Somebody Among Us- To The Stars

Forgotten Tune

The room was dark. It was lined in metal, as his own cell had been, but this one didn't have lights, leaving the prisoners inside in complete darkness. Beside that, it was similar. The walls and floor were horrendously dirty, blood everywhere. As Dylan had opened the door, light from the hall flooded the room, falling onto the girl in the corner like a spotlight

She sat against a wall, wrists chained to the wall with carabiners. Her thin hair was matted with blood and dirt, body covered in wounds. Blood trickled down one of her arms, from her hand, and one of her eyes poured blood. She was extremely thin, her body looked like almost nothing more than a skeleton with skin. She was still soaked, head to toe. She was a porcelain doll, who could shatter into a million pieces any moment. As Dylan had opened the door, she had perked up, bringing her knees up to her chest and looking up at the door

"Ash!", Dylan called out, running towards her. She thrashed around, trying desperately to free herself

"No, no, please...", she muttered.

"Ash, it's me, we're getting out of here!"

"Get away from me!"

Hearing her scream, Dylan stopped dead in his tracks.

"Ashley...", he whispered.

"Dylan, this is exactly what Harper was trying to warn you about". Trinity walked in, slowly.

"Which is...", he asked.

"They brainwashed her, she doesn't remember you!"

Dylan was staggered. But as he looked down at his sister, it made perfect sense. She looked at him like a perfect stranger, like he was another of the guards

"She.. she doesn't know who I am...", Dylan whispered, hurt.

"Come on, we can't do anything-"

Alicia walked in and tried to pull Dylan out. But he struggled out of her grip, then sat down next to Ashley

"Ash! Ash, it's me, Dylan. Come on, you know who I am, please...". He crouched in front of her, reaching towards her.

But before he could reach out properly, she kicked him away from herself. He fell backwards, but caught himself onto his hands.

"We could knock her out and carry her", Brooke suggested.

"What? No, no, she'll come to, I know it", Dylan insisted.

"I'm sure she will". Anya was the last to walk in, hand already sunk into her bag. "But that's going to take time. Time that we do not have"

Dylan looked down at Ashley again. With all of these new people in there, she was growing increasinly panicked. She had brought her knees up to her chest, attempting to hide behind her own legs.

"We can save her, but we need her to cooperate", Trinity reassured him.

"None.. none of this makes sense", Dylan questioned. "Why did Harper still remember you? They were kept together, weren't they?"

"Yes, but listen here. Horrible as it is, these guys know their business. Their methods aren't ineffective. The difference is that, I'm not sure about Ashley, but I have yet to meet a human with Harper's willpower"

Dylan stood still, guilt flooding his expression.

"But I-"

"Dylan, I know you're strong, but that's the problem", Trinity continued. "You stood up to them, and they took it out on her. You should know that"

"So.. so it's my fault!?"

"No! No, of course not, that's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean?!", he yelled.