Escaping Elysia

Chapter 4 - Test Subject #354 (cont.)

Evita

A blaring alarm wakes me and I bolt upright in the bed, my heart pounding. The door to the room clicks, unlocking. It takes me a second to figure out where I am, and when I remember, a cold dread spreads through my chest. I want to lie back down, close my eyes, and pretend I'm in my own bed in my own house.

However, a part of me, a part that's bigger than my fear, wants to know more about this place. That part is not only bigger, but stronger, and it carries my legs to the floor. Across the room, Nadya yawns and stretches before slowly standing up.

She doesn't look at me. She seems to be looking past me, at the wall. Her metal stand rattles on the stone floor as she pulls it along beside her. "You coming?" she asks, without looking back. I jump out of bed and follow.

Girls exit the other rooms, hurrying past us down the hallway, but Nadya takes her time. Some of the girls turn to look at me as they pass and one stares me down until I'm forced to look away.

Steam hits my face as we enter the bathroom, and Nadya begins to undress. I notice other girls doing the same, while a female guard watches from the corner. There's no privacy here. It's an odd change from home, where the doors my grandfather closed between us were stifling. Privacy was all I ever got, and never what I wanted. I'm beginning to see its perks.

"Get a move on, 354," the guard calls out, her voice sharp. She's talking to me. Is that all I am now? I quickly strip, trying to cover myself with my hands while the guard looks on, and follow Nadya into the showers.

The shower heads face a drain in the middle of the room, with no stalls to separate them. Most of the showers are already occupied by other girls. They all seem to be about my age, or a little older, though I do see a few girls who could be as young as fourteen. The shower next to Nadya is open, but the girl who stared at me in the hallway is on the other side. As I look at her I'm struck by how gorgeous she is, despite her square jaw and the faint wisps of hair above her upper lip. However, when she sees me looking she sneers, marring her beauty.

I search for another open spot and find none. Reluctantly, I fill the space between the glassy-eyed girl and the one whose eyes seem to pierce beneath my skin. She narrows them at me as I turn on the water.

The shower is lukewarm, and as I wash away the grime from the past day I realize that it's only been 24 hours since I woke up in my own bed. It feels more like a week. I lean back and let the water run through my hair, before soaping it with shampoo from the dispenser on the wall.

Naked, with her hair wet and plastered to her head, Nadya looks even more sickly than she did last night, like a soaking wet cat that's been living on the streets. Her arms are thin and shaky as she massages shampoo into her scalp. She can hardly bear their weight. The lines of her ribs press against her torso, as if it's shrunk around them and they're straining to get out. Her pale, fawn colored skin is stretched tight over her face, exaggerating her high cheekbones even more. I can't help but look away.

The girl next to me wrings out her hair and dries herself off. After wrapping herself in a towel, she pushes her shoulders back and holds her chin up high. As she walks by she reaches out and shoves my shoulder. My feet slip on the wet, soapy floor and I reach out for something to grab onto, but find nothing.

I hit the ground hard and every eye in the room turns to look at me. Except for Nadya's. She's staring into space yet again.

"Watch yourself, 354." The girl laughs, cutting into the silence, and other girls in the room follow her lead, their laughter echoing off the walls. The fall didn't hurt, but my face is burning and I'm aware of just how exposed I am, lying naked and wet on the shower floor. Their laughter feels like needles, pricking into my skin over and over. The girl stands above me, one hand on her hip, and smirks. Why has she hated me so instantly?

I scramble to my feet and duck back under the spray of water, as if it can shield me from her gaze. With one last icy glare she leaves. The others finish showering. They don't look at me again. Once more, I wonder where the hell I am, and how soon I'll be able to leave.

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Author's note: Thank you for reading! Please don't forget to vote if you liked this chapter :).