Untitled (Written by Marysa Writes)

I groan as I sit up on the metal examining table, causing a searing pain to shoot up the back of my head. My throat burns when I swallow and my head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton. As I slide my feet off the table, the world shifts sideways. The tile is cold on my bare feet as I walk unsteadily towards one of the four metal walls. I close my eyes, leaning my forehead against the cool metal, and focus on my breathing. Once my head finally clears, I notice I’ve been changed into a hospital gown and a metal barb juts out of my left wrist. I pinch it between two fingers and wrench it free from my skin. I wince as I touch the hole it left behind, blood pouring down my arm at an alarming rate. The door to my bedroom bursts open and a tall boy with hair the color of a raven’s feathers and ocean blue eyes rushes in. “Lucas?” My voice comes out as a squeak. His muscles are tense as he grabs my wrist and shoves his finger in the hole, creating a hook in my arm. An involuntary scream escapes my throat as I look up into his eyes, tears forming in my own. That’s when I notice it; Lucas’s eyes aren’t blue, they’re green. The mirage ripples, and then it’s gone. I need to get out of here. Wherever ‘here’ may be. I run my hand over my left wrist as I approach the metal door, which would be hidden, if it weren’t for its polished gold handle. I try to turn the knob. Locked. I don’t know why I expected different. I turn, scanning the room for anything to break the handle with. On the far wall, something silver reflects light behind the table. I step closer and recognize it as the barb that was jammed in my arm in the hallucination just a moment ago. I can feel that memory fading like a dream as soon as I try to pull it back to the surface. The table is conveniently placed on four wheels that screech in protest when I move it out of the way. I grab the barb, cylindrical on one end, coming to a point on the other. It’s only about two centimeters in diameter and three inches in length. Unsure of how it will help me open the door, I stick it in the lock below the handle and wait. To my surprise, I hear the unmistakable click of the door unlocking. I pull the barb out of the lock and step into a long, narrow hallway. To my left are more doors, similar to the one I just emerged from. To my right, it leads into a turn down another hallway, whereas the left is a dead end. I take off at a sprint, and run into someone in the same blue gown as my own as soon as I turn the corner. We stare at each other for a few seconds, mirroring each other’s expression like a deer in the headlights. Her warm brown skin glows in contrast to my own. Her big brown eyes scan my grey-blue ones and I notice something sad within hers. In her hand, she wields the same barb as the one in mine. Neither of us makes a sound, but an unspoken agreement passes between us as we decide to escape together. We follow the hallway for what seems like an hour and I begin to wonder about the paucity of security. I remember something my old philosophy teacher once said to me, “As long as the piece of cheese is big enough, the mouse will always find a way to get to it.” I suddenly feel like the mouse, going through the maze of some scientist’s experiment, my every move monitored and recorded. Looking up, I notice the cameras lining the hallway, their lenses following us like accusing eyes. I freeze, and the girl stops just behind me. She follows my gaze to the camera and chucks her barb at it, knocking it loose from the ceiling. The screech of the siren sends a whole new wave of pain through my head as it penetrates my ears. I crumble to the ground and my body feels as though it’s been set on fire. I scream; an almost inhuman noise as pain covers my vision like a blanket and I'm suddenly blinded.I feel strong arms wrap underneath my legs and back. A deep, slightly raspy voice whispers, “You’re okay, Alex. You’re going to be okay.”