Project ERASE

Chapter 1 : Confrontation

Laramie: Canopy of leafy boughs.

****

I looked back at Project Erase's facility as it exploded and was consumed by the fiery red flames. The blazing fire looked as if it was trying to swallow the building into the hell it belonged.

Relief? Happiness?

My emotionless mask revealed nothing as I turned my back to the burning building and continued towards the FBI vehicles that were accompanied by agents ready to take us away from this location.

I stopped myself from looking back as another set of bombs went off to further deteriorate the wretched building.

Was I finally free?

Project Erase ripped my childhood away from me, instilled inside me reflexes through training experiments and engraved haunting abhorrent memories into the midst of my thoughts. I had no history, no family and no name to call my own.

Unable to suppress my curiosity, I turned around with the intention to look at the building once again, but someone placed their hand lightly over my eyes so I couldn't see the destruction of the miserable place that housed me for the last eleven years from when I was brought into the facility at age five.

"Don't look back, Leaf." Number three said softly as he called me by the nickname that he gave me years ago due to my light green eyes. "We're free."

A hopeless feeling settled in my chest. I turned around and looked up to meet his impassive golden gaze.

"Are we?"

*

It has been six years since I was rescued from Project Erase's facility when I was sixteen and my life motto to live as average and boring as possible was currently being upheld tremendously well by me. In other words, my life was peaceful while working at the finance department of a medium sized manufacturing company after obtaining my degree a few years ago.

I arrived at my workplace fully dressed in business casual wear with red pumps to elevate my 5-foot-5-inches height and dark red lipstick. My black, wide-leg dress pants were cropped just above my ankles and paired with a black blouse.

"Morning Laramie, the boss wants to see you in his office immediately." I looked over at Maggie, the boss's hardworking secretary, as I was taking off my coat. "He looks pissed." Maggie gave me a smile full of pity and remorse.

"I'll be right there." I smiled back at Maggie as she quickly left and I could feel my energy draining from the idea of dealing with my boss today, a short and stout old man whose face always looked as if he ate something sour.

The people that worked here were nice, the environment was nice, the pay was nice. Everything was nice except for the boss. He somehow decided from the first day of meeting me that he was going to despise me and make my life as hard as possible.

I walked towards my boss' office, knocking on the door when I arrived right in front of it.

"Come in." My boss' voice was muffled through the door.

I entered and wore my best smile. "Good morning, Rob."

He saw that it was me and his face immediately turned red with anger. "Where is last month's financial analysis report?"

"I finished it early so I handed it to you personally," after you lost it last time, "last week." I ignored the bitter feeling of being accused of not doing my work and kept a professional smile on my face.

"If you gave it to me, it would be on my desk, but it is not." He stood up as if to intimidate me, but since I wore heels today, the top of his head didn't even reach my chin. "Where is it?"