Chapter 3
"Nothing, you just had a little drool on your face," I answer. Sabrina and I get out of the room to find everybody staring at us. I guess they heard Sabrina scream at me. She goes back to her seat and I go back to mine. "Why'd she yell at you?" Geo asks. "I was reading her diary and accidently dropped it in water, she overreacted dude. Like it's just a diary get over it," I tell him, lying through my teeth. It's convincing enough so he changes the subject. "We're almost there, one more freeway to go," he says. "Yippee," I reply in a sarcastic tone. We hear a loud noise from three small speakers on the celling of the bus. One in the front section, one in the middle, and one in the back. A strong man's voice comes on. "Hello tributes. My name is John. I will be your driver for the next two weeks. I will give each of you a list of the places we'll be going as soon as I call you up to the booth in the front of the bus. When I call your given codename, come up into the booth. I will call four at a time, wait for the person in front of you to come out." "D17, C17, R17 and S17." Danny and Clarissa stand up and head towards the front. Then Sabrina and Bobby go. Once they all return John's voice comes on again. "E17, Z17, G17, and D14." This time all four stand up. Enrique, Zuiee, Geo and Dennise go to the front. "RM17, A17, F17, and RC17." I walk up to the front and go in the booth. It asks me to put my finger on the touchscreen pad in front of me. I do as told and I feel a little pain. I move my finger and see that some blood was taken out. I look at another screen in front of me. "Alejandra Pena, July 30th, 1996. Telekinetic. Telepathic. Fragile. Moderate all five senses to level ten. Replacement of skin and nails. Thank you and please exit to your left." It prints out the list as promised and a paper of what it just said. I look at it confused as I walk back to my seat. "DP17, ER17, D16 and S16." I watch David, Elizabeth, Diego and Sara go up.
I look back at my paper. What did it mean by 'replacement of skin and nails'? Telepathic? Isn't that like a mind reader? I've never read a mind in my life. Maybe the machine is busted. "Thank you all for your cooperation if you have any questions, press the button under your seat." John's voice said. An hour goes by and I'm still wondering what the machine meant. I feel under my seat and there's a button. I look around and no one has even checked. I take a deep breath. On the count of three I'll push the button. One. Two. And, thr- "Tributes of twenty fourteen, we have arrived to our destination. Everyone please exit from the back."
I almost did it. I shouldn't take so long next time. I look up. I've never seen this hospital before. Probably new or behind the city. One of those I'm sure. Rolando's hand slips into mine. "I thought you were mad at me," I say, sarcastically. "I am. I'm completely pissed off that you're here, really. But, at least now I know who I'm going to risk my life for." He squeezes my hand and I kiss his cheek. I'm glad I volunteered. We have two more weeks to live. So, why be depressed right? We walk into the hospital doors into a waiting room. We all take a seat and make ourselves comfortable. After twenty minutes, an incredibly handsome, yet cruel faced looking man comes into the waiting room. "Good Afternoon tributes of twenty thirteen. Allow me to explain the 'To-do' list for today," he pauses for a moment and looks around," First we will take a picture of each and every one of you. The maximum amount of pictures are only three. If you wish to take a group picture with any friends you might have, feel free to do so. Just remember; only three. Every picture you take will be sent home. Once that's done with, we will begin whatever procedure you have on your paper you received from the machine. We will start in alphabetical order from codenames. In this case, tribute A17 will go first. Then you wait in another waiting room after your procedure is done and wait for the others. Any questions?" Nobody raises their hand. "Good. The photo booth is behind the aquarium on the right. Please enjoy." He takes a small bow and leaves the room. Everyone lines up behind the photo booth. Once it's my turn. I take my individual pictures. Then I bring in my boyfriend, then Dennise, then Zuiee, Sabrina, Enrique and Elizabeth. Then we take a group picture. To my surprise everyone wants to take a picture with me. I think it's because I'm going up first.
Once we're all done, we take our seats again. A loud speaker sound comes on. "A17 PLEASE ENTER THE DOORS TO YOUR LEFT." I get up and give a smile and thumbs up to everyone looking at me scared, which is almost everyone. Once I'm behind the doors, they shut. There's a chair to my left with a sign that says 'SIT'. I sit down and wait. As soon as I adjust myself, the chair zooms across the room, then down a hole, fast. I'm free falling. "HELP. SOMEONE HELP. A CHAIR FROM HELL!" After what seems like hours of falling, I come to a halt. I'm laying down now. I drop one more time, and then it's quiet. I'm lying with my arms to my side. I sit up and hear voices to my left. I can't see anything, it's pitch black. "Hello? Is anyone here?" I ask aloud. No response. "You know, letting me fall to my death isn't very welcoming!" I really am kind of mad that they dropped me. Another man with cruel beauty walks in front of me. "I would never let a tribute fall to their death, especially a volunteer tribute," he says with a smile. "Sure you wouldn't. So what's going on? Why am I down here?" I ask. He seems a little confused when I asked that. "Didn't you press the button under your seat before you arrived?"
"Well, I was about to, but we got here. So we had to get out of the bus," I said, embarrassed. "It's alright my dear, may I see the paper you received from the machine?" he asked holding his hand out. I took it out from my pocket, unfolded it, and gave it to him. "Ah, you have a skin and nail surg. And for all your five senses. I think we ought to give skin as indestructible as adamantiam." What the hell is a 'surg'? "What do you mean give me skin? Are you going to like take off my skin and replace it?" I ask chuckling. "Exactly dear." He replies with the most serious face ever. "Wait what? If you think for one second that you are removing my skin to give me fake skin, you're fucking nuts." "We wouldn't be necessarily 'removing' it, we would be alternating your skin, making it perfect, which would really come in handy in the field." "Forget it, I'd rather die." I jump off the stool looking for a way out. The doctor grabs my wrist, "You don't have a choice sweetheart. This is what you volunteered for." He pulls me back and I pick up the table I was laying down on with my mind and throw it at him. He catches it with his index finger and thumb. I stay there staring at him in disbelief.
"My, my! What amazing special ability you have! Now notice how clumsy you threw this surgery table. With our help you could've had more control and knocked me out. Now please," he reaches his hand out," let us help you." "NO! I don't need anyone's help!" I pick him up, and throw him across the room. I stumble across the room looking for a door or exit. I find a handle and try turning it. I hear footsteps coming towards me. I close my eyes and use my mind to yank the doorknob and manage to throw it to whoever's behind me. I look back for a second then turn to run. I bump into a figure. It grabs both my wrists and picks me up. I see yellow eyes. I try twisting it's wrists but I'm too focused on trying to get away, that I can't manage to do it. I look back into its eyes and suddenly my body freezes and I stop struggling. I can feel myself trying to move, but I can't. The thing carries me back to the room and lays me on the surgery table. In the light I can see it's a man with dark skin and yellow eyes. He grabs my face and looks at me. His eyes start changing into my eye color. "Sleep." I throw him across the room. I can't get up. My head hurts. I'm so sleepy. Next thing I know, I pass out.
