Photo by Los Muertos Crew

                                                                            ~~~~

My mind is racing and my heart is pumping so hard I can hear it in my ears. The elevator comes to a halt and the doors open to reveal the sterile atmosphere of the research wing, which I may never get used to. The sterile air feels less dense as compared to the other two floors of the research wing.

My conversation with Anna had only managed to put me on edge, why would she think I might try fighting Mellissa? Will the tests be so unbearable that I'd try to fight my way out of them? The Professor had assured me of minimally invasive tests, but it seemed that would not be the case. I inhale deeply to calm myself, the unfamiliar sanitary air filling my lungs, relaxing my tensed-up body. With an extended exhale, I enter the white hallway, time to face this.

A black-clad guard turns to face me as I exit the elevator, I'm glad for the black sunglasses he wears because they allow me to stare directly at him without the discomfort of eye contact. He nods at me then turns away, motioning me to follow. The only discernable sound in the hallway is the one our footsteps make, his heavy booted stomps drowning my almost inaudible trot in crocs. Yes, I wore crocs as an act of defiance, to make a statement that Mellissa doesn't intimidate me.

Like the rest of the facility, the first floor of the research wing had a circular layout, the hallway next to the elevator being the first layer of multiple circles within each other as one moves toward the center of the floor. I follow the guard through the hallway which probably curves all the way round back to the elevator I just came from.

It's easy to tell that the first floor does fewer experiments since the hallway has intermittent average sized glass windows overlooking the forest beyond. Walking as the view passes me by gives the floor a less frightening sensation. The guard stops, turns right towards a door, and pushes his way through, without a second glance at me.

His footsteps were so loud that I don't need to hurry to catch up, its easy to follow the rhythmic sound of his boot clapping against the white tiled floor. we go through multiple sets of doors all leading towards the center of the floor, and everything around me begins to look more research-like, and more equipment and machinery I couldn't recognize littered the hallways.

More sounds populated the floor around us, an indication of activity, though subtle. The walls must be super thick because even with my inhuman hearing I couldn't hear a single sound when we were in the outer hallway. It would be very difficult to find someone locked up in here, because even if someone happened to hear them, the maze of hallways would make it a nightmare to get to them. I hope Mellissa isn't planning on locking me up in here.

I was no longer calm, no thanks to my intrusive thoughts as the guard stops before a heavy set of metallic doors, a blinking green keypad next to the doors caught my eye, installed into the wall.

"The director is expecting you." The guard's deep voice startles me for a second. This was the first time I had ever heard one of them speak, so they were human after all.

"Please stand directly before the doors and you'll be let inside." With that the guard turns and walks past me, disappearing behind a different door from the one we had just come through.

Stand before the doors? Don't I need some code or something to open the door? I would look real silly if I stood by the door for several minutes without it opening. I approach regardless and a buzz sounds within the doors when I'm a couple steps closer, igniting a mechanical churn. The keypad on the side turns red as the doors slowly part wide inwards. These must be the heaviest set of doors I had ever seen, not even bank vaults I have visited before had doors like these.

The space beyond had three partitions, as far as I could tell. A glass wall stood before me, with several tables and lab equipment beyond. The glass spanned around to form a rectangular cubicle, within which were several people wearing green scrubs and white lab coats, different from the attire of anyone else throughout the research floors, who wore white lab coats with white scrubs underneath.

This must be where the director, Mellissa did the research and experiments most close to her heart, it was no place a test subject like me should willingly visit, yet here I was. I hesitate before moving along a space around the glass lab, bringing me to the second partition of the room, filled with hospital beds separated by antimicrobial curtains.

I pause, not knowing how to proceed. The beds were all empty, though their existence meant they were put to use, I could count over fifteen. Would I be using one of these beds? Would i become a subject in the glass lab behind me? The professor had indicated that the use of force was an option if I refused to comply, yet the illusion of choice gave me no peace either.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breathe to steel my nerves, I have to make it through whatever this is, and get out eventually.

"Welcome Leah! Right on time!" Mellissa's voice sounds behind me. I turn around just in time to see her exiting the glass lab.

Was she in there the entire time? I hadn't noticed her. She wears the same green scrubs and lab coat as the rest of her team in the lab, which makes her blend in She almost looked like a normal doctor, not a scheming scientist as Anna had put her out to be.

"Come, let's talk in my office." Her tone is flat as she struts past me, towards the third partition of the room. Her tone makes it hard for me to figure out her intentions, so I follow her reluctantly.

Her office sits beyond the final antimicrobial curtains, past all the empty hospital beds. The office door is of average size, wooden and polished, and swings open devoid of any sound. The office must be designed for functionality rather than comfort, and contains a desk, a couple of office chairs with wheels, a humongous file cabinet towards one wall, an equally large bookshelf on the opposite wall and finally a regular two seater leather couch right next to the door.

"Have a seat, I'm so glad we can finally chat. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

I sit facing her, on the opposite side of her wide desk, littered with various documents, which seem all over the place but also appear to be placed in a particular order.

"We have been keeping up with your feats out there, the infamous Glimmer. It is rather sad that you directed your talents towards crime and amassing wealth." she pauses as she looks over at me, her face softening only for a moment before she continues.

"Of course I know that you weren't behind any of the heists you took place in, after all you're just a child following the instructions of those around her. So tell me, is that what you want to do for the rest of your life? Remain an errand girl for criminals? "

How dare she. sure Jack was technically a criminal, but he was he best person I knew, and I had no trouble helping him with anything he needed. After all, he kind of saved my life and I couldn't imagine my life without him. I had already made my peace with his way of living, and nothing Mellissa says could ever change that.

I lift my face to meet her eyes and catch her watching me intently. She was trying to get a reaction out of me, convince me that I was a poor girl being taken advantage of and agree to the help and promise of a future that she offered. Too bad Jack had taught me to keep my cool under pressure, especially in negotiations and interrogations.

"I liked what I did, and had fun doing it."

"That is a waste of your potential." She stands up and walks to the bookshelf, running her index finger along the spines of the books. "You do know you are one of the most special people on this planet, your abilities can do so much more than rob a few banks."

"By 'more' you mean your research?"

"Yes!" she exclaims as she pulls one book from the shelf. "Having you here with us permanently could do so much for our research, for humanity, you'd be a part of something greater than any of us, be a pioneer of a new era."

"I don't plan on staying here too long you know..." Was she trying to recruit me to their cause? There's no way she thought this would work.

"Yes, I'm aware of your agreement with Jacob, which is why we will make the most out of your stay here.." She sits back down, placing the book she picked out of the shelf before her.

"You have exhibited more than one ability so far, and if my theory is correct more abilities are yet to come, the most recent one being rapid regeneration. You are a marvel, the key to taking humanity to a new level."

She pushes the book, which has a red cover towards me. "Read that if you want to, you'll learn more about yourself than you could ever imagine."

The book has no title, just a red leather cover. It seems old and voluminous, yet in perfect condition. I might read it, only to see whether I could learn more about myself.

"We will begin tests tomorrow, the aim will be to push your abilities as far as we can, and find ways to trigger the manifestations of new abilities, if we can find out the trigger then our work will be done." Her tone was now business-like, commanding.

I didn't like the sound of pushing my abilities, I had hoped that the tests would just include tissue samples. I should have known better. The look on Mellissa's face indicated what she said was final, I'd rather not argue with her but play along to probably gain her favor.

"Tomorrow? Will the others be joining?"

"Jason and his group? No they won't, these tests will specifically be for you. Someone will be by to pick you at around 9 am, be sure to have had your breakfast by 7am and nothing else after that."

Everything was suddenly moving too fast, just a day ago I was having a marvelous time with Anna, yet now an uncertain future looms over me.

"Are we done?" I didn't want to spend any more time than necessary with Mellissa, I'm pretty sure my time with her was about to skyrocket.

"For now we are, be sure to take the book with you, it's yours, consider it a gift."

I head for the door, the hefty red book tucked in my armpit like it weighed nothing.

"Oh, and one last thing, going forward I'll need you do listen to whatever I say, no questions, and we'll both have an easier time working together."

I assume her statement requires no response as I shut the door behind me, rushing back to my room. I hate to admit it but I'm scared of what tomorrow holds.