Experiment

Chapter 5: Wings

By morning, or at least when they turned on those dreadful lights, Laura had gotten somewhat used to her butterfly wings, although she was still shaken up.

"How, how could they do this to me?" She paced in her cage. Earlier, when she had woken up, she had found tiny clothes, just her size, in her cage. They were black, the same as everyone else's, and had the words; PROPERTY OF F.A.H. stitched on the back, and wing slits for her wings. How convenient, She thought dryly, but had put them on anyway.

Also, they had left a slice of bread and milk in her cage. Most of the hybrid children were horribly skinny from being fed nothing but bread crusts and water except for a select few, like her, who were as plump as they probably were in their normal lives. Favorites, she guessed.

She tentatively flapped her wings. They were a swallowtail's, and very beautiful. Laura put her hand behind her back and stroked her wings. They were feathery and fragile. She flapped them a bit faster, and ascended an inch.

Laura gasped. "I can fly." she whispered.

She flapped them even faster, and rose higher! Faster, fast- "Ow!" She had bumped into the top of the cage and had fallen to the floor.

Laura sat up and rubbed her head. "Wow, that was cool." she breathed, amazed.

A man dressed in a lab coat opened the door to the cage room. "Everybody up! Time for exercise in 10 minutes." he said, and quickly left, 

Trudy awoke and glanced at the plain black clock on the wall. "Every few days they take us out to exercise." Trudy said, yawning. "I think they will be taking us out today. The Facility wants to use us for something." She grimaced. "I don't know what, though. There seems to be some sort of barrier when I try to read their minds."

"So that they can control the world." Benjamin suddenly broke in. "I've heard them. They're working on a mind control device. And when they succeed, they'll have the ability to train us and then use us for war. There won't be any stopping them."He looked at Laura. "That's what."

For a while everyone just sat there in awkward silence.

"Trudy, what's his power?" Laura whispered. Benjamin had gone back to fiddling with his necklace.

"Well, he doesn't have one." Trudy frowned. "That happens sometimes, and the scientists are always saying that he's a failure, and not useful, and that eventually they're going to . . . to . . ." she bit her lip to keep from crying. "Kill him." Trudy whispered softly.

Laura put her hand over her mouth. She hadn't known Benjamin that long, but any child deserved to live, especially one who had done nothing to deserve this.

Just then the scientists came in and unlocked all their cages except Laura's. After all, she could get away too easily.

Trudy offered to carry Laura's cage to the exercise yard and they agreed. Guards were positioned all around the crowd of hybrids, most with tranquilizer guns, but there were a few with real guns.

Trudy looked down at Laura while they were walking. "Awww." Trudy smiled. "You're so tiny and cute!"

Laura looked up at her angrily. "Don't call me that. What if you were tiny?" she snapped.

Trudy looked surprised.

"I-I'm sorry." Laura said. "I'm just angry that I'm like this. I'm angry that all of us are like this!"

They finally arrived at the exercise yard. It was very big, and above them and around them was a metal fence, about thirty feet high, so that the hybrids with wings couldn't escape.

In the yard was basic exercise equipment, from dumbbells to a small tight rope. If any of the hybrids stopped moving around, or sat down in a corner, one of the guards would immediately shock them with a cattle prod.

All of the bird hybrids, including Benjamin, ran a few steps and started flying when they came outside. Laura looked up in wonder at Benjamin's huge, beautiful wings that almost seemed to symbolize freedom, even in this desolate place.

Trudy took Laura out of the cage and set her down on the grass. "Look, I couldn't tell you in the room because there were too many guards, and microphones in our cages," Trudy whispered hastily, "but all of us are looking for a way to escape F.A.H. and we have been waiting for someone like you to help us, because you're small. Just look for any gaps in the gate, and let me know if you find any. Good luck!"

Trudy ran over to the small obstacle course to not look suspicious and left Laura alone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Oh no! What will happen to Laura? Will they escape? :) vote, comment, follow!

_pure_imagination_