Chapter 11
1177 Words
Wisps of hair around my face fluttered in the breeze created by the sliding door. I stepped inside the doorframe and looked back at B2. Her body hunched over the desk in the corner as she worked on her studies like a programmed robot.
I followed J down the long, white corridor. The lights hummed and flickered overhead. Cameras with red eyes tracked our progress down the corridor. We passed several doors along the way, none of which gave any sign as to what lay behind them. Thoughts of what, or who, buzzed through my head.
J turned right, and I followed. We had made this trek several times a week. My eyes focused on the empty hall, a fact that I only noticed in recent days. We met no one and, apart from the humming lights, there was no other sound but the echo of our footfalls. I concentrated and thought back to my other trips through the corridor. No memory existed that showed any contact with anyone.
Not a single picture adorned the walls to add colour to the starkness. The floor was as hard and white as the one in my room, the corridor a long, white tunnel.
J stopped and stepped to the side. A glass door marked the end of the long hall and stood about ten feet away. The glass entrance glowed with bright, warm light. It differed from the light in the hall in that it was not as sterile. I stepped forward and walked past J, my steps hesitant.
“Do not look back at me.” J"s voice cautioned.
My back stiffened. I continued forward, pushed open the glass door, and stepped outside.
The bright light stung my eyes for a moment, and I squinted and blinked until they adjusted. I inhaled the fresh air and stretched my arms above my head. My heart skipped, and I allowed them to fall back down to my sides. Should I have done that? My body tensed. I closed my eyes for a moment. It"s too late to worry now. I opened them and exhaled the worry away.
Should I have done that?It"s too late to worry now.I sighed. I wasn"t outside but in an expansive room designed to mimic the outdoors. Sunlamps hung from the sky-blue ceiling. Their heat warmed the top of my head. White, puffy clouds hung from the rafters to complete the look. A cut stone path meandered through the imitation grass. Colourful, plastic flowers poked out in a random pattern. Tall, artificial trees stretched up toward the fake sky. Somewhere on the other side of the room the name C.E.C.I.L was etched into the wall.
I stood still and stared at the simulated outdoor landscape in front of me. Murals of mountains and forests made it look like the room never ended. I closed my eyes and inhaled again. Even the air smelled fresh. It was, in fact, the only thing that was real, piped in from outside. According to J, it was the newest feature, added only several days ago.
My hesitation lasted only a moment, and when I opened my eyes, I began my walk. Bird songs, buzzing insects, and the whisper of something else resounded through the pretend forest. I stepped inside the tree line. Rustling leaves caused me to tilt my head back. The treetops swayed in a gentle motion, pushed around by fans high above.
The walk would lead me through the artificial forest ten times. It would take me about twenty minutes to complete. The entire journey measured over a kilometre and a half or just under a mile. An illuminated sign at the beginning of the trail documented the distance and number of every loop around.
I wanted to stop and investigate the forest surrounding me, but to do so would only alert them of my awareness. Despite the real outdoor look, many red eyes tracked my every movement. My curiosity would have to be satisfied by the images my eyes captured. Every once in a while I found my pace slowing; I had to remind myself to walk as though I didn"t care about my surroundings. Relief washed over me when the number ten lit up on the sign. Each loop had shown me things I hadn"t noticed before and tempted me to leave the trail.
I turned off the path that wound its way around the perimeter and headed down another. The trail would break free from the forest and lead me into a clearing in the centre of the room. In this area, stations were set up for the various exercises I had to complete.
How I"d ever managed the monotony before was unimaginable, but of course, before I hadn"t been aware of it. I went through the motions without thought or emotion. There wasn"t one station I enjoyed. After a few minutes, I left one post and moved on to the next. Each area was timed and monitored. After completing one circuit, I started again. It ended when the number five appeared on another illuminated sign.
Hot and sweaty from my exercises, I moved back to the forest trail for a final lap and my cool down. It was the lap I enjoyed the most; plodding around had been engrained into my head. The slower pace allowed for me to absorb the phoney sights much easier than before. Small crevices inside trees caught my attention and urged me to explore them, but I did not veer off the path. Instead, I continued my observations from afar.
My heart skipped a little as a thought entered my mind. Do I dare? I was approaching a large rock that sat on the edge of the trail. I had perceived it as real, but I couldn"t be sure. I allowed my steps to move me closer to the edge of the path as I neared. The boulder was only feet away. My left hand hung at my side. Another few steps and I would be walking close enough for my hand to brush up against it and satisfy my curiosity.
Do I dare?My heart raced as my thoughts wrestled back and forth. I stretched out my wiggling fingers. Just a few more steps, my mind whispered. A bead of sweat trickled down my lower back. The anticipation was growing as I made the final approach; my pulse quickened. As I passed by, my fingers curled back into my hand. My fists clenched at my sides, and I finished my stroll. I exhaled through pursed lips, relieved and disappointed at the same time.
Just a few more steps,J was waiting where I"d left him and led me back to my room. The door opened, B2 was cleaning up her desk, and I stepped into our room.
“Have a good day.” J"s voiced called out before the door slid closed behind me.
I headed to the bathroom and continued my mechanical routine. My auto-pilot life needed to end. I was about to lose control.
- Writer
