Remember

Chapter Twelve (edited)

  It felt like the hallways of the place she was in were never ending. Much like the amount of capsules she saw. They really did put everyone under their control. That's the only thought that ran through her mind as she lost track of where the men were dragging her. These people were monsters. How could they live with themselves knowing what they are doing?

Finally, the men dragging her stopped in the middle of a hallway. This part of the abnormally large building was extremely run down like it had not been maintained in years. The paint was peeling and chipping in most places. The carpet beneath her bare feet was worn and grimy from years of people walking on it. It was almost like some old, abandoned hotel. Except, the only things haunting this hotel were the Paradisium Federation guards.

One of the men let go of his tight grip on Colette's forearm and turned to open a door to her left. He glanced at her once before nodding to the man gripping her other arm. He shoved her into the room without a word and slammed the door shut behind her. Her body hit the hard floor with a loud crack from her knees, then hip and elbow making contact with the cement underneath the thin carpet. The cracking noises and pain that followed barely registered in her brain as she gaped at the door, or rather where it should have been.

The door was gone and all that was left in its wake was wall, ripped and chipping paint wall. Her jaw dropped as she continued to stare at spot where the door had been. "What the hell." She barely whispered the words as she pushed her torso off the rough carpet and crawled towards the empty wall. The action made her bruise forming knees ache.

Then, she was screaming and hitting the wall-door repeatedly. "Let me out!" She repeated the words over and over again until she could not utter another word and her arms throbbed with pain from where they collided with the hard surface where the door to her freedom should have been. Colette slid down the wall, sobbing. She did not think there was a way out of this prison and perhaps she had finally broken the barrier but, by no means was she saving anyone -- let alone herself -- anytime soon. She was trapped, again, but at least this time she was aware of it

People always held onto this fantasy of being free, but in reality freedom was just an illusion. Something that gave people hope and kept them from realizing the reality of the world. The true darkness that lurked in every inch and every uncovered corner of the world. The whole world was a prison in itself. There was no escaping the bonds of life and death.

"That was quite the show." A familiar voice arose from the other end of the room.

Colette had not noticed anyone when she was thrown into the room, especially not someone who she recognized. She had been too focused on the disappearing door to take in her surroundings. Colette brought herself to look around the room, her eyes finally landing on the last person she wanted to see in that moment. "So this was where he disappeared to when they were in the hospital." She thought to herself, staring at Kaden as if he was part of the federation and had thrown her in here himself.

She groaned, her head hitting the wall as she threw it back in frustration. Or was it annoyance? "Yes, it's nice to see you again too, Collie." Kaden smiled the same, stupid arrogant smile he did back in Paradisium.

"Don't call me that." Colette grumbled. A slight breeze drifted through the room causing her to shiver in her thin dress. "Don't they have heat in this place?" The question was not exactly meant for an answer. She could already guess the answer. Judging by the way the guards tossed her in the room, they did not care enough about their 'guests' to provide them with anything beyond the essentials.

Kaden sighed. "You should be proud of yourself. You're here. You broke the barrier. You did things most people can't and will never do."

Colette looked at him sideways, suddenly more confused than ever. "How are you here? Or.." She paused, thinking of a better question. "How were you in the other world if you had already broken the barrier?"