges wrapped around my thighs, all inked into my skin to symbolise what I had become. The tattoo ended with an emblem above my hip bone with the words: “Vortex Faction 7230976.”
I cringed as the silver point of a syringe pierced through one of the markings. My heart quickened as I felt the liquid flow through my system. I strained with everything I had, but it did nothing. No amount of will power ever worked to staunch the flow.
My mind began to calculate possible scenarios to explain how this was happening, but each thought petered out without an ending. Not for the first time in my existence confusion gripped me. Shadows aren’t meant to be confused or seen, are they?
Small black eyes of a masked figure focussed steadily on my body. I followed their gaze as they traced my exposed skin. The range of markings that covered me stood out clearly against the high grade light being emitted from the lamp.
Swirls and spidery ebony lines encased my arms, transforming into scripture that trailed around my chest. Thousands of tiny curves and edges wrapped around my thighs, all inked into my skin to symbolise what I had become. The tattoo ended with an emblem above my hip bone with the words: “Vortex Faction 7230976.”
I cringed as the silver point of a syringe pierced through one of the markings. My heart quickened as I felt the liquid flow through my system. I strained with everything I had, but it did nothing. No amount of will power ever worked to staunch the flow.
They released
me into the yard again. I stumbled and fell hitting my head. As the blood
pooled under my outstretched arm my back began to spasm. The liquid had turned
to ice under my skin, it froze all my muscles as they tried to rebel, seizing
my limbs in uncontrollable cramps. Foam bubbled out of my mouth as my brain
began to seize. Searing pain ripped through my lungs and throat. I remembered
hearing someone say something to me once. It surfaced in my disjointed mind
before I blacked out; “If you could lick my heart, it would poison you.” It
certainly would.
A dull pain
pounded through my shaking frame. Everything hurt. I clutched at my knees and
pulled my long legs up against my breasts. Feeling was gradually returning to
my toes, the last parts of me to be unfrozen from the inside out.
I licked a line across my knee cap and instantly spat it back out. I could taste the vile substance mingled in with my sweat. At least my body had done what it was supposed to do. Getting to my feet I surveyed the yard, Angela had died in the corner. She made a reeking smell. I wrinkled my nose and moved in the direction of the regulation booth.
I was allotted new pants and a top which rubbed against my skin with an unpleasant sensation. There weren’t many pleasant things these days though, just the waiting. I wondered how long it would take for my Faction to find me.
I licked a line across my knee cap and instantly spat it back out. I could taste the vile substance mingled in with my sweat. At least my body had done what it was supposed to do. Getting to my feet I surveyed the yard, Angela had died in the corner. She made a reeking smell. I wrinkled my nose and moved in the direction of the regulation booth.
I was allotted new pants and a top which rubbed against my skin with an unpleasant sensation. There weren’t many pleasant things these days though, just the waiting. I wondered how long it would take for my Faction to find me.
***
I had waited patiently for a
long time. So long the days had blended together into one grey mass of walls
and floors. Sitting in the extraction-copter I tried to string together a set
of words. I realised I had forgotten how to speak. As we passed over the city I
looked through the rectangular window. I could hear a news report blaring out
of the megaphones in the city square.
The days of people amassing in the streets had long passed. How did I know that? A woman’s voice rang out to an empty audience announcing the latest development; “Holding facility number S87365 has been destroyed. All detainees have escaped. Casualties equal 207. Amongst those was Doctor Elvir Stein. All documentation of the test subjects has been destroyed. We are no closer to a cure. Her voice cut out abruptly and the streets died into silence once again. The copter continued on its course and I sat waiting once again.
The days of people amassing in the streets had long passed. How did I know that? A woman’s voice rang out to an empty audience announcing the latest development; “Holding facility number S87365 has been destroyed. All detainees have escaped. Casualties equal 207. Amongst those was Doctor Elvir Stein. All documentation of the test subjects has been destroyed. We are no closer to a cure. Her voice cut out abruptly and the streets died into silence once again. The copter continued on its course and I sat waiting once again.
***
The Carrions still circled. Tiny flecks of darkness that occasionally migrated to the ground enticed by the smell of flesh. I glimpsed them through a tinted window that filtered out all the harsh light of the hated sun. I rubbed the back of my neck where the incision was made.
I had been told that my whole nervous system had to be purged. Links and connections were fried. Some brain cells had atrophied and needed replacing. I was fixed now though. My Faction had sat me down earlier and questioned me. I was able to tell them very little. My mind had been almost completely corrupted by the substance the government doctors had injected into me. Father was extremely proud of my endurance though. My heart swelled as he announced that I would be re-integrated into the Shadow program.
“Free reign
to kill again?” I whispered uncertainly.
“Yes, does
that make you happy?” he asked.
“Yes” I
replied.
The feeling
of contentment momentarily morphed into an uneasy thought; they had been so close,
so close to making me forget what I was made for.
It was quite obvious that red was my favourite
colour.
No comments:
Post a Comment