Chapter 2


Every night, one person is removed.


It seems the voices I've been hearing are clearer. I can make out the words and I can hear who speaks. Mother, friends, even acquaintances.. They are all crammed in there. I've started flicking my forehead, every flick makes the voices shut up for a minute.

My dreams, however, are filled with the voices. I can't flick my head while I'm sleeping so it's very annoying. I miss sleeping normally. Right now I'm trying to hold Mothers hand but every time I grab for it, her hand swings out of reach. I look down into my little hands and tears blur my vision. I blink them away and suddenly Mother isn't there anymore. I'm standing in nothing but pitch blackness.

I call "MOTHER!" and I only hear my voice echo. I'm truly alone, and it's terrifying. I run and run until my chest burns. I feel a finger tap my shoulder and I spin around to see two hands reaching for me. They stretch out from the darkness so I can't see who it is.

I'm scared, I'm so scared.

The hands lash out at my face, red nails glowing. One of them stabs into my left eyeball and I scream. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

My eyes fly open and I choke on the tears that spill out. I wail out loud and cover my injured eye with my hand. It aches and feels like hell. I wait for my breathing to slow before I step out of bed. Pacing the room and patting the walls with my trembling hands. I aim to make sure I'm truly awake.

I feel safe now.

Mumbling from across the hall catches my attention, I look through my door window. 2714 is there, mumbling his nonsense. He stares at me intently and he smiles eerily. He places his hands on the window and presses. His palms turn white from the pressure. His eyes are bloodshot and shadowy. His lips are chapped and white. He turns his head slightly and I see a small hand tugging at his hair.

2713, his twin, is standing behind him, making little braids in his hair. Her smile is so wide, she could probably rip her head in half with it. Her petite little fingers twist and pull the golden strands together and around. 2714 smiles affectionately at her. They seem content, it's as if they have no idea where they are. They are just happy to be together.

I could watch a scene like this forever, it quells the loneliness I feel.

But happiness doesn't seem to last long in a place like this. Here comes Chairman and a couple of other men. They open the twins door and Chairman stands in the doorway for a while. He says something to the twins and I see 2713's jaw drop in shock. She backs away toward the back wall, and I see the scene unfold as if I were watching a T.V show in slow motion.

Chairman grabs 2713 by her arm and pulls her. She lets out a terrified shriek and that strikes 2714 into action. Suddenly he's on the Chairman and I see blood splatter all over the floor. Chairmans helpers rush to help pull 2714 off. After a lot of struggling and several curse words were shouted, they succeed at restraining the crazed male twin.

A hand shoots out and backhands 2714 across his face and his bloodshot eyes widen in pain. Blood dribbles out from his lips and he spits out a chunk of Chairmans arm. Chairman inspects his arm and angrily screams something at one of his men. The man rushes out of the room, down the hall, and through the double doors. A loud crunch attracts my attention back to the scene. The Chairman has thrown 2714 against the wall, and the male twin lays motionless. 2713 is crouched over her twin protectively, tears streaming down her swollen cheeks. She's patting his hair and whispering things into his ear.

I can barely make out some of the words her lips form. It'll be okay, I love you, We'll be together again.

Where is she gonna be going? Chairman says something to her and she snarls back something in reply. They argue like this for a couple of minutes and then the man who had sent for help returns. He is holding three brown belts. They seemed able to tighten just like a regular belt, only these are longer. Chairman mutters something into the mans ear and the man nods eagerly. Chairman beckons to 2713, who then stands up and gazes lovingly at her twin for one last time. As she takes a step, her twins hand shoots out, fingers clutching around her small ankle.

She reluctantly shakes him off and walks on. Her twin, out of his trance, slowly crawls behind. Desperately calling to her, sweat beginning to bead on his brow. When she reaches Chairman, 2713 lets him bind her hands together. Her tears are like a waterfall, cascading down to the floor. As he leads her out of the room, 2714 cries out frantically and Chairman shuts the door in his pleading face.

As they walk by, 2713 glances my way. Her eyes are cloudy and red. She smiles weakly, as if she's apologizing for never being able to speak to me. To become friends. This small encounter between us only last for five seconds, as they are moving quickly to the double doors at the end of the hall.

I close my eyes and listen to the beep of the doors closing behind them. Where is she going and why can't I go as well? I suppose they are allowing her access outside to go play. I longed to join them, wherever they were going, as long as it wasn't here. In this lonely, white room. I don't want to stay here, listening to the grief-stricken boy cry out for his sister, who is already long gone.

Later on that night, a scary smell permeates the air in the hall. Warm and metallic, I drown in the smell. It's like my whole head has been filled with this frightening odor. A peculiar noise pierces the air, similar to that of a motorcycle engine, thrumming faster and louder. I know this sound, my father used a tool that made this sound long ago. It cut down trees, and struck fear into my heart when I was younger.

Why would anyone have use for a chainsaw in this type of place?

I cannot think any further for the scary smell still seeps into nose and into my brain. As my vision grows hazy, I realize why this smell is so familiar to me. It is a smell that represents a certain liquid that we need. Something that we should never spill in large amounts. Something that we need to live, more important to us that any other substance in the world. I lose conciousness as the answer pops into my mind about what it is I'm smelling.

Blood.