respond, but she didn’t. Instead, she reached forward, grabbing hold of a small plastic box that sat beneath the driver seat. On the center of the clear box was an inscription: Subject 415 .
“What does that mean?” I asked, eyeing the inscription suspiciously.
Claire offered a reassuring smile as she unlocked the case, removing a long silver chain with a small red chip hanging from it. She brought it to my neck and stared at me expectantly. When I didn’t react, she finally spoke, “Your hair, Ridley.”
“Sorry.” I flung my blond locks over my right shoulder, and sat still as she secured the necklace around my neck. “What does Subject 415 mean?” I asked again, hoping Claire would tell me.
But still, there was no response.
“Your finger,” she said, her palm lay out ready to take hold of my finger.
I glanced down at the small silver tube she held and the short spikes that sat eagerly awaiting the chance to pierce through my skin.
I took a deep breath and lay my pointer finger on her palm. Without warning, she slammed the cold metal against my skin. I could feel the liquid slipping underneath my skin, burning as it traveled throughout my body.
It felt as though a fire had been ignited all over my body.
Everything burned, and all I wanted to do was cry out in pain.
“Take this,” Claire said handing me a clear gel tablet. “It’ll help with the burning.”
Part of me felt as though I shouldn’t trust her, but I was willing to try anything to end this pain. My eyes never wavering from her, I reached for the tablet, opened my mouth, and tossed it onto my tongue.
I closed my mouth and swallowed the tablet down.
“What was that?” I asked, pointing at the tube that now lay on her lap.
She shrugged. “It is part of standard procedure; don’t worry yourself too much with it, Ms. Mulligan.”
If there was one thing that I had learned, it was that if someone ever told you not to worry? There was usually reason to worry.
“Once we arrive at the compound, you will be escorted to a small room just inside of the gate,” she said, stuffing the tube inside of the clear case, along with her paperwork. “There they will administer a small tracking device into the nape of your neck.”
I instinctively reached behind me, gripping my neck. “Is that honestly necessary?”
Claire chuckled. “Oh child, you really have no clue the trouble you’ve gotten yourself into, huh?”
I lowered my hand, my fingers curling around the red chip attached to the silver chain. It was hot under my touch. A small light pulsated at the center of the chip, blinking in tune with my heart rate.
“Love isn’t worth this, Ridley.” Claire shook her head, her eyes scanning over the passing world as we traveled in the SUV. “It isn’t worth the pain you that you will experience within the compounds.”
Chapter Three
The tires clung to the dirt road beneath us as we came to a sudden stop just outside of a walled compound. An older woman with long gray hair, dressed in a loose white cotton dress, stood beside the gate, her face void of any emotion.
“We’re here, Ms. Mulligan,” Claire said, throwing open her door and exiting the vehicle.
Panic soared through my body forcing my heart to pound against my chest.
Breathe , I reminded myself.
Claire stood at the front of the SUV with the older woman beside her, her foot tapping anxiously against the ground. Now , she mouthed.
I took one last breath before exiting the vehicle.
I knew that I was about to walk into Hell – not literally, of course, but as close to it as one could get on Earth – and I wasn’t sure that I’d last to see another day. But I also knew that I didn’t regret the actions that had led to me being here.
Love, pure love was one of the most exhilarating things that I’d ever experienced.
I’d never known a feeling more genuine, or thrilling than the feeling of being in love.
It was an all-consuming thing; a feeling that overtook your
“What does that mean?” I asked, eyeing the inscription suspiciously.
Claire offered a reassuring smile as she unlocked the case, removing a long silver chain with a small red chip hanging from it. She brought it to my neck and stared at me expectantly. When I didn’t react, she finally spoke, “Your hair, Ridley.”
“Sorry.” I flung my blond locks over my right shoulder, and sat still as she secured the necklace around my neck. “What does Subject 415 mean?” I asked again, hoping Claire would tell me.
But still, there was no response.
“Your finger,” she said, her palm lay out ready to take hold of my finger.
I glanced down at the small silver tube she held and the short spikes that sat eagerly awaiting the chance to pierce through my skin.
I took a deep breath and lay my pointer finger on her palm. Without warning, she slammed the cold metal against my skin. I could feel the liquid slipping underneath my skin, burning as it traveled throughout my body.
It felt as though a fire had been ignited all over my body.
Everything burned, and all I wanted to do was cry out in pain.
“Take this,” Claire said handing me a clear gel tablet. “It’ll help with the burning.”
Part of me felt as though I shouldn’t trust her, but I was willing to try anything to end this pain. My eyes never wavering from her, I reached for the tablet, opened my mouth, and tossed it onto my tongue.
I closed my mouth and swallowed the tablet down.
“What was that?” I asked, pointing at the tube that now lay on her lap.
She shrugged. “It is part of standard procedure; don’t worry yourself too much with it, Ms. Mulligan.”
If there was one thing that I had learned, it was that if someone ever told you not to worry? There was usually reason to worry.
“Once we arrive at the compound, you will be escorted to a small room just inside of the gate,” she said, stuffing the tube inside of the clear case, along with her paperwork. “There they will administer a small tracking device into the nape of your neck.”
I instinctively reached behind me, gripping my neck. “Is that honestly necessary?”
Claire chuckled. “Oh child, you really have no clue the trouble you’ve gotten yourself into, huh?”
I lowered my hand, my fingers curling around the red chip attached to the silver chain. It was hot under my touch. A small light pulsated at the center of the chip, blinking in tune with my heart rate.
“Love isn’t worth this, Ridley.” Claire shook her head, her eyes scanning over the passing world as we traveled in the SUV. “It isn’t worth the pain you that you will experience within the compounds.”
Chapter Three
The tires clung to the dirt road beneath us as we came to a sudden stop just outside of a walled compound. An older woman with long gray hair, dressed in a loose white cotton dress, stood beside the gate, her face void of any emotion.
“We’re here, Ms. Mulligan,” Claire said, throwing open her door and exiting the vehicle.
Panic soared through my body forcing my heart to pound against my chest.
Breathe , I reminded myself.
Claire stood at the front of the SUV with the older woman beside her, her foot tapping anxiously against the ground. Now , she mouthed.
I took one last breath before exiting the vehicle.
I knew that I was about to walk into Hell – not literally, of course, but as close to it as one could get on Earth – and I wasn’t sure that I’d last to see another day. But I also knew that I didn’t regret the actions that had led to me being here.
Love, pure love was one of the most exhilarating things that I’d ever experienced.
I’d never known a feeling more genuine, or thrilling than the feeling of being in love.
It was an all-consuming thing; a feeling that overtook your
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