Enhancement

- - 7 - -

"Comprehension test ended," an icy voice declares. The foreign control over my body releases like a sheet of glass shattering. I stumble a few steps to the side, nearly collapsing on the floor. The first thing I do when I regain balance is whip my head towards Stephen.

"Oh, my God!" I scream, my insides shuddering. Stephen stares at me, his face blank and his eyes unfocused. My hands cover my mouth in horror. I've never been more terrified in my life.

An unprompted wound opens on Stephen's forehead, a stream of red blood dripping down his forehead. The blood reaches the tip of his chin and spills onto his clean white shirt.

They've got control of him, too.

"No!" I scream. I sprint to Stephen, pressing my hands to his face to stop the flow. Sticky, metallic blood soaks my hands and smears all over Stephen's face. As my attempts weaken, Stephen's eyes remain stagnant.

My lungs takes shallow gasps for air. Stephen's not moving, not blinking. Panic triggers my stomach to churn. There's just so much blood. First the pulses, then the loss of movement, now the blood. There's just too many tests for me to handle by myself.

"C'mon, Stephen," I say on the verge of tears. The blood is fully soaking his shirt now. "Stephen!" I urge, yelling loudly. "Stephen, c'mon! You have to wake up. Please!"

Stephen's eyes refocus, and the blood stops pouring. I pull my hands away from his face, shocked. My lip quivers as Stephen regains his senses, startled by my devastated look. His eyes glance at my red palms with confusion.

I quickly lock Stephen into a hug, blocking my blood-soaked hands from his vision. I feel a tremor from Stephen, and his arms wrap slowly around my lower back. I nearly cry in relief.

Then it hits us.

We both yell out in pain, our bodies forced onto our knees. Bending over in agony, electric pulses fill our heads. My screaming contorts into tears, and Stephen's yells rip at my heart.

Frozen in place, Stephen and I unwillingly fall silent and move to a kneeling position. The pulses continue with so much intensity my vision turns spotty and black. Our spines slowly straighten and our hands clasp behind our backs. Who is controlling us and why?

Trapped inside my own body, hysteria clings to my brain. I've never cherished the ability to cry more than I do now. Even a small twitch would cure my terror, but I can't move.

A nearby door slides open, and a single pair of shoes strides across the room. No matter how hard I try, I can't turn my head to get a look at the person. I just can't do it. My view is limited to the plain white floor.

I hear the boots stop behind Stephen for a moment, soon taking two steps towards me. A needle pierces my left and right temples, cold and sharp. What will be the next test? How will we be tortured this time?

I internally flinch at the needle's pain, but my body is unresponsive. Air is forced in and out of my lungs, causing my mind to hyperventilate even more. The boots take their time on their way out, walking so slowly I know they're bragging about their power over us. Stephen and I have no choice but to painstakingly wait for them to disappear.

As soon as the door is locked air-tight, we're released. I fall flat onto the floor, the pulsing gone. Clawing back to a sitting position, I hear Stephen grunt as he leans against the wall. Dried blood cakes his face and clothes, smears of red masking his handsomeness.

"Holland," Stephen says, staring fearfully at me. "What happened to me?"

"I don't know," I say helplessly. "Your forehead just started to bleed, and it wouldn't stop."

He touches his fingertips to his forehead, the remains of blood sticking to his fingers. He sits down in half-defeat.

"I'm so sorry, Holland."

I can't force myself to look away from his bloody face. The whites of his eyes are too fierce contrasting the red blood. Plus his eye contact is laser-like, searing my emotions.

Stephen continues his ramble. "Holland, I'm so sorry. I wish you never came here, never saw this, never had to know that--"

His words are stolen back by the invisible manipulator. I gasp, taking a step away from Stephen. Eyes blank, expression gone. With his voice glitching, Stephen speaks again.

"T-T-The Enh-h-hanc-cement Proj-j-ject is n-n-nearly com-m-mplete."

My heart pounds in my ears, chilling adrenaline pulsing. I wrap my fingers around Stephen's shirt, needing a part of him to hold onto. "C'mon, Stephen, wake up! For me, please!"

Stephen continues in a foreign voice, "T-T-These ne-e-ext few-w weeks-s will be cru-u-ucial in t-the s-s-success of t-the Enh-h-hanc-cement P-Project's-s-s leg-g-gen-ndary-y b-breakthr-r-rough. We ad-d-dvise you t-to s-s-stay c-c-calm and p-prep-p-pare for a-anyth-th-thing. I-If you w-w-want to s-stay aliv-v-ve, then-n l-l-let us t-take your-r-r life int-t-to our-r h-h-hands."

My jaw drops.

"B-But d-don't c-c-count on it-t-t."

-- -- -- -- --

lovely cliffhanger, don't you think?

Pick a novel-changing word: mental, physical, or joint testing.

Pick a chapter number in which you want the major plottwist to occur. (Answers may/may not affect Enhancement. Depends on whether Stephen dies lol.)

just kidding

no seriously.

or am I?

but in all seriousness...

I solemnly swear that i am up to no good ;)