The Escape Series Collection

Chapter 7

It took every ounce of self-control not to push myself away from my desk and whirl around to face them. I would have if I hadn"t become lightheaded. I wiped my hand over my forehead; my skin was cold and damp, and my mouth watered. My stomach tensed, and I gripped the edge of my desk. I focused my attention on my fingers as they grew as white as the room around me.

“I don"t have a sister,” I whispered through clenched teeth. I exhaled a slow breath.

“I understand your disbelief, but trust me, you do.”

Trust you? I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath. “Why don"t I remember? Why doesn"t she say anything?” I released my grip from the desk, and the colour returned to my aching knuckles. I flipped a page of my text. My ears pricked up at the sound of the camera. The thought of picking up my book and launching it at the intrusive piece of equipment crossed my mind. Instead, I flipped another page, not caring it was too soon.

Trust you?“She is in somewhat of a hypnotic state, a trance, if you will. She has muscle control and fine motor movements. She can follow directions and procedures. She can process information and learn, but she is mute with no memory of any life in the past – she just exists. Much like you did until recently.”

My eyelids fluttered. What is he talking about? “I don"t understand.”

What is he talking about?J sighed. “I know.”

I jumped a little at the sound of his voice as he stood behind me. I hadn"t even heard him approach.

“I am going to introduce you now – merely a formality,” he said. “Remember, they are watching.” He placed his ungloved hand on my shoulder. The warmth of his touch radiated down my arm; the sensation was strange.

“Wait!” I stopped him before he turned me around. “Why are you introducing us?”

“It was Cecil"s idea. He does not know you are becoming aware, so he does not think the two of you becoming roommates will be a problem.”

Questions filled my head, and I didn"t know which to ask first. In the end, there were so many they overwhelmed me, and I didn"t ask a single one. He turned me around, the camera hummed, and I was silenced.

The girl sat on her bed. Her focus was straight ahead on the wall in front of her. J pushed me toward her in my desk chair and placed me in her line of vision – our knees almost touched. I stared at the girl, but she didn"t see me, only looked right through me instead.

J moved beside me, his back to the camera. “Remember do not react in any way. They think you are still in a hypno-state.” The sound of the ever-watchful eye came from behind him, but I couldn"t see it. J"s body had blocked it from my view.

“I think they know,” I said in my best ventriloquist voice. I kept my focus on the girl in front of me.

“W-why do you say that?” J"s voice faltered and gave away his shock at my words.

“Because before you came, I had a visitor, and I nodded when he asked me a question.” I studied the girl"s features. They did look a little familiar.

“Who?”

The intensity in J"s voice made me jump, and my concentration on the girl"s face broke. I closed my eyes and pictured the man in my room. His white hair was the first thing that came to mind. “White hair,” I whispered.

J sucked in a large gulp of air. I turned my head and looked at him. His brown eyes had narrowed in a thoughtful way. “It is fine you nodded to him. His voice would be the only one to elicit that sort of response. I overheard once it had something to do with a song. Anyway, he would expect that.”

A song? I questioned for a moment and in the same instant forgot about it. My body relaxed, surprising me. I didn"t think I had been holding any tension.

A song?A loud buzz filled the air. I stood up from my chair and pushed it back toward the desk. My body reacted before my brain even registered the reason for the alarm. I cleaned up my desk and put my book away. The note and envelope poked at the skin between my breasts as I moved.

“What do I do with your note?” I said as I feigned straightening and cleaning.

“Put it back in the laundry chute. I will retrieve it.”

Without even thinking, my feet transported me from my desk and back toward my dresser. My body continued following procedures as much as my brain tried to resist. The video camera whined behind me, but it wasn"t its eye I sensed on the back of my head. I pulled open the bottom drawer and removed the package of gym clothes. “Who is he? The white-haired man?” My hands tore at the plastic.

“He is Cecil. He runs this centre.”

I stopped for a moment, the vision of the word C.E.C.I.L flashed in front of my eyes. “It"s on the wall.” My hands freed the green t-shirt and shorts from their confines.

“It is the name of this place. At least it is now.” The last bit he said more under his breath as though speaking a thought out loud.

Another alarm buzzed, interrupting our conversation. I turned around, and for the first time since entering my room, the girl in blue had climbed off her bed. J guided her toward the desk, and she sat down. The laundry chute door slid open, and J moved toward it.

“You better put your gym clothes on,” he said as he reached inside the chute and pulled out a box.

I turned away from him and unbuttoned my dress. I pulled it over my head and laid it out on my bed. My eyes caught sight of the note and envelope peeking out from my b*a. I tugged my t-shirt over my head, reached inside, and smoothed out the papers the best I could. Satisfied they would not be visible, I pulled on my shorts.

“What is C.E.C.I.L?” I thought of the word engraved into the wall as I straightened out my dress on my bed.

“Contagion Eradication Centre for Intelligent Life.”

I stood up straight, abandoning my dress. My confusion cleared. “It"s both his name and this place?”

“Hmph. It is. We must leave now.”

My back stiffened. Something in his tone told me there was much more to it than that. “What do I do with her?” I reached out and smoothed another wrinkle from my dress.

“Nothing.” J"s voice was flat.

I turned and followed J toward the door. It slid open; we walked out and left the girl behind.