of heaven and hell 2

8/9/2019 Of Heaven and Hell 2

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Of Heaven and Hell

By: Chris Sims


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~ Contents ~~ *~PreludeNightmare4On the Run7Nightmare Continued11Part 1: ResistanceDay 6314

First Contact24Day 68: The Resistance

38HellPart 2: AftermathFreedomOne Year LaterPart 3: Darkness

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Prelude

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NightmareRain drops exploded as they fell onto the cobblestone

that made up the town square, the sound of it colliding with the makeshift roofs of the towns few houses could be heard off in the distance. The air was filled with thesound of angry yells; the voices cutting through the rain with a sharp tone. Thevoices were only drowned out by the clash of thunder as lightning streaked acrossthe sky. In the square, a large group of people had amassed. They had surroundeda large stone platform near the top of the square which served as a stage fortraveling bards and the occasional actors guild. The square is always bustling withactivity and filled with cheerful music but not tonight.

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their fists upward into the air. Many times before we have rid of the devils men.Witches and heretics alike, but for the first time, we execute a demon. The purestform of evil apart from Satan himself! A grim smile broke out across the mansface. The crowd was ready. Now was the time to spill his blood. Without further

ado, let the retribution begin!

The man in black dropped the end of the leather whip. He stood before thebound man, brandishing the whip before him as though he were a man showing off his greatest accomplishment to his mortal enemy. Any last words monster? heasked gruffly. The man closed his eyes, the red glow disappearing behind hiseyelids. Fine then. You wont stay quiet for long. Lets see you keep yourcomposure after being beaten. Youll be begging me for mercy.

The man in chains opened his eyes, glaring at the man in black; His facedrawn into a sinister, mocking smile. His lips parted to let loose a bone-chilling

laugh. The eyes of the torturer narrowed. He gathered the spit in his mouth andspat it out, landing on his prisoners face. His laughter stopped, his grin turned intoa scowl. Youll pay for that you filthy maggot. His voice was filled with hatred,muffled behind clenched teeth.

Oh really, well see about that demon, he said spitefully. His patience withhis prisoner was gone. He stepped behind him, and lashed the whip onto theconcrete of the stage. It struck with a loud snap, resembling that of the thunderoverhead. He stood back, taking careful aim of the man in front of him. He pulledthe length of the whip through his hands, the wet leather sliding across his skin.

With a simple flick of the wrist, the whip lashed out once again, but this timestriking the flesh of the mans lower back.

The prisoners eyes were jolted open by the sting of the whip on his back, Hiseyes were now bright red, burning with hatred. His teeth were clenched, repressinghis urge to scream out against the agony.

The lashings continued, jeering more and more cheers from the crowd. Themans back was crimson with blood. Though he was strong, he could not keep hisposture for long. His screams cut through the air as easily as the lightening in thesky; but this was only the beginning. The execution was still to come. His captor

still stood well and alive; but not for long, he thought to himself. Another lashstuck his back, as he let out a final blood curdling scream. Suddenly, his wholeworld faded to black. He was helpless; his pride taken from him. For this, therewould be hell to pay.

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On the Run The world flew past him at lightning speed. He

tightened his grip on the reins, feeling the pressure of the impending doom tocome. His mind focused on the rhythm of the clomp of the hooves against theheavy ground, paying no attention to the chaos ensuing around him. He hoped onlythat people were agile enough to sidestep his steed. If not, well, one life is a smallcost to pay for the lives of thousands.

He tugged the reins the left, his horse veering off the main path and onto a

side street. Hopefully there would be less people there. It was early morning, andthe shops were not yet open for business, so with any luck it should be deserted. Tohis surprise, he was mistaken. At the end of the path, about 40 yards ahead stoodfour heavily armored guards wielding halberds, each pointing towards him. The manpulled back on the reins, slowing the horse to a slow trot. One of the guards steppedforward, and immediately, the man recognized that his pauldrons were paintedwhite, the sign of a general. Perhaps he would pose a problem. More of a minorinconvenience than anything to the man.

Halt! yelled the man with a strong sense of authority. He stood strong, andwas not going to be easy to persuade to move.

The man pulled the reins back once again, brining the horse to stop one footin front of the general. He let out a sigh, and slipped off the horse, stroking its maneand patting its back. What can I do for you gentlemen on this fine morning? Helooked innocently, as innocently as he could, at the general, who had back peddledto where his men were. This shouldnt take long, he thought to himself.

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Where do you get off gallivanting around my city like some kind of hooligan?I ought to put you in shambles and throw away the key. The general steppedforward, as to be face to face with his next victim.

I am but a simple merchant who is running late. My employer will be very

dissatisfied if I am not promptly on time. It was a hollow lie, but the general didntseem to keen on anything other than arresting him.

Really, so tell me, what exactly do you sell? Judging by the look of yourcargo, I would say that you either sell air or stupidity. Maybe both. Now I ask youagain maggot, what do you think yourself to be doing? His weathered facenarrowed into a scowl.

Since you insist on troubling me, I have come with every intension of killingyou where you stand, now please, if you will, step aside.

Drawing his sword with an amused look on his face, the general responded,One lone man thinks he can take on five trained guards at once. How adorable.

Were you born stupid or something? I said, move along! Or better yet, youre underarrest. Men, apprehend him.

Instantly, the man noticed that the guards hesitated in following theirgenerals orders. Common sense tells you than when one man challenges fivewithout even the slightest hesitation, that he is either bluffing, or he is about toslaughter everyone. As the man always said, the brain is the mightiest of weapons. Knowing that he was about to be attacked, he planned out his course of action. The general had a clear gap in his armor exposing his neck. One stab and hewas finished. Two of the guards held their halberds nervously, just one unexpectedblow and they would drop their blades. One guard wasnt wearing a helm at all. One

simple hilt bash to the head, and he would be taken care of. The last guard stoodhis ground strong. He would obviously pose a threat. The man had no doubt that hewould have to fight him normally.

Without warning, the general charged the man, who side stepping at the lastmoment, easily dodged the attack and kicked the man in the small of his backwithout even looking. He went tumbling into the steps of a clothing shop. The otherguards charged next, and the man drew forth a falchion from the hidden sleeve onhis back. He stood motionless, letting the men come to them. Precision is deadlierthan force, he told himself, recalling his plans. The first man rushed, thrusting hishalberd forward. The man sidestepped the blow, grabbed the shaft of the weapon,and pulled it forward, pulling the man forward and onto his chest on the hardground. Wielding the halberd, he swung at the next guards legs, easily knockinghim off balance. Then, the helmless guard rushed him. He took a slash at the man,the head of the halberd catching the back of his wrist. A jolt of pain surged up to hisbrain, and without a second thought, rushed the man bringing the hilt of his falchiondown on the guards head. The guard fell to the ground with a loud clank, as theplate armor collided with the cobblestone street. The second nervous guard struck,

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but the man parried the blow with his falchion, and wrapped his blade around theguards side of the halberd and forced it downwards towards his arms. Then,unexpectedly, the guard forced the halberd forward, striking the man in the temple,knocking him down. The guard raised the halberd above his head, preparing to

slash downward. This revealed a gap in his armor between his plate body and hisgreaves, and with lightning reflexes, the man thrust his blade into the gap, feelingno resistance as the blade slid quickly into his stomach muscles.

The guard dropped his halberd, clanking to the street merely an inch awayfrom the mans head. He quickly sprung to his feet, grasping the halberd as he rose.Once he was on his feet, he took a step back and swung the blunt part of thehalberds blade at the mans head. Stricken with surprise and fear of his wound, theguard noticed all too late. The halberd collided against the side of the guardshelmet with enough force to render the guard unconscious and send the helmetflying off his head. The other guard finally rose to his feet, took aim with his

halberd, but quickly dropped it and took off for the end of the alleyway. Whilewatching the guard run, he quickly noticed that the general was nowhere in sight.

The man shrugged his shoulders and resheathed his falchion and knelt downbeside each of the guards checking their conditions. Two were unconscious asexpected, while the last was dead. He hadnt expected the man to bleed out soquickly. He removed the mans helmet and closed the mans eyes. While kneeling,he pressed his hands together and began saying a prayer.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed by the mans head, startling him. He rose to hisfeet and looked behind him and saw that the general had went for reinforcements.He now stood with what he could see looked to be around thirty more guards. This

time, some were armed with bows. That would be trouble.Rest in peace friend, the man said kneeling down and placing the helm

onto the guards head. In one fluid motion, he rose to his feet and quickly mountedhis horse. He grasped the reins and leaned forward, making himself a smallertarget, and not a second too soon. Arrows began flying past him as his steed shotforward. With fifteen seconds, he rounded the corner and found himself back in themiddle of a busy street. He surveyed the path, looking for guards. The way lookedclear, and the road was too packed with people to travel by horseback. He spottedan alleyway a little further down the road and decided that he would leave his friendthere to rest. He rode the horse to the place, hopped down and secured it to a hookattached to the outside of some place of business.

Ill be back Ignis. Keep safe my friend. He patted the horse once more. Ignislet out whimper, not wanting this master to go. Now, now dear friend, I shall befine. I have come to do a task and I am more than prepared for it. I swear to you, Ishall return shortly. Then we shall leave this place and take a retreat to somewherenice. You will have all the carrots you can eat. The horse lifted its head andneighed in excitement. Though, watch the carrots or you may put on too much

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weight and Ill have to retire you. If horses can glare, it did so at the man. Only joking pal, now if you will excuse me, I have a life to save, and just like that hedisappeared off into the crowd.

He quickly found that making his way through the crowd was much more

difficult than expected. People were headed in every direction. The road waspacked as the citizens of the town rushed off to get ready for the day.

Shoving people as he went, he made his way to a narrow alleyway between atailoring shop and a barber shop. He continued down the alleyway, hoping to findsome faster route to the church. He hadnt much time left if he had any hope of saving the mans life.

At the end of the alleyway, he found that another alley lay perpendicular tothe existing alleyway, leading between the shops. Looking ahead, the path wasclear, apart from random crates and other junk left behind by either shopkeepers orthe homeless. He took off quickly, his stride eventually breaking out into a sprint. It

was a good distance, and the man was already tired from his journey. He stoppedbriefly to catch his breath and was startled when he spotted a puddle on the groundthat had formed where some stones had sunken into the earth. Kneeling down, hetook a handful of water and washed his face with it, checking his reflection in it tosee the results. That is when he noticed it. For an instant, it seemed as though theman had no eyes, and that they were replaced with fiery orbs. He quickly rubbed hiseyes, and the fire was gone.

Good lord, I must be going bloody insane, the man thought to himself,rising to his feet. He set off again, the image of his almost demonic eyes burnedinto his brain. As he ran, his vision began to blur, but he felt strangely invigorated.

He also noticed that he was abnormally hot. It seemed as though he suddenlybecame drenched in sweat. He wasnt sure if it was the heat getting to him, but hecouldve swore that he had sped up a good amount. What the hell is happening tome?

At last, he emerged from the alleyway, the courtyard in front of the churchwas just across the road. The man knelt against a wall and took another chance tocatch his breath. He was so close, yet hed never felt so far away. His newfoundstrength was now all but gone. He rose once more to his feet and broke out into asprint across the road, sending town-goers to the ground. The came to a stop atthe entrance of the courtyard. Once again, he felt invigorated, and his vision beganto blur. This time, hed felt hotter than the last. He took off into a powerful sprint,shoving passerbys out of the way as he went. Im almost there. Hold on dear friend.

He collapsed beneath the arch that stood above the entrance of the church. Typically, he would stop to view the engravings on the building as he had done somany times before, but this time was different. Without a second though, he pushedopen the large maple double doors, revealing the church and its contents before

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Nightmare Cont. T he prisoners eyes were jolted open by the sting of the whip on his back.

His eyes were now bright red, burning with hatred. His teeth were clenched,repressing his urge to scream out against the agony.

The lashings continued, jeering more and more cheers from the crowd. Themans back was crimson with blood. Though he was strong, he could not keep hisposture for long. His screams cut through the air as easily as the lightening in thesky; but this was only the beginning. The execution was still to come. His captor

still stood well and alive; but not for long, he thought to himself. Another lashstuck his back, as he let out a final blood curdling scream. Suddenly, his wholeworld faded to black. He was helpless; his pride taken from him. For this, therewould be hell to pay.

As he blacked out, his mind wondered back through the events of the pastweek. His fathers death, his attack on his fathers best friend, more so the sight of his charred body, his arrest, his trial, for burning a man alive using the power of thedevil, and now to his execution. The man wasnt a killer. He knew that in his heartthat he was meant to be a hero, but something about the death of his fathers bestfriend seemed to be accurate. Somehow, he knew that it was in fact he who hadburnt the man alive. Although he wasnt sure how; his mind venturing back to thememory of seeing his flaming eyes in the alleyway mere minutes before his fathersdeath.

Demon. Maybe they were right. I killed that man, but of all the people for thedevil to possess Where did I go wrong? I tried to save him, I tried my hardest. Ifailed; watched him slaughtered by a man he once trusted with his life. Killed by hisown people, murdered by his own friends. The whole town stood behind it. A heretic

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they called him, his punishment: death. An innocent man killed out of fear. It doesnt matter now. Today is the day that I shall die, whether it be at their hands or my own, I am not ready to lay down my life yet. If today is truly my last day and hellis my destination, then I shall make a sacrifice to my future master. They want to

see me burn, and so they shall.His vision slowly returned, and the burning of the open wounds on his back

were gone. Once again he felt numb.Our friend has returned to us, the short man was standing in the same

place that he stood before. Now tell me, how does it feel to betray everyone youonce loved? Was it worth standing up for you father? Was he too an agent of thedevil?

My father was a good man. It is you who are working for the devil. Themans face twisted once more with anger. You call me a demon, but it is you whostruck down an innocent man. Killed him out of your own fear of change. The

mans gaze shifted out to the crowd that stood before him. He began to addressthem. I stand before you, you were all once my friends. Many of you I knewpersonally. I see my own family has gathered before me. I loved you all once. Now,it is you who have condemned me to this. For those of you who do not know me, myname is Auron DeCesar. It wasnt long ago that I owned my own pub in the tradedistrict. I spent my lifes saving to start it, but look where it got me. I was bored withthe simple life, I felt as though there was something more to who I was. I wantedto be a hero, to help people. And well, I became just that. Now you are on the vergeof taking my life, the life of a hero.

The crowd erupted into an uproar shouting numerous obscenities at Auron.

He clinched his fists and gritted his teeth. This was the time. So, you wish for me todie, then so be it. I shall die before your very eyes and so shall you all. Suddenly,the crowed quieted and the only sound that could be heard was the rain poundingdown on the town.

The man closed his eyes, clinching his fists tighter than ever. He focused onhis anger, on seeing his people betray him, on seeing his fathers death. He felt hismind become hazy and he became numb once more. He focused all his rage intothe idea of killing himself and everyone there. His eyes shot open as he let loose ablood-curdling scream. His vision was blurry, and he wasnt sure if what he saw wasreal, but he hoped that it was. His arms had suddenly become engulfed in flames.Its working.

He pushed harder, and soon his whole body was aflame. Then, he made onefinal push and before his eyes, and before the crowd, the fire expanded. The crowdwatched in horror as Auron exploded like a fiery bomb. The people began screamingand took off running for dear life. Little did they know that it would do them nogood.

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The aftermath of the scene would haunt all who saw it for the rest of theirlives. Everything in sight had been burnt to the ground. The town square was filledwith charred skeletons. On the platform laid Auron. His body looked scorned bysmoke, but there was no sign of burns.

Betrayed by everyone he loved, he lashed out once more, killing himself andall those he once considered friends. In one day, a great hero turned into vengefuldemon, an angel fallen from grace.

Part 1

Resistance

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Day 63 The voice over the intercom chimed in the

same as it did every day. Subject 17, we are awaiting your next logas well as the results of your UAIT. The UAIT has been preloaded to your consoleand is awaiting upload. Please complete the UAIT and submit it for research

purposes. Ugh Forgot about the damned UAIT, complained Ethan. He pulled himself

out of bed and rubbed his eyes with his palms. Yet another boring day in the life of a slave. He made his way over to the mirror which hung above the sink. He instantlythought of the dream hed just had. Or was it even a dream? It was much too vividto be a normal dream. There was so much detail, it was almost like it was real.

He had been held at this place for what seemed like months. His outside lifehad all but disappeared into his mind. His friends, his family, it all seemed likenothing more than a fantasy at this point. The closest thing he had to a friend nowwas the damned intercom next to the door. It was the first thing he heard everymorning. Hed grown to hate it within the first week of being there. He made apromise to the evil little device that if he ever got out of there, hed come back andget revenge on it. Of course, this worried him. It wasnt normal to feel resentmenttowards a piece of metal. He felt as though he were slowly losing his mind.

After brushing his teeth, he sat down at the computer which, much to hisdispleasure, sat two feet away from the toilet. His room consisted of a single room.Its contents were entirely white, and there we no windows. The only outlet to the

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outside world was a heavy steel door, and even it lacked any form of window. It wasmore along the lines of solitary confinement rather than living quarters.

The computer whirred to life as Ethan groaned, dreading the task ahead. TheUAIT was required of him weekly as a way to track his progress, or lack of progress.

The UAIT consisted of 10 questions, each of them asking if his life had been anydifferent than normal. Always, he answered them exactly the same. There werethree different forms of the test and he pondered which one he would be gracedwith this time.

After complaining to himself about how slow the console was, he proceededto log in and was immediately greeted by the UAIT. He scanned the test briefly. Ah,so I get test B today huh? Havent had that one in a while. He clicked the BEGINbutton on the test and read the first question.

1. Have the test subject experienced any abnormal changes to the senses? No.

2. Have you felt recently empowered physically in the past week? No.3. Have you had any strange dreams or nightmares? Yes. Wow, thats a first.

Instantly, the computer popped up a window informing him that he would needto meet with his advisor after his duties were finished. He promptly closed thewindow and continued on with his test.

4. Have you felt sick and or depressed over the past week? Yes. This place blows.5. Have you felt increased brain activity in the past week? No . Less actually6. Have there been any changes in your sleeping pattern? No.7. Have you had any recent change in appetite? No.

8. Have there been any unexplainable and or odd occurrences? No.9. Have you answered the above questions with full honesty? Yes.10. What do you wish to have for dinner? Options: Soup. Steak. ERROR:

NOT VALID. Soup chosen by default.

Well, it was worth a try I guess, Said Ethan sinking down into the computerchair. He clicked the submit button and the UAIT disappeared just as fast as itcame. He then double-clicked on the icon for his log. The file opened and thefollowing sprang to life on his screen. He was required by his superiors to log hisday to day life, even if it never changed.

Hyperion Industries Test Subject LogTest Subject: 17Day: 63Day 63, has it really been that long? Ethan clicked in the entry field and wrote a

log of his actions of the day before. It was nothing more than usual, wake up, writelog, physical, conference, dinner, free time, and then bed. He set off into the log,

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hopping to finish it as fast as possible. As much as he hated writing them, hecouldnt help but feel sorry for the scientist who had to read each of the logs andstudy them. It couldnt be pleasant to read the same thing day in and day out.

He finished typing the last line and clicked the SUBMIT button. A conformation

message appeared and he let out a sigh of relief. Thank god thats over.Subject 17, I have received this weeks UAIT and your log for the day. Due to

your response on the UAIT, you have been scheduled to meet with your advisor:Isaac Marlin during your free period today. Failure to comply will result intermination.

Oh wonderful. Its okay, I didnt want my free period anyway, he saidsarcastically. Damned commie bastards, he mumbled to himself making his wayover to the bed. He glanced at the led screen above his bed, looking to see howlong he had.

Next: Physical. Time until: 15 minutes.

He laid back in bed, hoping to get a little more sleep before setting off into therest of the daily routine.

Hello again subject 17. It is time for your physical. Your door will beunlocked and you shall be escorted to the medical room at once. Please leave all

personal belongings behind. Thank you. Ethan opened his eyes, though he hadnt gotten to sleep. He sat up on the

bed, waiting for the click that spelt out his temporary freedom from his cell. Thephysical never took long. They took his blood pressure, drew blood, listened to hisheart, and whatever else they could think of. Ethan was dumbfounded by the

frequency of the tests, he couldnt fathom why they would need to test him somuch. It felt almost as though they were looking for something. Of course, mostscientists are.

He heard the loud click followed by the sound of the tumblers unlocking thedoor. He watched sleepy-eyed from the bed as the door slowly opened and anarmed guard walked into the doorway, weapon drawn.

You know the procedure, the guard spat at Ethan.Yeah, yeah, Ive been here long enough. Walk directly ahead, arms out to

the side, no sudden movements, mocked Ethan.Dont be smart with me kid, or my finger may just slip, threatened the

guard.Really? he said half-seriously. Trust me, youd rather be dead than stuck in

this hellhole any day.If you dont get your ass moving, Ill assure you that things can get worse.

Much worse. Ethan knew that the guard was most likely bluffing, but it wasnt achance worth taking.

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Alright, lets go get this damned thing over with, he said rising from thebed. He made his way out the door, the guard keeping him in his sights the entiretime. It was a relief to see the outside of his prison. Granted, it wasnt pretty either,but at least it offered more color than his room.

His room was at the end of a hallway filled with other rooms like his, eachnumbered in order. His was 17. It started at 1 and ended at 34. The walls werebeige and the corridor was brightly lit. There was an eerie silence about the place.

They were the only people in sight. Each door was identical, the only difference wasthe number painted on them in black.

Ethan made his way down the hall, keeping sure to hold his arms out straightfrom the sides. God, I must look like an idiot, he thought to himself as he reachedthe end of the corridor. He stopped in place, waiting for the guard to give him theorder to go left.

Alright kid, go left, said the guard in an annoyed tone. Ethan rounded thecorner and found himself in another identical hallway. At the end of it, he took aright, which led to the lab area of the facility. Past the lab facility laid the medicalstation.

Hello Subject 17, greeted the doctor. I am Doctor Blane, and I will beevaluating you today. The doctor seemed unusually cheery for someone whoworked in such a drab place. What the hell is up with this guy?

Alright, he glanced at a clipboard he produced from one of the drawersalong the wall, Ethan Harold Albright. Seventeen years old, blood type O positive,no allergies, no health problems, and no prior symptoms.

No prior symptoms? he asked himself. They had to be looking forsomething, but what? Thats me, he spoke up, hoping to speed the doctor up. Hischeeriness was already getting on Ethans nerves.

Alright then Ethan, shall we get started? I assume you know the routine.Before Ethan could answer, the doctor produced a stethoscope from one of themany drawers. It was going to be a long day.

*** The physical flew by, and Ethan was now laying half-asleep in his bed. About

an hour had passed, and there was a 30 minute wait before he would get his dinner.His mind began to wonder as he thought back to what the doctor had said: no priorsymptoms. What hell are they looking for? A disease? A mental disorder? A third arm? The questions alluded to some sort of health problem. But something aboutthe situation did not sit well with him.

Though he didnt sleep long before the intercom chimed in, he had anotherdream. Though, this time, it was nothing more than just reliving a conference hedhad with his advisor about a week sooner. It was very uneventful, other than thefact that he was introduced to Leslie, a strikingly beautiful 20 year old blonde

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at least 2 foot thick, with a series of very complex locks. His fear had all but turnedinto panic. He stepped into the room, heart in his mouth.

The room was innocent enough, but it scared him deeply as to the length thatthey were trying to keep people out, or in. He was greeted by his advisor Isaac.

Isaac looked innocent enough, a humble balding man that couldnt have been a dayover 35. Ethan made sure to keep his guard up, not knowing what was going tohappen. He sat down in the chair across the table from Isaac.

Good evening, Ethan, Isaac greeted him, extending his hand out in goodgesture.

Ethan took his hand and shook it, Evening sir, replied Ethan nervously.Now, now Ethan, you have no need to be nervous. I only wish to talk. He

seemed sincere, but Ethan couldnt be entirely sure. So, why dont you tell meabout the dream you had recently? he asked curiously.

Ethan sat off explaining the dream in the vivid detail that he remembered it.

Isaac stared at him with a sense of wonder upon explain how the man had turnedhimself into a human-fire bomb. Though it wasnt what he preferred, he felt muchbetter having gotten that off his chest.

Most intriguing. Strange things, dreams. Some people would even venture tosay that dreams are much more than a simple form of entertainment while yousleep. He rose from his chair and began walking back and forth in front of thetable, continuing with his lecture. Some would even go as far as to think that theyare visions of the future. Personally, I think that the idea is preposterous. However, Ithink there is a certain he stopped to look for the word, truth to them. After all,dreams are very vivid thoughts erected by the mind void of all emotion. Who is to

say that dreams are nothing more than our minds thinking on their own? Dreamsmay be the most honest thoughts that shall ever cross a persons mind. Perhapsthey do indeed contain some sliver of truth. Isaac put his hands on the table acrossfrom Ethan and leaned forward. Dreams aside, I wanted to speak of yourprogress.

My uh progress, Sir? stuttered Ethan. His mind was still wrapped up inthe dream lecture, and he slowly though that Isaac was insane.

Why of course. Even if you dont realize it, you have made tremendousprogress here my son. In light of this, I am going to permit you to visit the commonroom during your free period.

Theres a common room? asked Ethan.Indeed. All of our more advanced subjects are permitted to spend their free

periods there. I think you will find it to be much preferred than sitting in your roomall day. Take this, Isaac produced a small keycard from his lab coat and handed itto Ethan. That is what you will use to enter the common room.

Where is it exactly? Ethan asked.

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Room 10. Just insert the card in the slot beside the door. The door shouldunlock. Be warned, you will be searched by guards, so dont try anything.

Thank you sir.Youre very welcome. However, before you go, there is one thing I may ask

of you.Ethan swallowed hard, What do you want? he asked nervously.Dont be worried, I just wish for you to speak to my friend Leslie once more. I

think having another conversation with her shall help your progress.Ethans heart all but jumped out of his chest. Certainly, he responded,

eager to see the young woman once more. May I ask you something Sir?Ask away Ethan.About Leslie. Dont get me wrong, I enjoy talking to her but what is the

point of it? Shes just another one of you , whats the difference between talking withyou, and talking with her?

Ah Ethan, you are mistaken. Leslie is not one of us, as you put it. Leslie is agood friend of mine who just likes to cheer people up. I think that you will realizeone day that the two of you have much in common.

Ethan stared at Isaac blankly. Uh, sure. It didnt make any sense to him. Fora bunch of people who seemed to put an emphasis on misery, providing Leslieseemed too odd to be normal. There had to be more to it. He knew that questioningIsaac further would only arouse suspicion, and that it wouldnt do any further good.Besides, he shivered at the thought of how they could make his life worse than italready was. Either way, he couldnt for the life of him find anything that he wouldhave in common with a college girl. So, can I meet with her now, he asked

eagerly, putting his thoughts behind him.Why yes, he said, clapping his hands together. Feel free to take as long as

you want. You are free to continue your free time once you finish up here. Now takegood care of yourself, son, said Isaac before walking out of the room.

Ethan sat in his chair, fidgeting with anything he could find. He stared acrossthe table at the metal door. It was apparent that he was nervous, but he wasnt sureif it was because he was seeing Leslie, or because of everything that was nowracing through his mind. Interacting with the people that were holding him prisonerdidnt exactly put him at ease. Without warning, the door across from him swungopen and he saw the 5 ft tall blonde walk inside the room. Her hair was down pasther shoulders, and came to rest on top of her chest. He couldnt help but smile uponseeing her. Her eyes had an amazing blue shimmer to them; it felt wrong thatsomething that beautiful was in such a horrible place. Once more, she lookedradiant. She was dressed in a simple blouse and jeans, but she couldve been anangel as far as Ethan was concerned.

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Hi Ethan, she said in her usual cheery tone. She walked around the tableand put her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Howve you been? sheasked, letting go, much to Ethans dismay.

I um good I guess. There were butterflies in his stomach, and his brain

was on the verge of a meltdown.Thats nice to hear. She said, sitting down on the edge of the table. A

troubled look came across her innocent face and asked, Is there somethingbothering you dear?

Something in her crystal blue eyes made Ethan trust her, even though hewasnt sure it was a good idea. Actually, yeah. I had this dream he continued toexplain his dream to her in the same detail that hed told Isaac. She stared at him,interested, the entire time.

Thats crazy, she said in amazement, her eyes widening.Yeah, and thats not all of it. This place is hell. I know that theyre looking for

something. I know that I am some sort of test subject for some freakish experiment.I just dont know what.

The troubled look came across Leslies face once more. Look, Im sureyoure just over thinking things.

Im not going crazy! he said grabbing her arm.She looked at him, shocked. Her mouth hung open for a moment, as if she

were trying to form words, but none would come.So, tell me a little about yourself, she finally asked, catching Ethan off

guard.I um... well... what do you want to know? he asked, becoming suddenly self

conscious.Well, lets start simple. Where are you from?Oh, Millersville, Maryland. Its about an hour away from Baltimore. Its an

okay place, but the city life is slowing finding its way into the neighborhoods. Hismind wondered back to the happier times when he would walk home from schoolevery day, enjoying the quiet neighborhoods.

Trust me, I know how that can feel. I grew up in Brooklyn. Though, myparents got divorced when I was 15, and we moved to Rhode Island. I lived thereuntil I started she hesitated, working here. A sad look crossed her face.

Oh, Im sorry to hear that, he said, feeling a tinge of compassion.Thanks, its okay though. Ive come to terms with it.Oh. I just know what its like to lose a family member, he said, feeling

suddenly upset as he relived memories that haunted him daily..What do you mean? Leslie asked, touching his hand.My mom died about a year after I was born. My dad was in the army. He was

killed 3 years ago. I lived with my uncle after that. He just thinks that I am away for

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the summer visiting a friend. Ethan let out a sigh. If only he knew what the hellwas happening to me.

Oh my god, youve had it a lot rougher than I have, she said, hugging himtightly. I couldnt imagine what it was like going through that.

It it wasnt fun. But, life goes on. I still had all my friends. Granted, theyreprobably all very confused as to where the hell I am. I made promises with them tohang out over the summer. What about you? Joe is probably worried sick about me.

Though, hes too wrapped up in Courtney to probably care. Anyway, what aboutyou? What are your friends like?

Oh she said, taken off guard by his question, I dont really have manyfriends.

Isaac said that you were his friend.Yeah, Id use the term friend loosely with him.Oh, he responded, knowing what she meant. Or at least, he thought he did.

Well, youve at least got to have a best friend. Tell me about her. Or him.She stared blankly at the wall across from her for a moment before she

spoke. Her name was Erica. I havent spoken to her in years though.Oh, what happened? Eric could hear the regret in her voice.We didnt see eye to eye for a while. We just kinda drifted apart. Finally,

she ended up here. I havent seen or spoken to her sense.Damn, that sucks, he said, looking into her eyes. He wanted to ask what

she meant by that, be he was afraid that he already knew.A faint smile started to cross her face, but quickly disappeared. Yeah it

does. She looked at Ethan, and noticed that he was looking at her strangely. Oh,

Im sorry, its just that you remind me of my dad. Its been so long since Ive seenhim.

Wonderful. Here I am trying to be nice to her, and she tells me I remind her of her dad. Yeah, Im never getting anywhere. Wait, dont girls like guys who remind them of their fathers?

Did you have any hobbies, Leslie asked, interrupting Ethans thoughts.Oh. I uh, I was in a band for a while. Drummer. It didnt work out though. Im

also fairly skilled with Photoshop, if I do say so myself.Leslie smiled playfully. Yeah, there arent many things Im good at. Well,

theres art, but thats really nerdy.Chuckling, he said, Hey, I think thats cool. Ive never met an artist before.Whoa, I wouldnt go that far, she said, blushing. Im pretty good at

drawing and painting, but Im nothing special.Dont be kidding, Leslie. Im sure your work is great. Id love to see some of

it sometime. You know, if I ever get out of here.Id like that. She smiled, with a cheerful tone in her voice.So about your dad. You said its been a while since you last saw him.

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He kicked me out when I was 17. The next thing I knew, Isaac brought mehere. Ive been here ever sense.

Oh. Whatd he kick you out for? You seem like a really nice person. Despitehis doubts, he wasnt going to give up on this one. She was far too attractive for him

to just let go of.He thought that I was going to waste my life by doing art. He thought it was

foolish and naive. He always told me that I would never get anywhere with it. Sheclosed her eyes and exhaled, Ethan got the sense that she didnt want to continue.Maybe he was right.

Dont think like that Leslie. Some people just dont appreciate fine art. Thenagain, neither did he. He never saw a point in staring at a painting.

A hint of a smile appeared on her face as she opened her eyes. Yeah, youreright. Maybe I will prove him wrong one day. She stared off ahead of her, as if shewere watching something Ethan could not see. One day, I will change the world. I

dont know how, and it may sound silly, but I just know its true.Ethan doubted her words, but the way she said them almost had him

convinced. It doesnt sound that silly. Its nice to have dreams.What about yours, she asked, pulling herself out of her daydream.Mine? Well, for starters, I am going to smash that damned intercom into a

thousand tiny pieces, he said, laughing. He caught a glimpse of her trying tosuppress her laugh, and he had a feeling that it was the first time shed laughed in avery long time. Honestly, I just want to be famous. I dont really care what its for. I

just want people to know who I am. Youre not the only one whos felt like they weredifferent. Like they were destined for something more. He wasnt lying. Hed

always felt that there was much more to him that he would ever understand. Hewas destined for greatness, even if he couldnt explain it.

Maybe youll be a hero. You know, like Auron from your dream.Yeah. Or maybe a villain. Villains get to have all the fun.Maybe so, but good always prevails.Thats just because they havent taken on me yet, he said full of himself.Leslie forced a smile and went back to staring at the wall.

A silence fell across the room. Ethan couldnt think of anything more to say,not without embarrassing himself. Leslie kicked her feet together, which werehanging freely from the table. She seemed content with being around him. Healready knew that he had a crush on her. Though, he doubted that it would everamount to anything more than what it already did. He wasnt about to give upthough. She would be his, he was sure of it. After all, he had all the time in theworld.

Finally, I think its time for me to go, she said whilst slipping down off thetable.

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Oh. Okay then. He was sad that he had to watch her go. He was more upsetthat he wouldnt have another chance to woo her for god only knows how long.

Talking to her had been the most fun hed had for as long as hed been there. Asmuch as he loved talking to the intercom, she made much better company. Before

you go, I wanted to ask you something.Sure, what is it? she asked, turning towards him.He hesitated at first, then asked, Isaac said that you werent one of them.

What exactly do you do here?Oh. I am just kind of a source of company for people being held here. I dont

really have any other duties. I just like being able to help people.So, you must know what is going on here. Please tell me, what are these

people looking for? The happiness seemed to drain out of her upon hearing his question, and her

shoulders tensed. I Im sorry. I cant. I wish I could, but I cant. He sensed that

there was some outside force that was fighting against him. They must have told her not to talk. I swear, if I ever get out of this hellhole, I am going to kill every last one of them.

Please, he said desperately. He grabbed her arms tightly, hoping to compelher to answer him.

The gesture didnt work, and she quickly pulled away from him with afrightened look on her face. Ive got to go.

Leslie, Im sorry. I just please, dont go. I need someone to talk to. I needsomeone who understands, maybe even help, he pleaded, looking into her eyes.

Though she looked afraid, he saw some sort of compassion in her eyes. She

looked as though she was on the verge of tears. Something told him that she knewwhat he was talking about but could do nothing to help him. Or rather, show it.Ethan, she said approaching him slowly, if you have any more crazy dreams, putin a request to see me. They should let us meet again. Just dont make a habit of it.She looked at Ethan intently, almost like she was trying to convey a hiddenmessage to him. She stared at him until he finally nodded, thinking he knew whatshe meant.

Thanks Leslie, he said hugging her again. I think I understand, hewhispered into her ear. God her body is amazing. She pulled away and gave him asmile.

Good. Take good care of yourself Ethan, she said, tears welling up in hereyes. We will speak again soon I hope. I cant wait to learn more about you.

Yeah, me too. Thanks again. Ill miss you Leslie.She smiled at him once more. Ill miss you too, she said with a tear running

down her cheek. Something told him that she meant it more than he couldunderstand. She waved and made her way towards the door. Once she reached it,she turned to face him, smiled, and turned back towards the door. It opened, and

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she walked through. As she did so, he saw her raise her arm and wipe a tear out of her eye.

Ethan let out a depressing sigh as the door closed and sealed behind her. Hiseyes were watery with tears upon saying goodbye to her. Something about hertouched his heart. He almost felt bad for trying so hard to get her to fall for him.

The room had suddenly become less peaceful, and he was once againreminded of where he was. He heard the door behind him unlock, and instantlyknew that the guard was waiting for him. He sat back down in the wooden chair andshut his eyes, and tried to understand whatd just happened.

He thought of the way Leslie acted when he asked about what she did at theorganization. The way that she hesitated about answering everything. The most

troubling thing was the way shed looked at him before she left. What had she beentrying to tell him? What was it that she knew, that he didnt? Was she really one of them?

Then, out of nowhere, it dawned on him. I think that you will realize one day that the two of you have much in common. Hed suddenly realized that Isaac wasright, only it wasnt what hed meant by it. He did have something in common withLeslie: They had both been prisoners to the same organization.

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First ContactEthan didnt bother to check out the common

room after speaking with Leslie. His mind was racing around the idea that Lesliehad once been in his shoes. She knew what was happening, and she was going tohelp him. He spent the remainder of the day, (or was it even daylight? Hed never

once seen a clock since hed been there) wondering what shed been trying to tellhim. There was more to it than just to inform him that she was once a prisonerthere, he just wasnt sure what it was. It was the last thought that crossed his mindbefore drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, he awoke with a new idea swirling around his head. If shetruly could help, him, then maybe he could talk to some of the other people in thecommon room, maybe tell them what he knew. Maybe they knew more than he did.Maybe something would finally start making sense to him. Maybe they could allwork together and escape the vile place. After all, surely everyone else had to have

noticed something fishy going on. Although, part of him was afraid of the othertypes of people he might find who have been going through the same hell as he.Were they all his age? Would there be something wrong with him? Would he meetpeople that had long since gone insane since being kept here? As much as he hatedto admit it to himself, he was scared.

He set out and finished his chores in record time. He made sure to leave nohint as to what he spoke of with Leslie the day before. All he needed was his

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overlords becoming suspicious of him. Once he completed his log entry, theintercom chimed in, much to his displeasure, as it did every day.

Subject 17, your log has been completed and received. Due to your good behavior, you are being allowed to skip your physical. It will only be required of you

on the day that you must complete the UAIT. Thank you for your cooperation during your stay.

Stay? Yeah, like I have a damn choice, he spat at the intercom. It would bea happy day when he would never have to hear the dreaded thing again. He sataround the room trying to find something to do to occupy himself. That was theworst part. There was only so much you could do before you went insane. He wentthrough his usual routine of looking back at his life and all the things that hed done.He knew that he wasnt the nicest of kids, but he wasnt much different from therest. It wasnt uncommon for him and his friends to be out and about in the towncausing a ruckus. Although hed always taken advantage of him, he missed his

uncle.Ethan wasnt always a trouble maker. Early in his youth, Ethan had been the

perfect child. He was smart, obedient, and nothing like he currently was.Somewhere at the beginning of his teenage years, something changed. Fromeverything from underage drinking to vandalism and theft, hed done it all. Luckilyfor him, hed never been caught. Though, his uncle knew well of what he was doing.His uncle had ran his own successful flower shop and was rarely able to keep an eyeon his nephew. At the beginning of being stuck where he was, he considered thatmaybe that was a very hard way of locking him up. Part of him wanted to change,but deep down he knew that he was going to stay just the same.

Finally, his daydreams drifted back to Leslie. Had she been telling him thetruth? It sure as hell seemed like it, but he also knew not to doubt his superiors. Partof him couldnt shake the feeling that they were up to it. Either way, the look in herteary eyes that day tugged on his heart in a way that he hadnt felt for a long time.He would trust her, his heart had already decided for him.

He spent the next half an hour taking a shower and shaving. He combed hishair for the first time in what seemed like weeks, and picked out the nicest jumpsuithe had. After all, he didnt want to make a bad impression on the other visitors.

The last thing he did was make sure the keycard was secure in his pocket.After getting ready, he pressed the button on the intercom and made his

request. This is Subject 17, and I would like to request my free time now. I wish togo to the common room. He released the red button, and waited for the dreadedvoice to respond to him.

Your request has been received, there was a pause; Your request hasbeen approved. Please stand by momentarily as the corridor is sealed and your door is opened. Please have a nice day.

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As he looked around amazed at seeing other people, a voice came from hisright. So, I take it that this is your first time here? Ethan was startled and turnedand saw that the guy to his left was who spoke to him.

Yeah. Its amazing. So much better than that damned cell, he responded.

You can say that again. Hey, why dont you come over and have a seat, heasked, motioning for Ethan to join him.

Ethan took him up on the offer and flopped down on the couch across fromhim. The guy across from him leaned forward and extended his hand out to Ethan.By the way, Im Darrell.

Ethan, he responded, shaking his new friends hand.Nice to meet ya Ethan.Same to you.So Ethan, how long have you been trapped here?This is uhh, day 64 for me.

Well hell, youre still a noob around here. See that guy over there, he saidpointing at a bushy headed guy who looked to be in his early twenties.

Yeah.Well, thats Glitch. At least, thats what we call him. No one has a clue what

his name really is. He has been here for over 600 days.Ethans eyes widened in amazement. Jesus, Id go freaking mad.Youd think he would too. Not old Glitch though, hes a strange one. Ive

never seen anyone so smart when it comes to technology. From T.V.s to militarysurveillance, the guy knows it all. Theres nothing the dude cant fix.

Thats kinda awesome, said Ethan, feeling like he owed some type of

respect to the guy.Oh yeah, dont worry about the cameras. They dont record audio. Least

thats what Glitch says, he said nodding towards one of the many cameras in theroom. So, if you have any questions, feel free to ask away.

Alright, what exactly are we being held here for?If you havent caught on, theyre looking for something. Maybe they think

were aliens. Glitch reckons that we are some type of freakish genetic experiment.Personally, I like the bit about the aliens. Makes things much more interesting todaydream about that way.

Ethan couldnt help but think that Darrell was a bit strange. So, this isprobably odd to ask, but have you had any crazy dreams?

Yeah, everyone has. I think it has something to do with the soup, he saidonly half jokingly.

Glad to hear Im not the only one, he said, feeling a wave of relief comeover him. Maybe he wasnt going crazy after all.

Let me guess, they sent you to see Miss Leslie.Yeah, they did.

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Lets just say that I know my way around computers. Ive hacked intoeverything other than their main system. Knowing my luck, if I did, the bastardswould find out, and everything would go to hell.

Ethan couldnt help but be impressed. Wow, so what the hell is the chip for

anyway? he asked.Shortly put, it serves as a sort of IM for prisoners. Itll let you see who all is

online and let you talk to them via your terminal. Granted, the Man doesnt knowabout it.

Awesome. I could see where this could come in handy.Yeah, and its secure as can be too. Theres no worries of the Man getting

into our conversations. So, if theres anything sensitive that you need to talk about,do it over that.

I see, said Ethan nodding his head in understanding. So, you know whattheyre keeping us here for? His question was more of a statement than a

question.I know some. What I do know is that they are looking for something in our

genes.Theyre geneticists?It seems that way. A trouble look crossed his face. If only we knew what

the hell they were looking for.Any ideas? he asked. Something about his composure told him that Glitch

wasnt being fully honest. The one thing he was sure of was that he didnt want toget on Glitchs bad side.

Oh, Ive got tons. None that make sense though, he answered, shaking his

head. One thing I can tell you, stay away from the soup.Ethan laughed at his suggestion. He caught a glimpse of the stern look on

Glitchs face and knew that he wasnt joking. Really? Whats up with the soup?Ever notice how tired you feel all the time?Well, yeah. I just figured it as normal though.Of course you would. Theres no clocks in the damn place for that exact

reason. Theyre drugging us. The damn soup is laced with sedative.Ethan couldnt say he was surprised by this. He became worried about what

other things his captors may be doing to them. Ill keep that in mind. He let out adeep yawn.

Like I said, stay away from the soup.But theres nothing else to eat, argued Ethan.Oh, you must still be on the lower levels. You see, after awhile, you get the

right to choose your food. Id just have a talk with your supervisor to see if you canget that privilege too.

Yeah, Ill do that. A world without soup was one that he was he wascertainly looking forward to.

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Alright then Ethan, Ive probably aroused enough suspicion by staying awaythis long. I need to get back to my cell before they start worrying.

Alright, thanks for the advice.Yeah, no problem. Just watch yourself. Glitch rose from the couch and

made his way towards the door.It was nice to meet ya, Ethan yelled after him. Even if he heard him, he

didnt respond. Ethan yawned again, suddenly realizing that he was much moretired than he was when he first made his way to the common room. The jitterinesshe had when he showed up was now replaced with drowsiness. It had been quite aneventful day. He liked both Glitch and Darrell, although he was concerned by howmuch Glitch seemed to know about the people who were holding him. On the otherhand, he didnt like the way that Darrell seemed to think Leslie was working againstthem. He didnt know which one to trust, but when it came to getting out of hisprison, he would definitely need Glitch.

After playing a game or two of pool with a few of the older people occupyingthe common room, Ethan made his way back to his cell. As the door locked behindhim, it almost felt like the last few hours, if it was even that long, was nothing but adream. He rubbed his eyes and took off his pants and shirt to get ready for bed. Hewalked over to the sink and brushed his teeth. Halfway through, he rememberedthe chip that Glitch had given him. He walked over and found it in his pocket wherehed left it. He finished brushing his teeth and sat down at his terminal. He leanedforward and found a slot on the machine. This must be where the chip goes. Hegently slid the chip into the slot. Instantly, the terminal whirred back to life. Insteadof receiving the typical You have completed your tasks today, please power down

your terminal, message that he usually got, a window popped up showing him alist of numbers starting from one and going all the way to 200. Out of them, henoticed that only a select few of them were lit up. He looked on the list and clickedon 17, his number. That was when he noticed that it was grayed out. Suddenly,another smaller window appeared on the terminal. The only thing that the windowcontained was the number 56. Suddenly, a line of text appeared.

56: Yo Ethan, you there? Its Darrell.Reluctantly, he responded.17: Yeah, Im here, whats up?56: Not much. So, how you diggin Glitchs system? Pretty nice huh?17: Yeah. Wait, so youre Subject 56?56: The one and only baby!He was shocked by what this meant. He never imagined that such a large

number of people were being held.17: So, theyre keeping 200 people here?56: Yeah, Glitch says that they arent all occupied though.56: Its usually people whove disappeared.

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17: So, you guys really have no idea what happens to people when theydisappear?

56: Not a clue man. If Glitch knows, he aint talkin.17: Darrell, we need to get out of here.

17: I want to try and escape, and Ill need help.56: For real?17: What, you dont want out of here?56: Nah man, I do. Its just damn. You know what, Im in. Im sure Glitch will

be in as well.17: You know of any others?56: Yeah, I know this guy named Wade. Hes as loud as they come.17: Loud? How will that help? I think I see where Dumbass Darrell comes

from now 56: Oh yeah, you dont know. Never mind then. Just trust me with this one. Ill

rally everyone I can get. Ill let you know if I make any progress.17: Thanks. Im off to bed. Ill talk to you later.56: Later man.

Ethan closed the window and shut down the terminal. He let out a sigh of relief. Maybe his idea would work. Maybe hed finally get out of the damned place.He made his way over to his bed and collapsed into it. It wasnt long before hisideas of what to do after he gathered a resistance faded away as he fell asleep.

***Could you take any damned longer? How fucking long does it take to change

clothes? If you keep it up I might just have to make you change out here in front of me.

Yeah, youd like that wouldnt you pervert? Leslie mumbled under herbreath as she pulled the pants of her jumpsuit up. Why they allowed her to dressnormally when interacting with other prisoners and then forced her back into theugly jumpsuit was beyond her. Before opening the stall door, she eased herbreathing and tried to regain her calm. She opened the door and saw Isaac standingthere tapping his foot impatiently.

About damn time, he mumbled to himself.Alright, lets go. Just throw me back in that damned cell.Isaac grabbed her forcefully by the arm and began pulling her behind him.

Her calm evaporated as fast as it came. She jerked her arm backwards as hard asshe could, freeing herself from his grasp. A split second later, Isaac turned on hisheels and raised his arm across his chest and backhanded her. Her vision blackedout and her legs crumpled under her. She hadnt had enough time to brace herself for the attack. The welt on her face was stinging, but it was tolerable. Her fists were

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clamped together tightly. She knew that within ten seconds she could drop himdead to the floor, but she knew that there would be hell to pay.

Dont you ever pull away from me again you stupid bitch! he spat at her.He grabbed her by the throat and pulled her to her feet. Leslie closed her eyes and

tried with all her might to keep from killing him. I dont care if you do have powers,if you ever do that again, Ill kill you. She felt herself slowly suffocating from hisgrasp on her neck. Finally, he released his grasp and she let herself fall to herknees.

She watched as Isaac walked to the door to the bathroom and exited theroom. As she heard it lock behind him, she made her way to the door and pressedher ear against it. On the other side of it, Isaac was speaking with the guardstanding by outside.

Dont bother being gentile with her. Go ahead and teach the whore a lesson. Just make sure not to hurt her too much. Its time shes taught that she shouldnt

talk back.Gotcha boss.And remember Harvey, you didnt see anything.Leslies insides tightened, and for the first time in years, she was scared. She

quickly put her fear to rest and began looking for a plan. She knew she could defendherself, but what good would it do? Theyd just kill her anyway. Finally, the doorunlocked and she quickly scrambled into the corner. The guard walked in, gundrawn. He pointed it at her. Come over here, he commanded her. She did as heordered. Her mind sped through ideas, looking for some possible way out of it, butshe could find none. Get on your knees, he ordered while using his free hand to

undo his belt.Knowing she didnt have time to plan anything, shed just have to go by

instinct. In one fluid motion, she threw herself forward between the guards legs,flipped over onto her back and kicked his legs out from under him. Completelytaken off guard, the man fell helplessly to the ground, his gun ricocheted off thefloor and away from where he was laying and landed in the corner, about 2 footfrom where he was. Now wasting any time, Leslie pulled herself to her feet anddashed to the corner for the gun. As she knelt down to grab it, she was struck with ahard blow to the small of her back, the impact shoving her into the wall. She turnedherself around to see the guard, now bent down picking up the gun. Withoutwarning, she kicked upward as hard as she could, striking the guard square in theforehead. Yelling in pain, he rose and stumbled backwards. Taking the opportunity,she kicked him once more between the legs, causing him to topple over onto hisside in pain. She knelt down and took the gun at last. By then, the guard had risenonce again and rushed her. Leslie easily sidestepped the large guard, causing himto crash into the wall behind her. Leslie spun around and pistol-whipped him in thetemple, dropping him to the ground, unconscious.

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So much for a plan, she said, sitting the gun on the sink to her left. Nowwhat the hell do I do? I am so screwed. She checked her appearance in the mirror.Her lip was busted, and her nose was bleeding. She also had a large scratch aboveher left eye. There was no hiding the fact that she was in a fight. Well, not much

else I can do. Might as well head by to my room. She quickly searched the guardand found his keypass. She gathered her clothes and left the bathroom, but notbefore giving her victim a few more swift kicks between the legs. See if he ever tries to rape someone again. Shouldve just shot him in the fucking head. She wasmaking her way down the hallway back towards her room. No, I couldnt do that.Im a lot of things, but Im not a murderer. I wont succumb to their level, Im better than that. Her door closed behind her, and she quickly unzipped the front of her

jumpsuit and slipped out of it. She took her clothes that shed worn earlier, andquickly changed into them, discarding the jumpsuit into the trashcan in the corner.She then took the keypass and hid it up inside her terminal, in case they came

looking for it, and she knew they would.She collapsed into her bed, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally.

She wondered what would happen to her now. Surely, Isaac wouldnt take what shedid lightly. I didnt have a choice. No matter how much she told herself, she couldntmake herself believe it. There was always another way, shed always had a plan.Always. They wont kill me. They need me too much. It was true. They did need her.Without her, their operations would be slowed significantly. Granted, she didntknow exactly what the organization was up to, but she knew she had to been of great importance. She had much more freedom than the rest of the people beingkept there. Obviously to persuade her to help them more.

Suddenly, she remembered what Glitch had last told her. She drug herself out of the bed and sat down at her console. She quickly booted it up and accessedGlitchs program. She scanned the list until she found Glitchs number. She openedup her window and began typing to him.

89: I may or may have not almost killed a guard earlier.01: You have a way with people Les.89: Thats what they keep me around for.89: He tried to assault me. I had to defend myself. Hes laying unconscious on the floor of the ladies bathroom.01: Dammit Les, I told you to steer clear of trouble. Does Isaac know yet?89: He hasnt come for me, so Id assume not.01: Yeah, okay, I really cant think of any way to get you out of this one.89: I didnt figure you would.89: They wouldnt get a rid of me would they?01: You know they wouldnt. They need you.89: What exactly are they up to?

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89: What havent you been telling me?01: Theyre collecting people who they deem dangerous.89: What for?01: There are some things even I dont know.01: Now, if I could get into their main system. Or rather, if I had the courage to89:What do you think theyre up to?01: Honestly, I havent a clue. However, I can tell you that theres been an increasedamount of chatter about your boy Ethan.89: First off, hes not my boy, and second, what exactly have they been talking about?01: Nothing in detail. Its obvious that they are planning on using him for whatever their

plans are. Did you get anything out of him?89: Not really. I think hes becoming a bit obsessed over me though. He just sat there andogled me the whole time I met with him.

01: Well, you are quite the looker :) Anyway, have you got the chance to poke around inhis head yet?89: No, I havent had a chance to sleep yet.01: Records show that he is in his room atm. Probably asleep as well. Id do your best toget to sleep before he wakes up if you wish to accomplish anything.89: Okay, Ill try.01: Sleep well Les.89: Thanks. Good night.01: Morning actually. Its currently 9:32 AM.89: Good night Glitch.

01: Night Les.

She crawled back into bed and quickly fell asleep, despite all the thingsrunning through her mind. She focused her last few thoughts on Ethan as she fellasleep, and it wasnt long until their dreams became one.

The dream was simple enough, Ethan was standing in line at a random movietheater. She was standing in the crowd outside. Her dream self focused on what shewas wanting to attempt, as her vision began go twist until the whole place becamedeserted, all with the exception of she and ethan.

Leslie! he shouted, rushing out the door to greet her.

Dammit, she muttered under her breath before trying to bring the peopleback into his dream. Within a few seconds, Leslie was once again lost in the crowd.Ethan quickly gave up looking for her, when a random guy ran up to him.

Yo dude, what was that babe you were chatting up?Names Leslie. Hot isnt she? Ive been working on getting in her pants. No

damned luck though.

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Tough luck dude. Anyway, did you hear about those people that can doweird shit?

Yeah. Bunch of freaks if you ask me. The way I see it, they all deserve to bekilled.

Maybe dude, but remember, your ass is one of them. You dont have muchroom to talk.

Im not a monster like them though.

Suddenly, Leslie noticed three men dressed in lab coats appeared. Onceagain, the crowd disappeared, and only the three men, she, and Ethan were left.She stepped out in plain view of the men. She threw walked over to a rusty minivan,and hoisted it far above her head.

Shes one of them! Get her! one of the men yelled, rushing at her.Ethan! Help me! she yelled. Ethan stood in place with a startled look on his

face. Now was the moment of truth. One of the three men pulled out a gun and tookaim at her. ETHAN! she tried once more. Her focus was on the man with the gun,but she saw Ethan quickly turn and walk away. The gun fired, and pain shot throughher chest.

Leslie nearly jumped out of bed, startled awake by her dream. She buried herface in her hands, rubbed her eyes. I knew he couldnt be trusted. Not like wehave a choice though. She fell backwards into her bed again and snuggled up withher blanket, focusing on getting back to sleep. It wasnt easy, just realizing that herplan may not go as planned, but eventually, she fell asleep. This time, her dreamswere her own.

***They shot her, Ethan said, panting. Hed jolted upright from a deep sleep

just a few seconds before. They killed her. Relax dude, youre going crazy. It was just a dream. Was it though? He felt as though it was real. He felt the fear as hewatched the three men attack Leslie. It felt as though the gunshot was still ringingin his ears. He shook his head, hoping to shake away the nightmare hed had.Worse than the gunshot was what he had done. He didnt even mean to do it. Hecouldnt. It happened the same was as it did with Auron. He simply focused and shotflames out of his hands, burning the men alive. It felt so real to him at the time.Even now, he felt as though his hands were unnaturally warm. He closed his eyes,and attempted to focus the same way he did in his dream. He saw the fire shootingout of his hands in his mind, but little happened. After many minutes of trying. Hegave one final push, squeezing his eyes shut, he felt himself become numb, andsuddenly, smelt smoke. His eyes shot open and realized that his blanket wassmoldering. He quickly threw it on the floor and stamped it out. He then collapsedonto the bed, his eyes wide with fear. This time, it wasnt a dream.

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01: Good then. Ill have you know that the golden boy has alreadymanifested. Granted he can only shoot flames about a foot, but hes ready.Id say three days. Any later than that and we may have some unseendifficulty.

89: Whats the plan exactly?01: Simple enough. I shall remain in my room, while Ethan will be chilling inthe lounge. From here, I will tap into the camera systems and put them on aloop. Then, Ill inform Ethan via the common room terminal, to make hismove. He will then move from the common room to cell 04, right across fromme. Next, Ill hack the main system. Once they come for me, Ethan will frythe guards, and Ill release all the doors. Then, we meet up at the medicalbay, and we prepare to fight our way out.89: Sounds fun.01: Ill need to meet you in person to give you a copy of the map. Im heading

to meet up with Ethan in the common room now. Also, youll be proud thatDarrell has manifested as well. Now if youll excuse me, I must get going.89: Okay, later Glitch.01: Bye Les.

She made her way over to the bed and began running all the possiblescenarios through her head. There would be no place to make mistakes. Not thatshe would make one. Plans were Leslies specialty. Hopefully nothing unexpectedpopped up. This was their one and only chance to escape. Also, it was a chance tosee her sister for the first time in years.

***Ethan spun around while sitting on the couch in the common room. He felt a

strong hand grip his shoulder and turned to see Glitch standing behind him.Hello, Ethan, he greeted him, extending his hand.Hey Glitch, whats up? he asked, shaking it.Details man. We make our move three days from now.Thats not long. What details are you talking about exactly?First off, do you think youll be better with your power by then? Youre going

to be one of our main sources of offense, and we need you to be on the top of yourgame.

Yeah, I should be fine, he answered, still feeling slightly unsure abouthimself.

Okay, good. You already know the first part of your plan. I need you to dosomething else for me. A serious look crossed his face. Theres a cell, cell 101 tobe exact, that isnt on the main power grid. Meaning, I cant open it myself. There issomeone inside who needs to be rescued. You will have to melt your way through

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the door to get her out. Though, youll have to do it fast, before the guards catch on.

Wow. Who exactly is inside that is so important?Her name is Spencer. Spencer McConnel.

Spencer McConnel? Doesnt sound familiar to me. In fact, hed never heard the name before. Am I supposed to recognize the name? he asked, feeling unsureof himself again.

Maybe, maybe not. She is Leslies little sister.Leslies sister? Leslie failed to mention anything about having a sister to him

when they last talked. She has a sister? he asked himself out loud.Not a surprise that she didnt mention her. Spencer ran away from home

when she was only 12, against Leslies wishes.Did they not go after her?Yeah, they did. They never found her though. It wasnt long after shed

contacted Leslie that this organization found her. Shes been locked up here eversince.

Whyd she run away in the first place?Glitch closed his eyes, almost like he was bracing himself for something. She

found out what their father was up to.And that was? Ethan asked.That he was involved with this organization. In fact, he was originally one of

the three founders. His wife also had powers. At first, he was freaked out when shemanifested. So, out of fear, he shot and killed her.

Ethan couldnt believe his ears. And Leslie he said, his voice trailing off.

And Leslie, didnt believe it. She just thought Spencer was imagining things.But Leslie said that her dad is dead. How does that work.When Spencer was captured, she walked right into this very facility.Why the hell would she do that?To kill her father, and she did. She also took out one whole wing of this

place. They never bothered replacing it. After that, they captured her, and shesbeen on lockdown ever since.

Leslie never learned the truth, he stated to himself.Nope. Nor has she ever forgiven herself for letting Spencer go. This is her

one chance to make things right.Ill break her out. I promise.Good, do it before you make it to my room. Send her ahead to the medical

bay and tell her to meet with Darrell. The two of them are going to be taking thearmory from there. Also, tell her that once all this is over, she needs to travel toFishkill, New York, and meet up with Haylee Wyatt and Nevaeh Sanders. They willbe needing help.

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What! How the hell are two people supposed to take the armory?! He openedhis mouth to ask, but was quickly interrupted.

Trust me, theyll have no problems.So, what happens after we all make it to the medical bay?

Spencer and Darrell should be waiting for us with enough weapons and bodyarmor for all of us to use. Then, we simply fight our way out of this damned placeusing the rear entrance. Once we get out, we split off into groups and make a runfor civilization. Your group will be composed of Leslie, Spencer, Darrell and TomRichards. Hes a friend of Darrells.

What about you? What are you going to be doing the whole time?Getting to the heart of this operation. I know what Im doing, trust me. I

need to find out the ware bouts of the other two founders of the operation are.What all do you know about them?There were three, Gerard McConnel, Nolan, and Matt Larson.

Ive pinpointed Nolan, but I have no idea where Larson is. In fact, I dontthink Nolan may cause much of a problem. Apparently, we arent the only ones whoare fighting back. Theres a girl named Nevaeh Sanders, who is apparently makinglife hell for him right now. Anyway, Ill be in contact with your group once everythingis all done and finished.

Ill trust you on this. Ill be ready and awaiting orders.Good, now if youll excuse me, Ill be showing myself back to my cell. I still

have plenty of people to inform about the plan. Good luck Ethan. I hope everythinggoes as planned.

You too Glitch.

And with that, Glitch rose from the couch and passed through the door to thecommon room. Three days to prepare, and if all went well, he would be a free managain. It was finally time to fight back.

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light. Hed made sure to stay away from the soup for the last few days, using theextra hours of being awake to practice his flame throwing abilities. He could nowstand on one side of his cell and shoot flames clear to the other side. He just hopedthat it would be enough.

His mind ventured off to Leslie. Over the last few days, hed talkedextensively with her, and much to his surprise, hed developed honest feelings forher. No longer did he simply want to hook up with her, he actually wanted to bewith her. He prayed that he would be able to save both her and her sister beforethings went south. He was also concerned about Glitchs well being. Before, hecouldnt care less what happened to them all, but they had become family to him in

just a few days time. He made a promise to himself, and secretly to them, that oncehe got out, he would use his new found gift to help people. His reign of terror wouldfinally be over, and he would be the nice kid he once was.

of heaven and hell 2

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