● ●

The shock was shaking Kate. Still it shook the very frame of her body with the purpose of un-rooting her.

She touched her face, feeling where the red marks should've have been. Kate'd thought that wearing the oxygen mask all her life would've imprinted permanent scars - yet they weren't there at all. It was as though none of it was real anymore. Her life. Her struggle to survive. Had it even happened? Did it even exist?

The only scar she had now was that of the thick black tree which stained her skin, like a non-consensual definition of what she would be. A freak of nature.

She wanted to bite her own skin off. To rip it apart and watch, as the wretched scar was torn from around her bone until nothing was left of her arm but a raggedy carcass.

She was sure she'd do anything to rebel against the government now. To get revenge.

Though Kate's sudden barbarity frightened her. Despite the power the government workers held over her body, Kate was afraid of herself more than anything. Herself and her kind; Human- kind, if she still counted as one that is. She had learnt about the tendency of humans to fall into destruction. Power or none, it was the human mind that scared her.

The people of the earth had exploited and destroyed the forests years and years ago, only realising the problem when it was too late, only when a few forests remained.

And so the British government took control- promising to help the people by giving them another shot at life. This is why the masks had to be worn, for the air was too polluted by greed.

Law 2: Oxygen tanks, with accompanying masks, must be worn at all times to prevent asphyxiation.

For a while, people were content in believing that the future would still be beautiful. It was as if the government had provided them with the pipe on which they could dream. Kate still recalled the thankfulness in her mother's eyes as she accepted the oxygen tanks, masks and guide book on surviving in the new age.

But soon the government ran out of tobacco and people were waking up, the children especially. Their usual English, Maths and Science lessons were replaced with lessons on the laws and their consequences, Mother Nature worship and the dangers of radioactivity.

People were being trained to fulfil specific requirements. Not the usual jobs the adults were used to in creative, service and business sectors. Oh no. People now worked for the government. Depending on their designated location, they would either be taught to be Purifiers, Time Catchers, Fire Mechanics or Darksmiths. All to aid the development of the government, whatever developments they were planning. Kate had only ever heard whispers of these names. And like disappearing ink, they soon faded from view.

*

You're fine, Kate tried to tell herself, closing her eyes to see quiet darkness. For a moment she could pretend she was anywhere. Floating across the night sky. Beyond the clouds of toxic gas and acid rain. Up, up and further up until she sat amongst the sparkling stars. They themselves remained hot explosive balls of myth.

But when she opened her eyes again she was in the same white walled room. There was no sky to look up and dream about here.

It was maddening, being in a room with a palette of monochrome. The only flash of colour was the red light that blinked like a warning above her. A bleeding star, fleshy and grotesque.

There must be a way out of here.

Her friends. They had to be in the facility somewhere too. Maybe she could contact them? No, she couldn't hear anything at all so she doubted they could hear her - except maybe that doctor, who she believed must be monitoring her. There's got to be security prepared for any eventuality too.

*

Melantho visited Kate three times a day. Though she didn't reveal much about why Kate remained in the facility and Kate had to resist striking out at her. Otherwise she'd definitely be stuck in the same room forever.

This time Melantho had a tablet with her. "You should take this. It will help your body to recover." Kate clasped the tablet between two fingers. "The other patients suffered awfully with their side-effects. This will help get rid of them."

Side effects. That was it. She recalled Tom's glowing green eyes. Maybe she had side effects. Maybe they could be useful.

"Could I have some water, then?" Kate asked. Nodding, the Nurse disappeared then reappeared, carrying with her the same water that Kate hadn't drink before.

Melantho looked at her with a certain expectancy. Kate stared back, calculating the perfect way to avoid swallowing the tablet.

She sipped a bit before dropping the tablet in the glass, covering the cup while it dissolved and mixed with the water. This way she didn't have to take the tablet; but she was extremely thirsty. Under the circumstances, she knew it wouldn't be long before she withered.

"Thanks." She lifted the cup up again and pretended to drink the liquid which distorted her hands when she looked through it. Her fingers looked longer in length and misshapen, like melting clay- damaged by the fire.

"Anything else, Kate?" said the Nurse. Her voice appeared much louder than before, like she was shouting instead of talking.

"Could you turn the lights down?" Kate asked, eyes squinting suddenly from the painful intensity of the ceiling lights.

"Of course!" The nurse put her hand on a tile on the wall and the lights dimmed. As she removed her hand a pink print lingered momentarily, before disappearing. Kate felt calmer after that. So the room's control system has with the white tiles on the wall, she noticed.

"Thanks. That's all." Kate gave the Nurse a smile, so intricately executed that you'd barely notice its falseness.

Kate didn't dare ask if she would be released yet. For she didn't want them to suspect anything of her.

The Nurse left her alone again, in the gentle darkness. The sound of the Nurse's heavy footsteps were forced against Kate's eardrums and she held her hands up to encase them.

"Go away. Go away," she muttered, longing for silence.

Then door slammed shut and the sound finally softened. Without that distraction a tingling itchiness of her skin became apparent. No matter how hard she scratched at herself, the feeling wouldn't subdue. She scratched over and over, until flakes of her shedded skin piled up on the tiled floor.

This feeling was worse than the slap slap slapping of the Nurse's shoes. At least the noise would end. This itchiness felt like it would last for eternity. She had the feeling that the next three hours until the Nurse returned might just be the longest of her life. Even considering her four year blackout.

A/N So I hope this chapter makes sense and explains more about post-apocalyptic England! Things really get trippy in the next chapter so stick around. Please do vote and comment!! Warning: the next chapter contains flashing images- hippywitch