The Selection

Chapter 53: Visitor

The lobby was bland and almost like a prison cell itself. The walls were white brick, enclosing around me, making it hard to breathe. A man stood behind a large cedar desk like King Andersons except it had a glass wall, separating Adam and I from the inside. The man bowed, then stared waiting for me to say something but I couldn't bring myself to it. A rock sat in my throat making it impossible to breathe let alone talk.

"We're here to see someone," Adam cut into my thoughts, his voice held confidence through the lie.

"Name?" The man asked.

"Adam Bowen and Embe-"

"Not you," the man spit, then regained his posture as he glimpsed at me, "of the prisoner."

"My father," I choked out. The man straightened his uniform and bowed his head quickly.

"Of course," he sighed,"Right through those doors there will be an elevator, take it to the top floor. An officer will escort you from there. Just tell him you're looking for Prisoner 6216."

"Thank you," Adam mumbled as he guided me to the doors. He punched the up button silently and the door opened with a ding.

The elevator was the complete opposite as the lobby. The walls were a sea blue and music chimed from the speakers above. The highest number on the buttons was 12 so that's what Adam pushed.

"Are you okay?" He asked, slowly and quietly.

"No." I was quick to answer, possibly a little too curt. I could see out of the corner of my eye that I had offended him, which was not my intention.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm just angry."

"Why?" He asked but the doors opened just in time for the conversation to be terminated. I realized that Adam may not understand why we were here or why Gabriel was her either. The truth is, and I'd find out for sure soon, was Gabriel was probably visiting his mother. His evil, insane mother who tried very hard to kill me and kidnap our son.

"Excuse me, sir," I tapped on an officer who happened to be sleeping on the job. He scrambled to stand up quickly and I made sure to memorize the name: Officer Pauw.

"Your Majesty," he quickly uttered. "What gives me the pleasure of meeting you today?"

"I'm here to see Prisoner 6216," I clarified. Fiddling nervously with his thumbs, Officer Pauw led us down the only hallway on the twelfth floor. The walls, like the lobby, were brick and made me claustrophobic. The atmosphere itself was terrifying. In a distance you could hear screaming and moaning, the cells were completely closed off with iron doors.

"Here he is. I have to keep watch out here but as long as your friend here goes in with you, I'm sure you can close the door," the officer stated.

"He's my bodyguard," I corrected. "I'll be safe."

The officer nodded with apologetic eyes and unlocked the door. "Up," he yelled at my father.

"Visitors?" I heard a raspy, unrecognizable voice ask.

Adam peaked around the door and I watched as he closed his eyes quickly. He turned to me and put his hands on my arms to push me back away from the door.

"We shouldn't be here, Ember. We should go back to the castle. We can watch movies, read books, even get a team on the grounds so we could have a picnic or something-"