Kori stood outside my room as I ran around looking for my purse in the few boxes of stuff I had. I finally found it and threw it over my shoulder before shoving on nicer shoes and throwing my phone in the large front pocket of the purse.

I stepped out the door and smiled as Kori walked down the hall with me by her side. On the way to the store we made small talk, mostly her questioning me with things like "How are you liking it here?" "Are you comfortable?" "What do you want for your room?" and "I'm sure everything is going to be perfect!"

It went on like that until Kori pulled into the parking lot of the store and we climbed out. We entered the store and looked around and collected cute decorations, clothes, and bedding as we went. We ended up spending two and a half hours in the store. When we were done I had a new comforter, pillows, blankets, some new clothes, decorations, and bathroom products. I had decided to theme my room around volcanoes, they were a lifelong interest of mine, so everything was colored orange, yellow, and red along with some blacks and brown. I got a cute little volcano decoration that created fake smoke that smelled like lavender.

WHen we got back to the tower Kori and Raven helped me decorate and set up my bedroom and by the time we were done I was beaming with happiness. I hugged both of them even if Raven protested and then we headed down for dinner. Apparently we all took turns cooking and tonight it was Damian and Jaimes turn.

The two had decided to make an Italian casserole, which to their credit was delicious. But I just couldn't enjoy it thoroughly with Damain glaring at me nonstop. When I finished eating I put my plate and fork in the dishwasher and excused myself, not even bothering to say goodnight to anyone as I left the kitchen. It was probably rude but whatever.

The second I had the kitchen door shut I couldn't stop my face from crumbling as I held back a pitiful cry. I walked as fast I possibly could, without running, down the hall and to the elevator. I pressed the button repeatedly until the door finally swished open and I practically jumped inside.

I slammed my hand onto my floor button and cursed as I left a burn mark where my finger pressed. I shoved my palms into my eyes as I heaved in the stale elevator air. I could feel my body heat rising as the floors dinged as I rose. I stumbled out of the elevator as the door once again opened. I practically bolted down the hallway and into my bedroom.

I locked the door behind myself and grimaced at the multiple burn mark snow on it but I continued on until I reached the bathroom. I turned the water dial to the coldest setting and jumped in clothes and all, steam erupted around me as the cold water hit my scorching skin.

I stayed under the stream of biting cold water until I was shivering and my lips were purple. I stood and turned the shower off but a wave of dizziness rushed through me and my knees buckled as my vision swam. My knees hit the tiles with a nasty 'smack' sound that echoed in the bathroom.

I groaned and stood slowly this time, of course while hanging onto the walls. I slowly made my way out of the bathroom and across my room to the closet. I pulled my freezing, dripping wet clothes off and pulled on my sleep shorts and a white tank top. I pulled on my fuzziest pair of socks I owned and crumpled into my bed. I pulled the fluffy blanket up to my chin and let out a gut wrenching sob.

It was childish, I know, but I couldn't keep the tidal wave of emotions from ripping through me and bearing all I was to the world. I sobbed until my throat was sore and my eyes burned, snot mixed with my tears, and my lip was sore from where I had continuously bit it.

I fell asleep like that, exhaustion winning me over. I knew I wasn't going to sleep without a nightmare intervening. I tried to fight it but the darkness surrounded me too quickly and I was too pitiful to put up a real fight.

I smiled at Renea, who was sitting next to me, and said "We're bandage buddies now." I said with a slur, the medication the people had given me made me horrendously loopy. She smiled at me, her brown eyes glinting with amusement, her brown skin sparkled like gold. "No Hel, we're torture buddies." She replied, seriously though she was right.

My head snapped to the door as it swung open and Dr. Lennings stepped in, I felt a growl ripping from my throat as she approached. "Glad to see you two are awake. We have a few more tests to run but we need you awake so get up and follow me." She explained, her glasses, which I could only explain as 'Evil scientist glasses', glinted as she spoke.

Renea was the first to stand, my friend grabbed my arm and dragged me to my feet as Dr. Lennings walked to the door and held it open for the two of us.

I glared at the vile woman as we walked past but she didn't seem to care. She didn't seem to care that she was running experiments and tests on little girls either. Sometimes I wondered if she even had any emotion at all. I often wondered if she felt any remorse for the pain she put us through.

I often contemplated escaping and bruning this whole place to the ground but my friends were too scared to do anything. They had been here longer than me and seen more horrors. I wasn't the only person I had to think about. There were four other girls here with me, Renea, Camilla, Ariana, and Sydney. We were all taken from our homes before the age of ten. Ariana had been here the longest, she was the quietest out of all of us and never used her abilities unless the people made her.

Sydney was the youngest of us, she was only four. We often took care of her and consoled her when they ran tests on her. She wouldn't start hand-to-hand combat for another six years, if she made it that long, and then her life would become even worse. I had only started it a year ago and I already hated it to the point where I would rather stab myself in the eye with a pencil than go to training.

There used to be more of us. But a few years back they started us on a few new experiments and it had killed the others.

As far as I knew, they only took girls. We were only taken care of by women and I had never seen any boys other than the other scientists. The few of us left and grew close, we would kill for each other. We had killed for each other.

We walked through multiple corridors and hallways, and through two sets of doors before we finally came to a stop. Dr Lennings motioned for us to sit on the table, which we begrudgingly did. The metal was cold against my legs and very uncomfortable.

Dr Lennings moved to the other side of the room and started typing something into the computer hanging from the wall. Another Doctor entered the room, holding a rat. She set it in a glass box on the table beside us before going over to speak with Dr Lennings.

Renea and I glanced at each other in confusion, they had never brought rats in for tests before. I felt anxiety swirl into my gut at the thought of what they were going to do to it, or what they were going to make us do to it.

Renea gripped my hand tightly and I squeezed back with equal strength, what if one of us got hurt?

Dr Lennings crossed the room and stood in front of us for a moment before glancing at the rat.

"45-H. I want you to kill the rat. I want you to kill it quickly and painlessly. If you fail or refuse I will inject it with a toxin that will slowly liquify its organs while its still alive. I can guarantee you that is a far more painful death than anything you could ever do to it."

I looked at her in horror, "You want me to kill it? How…?" I asked, Dr Lennings gave me an annoyed look. "Burn it, freeze it, hurdle it across the room for all I care. Just kill it." She snapped.

I gulped and looked at Renea and then back to the rat.

"If you don't kill the rat, I'll hurt 47-R."

I couldn't let her hurt Renea! I turned to the rat and took a deep breath. What would be the fastest and least painful way to die? Freezing it? No, that wouldn't work. Fire! If I created a fire blast strong enough I'd just turn the thing to ashes.

I reached my hand into the cage, and gently patted the rat, trying to comfort it or maybe comfort myself. I hovered my hand above the rat and honed my thoughts onto my hand. Hot enough to incinerate it immediately. No pain.

I let all my blazing thoughts come roaring from my palm, my fire brightened the room. I instantly pulled my hand away to see a pile of scorch marks and red glass where the rat used to be.

I had done it. I had killed an innocent creature.

"Good job. I haven't seen you use that kind of heat before. You'll receive a cookie with your meal tonight."

A cookie. I was being rewarded for killing something perfectly. I was a horrible person. I tried to keep the tears from falling as Renea rubbed my back gently. I cried the entire way back to our cell.

When I got my cookie that night I broke it into pieces and gave it all to the other girls. I refused all of it. I would never eat cookies again.

I woke to sirens blaring and red lights flashing, I instantly sat up and looked around. What was going on? I threw my covers off and flung my door open. I ran down the hall and to the stairwell. Taking the elevator would be too risky, if we lost power I would be stuck in there with no way to help my friends.

I practically jumped down the stairs, and almost collided with someone. Instantly flames were in my hands. But it was just Grayson, I gave him a strange look.

"What's going on?"

"We're under attack. I need you to go find the other and meet back here."