Octagon Project 1: Melody Halloway

~-5-~

"Melody." Zack called, walking back into the living room where Mel was sitting on the single white pod shaped chair near the window with her knees tucked up to her chest. She looked up at him; expressionless. He knew that look. When all the pain and emotion is begging to explode, but you shove it away and go on with life. The image of the scars that crossed her back came tumbling into his mind and he shuddered.

"C'mon. We're heading back to the headquarters." He told her.

"Why?" She asked, sounding rather content with where she was curled. Not that she knew that that was Roy's favorite seat. He'd beat the shit out of anyone that sat in it. As if on cue, Roy stepped into the room, looking over at Mel and plopping down onto the long couch that faced away from the kitchen with a sigh.

"Because you have your assessment today." He answered her for Zack. What could have been described as fear flashed across her face, but it was gone just as quickly as it came. Getting up, Mel disappeared into her room. "She's gonna have to be dragged out, isn't she?" Roy asked looking up at Zack, who gazed off in the direction Mel disappeared and took a deep breath.

"Most likely." He muttered, starting to walk in the direction she went when she reappeared, pulling her frizzy hair up into a tight ponytail. Zack looked back at Roy and shrugged. Roy shrugged as well in reply and watched Zack lead Mel out towards the car before turning on the X-box and grabbing his controller, taking over his favorite seat. For some strange reason, he didn't mind it as much that Mel sat in it. She seemed comfortable. Like she understood why it was his favorite; it was near the door which made for quick escapes, and from the seat, you're able to get a wide view of the living room, hallway, and kitchen.

They went back to the same building Mel remembered from last night, only today they walked through the double doors that seemed to lead into the waiting room outside of McHall's office. Instead of going in that direction, they turned towards the foyer that had a bunch of leather couches and plants in it, stopping at the desk that had the bulletproof glass around it.

"Assessment." Zack told the woman sitting on the other side. She pressed a key on her keyboard and Mel jumped as the ground under her moved, sliding back like a secret door. Zack began to walk down the steps that appeared underneath it, looking up at Mel to follow. Slowly, she did, and the cement steps gave way to a sloping ground that they walked down until a sunny light began to brighten up the small space. They stopped on a balcony and Mel froze. The balcony went all around an octagon-shaped building with a large clearing in the middle where a few jets sat. Two of them looking like bombers.

"Don't worry, we don't use those all that often." Zack assured Mel as he saw her staring at the two bomb and raider planes they had here. Mel looked at him, hiding her surprise poorly. All that often?! What would they possibly need to bomb from the air?! Zack led Mel along the balcony, passing a bunch of people, some dressed in all black, others in white lab coats. After five minutes, they stopped in front of a door with the words Recruit Initiation on a tab in the center of the door. Mel took a breath and held it, counting to ten in her mind as she entered the dim room. It was a small room that they entered with a glass window that looked into a brightly lit room with white lights and padded walls. The floor was cement and cracked with dark spots in random areas. Two dark, rusty metal square poles stood near the center of the room with chains on the floor around it. Mel shivered, knowing what was going to happen. There was a door on the far end of the room too that looked locked. Near it, a little wooden stool sat untouched but worn.

Zack opened the door for her, and Mel stepped into the bright and creepy room. The door shut quickly and clicked behind her. She was alone- feeling like a bug under a microscope. The far door opened and McHall stepped in, allowing it to shut behind him.