"Chain her down, I don't want her moving during the procedure."
Two sets of cold hands pushed me down against the metal table, holding me down as another man chained my wrists and ankles against the hard surface. My eyes welled up with tears as I desperately tried to fight back. I went to scream, but a calloused hand covered my mouth before I could even try to let out my terror.
There was a doctor standing over top of me, a small blue stone in his hand. The second my eyes landed on the stone, a wave of fear rushed over me. My body thrashed back and forth, desperate to find a way out. I knew what that stone meant and I wasn't going to let them ruin my life without putting up a good fight.
A hand reached down and held my head still before a needle punctured my neck. A wince escaped my lips and my body slowly began to go numb. I couldn't feel anything, I couldn't fight back. Why was this happening? I had to fight back. This was not the life I wanted, but yet… There was nothing I could do.
As my vision began to blur, I saw the doctor lean down, bringing the stone to my sternum. The stone latched itself into my skin, the veins surrounding it expanding. My mouth opened wide as I took in a sharp breath. It felt as if the blood rushing through my form went frigid. I desperately wanted to cry out, beg them to take it out before it could do too much damage, but the second the stone hit my skin, it was already too late to turn back.
"Take her back to her cell," the doctor motioned to the guards that had been keeping me still. "We will see the effects by morning." The guards nodded and unhooked the chains, bringing me to my feet.
My feet dragged behind me, still numb from whatever medicine they gave me. If only I was strong enough to fight back, strong enough to get myself out of this situation. I could've lived a better life if it weren't for the Desians, maybe I could've been happy. But I'd never learn. My eyes welled up with tears, a few slipping down my cheeks. Part of me wished I could just disappear. At least then I wouldn't have to go through the pain and experiments every day.
"Break free, find your own freedom." The voice echoed through my head causing my eyes to widen. Find my own freedom? What did that mean? Slowly, I raised my head to look at the two guards beside me. If I could just find a way to get away from them, then I could break free from this place. I could.. I could be free.
I gave my arms a tug to see how difficult it would be to pull away from them. It would be too much for me to handle. Realizing this, I looked back at the ground. There was no use trying. I was trapped and I just needed to accept that.
"Open your heart, believe in your own strength." Before I knew it, there was a large burst of light surrounding me. The grip that the guards had on me loosened and I heard them let out a few shouts before the world went silent. As the light faded away, I looked around to see the two guards lying on the floor. I brought a hand to my mouth as I knelt down, placing my free hand against their neck to check for a pulse.
Much to my relief, their hearts were still beating. They were simply unconscious. What was that light? Was that what had knocked them out? My head was filled with confusion and I wanted to answer my questions, but I didn't have time for that. Whatever had just happened, it had given me an opportunity to escape. And I'd be damned if I was going to waste it.
I stood back up, my gaze circling around the area. I didn't even know where to start looking for an escape. All I knew of this place was the cell blocks and examination rooms. Everything else was unknown.
"Go to the end of the hall, then take a left. There will be a door on your right. It'll have a warp in it that will take you out of this place." The voice spoke again, only bringing more questions into my head. Who was this voice and why were they helping me? Letting out a huff, I headed down the hall just as they had told me. As much as I wanted to know, I didn't have time to think about it.
The directions led me exactly where the voice had told me. The warp stood in front of me, almost calling out for me to take it. Just one more step, and I'd be free of this place. I took in a sharp breath and stepped into the warp and not a second later, I was outside. My bare feet touched the grass for the first time in years. I had forgotten what it had felt like to see the natural world. But I knew I couldn't enjoy it for too long right now. I had to get as far away from here as possible.
My feet carried me away from the warp and into the nearby forest. My pace started as a slow walk before turning into a sprint. After what felt like a lifetime, I was out, on my own. I was free. Even if that freedom meant running from the Desians until they forgot about me, I didn't care. I was living my own life and for now, I'd just have to hold out for the day the Desians are taken down.
"Live your own life, Vivian. Fly free."