The Regeneration Project

~16~

Nick—

I awaken from the land of nightmares that has been my reality for the past seconds, hours, days, weeks, who knows? My sense of time is lost when I have been "put under" as they call it. The only way I ever know how long it has been is if I can figure out the date when someone comes in my room to do analysis. My head throbs with the lasting effects and my body hurts all over. My throat is parched and scratchy from screaming. I try to sit up, not for the first time, only to realize that I am still strapped down the table. They wouldn't want to hurt their prime specimen now would they? But apparently, they are not afraid to scar me mentally and make me never want to go to sleep ever again in my life for fear of more nightmares. 

No, that doesn't concern them. They only care about having me alive to be able to perform the tests. Such precautions were taken after I found a knife and attempted to slice my arm open and bleed to death. Needless to say, that didn't work because I am still here. Death sounds so cozy and comforting after what I have been through these past three years. Death is very inviting; very. But no, that can't happen because then the SST can't use me for every whim. How considerate. The door to my cell opens, and instead of the assistant that usually comes to do analysis after the test, I am greeted with the sight of Cathryn. The Cathryn.

"What do you want?" I ask with as much self-control as I can muster.

"I just wanted to inform you that that was you last test... at least for now."

"What?" I ask incredulously.

"You heard me." She says not wanting to repeat herself.

"Why? What happened?"

"I shouldn't disclose this information to you, but, we got more subjects for the testing. More... promising subjects."

Hearing the hinted insult, I stare at the wall not wanting to talk to her anymore. Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic that I don't have to do the tests for a while, but I also suspect who the new subjects are.

"You can't do that!" I blurt out, not really meaning to.

"Excuse me?" she says with shock; I doubt anyone ever speaks out of line to her.

"I mean... you... I mean..." I sputter out suddenly unable to form words.

"I can, and I will." she states so matter-of-factly.

I go quiet not trusting myself to not say anything stupid again. I don't want her to hurt Aspen and that girl, but I also don't want to be put back in the tests as well. She will still test them no matter what, but I can decide my own fate. I don't want to go through the testing again. She swiftly exits the cell and slams the door on her way out. Great, I think to myself, now she's mad. She will probably do something to me now...

I sit in silence, kept company by only my thoughts and try to ignore the tiredness pulling at my mind.