Devil of Clinia

3. A True Passion

"I can't believe we've been in this zoo for a day already. It feels like we've been here for years." Mar wallows with her legs dangling off the edge of the bedroom floor. "I know, but with that stunt you pulled yesterday, I doubt there's any chance of letting you out now." "Me? Why only me?" "Because you are the one who tried to choke a literal child who did absolutely nothing wrong." I push my voice to be loud even though it's naturally a softer tone.

"I'm sorry. I just miss my friends." She deepens her voice. "I'm sorry about them." I confusingly say, because I know nothing of the story. "Yeah..." she sighs. The annoyed tone of her voice prickles my spine slowly from top to bottom and vise versa. "Yeah." I repeat back to her, with a heftier reply. "Listen, I know I may seem like the world's biggest jerk right now, but there's no more world for me to be in anymore. It's gone, everyone is gone, I'm gone. I failed. Taylor was right, I didn't have what it took to save an entire planet. What do I know? I'm just a stupid self centered kid."

"You may not have made the best impression, Mar, but you genuinely seem like you are just upset. While I do question your morals, I get that it must be undeniably frustrating."

She unlocks her gaze off the floor and focuses her eyes on me, who's now standing above her.

"You know, maybe it is time I explain what happened, just so I don't seem like so much of a douchebag."

"I mean, it would be nice, but you don't have to if you aren't ready." I twist a strand of my hair.

"Now is as good a time as any," she stands up to meet my level, though she's a few inches shorter than me.

She tells me her story of woe, and I now can completely see why she's the way she is.

I remember being torn away from my family, except I didn't know it at the time.

My mom was acting strange, but I didn't question it, my sister Isabella had just died a week before it all happened.

The last I knew, a girl with hair rather similar to mine, although silkier with a better shine was marching toward me with a sinister gleam in her eyes.

I remember clinging to Vienne, my 2 year old dog who will probably never see his true owners again.

Cosmo appears in front of us. "Well hello again, friends."

"You aren't our friend, whatever your real name is." Mar growls. "That I won't be telling you. Please, call me Cosmo. I've rather grown attached to the name." "Oh I'm sure. You've been doing this for how many years now?" He laughs at Mar's remark.

"Now, I bring good news. I would play nice, Miss Marlow." "Don't call me that." "If you won't call me Cosmo, I won't call you Mar." He grins maliciously.

I nudge Mar. "What was the news?" I butt in. "Ah right, the competent one. You shall be given a trial of an improved earth to see how it runs. You shall be there with holograms of people you know and people you don't." "Really?" Mar asks with a bit of excitement in her voice. "Yes! But not you, Miss Marlow," the name grinds into her brain, "only Aurora here."

"What?! How is that fair?" She stomps her foot on the ominous doll house floor, which appears to ripple and release little sparks. It settles and makes a small whirring noise for a brief second.

"Maybe you should think about your actions from the other day. Does that sound like someone deserving of an ideal earth?" He chuckles.

In my mind, I chuckle too. It reminds me of a father and daughter bickering.

I must have slightly smirked, because Mar shoots me a dirty look.

"Come now, sentinels, restrain Marlow."

Sentinels come in and wrap an oozing purple rope around her. "Gross! What is this?" She fights against the sentinels. "A dibolre slimed cord. Dibolre is a purple slime that comes from large slug like creatures found commonly on our planet, and it's naturally laced with a sedative poison scent to calm you whilst tied up." He explains as if he had the definition rehearsed. Almost as if he knew she was going to ask that exact question in the exact moment, in that exact way.

I am escorted out with not the sentinels, but Cosmo Batterby himself. He is not looking at me, but somehow I know he's watching me, and a close eye too. He holds his hands folded behind him with a permanent smile branded across his visage.

We stay walking in a lab hallway, with doors left and right with large code pads and thick doors. The rooms seemed to be sound proof, and there's no telling if there is anyone inside. As we get deeper down the hall, things get quieter and quieter. So quiet it begins to hurt my ears. The pressure begins to build and makes me shutter.

"Is everything alright?" Cosmo doesn't completely turn his head, though he ever so slightly tilts it to the left in my direction. "Yes, it's just awfully quiet." When I speak, it feels muffled from the astounding silence around us.

"We keep it quiet to keep everyone calm." By everyone, he meant those he's kidnapped and brought here to test on for the rest of our lives.

I start to think about Mar and her story, which makes me a little antsy about the idea of an ideal world that she won't get to experience. At least not yet.

I must have been thinking for longer than I thought because I was startled with a, "we're here."

I come to my senses.

It's a pod, and I don't remember even entering one of the thick door protected rooms with a passcode.

"Just walk inside. You'll only be in there for about two years." "What about Mar? Won't she be lonely?" "Oh, now why would you worry about her?" He laughs. "I may not be all that fond of her, but she's still a person." "You humans are so emotional," He groans, "but I suppose I can gift her with Dean or Ezra."

I nod, and quickly walk inside the pod before I change my mind.

Suddenly, I feel pure

Nirvana.