Chapter one:
Coco hisses as the Eraser shoves a water bowl in her cage.
She tries to scratch at its hand, but the metal covers attached to the cage shudder as she pulls them near the Erasers claws. Unsuccessful, she growls, and draws back.
When the Eraser walks over to my cage, bowl in hand, I push myself onto the back wall of the enclosure. Squashing my wings and antennae in the process. It hurts, but I wasn't going to get clawed to death while getting handed a water bowl.
When he walks over to Oli, he doesn't have a water bowl. Instead, he opens her cage. Her antlers get caught in the bars, but she finds her way around the metal they got stuck in. She didn't even flinch when he grabbed her from the cage, attaching the collar's chain onto his metal wristband.
Oli glanced at me and Coco, her eyes spoke for her; wide with fear and helplessness. A) because she was a deer, and B) she knew she was going to the Arena. A place where mutants fought each other until one couldn't fight. One time Coco came back paralyzed, and was unable to move for several hours. I personally have never been in the Arena once, and I am glad for it. Although that meant more testing, which I don't like.
Oli was dragged out the door, screaming. I have to cover my ears it's so loud. A few moments after the door had closed, I hear a loud clang, and Oli silences. I can't think about what they had done to make her quiet up.
A few minutes later, when we heard no noises from the hall, Coco whispered,
"Lilith, turn invisible. Now." I do. That is my special ability.
Coco starts acting and pretending to be dead, eyes open, and breathing so slow you can't even tell she's breathing at all. I shimmy the collar off over my head, going over the escape plan in my head once more. I was going to pretend that I had escaped, and killed Coco. Then when the Eraser/Whitecoat opened the door to my cage, I would spring out and attack the Eraser/Whitecoat, then free Coco and Oli- Except Oli wasn't here, we can't go through with the plan without Oli! She was going to help us escape by charging the guards at the door with her antlers!
I slipped the collar back on-still invisible-and said to Coco,
"We can't do it now, we'll do it when Oli's back." Coco understood, and closed her eyes, breathing more visibly. She was going to sleep, I could tell. A Whitecoat barges in, holding a clipboard. She isn't a Whitecoat I've seen before. She glances at Coco, then me. She doubles back at me for another look, and I realize I'm still unable to be seen. I turn visible in an instant, and the Whitecoat sighs in relief. She lets three Erasers in, they're holding another cage. They sit down the new cage right next to Oli's.
I didn't even know you could just bring a cage in like that! I think to myself. It takes them a while to get it working, but soon, the ceiling of the cage is covered in blinding light, then fades to the normal steady glow. Coco hears the ruckus, and starts growling at the Whitecoat. I reach my hand through the bars of my cage, reaching for Coco. She takes my hand and we both turn invisible, we are slightly see-able, but mostly invisible. You see, if I spread out my power, it becomes thinner. We tried doing this the first time we were making a plan to escape, but we were much too visible to sneak through the School unnoticed. The more area to turn invisible, the more visible that area gets. We watch as they bring in a struggling mutant, her skin tone coal black. If they were to put her in front of a black backdrop, all you would see was bright blue eyes. It was as if they have no end. There are no pupils, no whites. Just blue. She tries to shriek, but it comes out muffled from behind the muzzle strapped to her face. Her arms and legs have cuffs that have chains attached to an Eraser's arm. I see a metal band around her shoulders and chest, and she turns only long enough for me to catch a glance at her wings. Black and blue.
"Place SJU03 over there," The Whitecoat says, gesturing to the new cage. The Erasers use wire cutters to free her wings. Suddenly she's shoved into the cage, and the muzzle is removed by remote control. Same goes for the cuffs on her wrists. The cuffs on her ankles are chained to the floor of the cage. She growls like a cat, then neighs like a horse, and finishes by roaring like a lion. The Whitecoat and Erasers exit and me and Coco are left alone with the other mutant.
The mutant looks at our cages, and curls up in a ball, wrapping her body in her wings. I begin to hear quiet sobbing sounds, and realize they're coming from the new mutant. She carries on crying until her body relaxes and she's asleep. I slowly let go of Coco's hand, and turn visible. I grab the thin grey blanket they give us, and pull it over my body, hoping sleep will come quickly. I hear Coco do the same.
"Good night, Lilith." Coco whispers to me.
"Good night, Coco."
If you like the story so far, please review! Q: What is your favourite board/card game? respond in the comments. A: My answer would be Clue.
Yours truly, Emma