Flames

Chapter 5 Watching From Within

"You here for the tournament or games?"

Her wiring revolved her elegantly towards the guy with the bubbly voice. He had a nerdy look but an outgoing persona.

"For the tournament, could you show me where the reception desk is please?"
Reika refused to accept how sickly sweet her body language and tone was.
The young man arrayed in an aqua blue, gamer costume, gave a bright attractive smile, matching the mood of the abode.
"I got stopped and I landed in-I dunno know, something."
The Wiring forced her to give a dramatic eye roll and a girly giggle.

"The mud gets slippery out there if that's what you mean, as-a matter of fact I do, ya see that?"
Her head followed where he pointed past rows of futuristic computers filled with people in colored game costumes.
"Go through those doors and ask Heather at the desk for extras, she'll help you with anything else, have-a nice day."
The way the Wires lingered on the gamers in the black cushy chairs had to mean something.
Reika dipped her head in a thank you as they departed from each other.
Beyond the electronics flashing various rainbow colors, there were white swinging doors with tiny round windows.

Whiffs of tantalizing delicious food aroused her hunger.
She gracefully strolled down lane three. Her stomach gurgled and she salivated. If only she could break away from whoever was controlling her through the implant. 

Halfway to the doors, she reached out swiftly and poked someone on their back.
That's why the Wiring must've paused on them, it had been searching for a specific person.
Reika heard him get up right away, catching in her peripheral a lanky body as she passed.
The savors, the hubbub, all of it danced rhythmically as one but her heart was beating at its own rate. 
Nonchalantly pushing through the doors with gusto she stepped into blinding whiteness.
The distinct lighting difference in both areas was astronomical.

The Wiring finally allowed her to glimpse the guy she had jabbed with her finger, it was her brother, it was Conall!
Outward she wore an easy smile, inward she was raving at the Wires.

Reika pranced up to the receptionist, a middle aged, red haired lady seated comfortably behind a white desk.
"Hello, can we have extras, and a room please?"
The petite woman raised her full lips in the semblance of a smile at Conall than her. Her name tag read Heather.
She had been more involved in the sounds to the rear of her than the receptionist,  but that altered promptly at Heather's highly suspicious words.

"Your guys' suite is already reserved, it's waiting for you."
The lady hunched over and ran her pasty white hands through the open cubby of the tissue white desk.
"Ahah here it is. Suite 309."
She relieved the tree green room key from the lady's out held arm.
"Miss, can we please get extras while we're at it?" Her brother's voice was smooth as butter as he
stooped toward the woman a tad, as if trying to eye something over the desk. Papers were scattered over her space, and a cup of steaming coffee dangerously beside a thin silver computer.

The Wires had to be controlling him too, but was his mind conscious like hers?
"They'll bring'um up to you."
Conall gave a curt nod, pushing away from the desk and the ladies continually cordial gaze.

Reika found herself pondering how the building was buzzing with activity, yet there had only been a dozen cars in the lot. 
Her brother squeezed her elbow and tugged her across the cozy, warmly furnished lobby.
Her eyes roamed about. What was the Wiring planning now?

The cool linoleum tile ended at an ambient hallway, resumed by wine colored carpet. Everything resembled a horror hotel, freaky, really freaky.
The implant sent them up a shiny translucent elevator to the third floor. People's voices were eaten up into silence.

They reached the end of the daunting hallway and the edge of the building, their suite being the second to last door in the entire formation. 

What was going to take place now?
There were no longer mouthwatering scents of fried chicken and soups, but food held her every sense captive.

Conall swiped the card in the slot. The cherry colored door noiselessly whooshed open revealing the interior to a clean and neat suite.
She didn't recall much about hotels, but you should at least pick up on a TV from a nearby room.
The Wiring brought her to the hotel phone in between two double sized beds as her brother vanished around a corner. Who were they going to make her call?

Plopping down on the bed Reika's implant ordered food and drinks.
Yep, she decided that was the ONLY thing this nincompooper or nincompoops had done right.

A beep sounded outside the door before it burst open.
Three lab dressed people invaded the room in a professional manner.
One went for her, one for the light switch, and the other out of eyesight where her brother had disappeared. It was no use wrestling to gain control of her body, they were at these peoples mercy.

A couple of rat resembling men leaned over her for a few minutes, examining the back of her head and neck with devices that pricked her scalp and neck in various places.
Reika combed her memory, she knew them before the wipe. Who were they?

One lifted up two devices the size of pins squished between his pinkish fingers.
She fought inwardly like never before to take control of her mind. Pointless adrenaline kicked in.
It was Grain, it was the top surgeons of the facility!
Blinking images of the nightmares she had borne to become who she was, forced into her memory.
Grain viewed that little tool like God but if only they knew.

The device made impact with her temples and on touch she twitched unconscious.
The mini tech device was named,
"Error."
Grain's Makers had developed it by experimenting on the Trainees, by messing with their brain stems, by torture.
Plunging into oblivion, that gentle sure voice called out to her.

"Forgive them Reika, they're already damned."
How could she? It had been nine years of mistreatment past reasoning, beyond humanity.

...

A hand patted Reika's shoulder, pulling her out of darkness into another massive migraine.
"What're you doing here?"
Conall sat on the tip of the bed ignoring her inquiry as they stared at each other like extraterrestrials. She marked that he had showered because of his glistening hair and fresh loose boyish clothing. 

"Well, since you're here we need to talk." She compelled herself to an upright position.

"About what Conall?" Light sluiced in through the drawn curtains across from the bed. He twiddled his fingers and bit his bottom lip in contemplation.

"The Graves, this whole escape thing, it's not what you think."