Subject 96
Cold cuts its way down through my mind, stretching out through my limbs, dragging me up. It sharpens, the cold becoming an icy wave soaking through skin and bone, and I perceive, dimly, the fall of rain on my skin. Each drop, a tiny blade. A dull ache begins deep within, radiating slowly, consuming every muscle and bone until, finally, my eyes flicker open. A pale grey light is all I see at first – then something cold and wet hits my eyes. Water. I slam my eyes shut and will my body to sit up, everything whimpering in protest, yielding only sluggish movements. Weak, from something I can’t…I can’t even remember.
I put a hand to my brow and open my eyes again, the world sharpening into focus. A long meadow of dark green grass, darkened by rain and the ominous clouds that obscure every inch of sky. They writhe and darken, the rain falling only harder until I finally drag myself to my feet. I move too fast, legs wobbling beneath me, a newborn calf. Yet, somehow, I stand and stagger forward a few steps.
The ground slopes upwards before me, though not too far, and I can make out the top. From it, I might see something – anything to clear up my mind. Where I am, who I am. I draw a shaky breath, the air a cold shock to my lungs, and force myself on. One step after another, nearly dragging my feet, toes sinking into the soft earth. I am half way up the hill when I begin to lose the feeling in my toes, so I slip, hit the ground hard and curse. A sound that’s thick in my mouth, foreign, awkward. I press my mouth together and drag myself up again, determined to see the top of the hill.
Then there I am and all I see is the slope downwards of the hill, more bloody grass…and a building. I didn’t see it at first. It’s small, hunkered low and the wooden panelling has a greenish hue to it, nearly blending perfectly into the ground.
A singular thought surges through me. I am not alone.
I am off down the hill, stumbling, running, nearly falling, when I am near the bottom and I look up without thought. The clouds in the horizon split in half, and sunlight bursts through. Resplendent bands of gold from…from two suns. The strangeness hits me and I don’t know why. Is there not meant to be two suns?
Shaking my head that fills with even more questions I hurry off down to the cabin. There is only one door, two shuttered windows. It looks abandoned, filling me with dread. Still, I reach for the handle and it yields to my touch, the door screeching open. I step inside, releasing the breath that I only realise I’d been holding when my lungs begin to protest.
Darkness is thick within, broken only by the warm glow of two flickering candles atop a table. I step in, drawn by the light, by the promise of warmth.
The door slams shut behind me. I flinch but step on, shyly.
A figure steps out from the shadows behind the table. A girl with skin like the grass itself and markings etched beneath her eye, tattoos in neon blue that I swear glow before me. She’s strange but I don’t know why, though I do feel like I have seen her before. Somehow. A distant memory flickers but, after a second, nothing sharpens, and its gone from my reach.
She waves a hand over the table. Two small boxes appear, a black one with a jewelled top and another, a grey one with a dull top. She looks at me, then gestures to them.
“Pick one.”
I will my mouth to move, to obey and a strangled question splutters out, hoarse. “Who are you? Where am I?”
“Pick one,” she says again. “Pick one and I will tell you.”
The promise is enough for me. I step to the table and look to the boxes. There is nothing special about either of them, so I’m torn. Will one give me answers? What happens if I pick wrong?
I grab the silver one before I think too hard but pain explodes through me. I fall to my knees, gasping. Then she’s there, in front of me. The candle catches the look in her eyes.
The disappointment.
I try to say something again when pain bursts in my chest, sharp, blinding. She moves back and I see it, the sword in her hand, the one plunged deep into my chest. I fall to the side with a soundless cry as she stands. She puts a hand to her ear.
“Subject 96 – fail. Let’s begin again.”
Darkness swallows me into oblivion.
ns 15.158.61.11da2
