"You may return to your dorms," an agent tells us. We rise from our seats in silence and start heading towards the wall. An agent grabs me by the arm.
"Remember what we said about telling your friends," he reminds me. I nod. Then he releases me, and I walk to the wall with the other five, who are trying to reopen it. Heneya tries to get out the same way I got in, but it doesn't work.
"Feet apart," an agent reminds her. She spreads her feet apart a little more. The wall stays put. "Feet ap-"
"Oh I'll show you where I can stick my feet," she says. The agent clears his throat.
"Let me try," "Strength" says. He pushes Heneya out of the way and leans against the wall. The wall separates after a moment and he disappears, then it reforms.
"Dick," Heneya mutters.
"Come on, Stealth, you've got this," Dillan says. She scowls at him and leans against the wall, this time separating them. Once she's out of sight, Dillan smiles.
"That girls got an attitude the size of Texas," he chuckles. "After you," he waves the younger girl forward. She timidly leans against the wall, keeping her arms straight at her side. The wall stays put.
"You've got this, you just gotta spread your arms out, like when you came in," Dillan encourages. She shakes her head.
"Oh come on, like this," he says, stepping towards her. The girl flinches and puts up her hands as if in defense. Dillan backs off, giving her space. She looks at me, trembling.
What has this girl gone through?
"Let me," I say. "Please, go to the table and sit for a moment." Dillan puts his hands up in surrender and walks to the table, the other boy behind him.
I approach the girl. She presses herself against the wall.
"Hey... it's ok," I say to her. "I'm not going to hurt you..." she looks at the agents.
Then I have a horrible thought.
"Did they hurt you?" I whisper. She shakes her head.
"N- no..." she says. "They were nice..." I nod.
"I'm just like you," I say. "I was pulled here by them too. Don't worry, no one here is going to hurt you. Ever." She relaxes a little bit.
"Now, I'm going to help you escape this room," I say with a smile. "Just spread your arms out like this," I reach for her arm, but she pulls away.
I think. How can I help her without touching her?
"Here, I'll do it too," I say.
I go down the wall away from her and get into the stance that opens the door. She looks at me for a moment, then mimics me. The wall separates, and the girl is gone.
I can't help but wonder.
What has happened to her?
Dillan helps the other boy get into stance, guiding his hands and feet into place. The entire time, the boy is staring at me. I try waving to him, but he doesn't seem to notice.
"Alright, Strategy you're good to go," Dillan says. "Catch your footing in 3... 2..." the wall opens and the boy crashes through. "Or not... oops."
He smiles at me.
"Nice to meet you, Loyalty," He says.
"You're really getting into this whole "Six" thing," I respond.
"Yeah well it's apparently a bit important... um, what's your real name again?" He asks me.
"Alisha."
"Pleasure," he says. "Hey, I appreciate you helping Brains back there... the girls been a shaky mess from the moment she stepped in here." I nod.
"I feel bad for her. No one should be that scared, ever," I say.
"Yeah... well I'll catch ya later, we should get to our dorms," he says. He throws a peace sign to the agents and leaves the room. I wave to them and do the same, bracing myself for the fall.
________________________________
I crash into the hallway once again. Will I ever get used to that entrance?
"Easy there, buddy," I hear. I turn around and see the strategy boy, holding his head, and Dillan picking him up off the ground. "Can't find your dorm? Here, I'll help ya."
"Are you okay?" I ask. Dumb question, I know.
"Strategy here can't find his room," Dillan says.
"I'm fine, just need a bit of direction.." the boy says. He shrugs himself out of Dillan's grasp and starts heading down the hall. I look at Dillan and we both run to catch up with him.
He stops.
"I can smell the air freshener in the rooms, I know we're close." He says. I sniff. How can he smell that?
"Hey, bud, let us help you," I say. He turns towards me, but his eyes are unfocused. "And who are you?" He asks.
"I'm Loyalty," I say. "Alisha is my name." A smile creeps across his lips.
"I'm Gordon, now known as Strategy," he says. He lifts his hand for me to shake. I take it.
"Where are the dorms from here?" He asks.
"Just around the corner," Dillan says. He leads Gordon to the six doors.
"Can I see your key?" He asks. Gordon takes a key from his pocket and hands it to Dillan. He starts trying it out on the doors. 'I don't know which is his room,' he mouths to me.
He finds the right match and opens the door.
"There ya go," he says with a grin towards me.
"Thanks," Gordon raises his hand for the key, which Dillan puts in his hand.
"Geez, at times like this, I really wish I had my sight," he remarks as he closes the door.
"He's blind?" I ask Dillan.
"Yeah, he actually came yesterday, and so did I," he says. "He lost his sight rather recently, but won't give details."
I nod.
"Well goodnight then," Dillan says. He waves to me and opens his door, hitting himself hard in the toe.
Why was he barefoot?
"AGH, SON OF A BITCH WHY ARE THESE DOORS SO SHARP?" He yells, closing the door. I can hear his yells inside the room. Laughing a little, I stand alone in the hallway.
Then I stop.
The trembling girl, the blind boy...
What has happened to these poor people?
I don't know, but I'm determined to help them in any way that I can.
YOU ARE READING
Flames of Revenge
Action"Why does so much change in a short period of time? One moment I was innocent.... Then I was a murderer." Join Alisha Ballestri as she takes you along on her journey of becoming one of the world's most wanted criminals. Except everyone assumes she d...
