The Memoirs of Charlotte Hamilton copyright 2017
Chapter One
The City of Danta lay like a smoking ember in a dying fire. Overcrowded and filled with poverty, the people were subdued by the government officials and lived their highly structured lives by the rules of the book. Imagination was illegal and highly suppressed. Vibrant colors were completely absent from the city as well as anything to spark creative minds. The original population was dying out, replaced by specially selected people groomed by the government to their standards. Taken at birth, the children were brought up by officials and then dispersed in specially selected tasks and jobs suited to the government’s needs.
One of the highest honors was to be chosen to bear a child for the government. Standards were extremely high. Anyone caught with an unofficial baby was immediately considered a rebel and never seen again. The use of drugs was widespread and rampant but the government turned a blind eye to it as they were all a part of their plan. Relationships were against the rules, but many times overlooked as long as nothing came from them. Marriages were not allowed and highly illegal.
Except for the occasional issue, the government kept its city running smoothly with their tight reins. The only threat to hinder their complete success was the group of people known as the Outcasts. This group was especially dangerous as they had completely rebelled against the city’s laws and went against everything the government had gone to so much trouble to set up in the city. They had the special ability to access an entire world in their minds, a world filled with joy and color, and most horrifying of all, a place where they could set their imagination free. The Outcasts were severely oppressed and their numbers were dwindling. But they were hard to catch and very clever and cunning. The government spent billions of dollars in seeking out these people to destroy them, fearing a rebellion may break out if they were to leave them alone. It was a frightful place to live in if you were one of them.
Deep in the heart of the smog filled city, Charlotte Hamilton sat in the office at her desk. It was a small room, one made for the purpose of work and not for one’s amusement or to provide a place for lounging. A desk just fit the space snugly, the dark, stained wood standing out in stark contrast against the blaringly white walls of the office. Not even the light spilling in from the window was enough to break the dull monotony of color as the view outside was just as bland. Both light and dark buildings could be seen out of it in the distance, tall enough to blot out any glimpse of the sky above. The view was depressing. Below was more gray, in the form of streets, nestled in between the tightly packed buildings. There was no room to breathe. Unsuspecting people walked the sidewalks below with black or dark gray jeans and shirts that were equally lifeless in color, oblivious to anyone watching them.
But even that view was not to be looked upon. It was time to work and Charlotte was completely absorbed in it. Stacks of paper were piled onto the desk top, nearly covering the smooth surface. Also sitting on the item of furniture was a black lamp that let off a pale whitish light and a black container for holding pens, two of which were home inside of it. Charlotte held a third one over the paper she was looking at. She was a pretty thing, with shiny black colored hair that cascaded gently over her shoulders and down her back nearly to her waist. Her clear gray eyes stared down at the paper from behind dark rimmed glasses, giving her almost the appearance of a secretary, though her clothes gave just the opposite effect. She wore the black scrubs of the hospital she worked in and the usual tennis shoes that were the custom in the city Charlotte lived in.
Sighing, Charlotte scanned the contents of the paper with the tip of the pen she was holding and turned her eyes back to the computer screen that sat blaring silently at her. On it was an exact replica of the paper beside the device, until a closer look revealed that words had changed, meanings differed from the original copy. It was Charlotte’s job to change others’ lives, or rather, their deaths. An important job, no doubt, but a dangerous one as well.
The clock on the wall opposite the desk sitting in plain sight above the door, slowly and faithfully ticked away the hours. Every so often, Charlotte would lean back in her chair and stretch before bending over her work once more. Finally the noon hour arrived.
Shutting her laptop’s lid, Charlotte stood and neatly arranged the stack of papers, placing the pen back in the holder and waved her hand above the lamp to turn it off, which it instantly did.
All these things were routine, Charlotte didn’t have to think about them. her hands moved almost mechanically about their task. When she was finished arranging her work tools, she strode over to the door with smooth, purposeful strides and opened it. The hall was as bare and white as the office, stretching out for what seemed like miles, though every so often there was an outline of an equally white door, indicated by a darker shade of gray where the shadows formed around it. There were no pictures on the walls, nothing of color.
Charlotte took the path to the right, her pace increasing to a fast walk, a gait she usually carried when she had business to attend to. She had counted the steps before, when she first came, but that was of no importance now. Turning to a door on her right, some ways down the hall, the sound of voices broke the quiet stillness of the vast hospital. The mess hall.
Up until this point, Charlotte hadn’t made much attempt at emotion, but a smile graced her lips as she walked in. She was a rather sociable person, but the office life reduced those moments of pleasure to mostly the lunch break and after work free time.
“Hey Lottie!” It was the voice of Charlotte’s best friend, a female of equal age. She also had black colored hair which framed her oval shaped face, pretty gray eyes like Charlotte’s and a few freckles on her rosy cheeks. The girl rose from her table and hurried over to Charlotte.
“Hey Sandra!” Charlotte grinned back, looking over her friend. She looked well. “Long time no see, huh? How is the baby?” she asked as she picked up a dull gray tray and made her way to the line to get her lunch.
“Oh, she’s just fine. Thanks for asking. They’ve named her Rosalie.” Sandra’s stomach was still slightly distended and could be seen under her black scrubs if she moved a certain way.
“Rosalie is a pretty name,” Charlotte mused. “Water please,” she told the waiting patron on the other side of the serving table, and was quickly handed a cup filled with ice water. Sandra kept pace beside her.
“Hey now, don’t be so jealous,” Sandra teased. “It isn’t fun being pregnant for nine months straight. Ugh. Thank the stars we have medicine here. Even still, I’d never in a million years go through that again. What a nightmare! If I were you I’d scratch your name off the list.”
For once, Charlotte’s mind tuned out the high energy chatter of her friend as it wandered to a rather longing thought, one that had accompanied her for years now. Charlotte loved children with a passion. Every time the list went out for volunteers to bear children for the government, she had been one of the first to sign up but so far her name had not been picked. It was rather frustrating. Charlotte met all of the requirements, but she still hadn’t been afforded the opportunity.
“Hey, you alright?” Sandra asked, nudging Charlotte out of her wandering thoughts.
“Y-yeah, sorry. I was just thinking.” A pile of pale mashed potatoes were heaped onto her plate, steaming.
“Well that’s obvious. Come sit at my table. I saved you a seat but it’s crowded in here and I hope someone hasn’t taken it.” Sandra grabbed her friend’s arm and steered her back over to the spot where she had been sitting. “Oh goody! Here.” She pulled out a white and gray chair for Charlotte to sit down in.
“Thank you,” Charlotte smiled as she took her fork and speared it into the fluffy pile of potatoes.
“So tell me, what did I miss?” Sandra urged as she sat down herself and began to finish her own meal.
“Oh not much, things are pretty quiet in the office,” Charlotte informed.
“I’ll say. I’m always the one telling you the interesting stories. You sure nothing exciting happened? Meet any cute guys? Cody seems pretty nice…”
Charlotte made a face. “Goodness girl you never give up do you?!”
“Of course not!” Sandra laughed, high and tinkling like silver bells. “Like I said, give me five minutes to get you two acquainted and you’ll never regret it.”
Charlotte knew that was probably true. Sandra was a lovely girl and attracted a lot of attention. She also didn’t take her medicine like she was supposed to and therefore was putting herself at risk. “You know that’s against the rules anyhow!” moaned Charlotte.
“So?” Sandra shrugged. “It’s not like they enforce them as long as you don’t get pregnant. Then you’d be in major trouble. You get so flustered though when I mention them, I sometimes think you do actually have feelings for him.”
“Shut up!” Charlotte warned. “I know you like to hang around guys but I’m just too busy.”
Sandra sighed. “I know, sorry.”
Charlotte was dead serious. “Listen to me Sandra, you need to keep taking your Mithril. If you keep going out with guys like you always do…I’m worried about you.”
Rubbing her temples, Sandra nodded slowly. “Yeah but they make me so tired sometimes. It’s awful.”
“It’s better than being banished…or worse…” Charlotte’s voice trailed off. “I’m serious! Get yourself a bottle and take it like you’re supposed to or I’ll have to report it.”
“Report-“ Sandra’s head snapped up to look at her friend, her eyes betraying a look of disbelief. “You wouldn’t!”
Charlotte sighed. “Alright, I wouldn’t. You know me too well. But it’s not like I could do anything if something happened!”
“Ok ok, stop worrying. I’ll do it. I promise,” Sandra conceded. “But you gotta do me a favor too. You need to get out more anyhow. I hardly ever see you these days. Find a nice guy to cheer you up. You’ll never regret it.”
“Alright I’ve got to confess something,” mumbled Charlotte as she took a drink of the cold water and let it sit in her mouth until it warmed just enough to keep her from getting brain freeze when she swallowed it. Even still, the coolness was refreshing.
“Oooh! What is it?” Sandra grinned as she finished her meal and glanced at her watch. “Lunch break ends in five minutes. Better wrap this conversation up soon.”
“I actually do like Cody, Charlotte admitted.
“I knew it!” Sandra squealed, then gave her friend a mock frown. “So you’re trying to get me to take my medicine when you don’t even take yours?”
“Yes I actually do but it doesn’t really work. I don’t think they’ve perfected it yet.”
Sandra laughed. “That’s my problem too. So we’ll get out this weekend? Even if it’s just us two?
“Yeah, alright. Deal. I’ll hopefully have some time this Saturday if they don’t call me in again.”
Sandra stood and gave her friend a fond embrace. “See you around then, dear friend. This weekend we can go visit Rosalie in the nursery. She is rather cute despite all the misery she put me through.”
“Yeah, sure thing,” Charlotte agreed half-heartedly. Since when had such jealousy started to pry her usual affection for Sandra apart? A quick recall of her memory quickly answered her silent question. It had started when Sandra was picked to carry a child. At first it was nothing but a nagging feeling but Charlotte was smart enough to realize it was becoming more than that now and that she had better let it go before it began affecting their friendship outwardly.
Sandra was looking at her in a funny sort of amusement. “Seriously Charlotte, take your name off the list. It isn’t worth it.”
Charlotte shrugged. “I’ll think about it. See you around Sandra,” she called as she cleared the table of her tray, placed it on a waiting rack and made her way back to the office.
The rest of the afternoon passed slowly, the quiet ticking of the faithful clock the only noise in the small room beside the occasional rustling of papers, a tired sigh, and the tapping of keys on the computer’s keyboard. Finally, it was six and the harsh, grating sound of a bell rang throughout the hospital. It was time to go home.
Getting to her feet, Charlotte stretched gratefully and shut off the laptop, once again arranging everything neatly on her desk before leaving her office and shutting the door behind her, this time heading in the opposite direction down the hall, following a slow, shuffling line of people.
Down the steps, past the Head Office, towards the side door. Just inside the door leading to the outside was a uniformed official in gray scrubs, her rank signified by a nurse’s cap. Her hair was short, barely reaching to her neck. Her eyes were dark and cold and her mouth was set in a firm line as she stopped each worker and injected them with something from what looked like a small, gray metal gun of sorts. Finally it was Charlotte’s turn.
The nurse made no attempt at returning the smile Charlotte gave her. “Arm please,” she directed in a voice just as dull as she was.
Obediently, Charlotte gave the woman her arm and was given an injection. A slight thwunk and hissing sound emanated as the nurse pulled the trigger but there was hardly any pain. Pulling out the tiny, thin needle, the lady in gray released Charlotte’s arm and gave her a small nod as she stepped back to let her pass through the door to the outside world.
The air was hot and oppressively thick, smelling of overcrowded bodies, sweat and smoke. The sidewalks were crowded with streams of people while the streets were left clear for the government official’s cars and transport busses that flew by without a care for anyone in their way. Charlotte was used to the hustle and bustle of the city and made good progress, squeezing past slow moving humans and darting around others. There were no children, only stoic faced adults. A few looked mad, but most remained emotionless. Only one looked content, Charlotte.
Once she was past the overcrowded center of the city, there were less people around and Charlotte could breathe again, though the air remained smoky. The tall buildings continued to overpower a good view of the sky, but it could be viewed now, a blue color so washed out that it was not relaxing to look at by any means.
Charlotte though, was used to all this too and didn’t think anything of it as she turned into a side street and stopped before a dark gray, almost black door of a tall building that looked to be an apartment. It was at least ten stories high with glossy windows reflecting the building on the opposite side. Charlotte turned the silver handle and stepped inside.
Sure enough, it was an apartment. Long rows of doors lay silently inside, black against the white walls and blotchy white floors, scuffed by many feet and shoes. At the end was a metal staircase that Charlotte began to climb, her feet sending small echoes throughout the hall.
Arriving at the fourth floor, Charlotte left the stairwell and headed down the hall to her room. Her door had a number on it in white lettering just at eye height. 335. Producing a key from her pocket, Charlotte placed it into the lock and it turned easily with a small grating click, revealing the room behind it.
For a woman who lived alone, the apartment was a rather decent size. The color scheme continued though, gray couch, white walls, gray countertop, black cabinets and a black table in the corner by the window with two matching chairs. A clear screen sat in the middle of the room opposite the couch and the low black table. To Charlotte’s left was another door, this one ajar. A bed could be seen through the crack, and a small dresser beside it. there was a window there but it couldn’t be seen from that angle, and since the light was off, it let in a considerable amount of white light.
Placing the key on a small hook by the door, Charlotte crossed the shaggy white carpet and entered the bedroom. It was a lot smaller than the living space and an even smaller bathroom connected to it with just a shower, toilet and a tiny sink.
The bedroom was rather bare with a single sized bed and plain gray sheets. The dresser and nightstand were the only other items of furniture but a small mirror hung over the dresser. A few knickknacks lay atop the surface of the nightstand along with a lamp. Charlotte went over to it and removed her watch, laying it in the shadow of the lamp. The sun was going down though, and there would soon be no shadows whatsoever.
“What to make for dinner?” Charlotte mused as she pulled her hair into a quick ponytail and headed for the kitchen. A simple dinner of beans and rice with mozzarella cheese seemed a good option and in no time, the hot black beans were cooking on the stove and the rice was nearly done as well. Charlotte scooped equal amounts into a bowl and sprinkled the cheese on top before sitting down at her little table and eating silently.
She was lonely. Charlotte liked company but there was never time for that except on the weekends when they were given the two days off of work. But even then, more often than not she was called in for some reason or other and her weekends were more of a short break of a few hours.
By the time dinner was over, it was bedtime for Charlotte. It was only eight but her work demanded an early schedule and she barely got enough sleep as it was. Rinsing her bowl and drying it, Charlotte placed the utensil and dish back in their proper locations and went to the bathroom to change.
Slipping out of her clothes, Charlotte tugged her nightgown off of the hook on the bathroom door and pulled it over her head. The soft white cotton fabric settled gently around her, hiding her curves with the drape-like style. Charlotte let her hair down again and began to brush it absently as she studied herself in the mirror. She longed for someone to be with, someone to have all to herself. Drugs could suppress her passion for a time but it still flared up occasionally.
With a heavy sigh, Charlotte set the brush on the counter, smoothed back her hair and crawled into bed. For a long time she lay there, staring up at the white ceiling. Her mind began to drift over the past day’s events but even things that were routine seemed fuzzy. Any memory of her work that day was completely erased. She had gotten used to it by now, but the more she lay there, the more discontented she felt.
“Why do they do this?” she thought in her head. It wasn’t in an attitude of defiance, more of curiosity. “Why can I never remember what I’ve done at the hospital?” Even the memory of receiving the injection after work was gone.
Another sigh escaped Charlotte’s lips as she rolled onto her side facing the window. Only a faint light peeped through it now. Across the street, the few lights that remained on began to blink out as people went to bed. It was getting late but Charlotte was not one bit sleepy. It wasn’t unusual, she often had trouble getting to sleep.
Charlotte’s gaze flickered to the bottle of sleeping pills that lay on the nightstand and she reached for it. There wasn’t a time she could remember when she hadn’t taken them. A slightly sick feeling settled in her stomach as she picked up the small pill bottle and realized how empty it felt. A slight shake of it revealed the lack of contents inside.
“Great,” groaned the girl. “Now how am I supposed to get any rest?”
There was nothing to be done other than try to fall asleep naturally as all the shops were closed for the night other than the illegal ones which were constantly being disbanded by the police and there was no way Charlotte was going to hang with that crowd of rebels. Closing her eyes, Charlotte tried to relax. But thoughts kept flooding her mind.
Taking several deep, calming breaths, Charlotte tried to clear her mind of thoughts. Any and all thoughts. She focused on listening to the sound of her breathing. It worked. Slowly, her body relaxed. Her head lolled to the side as she began to drift off to sleep.
A sudden brilliant light flooded the room, so intense it startled Charlotte awake. Her eyes flew open and a gasp escaped her lips as she bolted straight up. Where was her bed? She wasn’t even in her room.
Chapter 2
Charlotte scrambled to her feet. Sensations she had never felt before raced through her. It was almost too much to take in. It was so beautiful and thrilling at the same time. Where was she?
Looking around, Charlotte’s eyes widened. She was standing in the middle of a large meadow. A slight breeze stirred the bottom of her nightgown, sending healthy bright green grass into small ripples around her feet that tickled her skin. The ground was cool, moist and exhilarating. Slowly, Charlotte made a full circle, though she remained standing in that one spot. Around her in the distance she was surrounded by a forest of trees. They stood tall and strong, their branches waving gently in the cool wind that aroused thousands of leaves in a dance whose rythym sounded in the form of a hushed rustle.
Glancing towards the sky, Charlotte’s breath caught in her throat. The sky was a bright, cheerful blue, undisturbed by smoke. The air was clear, crisp and clean and smelled fresh with the growing of flowers and grass. The sun shone down merrily on her but the heat wasn’t oppressive, only comforting.
“I must be dreaming,” Charlotte gasped as she took one hesitant step, feeling how the soft dirt underneath the blades of grass gave way just enough to cushion her bare feet. She laughed in pure glee. “So much color…oh so much color! I’ve never seen anything this beautiful in my entire life! I never want to wake up!”
New sensations awakened in her that had been asleep, dormant for her entire life. A sense of peace and calm. Something stirred deep within her, arousing a sensation of curiosity. Slowly she began to walk towards the woods, taking in everything around her. A few bluebirds flew overhead, calling to each other in friendly chirps as they soared gracefully away. Charlotte watched them in amazement, having never seen such beautiful colors on the animals in her life.
When Charlotte reached the woods, she paused and her breath caught in her throat. So many new things were all around her, each competing for her attention. The rough, brown bark of the trees, the tender green leaves on the low hanging branches, and, what quickly won her over, a rippling stream that wound its way to the unknown, gurgling merrily as it went along.
Charlotte carefully stepped down the gently sloping earth towards the bank to the edge of the stream and bent down for a closer look. The water seemed to be calling her and she slowly reached out and dipped her hand into the cold wetness that swirled around her dangling hand, playing with her fingers. She gasped.
It didn’t take long for Charlotte to sit down next to the stream and she watched it with endless curiosity. Cupping her hands, she placed them into the water and lifted her dripping palms to her lips and tasted the drink. It was nothing like the flat, stale water back in the city. This was cold and refreshing.
For the next several hours, Charlotte continued to explore, finding various sorts of flowers and other plants to catch her interest. Eventually she found her way back to the meadow. The sun made her sleepy and she lay down in the soft bed of grass, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The harsh grating of the alarm clock startled Charlotte awake. Her eyes flew open and she looked around, almost expecting to still be in the meadow but only her gray, dreary room met her hopeful gaze. With a heavy sigh, she sat up and turned off the beeping clock. It read 4:31 a.m.
Stumbling out of bed, Charlotte fumbled around for her slippers and slid her feet into them before shuffling to the bathroom where she took a quick shower and dressed in her scrubs. Scooping her hair into a ponytail, she applied a fresh coat of makeup, dabbing the powder on her face and coating her eyelashes with mascara. That done, she fixed herself a quick breakfast of oatmeal and hurried out the door, locking it behind her and stuffing the key into the deep pocket in her shirt.
Charlotte was the only one in the hall that early in the morning, most of the other citizens had an extra hour or so of sleep before their day started so the apartment was completely silent. Charlotte was careful to make as little noise as possible as she crept out the front door into the outdoors. The air was cold and Charlotte shivered, half wishing she had brought a jacket. A quick glance at her watch though, told her she didn’t have the time.
Picking up the pace to a fast walk, Charlotte made her way across the nearly empty streets, meeting only the occasional passerby. Small, flickering lights from fires burning in barrels down dark alleys though, made her shiver again. Bad things happened in those places to the unfortunate people who stumbled into them and she didn’t live in the nice area of town. Bowing her head, Charlotte hurried along even faster.
The brisk pace soon warmed her up, and by the time she reached the hospital, she was cozy and nearly hot. Charlotte signed her name like she always did on the clipboard at the front desk and headed for her office and another day of filling out paperwork. Hearing a deep voice though, she recognized it as the manager. Making a hasty decision, she headed in that direction.
Jules, the manager, was a serious looking guy with a rather plump, overweight body. He wore a white suit with a black tie and his round face usually carried a slight sheen of shiny sweat. He had thin black hair, slicked black and small gray eyes that he peered with from behind black rimmed glasses.
“Um, Mister Maxfield,” Charlotte addressed him by his last name, “Could I-“
Before she could finish her sentence, Jules had spotted her and waddled over to her. “Oh there you are, I need to talk to you. Can I see you in my office please? He asked, lifting his glasses to see her better, it was obvious that he was near sighted.
“O-of course,” Charlotte stammered, slightly taken aback. “Right now?”
“No, Tomorrow. Of course right now!” Jules sounded slightly annoyed. He was known for having a short temper.
Charlotte knew that she had better just obey without question and nodded. “Yes sir,” she quickly answered.
Despite Jules’s short stature, he walked surprisingly fast and Charlotte found herself a bit hard pressed to keep up with his strides. His office was near the front though and it didn’t take long to reach it. Though the room was quite a bit larger in size, the appearance was rather the same, window, file cabinet and two chairs opposite the large gray desk which was the centerpiece of the room.
Mr. Maxwell sat down in his chair with a huff and it creaked slightly under his weight. Charlotte swallowed nervously, wondering if she should sit. Jules didn’t keep her waiting long. “Yes, sit, sit,” he directed impatiently, breathing slightly heavily. He pulled out a folded tissue from his pocket and dabbed the beads of sweat from his forehead.
“Am-am I in trouble?” Charlotte ventured to ask, her heart beating a bit faster at the thought.
“Trouble?” Jules looked surprised. “Of course not Miss Hamilton. I needed to speak with you on behalf of Doctor Cody Knox.”
Charlotte’s gray eyes widened in surprise. “Cody Knox?” she felt her cheeks reddening ever so slightly.
“Yes, the one and only,” Jules sighed impatiently. “He is requesting a new assistant and you’re the only one qualified for the job.”
“I am? Why?” Questioned Charlotte.
“Because of your previous experience with the medical records and you are familiar with changing the official cause of death are you not? This file here,” he tapped a pudgy finger to his computer screen and continued. “This file says you’ve been working at this job now for six years.”
“Yes, all of that is true,” Charlotte confirmed with a nod, wondering what he was getting at.
“Excellent. I have had some time to think it over and a new worker will be working in your office later today. I had one of the other Record Keepers train her so no need to worry about that. Clear out your office and report to the third floor after lunch.”
Slightly stunned, Charlotte could only sit there speechless for a moment. Jules looked displeased.
“Is something wrong Miss Hamilton?”
“N-no…I uh…it’s just a shock that’s all.”
“Well this change is in everyone’s best interest, I assure you. You may go now Miss Hamilton.”
Charlotte numbly got to her feet. “Good day Mister Maxfield,” she mumbled out of pure habit as she left his spacious office and trudged to her own. There was a basket outside the door, presumably for her. Bending down, she picked it up and laid it on top of her desk.
It didn’t take long to clean up the nearly immaculate office as Charlotte didn’t have many of her own personal belongings there anyhow. Her computer, and a few other things left the basket half full and Charlotte was done long before noon.
For the first time in years, she actually had time to sit down with nothing to do. The clock slowly ticked away the hours. Charlotte eventually got bored and pulled her computer out of the basket, continuing her usual work until noon.
With a sigh of obvious relief, Charlotte turned off her computer and repacked it, leaving the container of items on the desk as she hurried to the lunch room, eager to see her friend. It didn’t take long to spot her as Sandra waved the moment she saw Charlotte.
Grabbing her lunch tray, Charlotte sat down next to Sandra and began to eat, realizing for the first time how hungry she was, despite her breakfast that was long gone.
“You look rather perky today,” Sandra noticed. “What’s up?”
“Oh where do I even begin?”
Sandra’s eyes widened. “That much happened?”
“Yeah. Last night I had the most amazing dream!” Charlotte proceeded to give Sandra a quick overview of the things she had seen and tried to explain the feelings that had arisen there.
“That was some story,” remarked Sandra when the tale had ended. “Sounds nice though. I never dream.”
“I never did either but I ran out of sleeping pills and had to try and get to sleep without them for once.”
“Oh you poor dear!” Sandra cried. “That must’ve been awful. I’d have probably gone crazy or something. I can’t sleep without them.”
“Have you ever tried?” Charlotte asked teasingly.
“Well, no, but I know I couldn’t,” Sandra answered decidedly.
“Fair enough, I didn’t think I could either. It took forever though.” Charlotte looked up as someone brushed by. It was Cody. He didn’t seem to notice her as he was talking to someone through his earpiece. Charlotte sighed.
“What was that for?” Sandra asked, looking at her, then Cody who was sitting down at a table a little ways away.
“I have to work for him now,” replied Charlotte, still not sure how she felt about it.
“You do?! Well maybe you’ll like it better than sitting behind a desk all day. I’ve heard his job is rather interesting.” There was less sign of teasing, not the usual emotion or anything in Sandra’s voice and Charlotte knew she had followed up on her promise to take the Mithril, which dulled her some but not to the point where she would actually stop going out with anyone who found her interesting.
“I hope so,” Charlotte answered, not bringing up what she had been thinking. “I won’t have an office anymore though apparently.”
“So? You like people anyway. Don’t see how that could be a bad thing. Especially with him.”
“Me either, so hopefully everything will work out.”
The two girls spent the rest of their break talking about the office and such trifles that had happened recently. When the lunch hour was over, Charlotte stood up to clear her tray when she sensed someone behind her. “Oh hello Doctor Knox,” she greeted as she recognized him.
Cody was one of those people who was drop dead handsome, despite the fact that he fit in perfectly with the rest of the drab crowd. His hair was the usual black found in the males and was slightly tousled. His black eyes sparkled with life and he was very well built and muscular. Most of the girls swarmed around him but Cody didn’t pay them any mind, at least romantically.
“Miss Hamilton, I believe you are now to be working for me, correct?” he asked as she placed her tray on top of the other ones in the growing stack.
“Yes, that’s right,” Charlotte affirmed, hoping she wasn’t blushing.
“Good. Well, you can come with me now and I’ll show you the ropes. You’ll mainly just be assisting with the things I tell you to do.”
“What kind of things?” Charlotte wondered aloud.
“We can’t talk here. Just follow me please,” directed Cody as he led her out of the mess hall and down several halls.
Charlotte followed without a word, her eyes taking everything. She had never been this way before and tried to remember how to get back, realizing that it would be nearly impossible due to how many turns they made. Finally they came to a staircase and went up two flights of stairs to the third floor. There were no windows anywhere. Cody flashed a badge in front of a monitor and the double doors unlocked at the top.
Cody opened one of the doors, paused, and held it for Charlotte. “You’ll need to get a badge before you leave,” he instructed. “You have special clearance today though. Just don’t forget.”
“I won’t,” Charlotte promised as she followed her new boss down another long hall. Something about the air seemed still and silent, more so than what was normal to her. And it was cold. Charlotte shivered slightly, not so much from the temperature, but from the eerie feeling that seemed to creep up her spine as she passed some of the closed doors.
“So what exactly do you do here?” she asked, a bit nervously.
“Testing. Third floor is for testing,” Cody answered bluntly as he opened a door to an office identical to Charlotte’s old one except for the lack of windows. A clipboard sat on the desk and Cody picked it up, scanning the contents. “Ah, looks like a new patient. We’ll have fun today.”
“Fun?” Nothing about the place seemed fun.
Cody chuckled. “Yeah, you’ll get used to it. Follow me if you please.” Without another word, he tucked the clipboard under his arm and headed further down the hall, turned left at an intersection and opened another door to a large room.
Chapter 3
In the very center of the room was a steel table with a body tightly strapped down on it, the leather binding both feet, arms and neck. On the opposite wall was a counter with a small, steel sink, and cabinets above. Drawers were below the countertop as well as more cabinets. A small refrigerator and freezer sat in the corner, slightly transparent. Charlotte could make out brown and clear bottles for injections in it. To her left along the wall sat various monitors and an IV stand. A bag with clear liquid hung from it.
“What is this place?!” Charlotte gaped, looking around, her eyes resting on the person lying flat on the table. The sight of her was shocking She was a young girl with hair the color of gold and dark blue eyes that looked at her, terrified. Several freckles dotted the upper part of her cheeks, standing out against her pale face. A white hospital gown covered her to the knees and her feet were bare.
“I already told you Charlotte,” Cody answered distractedly as he lay the clipboard onto the countertop. “Hello Anne, I trust you’re comfortable,” he addressed the figure strapped to the table in a slightly mocking voice. She turned her head to look at him, but remained silent.
“B-but what do you test for?”
“More like test on, experiment,” answered Cody, looking at Charlotte, bored. He sighed, realizing that he needed to be patient until she got the hang of things. “She’s an Outcast.”
Charlotte had heard of the Outcasts, strange people who had special powers to access worlds in their minds. They were dangerous to the government’s cause and they were constantly being hunted. Those who were caught were never heard from again. Charlotte swallowed hard.
“She’s a threat Charlotte. I’m not going to kill her, at least not today. She must first be experimented on…and punished. She’ll be begging to die after awhile.” A little smirk appeared on his face.
The girl on the table suddenly seemed to have found her voice. “P-please…please I’ll do anything. Just let me go!” she begged in a thin voice as the rate of her breathing increased rapidly.
“Not just yet lass,” Cody answered her as he washed his hands, the water pouring over them. He dried them on a white towel and motioned to the sink for Charlotte to do the same.
Almost numbly, Charlotte thrust her hands into the water, wetting them and then scrubbing them with foamy white soap that did not smell very pleasant at all. Quickly she dried them and took the black rubber gloves that Cody handed her, his pair already on.
“Wh-what are you going to do?” Anne spoke up again, her body trembling now in obvious fear.
“Whatever it takes,” Cody answered, glancing at his clipboard. “Says here that you are sixteen. Good, you might last longer.”
It didn’t seem possible for the girl’s face to get any paler but it did. Charlotte felt a twinge of sympathy for her. “What did she do wrong?”
“She’s an outcast Miss Hamilton. It’s not about what she did, it’s about what she is. We must find out how to stop this…enemy.”
“I’m not an enemy! And I’m not a threat!” Anne retorted, bursting into tears that ran down her cheeks like rain.
“Oh hush,” Cody reprimanded sharply. “Lucky for us to have caught you so young. Saw your body disappear and waited for you.” He sighed. “Wish they were all that simple. Charlotte, bring that IV stand over here would you?”
“What are you going to do?!” Anne’s voice was rising higher as her panic increased.
“Light sedative, it’ll just make you a bit more cooperative,” Cody answered.
Without a word, Charlotte grabbed the cold, metal stand and rolled it over beside Cody and the table. He nodded his approval. “Thank you.”
Turning around, he opened a drawer and pulled out a plastic package with a needle and a small square pack with a square towel drenched in alcohol. He tore it open and rubbed it on the girl’s arm above her wrist though she struggled desperately. The bonds were so tight though, that she really couldn’t move enough to do anything. Cody smiled at her helplessness.
“Stop! STOP!” Anne shrieked as Cody pulled out the needle and examined her arm for a place to put it. He ran a finger up her arm from her wrist, shook his head and did it again in a different place, this time looking satisfied. Taking the sharp object, he proceeded to slide it into Anne’s vein. She jerked but her arm didn’t move, held by the restraints.
“Thank you for being so cooperative,” Cody said as he attached the tube to Anne’s arm and started the drip. Walking to the refrigerator, he pulled out a vial of a clear looking solution and pulled a syringe out one of the drawers. He carefully filled it halfway and injected the contents into the IV line. Anne settled down and went silent almost immediately though her eyes remained wide open.
“Put this back now that you know where it goes and throw the syringe in the trash,” Cody called to Charlotte who was watching blankly.
Taking the items from him, Charlotte placed the cold container of sedative back into the fridge. The outside of the glass was already fogging up and left a clear mark where her fingers had been when she let go of it. “Where’s the-“ the rest of her sentence wasn’t even out of her mouth when Cody pointed to a hole in the countertop next to the sink. Silently, she went over to it and dropped the syringe into the blackness below, hearing a small rustle as it hit the bottom of what seemed to be a bag.
Turning back around, she found Cody attaching a heart monitor to Anne who lay motionless except her eyes which followed him constantly. “W-what are you doing?”
“Keeping an eye on you,” answered Cody as he placed several electrodes on Anne’s forehead. “Ok now go to that little mind world of yours,” he instructed.
“N-no!” Anne stammered, her blue eyes full of fear.
Cody laughed. “Then things will get bad. Very bad. I suggest you do as you’re told.”
“P-please don’t do this!” begged Anne, her voice thin with fright. “I didn’t do anything to you!”
“Of course not but you are a threat to our way of living. Now go.” Cody pulled out a scalpel and examined it purposefully.
Anne swallowed hard. “Wh-what are you going to do with that?”
“It all depends on you Anne. But don’t think for a moment that I won’t use it because I will.”
With a helpless sob, Anne closed her eyes and went limp. Her body slowly faded from sight though the electrodes remained motionless and the heart monitor continued mapping out a heart rate. It had been rather high but now slowed to a more normal pace. Cody grabbed his clipboard and hastily scribbled down note after note.
After a few minutes, Anne’s body slowly materialized back on the table in the exact same spot. “There. Satisfied?” her eyes were red from crying.
“Very. Thank you. That will be all today since you were so cooperative.” Without another word, he motioned Charlotte out of the room, leaving Anne lying there.
“Aren’t you going to let her go back to her room?” Charlotte asked, glancing back at the door Cody had just closed.
“That is her room,” he answered simply. “Now come along please, we have a busy day ahead of us.” Glancing at his clipboard, Cody flipped the top page and scanned the one below it. “Hmm. Ok, this’ll be interesting for you…” he mumbled as he took off down the hall. Charlotte was hard pressed to keep up with his long strides.
Opening yet another door, Charlotte was greeted with a similar view of the first exam room. Except for a woman on the table though, it was an older male with graying hair and he looked like he’d been through hell and back. His light, almost gray blue eyes were sunken in and his cheeks were almost non existant due to the hollows that were there instead. His lips were dry and parched. Stubble stood out on his chin and above his mouth.
“Who is this?” Charlotte gasped, never having seen an elderly person before, let alone someone in such bad condition.
“This is James Matterson. He’s been here awhile and his time is just about to expire as we have all the information we need on him.”
“Y-you’re going to kill him?” She walked closer to the man, examining his wrinkled hands, blue veins standing out underneath the thin skin. She could tell he was extremely skinny and malnourished. He seemed to be asleep, the only evidence that he was alive, his shallow breathing and faint fluttering of his eyelids.
Cody was washing his hands again and glanced over at Charlotte. “More like complete the experiment. What are you doing?”
Charlotte had bent over the man’s face a bit for a closer look. His eyes suddenly shot open, his pupils dilated but they quickly adjusted to the harsh white light in the room. “Th-they’re c-coming!” he rasped desperately, his voice so hoarse it sounded like he hadn’t talked in years.
“Who’s coming?” Charlotte looked over at Cody for some insight.
“Th-they’re coming!” he gasped again before Cody could answer, his chest rising and falling dramatically now. “E-everything will e-end. You can’t st-stop us!”
“Alright that’s quite enough of that talk,” Cody warned. “Sorry Charlotte, he’s a bit crazy. Listen up old man. Whatever you think you and your stupid little outcasts can do won’t work. We will stop you. You will never ever end what we have worked so hard to build here so just shut up.”
James managed a faint smile and the slightest of headshakes before his eyes slipped closed again and his body relaxed. Charlotte looked up to see Cody pulling a needle out of the man’s arm. He placed two fingers on the man’s wrist and glanced at his watch. “And…he’s gone.”
“You just killed him!” Charlotte exclaimed.
“Yeah, so? You’ll forget it tonight so don’t fret.”
“Fret?! You just took someone’s life!”
“Charlotte,” Cody began with a very impatient sigh. “Do you know what this man, these people are trying to do? They are trying to destroy our way of living. Everything we hold dear to us they are planning on taking away. Forever. Is that something you want?”
“Well…I guess not,” Charlotte mumbled, now totally confused.
“That’s what I thought. Now be a good girl and throw this syringe away for me.” he handed it out to her.
Slowly, Charlotte reached out and took it. There was still a small amount of unnatural blue colored serum in the vial and she swallowed hard as she dropped it into the trash chute.
“There is nothing wrong with killing those who want to hurt you Charlotte,” Cody continued, feeling like he hadn’t quite got his point across. “These outcasts are the enemy. They are dangerous and must be stopped at all costs. Understand?”
Charlotte nodded. “Yes, I do. Sorry, it’s just kind of a shock.”
“Well it is your first day. You’ll get used to it,” Cody shrugged. “Took me some time too. But like I said, you’ll forget all the details tonight so don’t worry about it.”
“Why do they even wipe our memories?” asked Charlotte as Cody undid James’s restraints and put him into a bodybag. She could see the red outlines where the straps had been on the Outcast’s wrists. “How long was he here?”
“So many questions!” Cody groaned as he pulled up the zipper on the black bag. “He’s been here several years. And would you like to remember killing people? It’s enough to make you lose your appetite.”
“You’re right, I wouldn’t,” Charlotte quickly agreed, her stomach churning slightly at the thought of food.
“See? The government always has our best interests at heart. They care about us Charlotte. Now, I’m all finished with him except to take him to the incinerator. Help me carry this bag would you?”
Charlotte made a face but walked over and took hold of the handles at the man’s feet end. “Sure thing.”
“Alright. Lift on the count of three. One…two…three.” Cody grunted a bit as he lifted the upper portion of the man.
“Goodness he’s so heavy!” Charlotte remarked, staggering just a bit under the dead weight of the man.
“Ha! He isn’t heavy, he was nearly starved to death. Now follow me and be careful.” Cody made his way to the door. “You want to take the stairs or elevator?”
“Is that a joke?!” Charlotte asked.
“Kinda,” Cody admitted. “Elevator is to the left.” He led Charlotte down the hall and pressed the button on the elevator at the end. The gray double doors opened without a sound and the two stepped inside. Cody shifted his weight again and pressed the button with the B on it.
“Basement?” Charlotte guessed.
“That would be correct.” The two spent the short ride in silence.
The City of Danta lay like a smoking ember in a dying fire. Overcrowded and filled with poverty, the people were subdued by the government officials and lived their highly structured lives by the rules of the book. Imagination was illegal and highly suppressed. Vibrant colors were completely absent from the city as well as anything to spark creative minds. The original population was dying out, replaced by specially selected people groomed by the government to their standards. Taken at birth, the children were brought up by officials and then dispersed in specially selected tasks and jobs suited to the government’s needs.
One of the highest honors was to be chosen to bear a child for the government. Standards were extremely high. Anyone caught with an unofficial baby was immediately considered a rebel and never seen again. The use of drugs was widespread and rampant but the government turned a blind eye to it as they were all a part of their plan. Relationships were against the rules, but many times overlooked as long as nothing came from them. Marriages were not allowed and highly illegal.
Except for the occasional issue, the government kept its city running smoothly with their tight reins. The only threat to hinder their complete success was the group of people known as the Outcasts. This group was especially dangerous as they had completely rebelled against the city’s laws and went against everything the government had gone to so much trouble to set up in the city. They had the special ability to access an entire world in their minds, a world filled with joy and color, and most horrifying of all, a place where they could set their imagination free. The Outcasts were severely oppressed and their numbers were dwindling. But they were hard to catch and very clever and cunning. The government spent billions of dollars in seeking out these people to destroy them, fearing a rebellion may break out if they were to leave them alone. It was a frightful place to live in if you were one of them.
Deep in the heart of the smog filled city, Charlotte Hamilton sat in the office at her desk. It was a small room, one made for the purpose of work and not for one’s amusement or to provide a place for lounging. A desk just fit the space snugly, the dark, stained wood standing out in stark contrast against the blaringly white walls of the office. Not even the light spilling in from the window was enough to break the dull monotony of color as the view outside was just as bland. Both light and dark buildings could be seen out of it in the distance, tall enough to blot out any glimpse of the sky above. The view was depressing. Below was more gray, in the form of streets, nestled in between the tightly packed buildings. There was no room to breathe. Unsuspecting people walked the sidewalks below with black or dark gray jeans and shirts that were equally lifeless in color, oblivious to anyone watching them.
But even that view was not to be looked upon. It was time to work and Charlotte was completely absorbed in it. Stacks of paper were piled onto the desk top, nearly covering the smooth surface. Also sitting on the item of furniture was a black lamp that let off a pale whitish light and a black container for holding pens, two of which were home inside of it. Charlotte held a third one over the paper she was looking at. She was a pretty thing, with shiny black colored hair that cascaded gently over her shoulders and down her back nearly to her waist. Her clear gray eyes stared down at the paper from behind dark rimmed glasses, giving her almost the appearance of a secretary, though her clothes gave just the opposite effect. She wore the black scrubs of the hospital she worked in and the usual tennis shoes that were the custom in the city Charlotte lived in.
Sighing, Charlotte scanned the contents of the paper with the tip of the pen she was holding and turned her eyes back to the computer screen that sat blaring silently at her. On it was an exact replica of the paper beside the device, until a closer look revealed that words had changed, meanings differed from the original copy. It was Charlotte’s job to change others’ lives, or rather, their deaths. An important job, no doubt, but a dangerous one as well.
The clock on the wall opposite the desk sitting in plain sight above the door, slowly and faithfully ticked away the hours. Every so often, Charlotte would lean back in her chair and stretch before bending over her work once more. Finally the noon hour arrived.
Shutting her laptop’s lid, Charlotte stood and neatly arranged the stack of papers, placing the pen back in the holder and waved her hand above the lamp to turn it off, which it instantly did.
All these things were routine, Charlotte didn’t have to think about them. her hands moved almost mechanically about their task. When she was finished arranging her work tools, she strode over to the door with smooth, purposeful strides and opened it. The hall was as bare and white as the office, stretching out for what seemed like miles, though every so often there was an outline of an equally white door, indicated by a darker shade of gray where the shadows formed around it. There were no pictures on the walls, nothing of color.
Charlotte took the path to the right, her pace increasing to a fast walk, a gait she usually carried when she had business to attend to. She had counted the steps before, when she first came, but that was of no importance now. Turning to a door on her right, some ways down the hall, the sound of voices broke the quiet stillness of the vast hospital. The mess hall.
Up until this point, Charlotte hadn’t made much attempt at emotion, but a smile graced her lips as she walked in. She was a rather sociable person, but the office life reduced those moments of pleasure to mostly the lunch break and after work free time.
“Hey Lottie!” It was the voice of Charlotte’s best friend, a female of equal age. She also had black colored hair which framed her oval shaped face, pretty gray eyes like Charlotte’s and a few freckles on her rosy cheeks. The girl rose from her table and hurried over to Charlotte.
“Hey Sandra!” Charlotte grinned back, looking over her friend. She looked well. “Long time no see, huh? How is the baby?” she asked as she picked up a dull gray tray and made her way to the line to get her lunch.
“Oh, she’s just fine. Thanks for asking. They’ve named her Rosalie.” Sandra’s stomach was still slightly distended and could be seen under her black scrubs if she moved a certain way.
“Rosalie is a pretty name,” Charlotte mused. “Water please,” she told the waiting patron on the other side of the serving table, and was quickly handed a cup filled with ice water. Sandra kept pace beside her.
“Hey now, don’t be so jealous,” Sandra teased. “It isn’t fun being pregnant for nine months straight. Ugh. Thank the stars we have medicine here. Even still, I’d never in a million years go through that again. What a nightmare! If I were you I’d scratch your name off the list.”
For once, Charlotte’s mind tuned out the high energy chatter of her friend as it wandered to a rather longing thought, one that had accompanied her for years now. Charlotte loved children with a passion. Every time the list went out for volunteers to bear children for the government, she had been one of the first to sign up but so far her name had not been picked. It was rather frustrating. Charlotte met all of the requirements, but she still hadn’t been afforded the opportunity.
“Hey, you alright?” Sandra asked, nudging Charlotte out of her wandering thoughts.
“Y-yeah, sorry. I was just thinking.” A pile of pale mashed potatoes were heaped onto her plate, steaming.
“Well that’s obvious. Come sit at my table. I saved you a seat but it’s crowded in here and I hope someone hasn’t taken it.” Sandra grabbed her friend’s arm and steered her back over to the spot where she had been sitting. “Oh goody! Here.” She pulled out a white and gray chair for Charlotte to sit down in.
“Thank you,” Charlotte smiled as she took her fork and speared it into the fluffy pile of potatoes.
“So tell me, what did I miss?” Sandra urged as she sat down herself and began to finish her own meal.
“Oh not much, things are pretty quiet in the office,” Charlotte informed.
“I’ll say. I’m always the one telling you the interesting stories. You sure nothing exciting happened? Meet any cute guys? Cody seems pretty nice…”
Charlotte made a face. “Goodness girl you never give up do you?!”
“Of course not!” Sandra laughed, high and tinkling like silver bells. “Like I said, give me five minutes to get you two acquainted and you’ll never regret it.”
Charlotte knew that was probably true. Sandra was a lovely girl and attracted a lot of attention. She also didn’t take her medicine like she was supposed to and therefore was putting herself at risk. “You know that’s against the rules anyhow!” moaned Charlotte.
“So?” Sandra shrugged. “It’s not like they enforce them as long as you don’t get pregnant. Then you’d be in major trouble. You get so flustered though when I mention them, I sometimes think you do actually have feelings for him.”
“Shut up!” Charlotte warned. “I know you like to hang around guys but I’m just too busy.”
Sandra sighed. “I know, sorry.”
Charlotte was dead serious. “Listen to me Sandra, you need to keep taking your Mithril. If you keep going out with guys like you always do…I’m worried about you.”
Rubbing her temples, Sandra nodded slowly. “Yeah but they make me so tired sometimes. It’s awful.”
“It’s better than being banished…or worse…” Charlotte’s voice trailed off. “I’m serious! Get yourself a bottle and take it like you’re supposed to or I’ll have to report it.”
“Report-“ Sandra’s head snapped up to look at her friend, her eyes betraying a look of disbelief. “You wouldn’t!”
Charlotte sighed. “Alright, I wouldn’t. You know me too well. But it’s not like I could do anything if something happened!”
“Ok ok, stop worrying. I’ll do it. I promise,” Sandra conceded. “But you gotta do me a favor too. You need to get out more anyhow. I hardly ever see you these days. Find a nice guy to cheer you up. You’ll never regret it.”
“Alright I’ve got to confess something,” mumbled Charlotte as she took a drink of the cold water and let it sit in her mouth until it warmed just enough to keep her from getting brain freeze when she swallowed it. Even still, the coolness was refreshing.
“Oooh! What is it?” Sandra grinned as she finished her meal and glanced at her watch. “Lunch break ends in five minutes. Better wrap this conversation up soon.”
“I actually do like Cody, Charlotte admitted.
“I knew it!” Sandra squealed, then gave her friend a mock frown. “So you’re trying to get me to take my medicine when you don’t even take yours?”
“Yes I actually do but it doesn’t really work. I don’t think they’ve perfected it yet.”
Sandra laughed. “That’s my problem too. So we’ll get out this weekend? Even if it’s just us two?
“Yeah, alright. Deal. I’ll hopefully have some time this Saturday if they don’t call me in again.”
Sandra stood and gave her friend a fond embrace. “See you around then, dear friend. This weekend we can go visit Rosalie in the nursery. She is rather cute despite all the misery she put me through.”
“Yeah, sure thing,” Charlotte agreed half-heartedly. Since when had such jealousy started to pry her usual affection for Sandra apart? A quick recall of her memory quickly answered her silent question. It had started when Sandra was picked to carry a child. At first it was nothing but a nagging feeling but Charlotte was smart enough to realize it was becoming more than that now and that she had better let it go before it began affecting their friendship outwardly.
Sandra was looking at her in a funny sort of amusement. “Seriously Charlotte, take your name off the list. It isn’t worth it.”
Charlotte shrugged. “I’ll think about it. See you around Sandra,” she called as she cleared the table of her tray, placed it on a waiting rack and made her way back to the office.
The rest of the afternoon passed slowly, the quiet ticking of the faithful clock the only noise in the small room beside the occasional rustling of papers, a tired sigh, and the tapping of keys on the computer’s keyboard. Finally, it was six and the harsh, grating sound of a bell rang throughout the hospital. It was time to go home.
Getting to her feet, Charlotte stretched gratefully and shut off the laptop, once again arranging everything neatly on her desk before leaving her office and shutting the door behind her, this time heading in the opposite direction down the hall, following a slow, shuffling line of people.
Down the steps, past the Head Office, towards the side door. Just inside the door leading to the outside was a uniformed official in gray scrubs, her rank signified by a nurse’s cap. Her hair was short, barely reaching to her neck. Her eyes were dark and cold and her mouth was set in a firm line as she stopped each worker and injected them with something from what looked like a small, gray metal gun of sorts. Finally it was Charlotte’s turn.
The nurse made no attempt at returning the smile Charlotte gave her. “Arm please,” she directed in a voice just as dull as she was.
Obediently, Charlotte gave the woman her arm and was given an injection. A slight thwunk and hissing sound emanated as the nurse pulled the trigger but there was hardly any pain. Pulling out the tiny, thin needle, the lady in gray released Charlotte’s arm and gave her a small nod as she stepped back to let her pass through the door to the outside world.
The air was hot and oppressively thick, smelling of overcrowded bodies, sweat and smoke. The sidewalks were crowded with streams of people while the streets were left clear for the government official’s cars and transport busses that flew by without a care for anyone in their way. Charlotte was used to the hustle and bustle of the city and made good progress, squeezing past slow moving humans and darting around others. There were no children, only stoic faced adults. A few looked mad, but most remained emotionless. Only one looked content, Charlotte.
Once she was past the overcrowded center of the city, there were less people around and Charlotte could breathe again, though the air remained smoky. The tall buildings continued to overpower a good view of the sky, but it could be viewed now, a blue color so washed out that it was not relaxing to look at by any means.
Charlotte though, was used to all this too and didn’t think anything of it as she turned into a side street and stopped before a dark gray, almost black door of a tall building that looked to be an apartment. It was at least ten stories high with glossy windows reflecting the building on the opposite side. Charlotte turned the silver handle and stepped inside.
Sure enough, it was an apartment. Long rows of doors lay silently inside, black against the white walls and blotchy white floors, scuffed by many feet and shoes. At the end was a metal staircase that Charlotte began to climb, her feet sending small echoes throughout the hall.
Arriving at the fourth floor, Charlotte left the stairwell and headed down the hall to her room. Her door had a number on it in white lettering just at eye height. 335. Producing a key from her pocket, Charlotte placed it into the lock and it turned easily with a small grating click, revealing the room behind it.
For a woman who lived alone, the apartment was a rather decent size. The color scheme continued though, gray couch, white walls, gray countertop, black cabinets and a black table in the corner by the window with two matching chairs. A clear screen sat in the middle of the room opposite the couch and the low black table. To Charlotte’s left was another door, this one ajar. A bed could be seen through the crack, and a small dresser beside it. there was a window there but it couldn’t be seen from that angle, and since the light was off, it let in a considerable amount of white light.
Placing the key on a small hook by the door, Charlotte crossed the shaggy white carpet and entered the bedroom. It was a lot smaller than the living space and an even smaller bathroom connected to it with just a shower, toilet and a tiny sink.
The bedroom was rather bare with a single sized bed and plain gray sheets. The dresser and nightstand were the only other items of furniture but a small mirror hung over the dresser. A few knickknacks lay atop the surface of the nightstand along with a lamp. Charlotte went over to it and removed her watch, laying it in the shadow of the lamp. The sun was going down though, and there would soon be no shadows whatsoever.
“What to make for dinner?” Charlotte mused as she pulled her hair into a quick ponytail and headed for the kitchen. A simple dinner of beans and rice with mozzarella cheese seemed a good option and in no time, the hot black beans were cooking on the stove and the rice was nearly done as well. Charlotte scooped equal amounts into a bowl and sprinkled the cheese on top before sitting down at her little table and eating silently.
She was lonely. Charlotte liked company but there was never time for that except on the weekends when they were given the two days off of work. But even then, more often than not she was called in for some reason or other and her weekends were more of a short break of a few hours.
By the time dinner was over, it was bedtime for Charlotte. It was only eight but her work demanded an early schedule and she barely got enough sleep as it was. Rinsing her bowl and drying it, Charlotte placed the utensil and dish back in their proper locations and went to the bathroom to change.
Slipping out of her clothes, Charlotte tugged her nightgown off of the hook on the bathroom door and pulled it over her head. The soft white cotton fabric settled gently around her, hiding her curves with the drape-like style. Charlotte let her hair down again and began to brush it absently as she studied herself in the mirror. She longed for someone to be with, someone to have all to herself. Drugs could suppress her passion for a time but it still flared up occasionally.
With a heavy sigh, Charlotte set the brush on the counter, smoothed back her hair and crawled into bed. For a long time she lay there, staring up at the white ceiling. Her mind began to drift over the past day’s events but even things that were routine seemed fuzzy. Any memory of her work that day was completely erased. She had gotten used to it by now, but the more she lay there, the more discontented she felt.
“Why do they do this?” she thought in her head. It wasn’t in an attitude of defiance, more of curiosity. “Why can I never remember what I’ve done at the hospital?” Even the memory of receiving the injection after work was gone.
Another sigh escaped Charlotte’s lips as she rolled onto her side facing the window. Only a faint light peeped through it now. Across the street, the few lights that remained on began to blink out as people went to bed. It was getting late but Charlotte was not one bit sleepy. It wasn’t unusual, she often had trouble getting to sleep.
Charlotte’s gaze flickered to the bottle of sleeping pills that lay on the nightstand and she reached for it. There wasn’t a time she could remember when she hadn’t taken them. A slightly sick feeling settled in her stomach as she picked up the small pill bottle and realized how empty it felt. A slight shake of it revealed the lack of contents inside.
“Great,” groaned the girl. “Now how am I supposed to get any rest?”
There was nothing to be done other than try to fall asleep naturally as all the shops were closed for the night other than the illegal ones which were constantly being disbanded by the police and there was no way Charlotte was going to hang with that crowd of rebels. Closing her eyes, Charlotte tried to relax. But thoughts kept flooding her mind.
Taking several deep, calming breaths, Charlotte tried to clear her mind of thoughts. Any and all thoughts. She focused on listening to the sound of her breathing. It worked. Slowly, her body relaxed. Her head lolled to the side as she began to drift off to sleep.
A sudden brilliant light flooded the room, so intense it startled Charlotte awake. Her eyes flew open and a gasp escaped her lips as she bolted straight up. Where was her bed? She wasn’t even in her room.
Chapter 2
Charlotte scrambled to her feet. Sensations she had never felt before raced through her. It was almost too much to take in. It was so beautiful and thrilling at the same time. Where was she?
Looking around, Charlotte’s eyes widened. She was standing in the middle of a large meadow. A slight breeze stirred the bottom of her nightgown, sending healthy bright green grass into small ripples around her feet that tickled her skin. The ground was cool, moist and exhilarating. Slowly, Charlotte made a full circle, though she remained standing in that one spot. Around her in the distance she was surrounded by a forest of trees. They stood tall and strong, their branches waving gently in the cool wind that aroused thousands of leaves in a dance whose rythym sounded in the form of a hushed rustle.
Glancing towards the sky, Charlotte’s breath caught in her throat. The sky was a bright, cheerful blue, undisturbed by smoke. The air was clear, crisp and clean and smelled fresh with the growing of flowers and grass. The sun shone down merrily on her but the heat wasn’t oppressive, only comforting.
“I must be dreaming,” Charlotte gasped as she took one hesitant step, feeling how the soft dirt underneath the blades of grass gave way just enough to cushion her bare feet. She laughed in pure glee. “So much color…oh so much color! I’ve never seen anything this beautiful in my entire life! I never want to wake up!”
New sensations awakened in her that had been asleep, dormant for her entire life. A sense of peace and calm. Something stirred deep within her, arousing a sensation of curiosity. Slowly she began to walk towards the woods, taking in everything around her. A few bluebirds flew overhead, calling to each other in friendly chirps as they soared gracefully away. Charlotte watched them in amazement, having never seen such beautiful colors on the animals in her life.
When Charlotte reached the woods, she paused and her breath caught in her throat. So many new things were all around her, each competing for her attention. The rough, brown bark of the trees, the tender green leaves on the low hanging branches, and, what quickly won her over, a rippling stream that wound its way to the unknown, gurgling merrily as it went along.
Charlotte carefully stepped down the gently sloping earth towards the bank to the edge of the stream and bent down for a closer look. The water seemed to be calling her and she slowly reached out and dipped her hand into the cold wetness that swirled around her dangling hand, playing with her fingers. She gasped.
It didn’t take long for Charlotte to sit down next to the stream and she watched it with endless curiosity. Cupping her hands, she placed them into the water and lifted her dripping palms to her lips and tasted the drink. It was nothing like the flat, stale water back in the city. This was cold and refreshing.
For the next several hours, Charlotte continued to explore, finding various sorts of flowers and other plants to catch her interest. Eventually she found her way back to the meadow. The sun made her sleepy and she lay down in the soft bed of grass, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The harsh grating of the alarm clock startled Charlotte awake. Her eyes flew open and she looked around, almost expecting to still be in the meadow but only her gray, dreary room met her hopeful gaze. With a heavy sigh, she sat up and turned off the beeping clock. It read 4:31 a.m.
Stumbling out of bed, Charlotte fumbled around for her slippers and slid her feet into them before shuffling to the bathroom where she took a quick shower and dressed in her scrubs. Scooping her hair into a ponytail, she applied a fresh coat of makeup, dabbing the powder on her face and coating her eyelashes with mascara. That done, she fixed herself a quick breakfast of oatmeal and hurried out the door, locking it behind her and stuffing the key into the deep pocket in her shirt.
Charlotte was the only one in the hall that early in the morning, most of the other citizens had an extra hour or so of sleep before their day started so the apartment was completely silent. Charlotte was careful to make as little noise as possible as she crept out the front door into the outdoors. The air was cold and Charlotte shivered, half wishing she had brought a jacket. A quick glance at her watch though, told her she didn’t have the time.
Picking up the pace to a fast walk, Charlotte made her way across the nearly empty streets, meeting only the occasional passerby. Small, flickering lights from fires burning in barrels down dark alleys though, made her shiver again. Bad things happened in those places to the unfortunate people who stumbled into them and she didn’t live in the nice area of town. Bowing her head, Charlotte hurried along even faster.
The brisk pace soon warmed her up, and by the time she reached the hospital, she was cozy and nearly hot. Charlotte signed her name like she always did on the clipboard at the front desk and headed for her office and another day of filling out paperwork. Hearing a deep voice though, she recognized it as the manager. Making a hasty decision, she headed in that direction.
Jules, the manager, was a serious looking guy with a rather plump, overweight body. He wore a white suit with a black tie and his round face usually carried a slight sheen of shiny sweat. He had thin black hair, slicked black and small gray eyes that he peered with from behind black rimmed glasses.
“Um, Mister Maxfield,” Charlotte addressed him by his last name, “Could I-“
Before she could finish her sentence, Jules had spotted her and waddled over to her. “Oh there you are, I need to talk to you. Can I see you in my office please? He asked, lifting his glasses to see her better, it was obvious that he was near sighted.
“O-of course,” Charlotte stammered, slightly taken aback. “Right now?”
“No, Tomorrow. Of course right now!” Jules sounded slightly annoyed. He was known for having a short temper.
Charlotte knew that she had better just obey without question and nodded. “Yes sir,” she quickly answered.
Despite Jules’s short stature, he walked surprisingly fast and Charlotte found herself a bit hard pressed to keep up with his strides. His office was near the front though and it didn’t take long to reach it. Though the room was quite a bit larger in size, the appearance was rather the same, window, file cabinet and two chairs opposite the large gray desk which was the centerpiece of the room.
Mr. Maxwell sat down in his chair with a huff and it creaked slightly under his weight. Charlotte swallowed nervously, wondering if she should sit. Jules didn’t keep her waiting long. “Yes, sit, sit,” he directed impatiently, breathing slightly heavily. He pulled out a folded tissue from his pocket and dabbed the beads of sweat from his forehead.
“Am-am I in trouble?” Charlotte ventured to ask, her heart beating a bit faster at the thought.
“Trouble?” Jules looked surprised. “Of course not Miss Hamilton. I needed to speak with you on behalf of Doctor Cody Knox.”
Charlotte’s gray eyes widened in surprise. “Cody Knox?” she felt her cheeks reddening ever so slightly.
“Yes, the one and only,” Jules sighed impatiently. “He is requesting a new assistant and you’re the only one qualified for the job.”
“I am? Why?” Questioned Charlotte.
“Because of your previous experience with the medical records and you are familiar with changing the official cause of death are you not? This file here,” he tapped a pudgy finger to his computer screen and continued. “This file says you’ve been working at this job now for six years.”
“Yes, all of that is true,” Charlotte confirmed with a nod, wondering what he was getting at.
“Excellent. I have had some time to think it over and a new worker will be working in your office later today. I had one of the other Record Keepers train her so no need to worry about that. Clear out your office and report to the third floor after lunch.”
Slightly stunned, Charlotte could only sit there speechless for a moment. Jules looked displeased.
“Is something wrong Miss Hamilton?”
“N-no…I uh…it’s just a shock that’s all.”
“Well this change is in everyone’s best interest, I assure you. You may go now Miss Hamilton.”
Charlotte numbly got to her feet. “Good day Mister Maxfield,” she mumbled out of pure habit as she left his spacious office and trudged to her own. There was a basket outside the door, presumably for her. Bending down, she picked it up and laid it on top of her desk.
It didn’t take long to clean up the nearly immaculate office as Charlotte didn’t have many of her own personal belongings there anyhow. Her computer, and a few other things left the basket half full and Charlotte was done long before noon.
For the first time in years, she actually had time to sit down with nothing to do. The clock slowly ticked away the hours. Charlotte eventually got bored and pulled her computer out of the basket, continuing her usual work until noon.
With a sigh of obvious relief, Charlotte turned off her computer and repacked it, leaving the container of items on the desk as she hurried to the lunch room, eager to see her friend. It didn’t take long to spot her as Sandra waved the moment she saw Charlotte.
Grabbing her lunch tray, Charlotte sat down next to Sandra and began to eat, realizing for the first time how hungry she was, despite her breakfast that was long gone.
“You look rather perky today,” Sandra noticed. “What’s up?”
“Oh where do I even begin?”
Sandra’s eyes widened. “That much happened?”
“Yeah. Last night I had the most amazing dream!” Charlotte proceeded to give Sandra a quick overview of the things she had seen and tried to explain the feelings that had arisen there.
“That was some story,” remarked Sandra when the tale had ended. “Sounds nice though. I never dream.”
“I never did either but I ran out of sleeping pills and had to try and get to sleep without them for once.”
“Oh you poor dear!” Sandra cried. “That must’ve been awful. I’d have probably gone crazy or something. I can’t sleep without them.”
“Have you ever tried?” Charlotte asked teasingly.
“Well, no, but I know I couldn’t,” Sandra answered decidedly.
“Fair enough, I didn’t think I could either. It took forever though.” Charlotte looked up as someone brushed by. It was Cody. He didn’t seem to notice her as he was talking to someone through his earpiece. Charlotte sighed.
“What was that for?” Sandra asked, looking at her, then Cody who was sitting down at a table a little ways away.
“I have to work for him now,” replied Charlotte, still not sure how she felt about it.
“You do?! Well maybe you’ll like it better than sitting behind a desk all day. I’ve heard his job is rather interesting.” There was less sign of teasing, not the usual emotion or anything in Sandra’s voice and Charlotte knew she had followed up on her promise to take the Mithril, which dulled her some but not to the point where she would actually stop going out with anyone who found her interesting.
“I hope so,” Charlotte answered, not bringing up what she had been thinking. “I won’t have an office anymore though apparently.”
“So? You like people anyway. Don’t see how that could be a bad thing. Especially with him.”
“Me either, so hopefully everything will work out.”
The two girls spent the rest of their break talking about the office and such trifles that had happened recently. When the lunch hour was over, Charlotte stood up to clear her tray when she sensed someone behind her. “Oh hello Doctor Knox,” she greeted as she recognized him.
Cody was one of those people who was drop dead handsome, despite the fact that he fit in perfectly with the rest of the drab crowd. His hair was the usual black found in the males and was slightly tousled. His black eyes sparkled with life and he was very well built and muscular. Most of the girls swarmed around him but Cody didn’t pay them any mind, at least romantically.
“Miss Hamilton, I believe you are now to be working for me, correct?” he asked as she placed her tray on top of the other ones in the growing stack.
“Yes, that’s right,” Charlotte affirmed, hoping she wasn’t blushing.
“Good. Well, you can come with me now and I’ll show you the ropes. You’ll mainly just be assisting with the things I tell you to do.”
“What kind of things?” Charlotte wondered aloud.
“We can’t talk here. Just follow me please,” directed Cody as he led her out of the mess hall and down several halls.
Charlotte followed without a word, her eyes taking everything. She had never been this way before and tried to remember how to get back, realizing that it would be nearly impossible due to how many turns they made. Finally they came to a staircase and went up two flights of stairs to the third floor. There were no windows anywhere. Cody flashed a badge in front of a monitor and the double doors unlocked at the top.
Cody opened one of the doors, paused, and held it for Charlotte. “You’ll need to get a badge before you leave,” he instructed. “You have special clearance today though. Just don’t forget.”
“I won’t,” Charlotte promised as she followed her new boss down another long hall. Something about the air seemed still and silent, more so than what was normal to her. And it was cold. Charlotte shivered slightly, not so much from the temperature, but from the eerie feeling that seemed to creep up her spine as she passed some of the closed doors.
“So what exactly do you do here?” she asked, a bit nervously.
“Testing. Third floor is for testing,” Cody answered bluntly as he opened a door to an office identical to Charlotte’s old one except for the lack of windows. A clipboard sat on the desk and Cody picked it up, scanning the contents. “Ah, looks like a new patient. We’ll have fun today.”
“Fun?” Nothing about the place seemed fun.
Cody chuckled. “Yeah, you’ll get used to it. Follow me if you please.” Without another word, he tucked the clipboard under his arm and headed further down the hall, turned left at an intersection and opened another door to a large room.
Chapter 3
In the very center of the room was a steel table with a body tightly strapped down on it, the leather binding both feet, arms and neck. On the opposite wall was a counter with a small, steel sink, and cabinets above. Drawers were below the countertop as well as more cabinets. A small refrigerator and freezer sat in the corner, slightly transparent. Charlotte could make out brown and clear bottles for injections in it. To her left along the wall sat various monitors and an IV stand. A bag with clear liquid hung from it.
“What is this place?!” Charlotte gaped, looking around, her eyes resting on the person lying flat on the table. The sight of her was shocking She was a young girl with hair the color of gold and dark blue eyes that looked at her, terrified. Several freckles dotted the upper part of her cheeks, standing out against her pale face. A white hospital gown covered her to the knees and her feet were bare.
“I already told you Charlotte,” Cody answered distractedly as he lay the clipboard onto the countertop. “Hello Anne, I trust you’re comfortable,” he addressed the figure strapped to the table in a slightly mocking voice. She turned her head to look at him, but remained silent.
“B-but what do you test for?”
“More like test on, experiment,” answered Cody, looking at Charlotte, bored. He sighed, realizing that he needed to be patient until she got the hang of things. “She’s an Outcast.”
Charlotte had heard of the Outcasts, strange people who had special powers to access worlds in their minds. They were dangerous to the government’s cause and they were constantly being hunted. Those who were caught were never heard from again. Charlotte swallowed hard.
“She’s a threat Charlotte. I’m not going to kill her, at least not today. She must first be experimented on…and punished. She’ll be begging to die after awhile.” A little smirk appeared on his face.
The girl on the table suddenly seemed to have found her voice. “P-please…please I’ll do anything. Just let me go!” she begged in a thin voice as the rate of her breathing increased rapidly.
“Not just yet lass,” Cody answered her as he washed his hands, the water pouring over them. He dried them on a white towel and motioned to the sink for Charlotte to do the same.
Almost numbly, Charlotte thrust her hands into the water, wetting them and then scrubbing them with foamy white soap that did not smell very pleasant at all. Quickly she dried them and took the black rubber gloves that Cody handed her, his pair already on.
“Wh-what are you going to do?” Anne spoke up again, her body trembling now in obvious fear.
“Whatever it takes,” Cody answered, glancing at his clipboard. “Says here that you are sixteen. Good, you might last longer.”
It didn’t seem possible for the girl’s face to get any paler but it did. Charlotte felt a twinge of sympathy for her. “What did she do wrong?”
“She’s an outcast Miss Hamilton. It’s not about what she did, it’s about what she is. We must find out how to stop this…enemy.”
“I’m not an enemy! And I’m not a threat!” Anne retorted, bursting into tears that ran down her cheeks like rain.
“Oh hush,” Cody reprimanded sharply. “Lucky for us to have caught you so young. Saw your body disappear and waited for you.” He sighed. “Wish they were all that simple. Charlotte, bring that IV stand over here would you?”
“What are you going to do?!” Anne’s voice was rising higher as her panic increased.
“Light sedative, it’ll just make you a bit more cooperative,” Cody answered.
Without a word, Charlotte grabbed the cold, metal stand and rolled it over beside Cody and the table. He nodded his approval. “Thank you.”
Turning around, he opened a drawer and pulled out a plastic package with a needle and a small square pack with a square towel drenched in alcohol. He tore it open and rubbed it on the girl’s arm above her wrist though she struggled desperately. The bonds were so tight though, that she really couldn’t move enough to do anything. Cody smiled at her helplessness.
“Stop! STOP!” Anne shrieked as Cody pulled out the needle and examined her arm for a place to put it. He ran a finger up her arm from her wrist, shook his head and did it again in a different place, this time looking satisfied. Taking the sharp object, he proceeded to slide it into Anne’s vein. She jerked but her arm didn’t move, held by the restraints.
“Thank you for being so cooperative,” Cody said as he attached the tube to Anne’s arm and started the drip. Walking to the refrigerator, he pulled out a vial of a clear looking solution and pulled a syringe out one of the drawers. He carefully filled it halfway and injected the contents into the IV line. Anne settled down and went silent almost immediately though her eyes remained wide open.
“Put this back now that you know where it goes and throw the syringe in the trash,” Cody called to Charlotte who was watching blankly.
Taking the items from him, Charlotte placed the cold container of sedative back into the fridge. The outside of the glass was already fogging up and left a clear mark where her fingers had been when she let go of it. “Where’s the-“ the rest of her sentence wasn’t even out of her mouth when Cody pointed to a hole in the countertop next to the sink. Silently, she went over to it and dropped the syringe into the blackness below, hearing a small rustle as it hit the bottom of what seemed to be a bag.
Turning back around, she found Cody attaching a heart monitor to Anne who lay motionless except her eyes which followed him constantly. “W-what are you doing?”
“Keeping an eye on you,” answered Cody as he placed several electrodes on Anne’s forehead. “Ok now go to that little mind world of yours,” he instructed.
“N-no!” Anne stammered, her blue eyes full of fear.
Cody laughed. “Then things will get bad. Very bad. I suggest you do as you’re told.”
“P-please don’t do this!” begged Anne, her voice thin with fright. “I didn’t do anything to you!”
“Of course not but you are a threat to our way of living. Now go.” Cody pulled out a scalpel and examined it purposefully.
Anne swallowed hard. “Wh-what are you going to do with that?”
“It all depends on you Anne. But don’t think for a moment that I won’t use it because I will.”
With a helpless sob, Anne closed her eyes and went limp. Her body slowly faded from sight though the electrodes remained motionless and the heart monitor continued mapping out a heart rate. It had been rather high but now slowed to a more normal pace. Cody grabbed his clipboard and hastily scribbled down note after note.
After a few minutes, Anne’s body slowly materialized back on the table in the exact same spot. “There. Satisfied?” her eyes were red from crying.
“Very. Thank you. That will be all today since you were so cooperative.” Without another word, he motioned Charlotte out of the room, leaving Anne lying there.
“Aren’t you going to let her go back to her room?” Charlotte asked, glancing back at the door Cody had just closed.
“That is her room,” he answered simply. “Now come along please, we have a busy day ahead of us.” Glancing at his clipboard, Cody flipped the top page and scanned the one below it. “Hmm. Ok, this’ll be interesting for you…” he mumbled as he took off down the hall. Charlotte was hard pressed to keep up with his long strides.
Opening yet another door, Charlotte was greeted with a similar view of the first exam room. Except for a woman on the table though, it was an older male with graying hair and he looked like he’d been through hell and back. His light, almost gray blue eyes were sunken in and his cheeks were almost non existant due to the hollows that were there instead. His lips were dry and parched. Stubble stood out on his chin and above his mouth.
“Who is this?” Charlotte gasped, never having seen an elderly person before, let alone someone in such bad condition.
“This is James Matterson. He’s been here awhile and his time is just about to expire as we have all the information we need on him.”
“Y-you’re going to kill him?” She walked closer to the man, examining his wrinkled hands, blue veins standing out underneath the thin skin. She could tell he was extremely skinny and malnourished. He seemed to be asleep, the only evidence that he was alive, his shallow breathing and faint fluttering of his eyelids.
Cody was washing his hands again and glanced over at Charlotte. “More like complete the experiment. What are you doing?”
Charlotte had bent over the man’s face a bit for a closer look. His eyes suddenly shot open, his pupils dilated but they quickly adjusted to the harsh white light in the room. “Th-they’re c-coming!” he rasped desperately, his voice so hoarse it sounded like he hadn’t talked in years.
“Who’s coming?” Charlotte looked over at Cody for some insight.
“Th-they’re coming!” he gasped again before Cody could answer, his chest rising and falling dramatically now. “E-everything will e-end. You can’t st-stop us!”
“Alright that’s quite enough of that talk,” Cody warned. “Sorry Charlotte, he’s a bit crazy. Listen up old man. Whatever you think you and your stupid little outcasts can do won’t work. We will stop you. You will never ever end what we have worked so hard to build here so just shut up.”
James managed a faint smile and the slightest of headshakes before his eyes slipped closed again and his body relaxed. Charlotte looked up to see Cody pulling a needle out of the man’s arm. He placed two fingers on the man’s wrist and glanced at his watch. “And…he’s gone.”
“You just killed him!” Charlotte exclaimed.
“Yeah, so? You’ll forget it tonight so don’t fret.”
“Fret?! You just took someone’s life!”
“Charlotte,” Cody began with a very impatient sigh. “Do you know what this man, these people are trying to do? They are trying to destroy our way of living. Everything we hold dear to us they are planning on taking away. Forever. Is that something you want?”
“Well…I guess not,” Charlotte mumbled, now totally confused.
“That’s what I thought. Now be a good girl and throw this syringe away for me.” he handed it out to her.
Slowly, Charlotte reached out and took it. There was still a small amount of unnatural blue colored serum in the vial and she swallowed hard as she dropped it into the trash chute.
“There is nothing wrong with killing those who want to hurt you Charlotte,” Cody continued, feeling like he hadn’t quite got his point across. “These outcasts are the enemy. They are dangerous and must be stopped at all costs. Understand?”
Charlotte nodded. “Yes, I do. Sorry, it’s just kind of a shock.”
“Well it is your first day. You’ll get used to it,” Cody shrugged. “Took me some time too. But like I said, you’ll forget all the details tonight so don’t worry about it.”
“Why do they even wipe our memories?” asked Charlotte as Cody undid James’s restraints and put him into a bodybag. She could see the red outlines where the straps had been on the Outcast’s wrists. “How long was he here?”
“So many questions!” Cody groaned as he pulled up the zipper on the black bag. “He’s been here several years. And would you like to remember killing people? It’s enough to make you lose your appetite.”
“You’re right, I wouldn’t,” Charlotte quickly agreed, her stomach churning slightly at the thought of food.
“See? The government always has our best interests at heart. They care about us Charlotte. Now, I’m all finished with him except to take him to the incinerator. Help me carry this bag would you?”
Charlotte made a face but walked over and took hold of the handles at the man’s feet end. “Sure thing.”
“Alright. Lift on the count of three. One…two…three.” Cody grunted a bit as he lifted the upper portion of the man.
“Goodness he’s so heavy!” Charlotte remarked, staggering just a bit under the dead weight of the man.
“Ha! He isn’t heavy, he was nearly starved to death. Now follow me and be careful.” Cody made his way to the door. “You want to take the stairs or elevator?”
“Is that a joke?!” Charlotte asked.
“Kinda,” Cody admitted. “Elevator is to the left.” He led Charlotte down the hall and pressed the button on the elevator at the end. The gray double doors opened without a sound and the two stepped inside. Cody shifted his weight again and pressed the button with the B on it.
“Basement?” Charlotte guessed.
“That would be correct.” The two spent the short ride in silence.