Chapter Eleven: Our 'Fun' Day in Itex

I wake up and look around slowly. I see everyone is slowly waking up, just like I am. That's when I realize that we are in cages! We had enough of cages when we were younger, and now I know that I want out already. I am about to touch the bars of the cage when I realize that Itex isn't stupid enough to not trap us somehow, so I send a message to Angel to tell everyone to stay away from the bars of the cage, just in case. She nods and everyone moves away form the bars slightly.

"What is going on? And who is behind this?" Gazzy asks the two questions on everyone's mind. "Well, I guess we know Itex is behind it, but why are we in a huge cage in a room with no other cages? Usually we are put on beds and tied up or in cages in a room with others."

Wow, he has been thinking in the two minutes he's been able to. Now I'd better think because those are good questions. I look around the cage to see everyone else is thinking about his questions. Angel suddenly opens her mouth when the door opens. Who would walk in but the evil of evil herself, the Director. Yes, the one from Germany. Time to give her a 'warm' welcome.

Just as I'm about to talk, she talks. "Hello Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel. Hello to you too Tinkerbell," Wait a second! Tinkerbell? I look around at my Flock without moving my head and see that they all are just as confused as I am. The other Flock is frowning, except for Max. She looks plain annoyed. The Director's eyes seem to light up a little as she finishes. "Hello Matthew, Icarus, Wendy, Peter, Ozymandias, and Francis."

My turn. "What are you doing here 'Mom'?" I really hate how she tried to trick me by saying she is my mother. Might as well remind her of Germany. "I thought your home is in Germany, but oh yes, Angel, Nudge, Ari, and I all destroyed it. Remember that day when I almost killed you? Well if you don't, I do very well." Ha! She is frowning a little, so she remembers it and doesn't like the memory!

"I remember it, but that doesn't matter. Now, Tinkerbell, how has your Flock been doing? Good I think. What? Don't use that name anymore? Either way, I think you all will like your new life here because you aren't going to get out of here." Suddenly, Angel decides that I need a little informing.

Max. The Director is being really silly right now. She just told me in her head what the security is in this place.

Great! Keep that in your mind. Now… don't answer and pay attention to her!

"In an hour I'll be sending in scientists to test you all. Rest while you can." We all stare at her back while she walks out, a glare on everyone's face. After the door closes, we all sit down, some of us lying down, and try to think. What the heck is going on in this place!?!?

Everyone, they have cameras and microphones in here, so the best way to talk is through Ozy or me. I also wanted to say something. She's not sending someone in an hour; she was just trying to scare us. We have plenty of time to rest.

Angel, tell everyone to take a rest. I mean everyone. You and Ozy talk and take turns staying awake to pass messages around and keep watch. By watch I mean eyes and mind.

Okay. I told everyone. Even Fang agreed with resting. I'll watch first, and then Ozy will. We will let you know when we switch if you are awake.

Good girl.

Everyone lies down except Angel and we all fall asleep in minutes…

I hear a voice in my head suddenly. Max! Someone is coming. I'm waking the rest up, but I thought you and my mom would want to be first. After he says that, I look around and see Max sitting up and looking at me. A few moments later, everyone else starts to sit up, so we know Ozy has been busy. Just as we all stand up, a scientist comes into the room with a key in hand.

"Come with me all of you freaks." Did he just call us freaks?!?! Oh, he is so dead for that! We might not kill him now, but we will defiantly hurt him badly on our way out of this place. He puts the key in a keyhole in the wall right next to our cage, turns it, and the door opens. He then motions for us to come out of the cage and we do, without touching the bars, I might add.

We follow him down the hall to a room with treadmills in it, enough for all of us. Then I notice the weights next to them and figure out what we will be doing: running on those treadmills with them adding speed to it and then weight to us. They want to see how long we can last before we can't run anymore or faint.

We all get on the treadmill shown to us. I'm set to start at 50mph without weight. After ten minutes I'm moved up to 75mph and ten pounds are added to me. By the time the first hour is done, I'm moving at 150mph and have fifty pounds on me, and I'm not even that tired!

After doing this at this speed and with this much weight for ten minutes, Angel falters and falls off. She's Ozy and Frannie follow her closely. Another five minutes pass before anyone else falters, and that's Wendy. Gazzy and Peter falter so close to each other, I think it happens at the same time. Either way, I'm quickly getting tired. I don't know how much longer I can last on this thing.

Just as I thought that thought, Iggy and Icarus fall one right after the other. Realizing most of us are down gives me more energy and half an hour later I'm still running, but Matthew had fallen ten minutes after Iggy and Icarus. Max is still running, and she looks like something is motivating her just like me. Fang looks like he is going to fall in the next three minutes. This is torture. Just thinking about how we are going to have to go through another test after this one is making the torture worse, so I try to put that idea from my mind, but it won't leave.

Exactly three minutes after I had decided Fang was going to falter, he faints. Max and I looked at each other, both of our faces showing weariness and that we are worried. We both nod and face forward again, continuing to run. Thirty minutes later, I see only black, it's almost impossible to breathe, I can tell I'm going to faint and there's nothing I can do about it. Just as I hit the ground because the treadmill pushed me to it, I hear Max hit the ground as well. Then I lose consciousness…

…When I finally wake up, I'm back in the cage with everyone around Max and me, all looking worried. As I start to sit up, Max does too. Our Flocks look relieved and that's when Angel decides we need an update.

Once everyone but you two had regained consciousness, a scientist came in here and told us we have the entire night to rest and regain energy for our test we take at dawn tomorrow. I think now is the perfect time to escape, and everyone agrees. You two should rest a bit more though, you are both really pale. Once you have rested a bit more we can escape.

The two of us just stare at her and nod. That's when I feel my exhaustion and decide I need to rest anyway. We both lie down and the next thing I know, I'm being shaken awake by Nudge. I look at her, remember that we are going to escape, sit up, and nod my thanks. I see Angel is looking at Iggy and he is nodding slightly. She must want him to help her with something.

I look around at the others and see that they are looking around at the room, but without showing that they are doing it. I smile inwardly at how they are working. I look back at Angel and Iggy and see that Iggy has his lock pick set out. What in the world is she having him do? I watch as he takes out the longest pick, goes over to the wall with the hole, reaches through the bars of the cage without touching them, and picks the lock.

The door opens and we all go to it. Max and I lead the way to the cage door, and we start our escape.

This was chapter ten but in the normal POV and with more added on to it, as you should have noticed.

I'd like 6 reviews before Chapter Twelve please. So... Review! (If you are wondering where I'm starting from I have 55 reviews right now).

Edited: 10/10/09