Chapter One; 01

Rhaella Trevoka�"The ‘God’

•••

She sat against her wall, picking at the muck under her fingers. Her knees up against her chest, cold feet covered by socks. Her fingers shook as she dug her nails under the ones on her other hand. Time went slow, hours felt like days around here. She didn’t believe a word they told her anymore, not one. She was constantly in a daze, staring off, her head running a marathon. Though this peace was probably the best times here.

Two short beeps went off. Rhaella knew what it meant the moment she heard it. She didn't move, instead gazed at nothing but the white walls until guards came in. She jumped to her feet as they pushed the door open. They were scared, it was obvious. One grabbed her, but hesitated first, the touch was short lived. He only pulled her up then pushed her along and out of her windowless, white walled room. Stepping onto the tiles of the halls and being walked to the cafeteria.

Upon making it down to the cafeteria they let her walk down the last few steps on her own, once making it to the bottom she turned around to face them. She grabbed an apple from a nearby basket and let it spoil and brown in her hand, throwing it on the ground. She walked away, getting a plate from the counter. The two men looked at each other subtly, before turning away.

Four out of the ten subjects had already sat down; Emilia, Rickard, Jasper, and Tommy. Rhaella took her usual spot next to Jasper at the one circle table, ten seats around, "It's a Tuesday, and you haven't been sent to Max?" She smiled to him, he chuckled, shrugging, pearly teeth showing,
"Not the first time in eight years I've had a good week," He said, smiling at her. She looked back down at her food.

A plate slammed to the table merely seconds later, Rhaella looking up to see who it was. An angry looking Jerome sat down in front of it, his face almost as red as his hair, "Damn guards," He said, obviously aggravated.
"What happened to you?" Jasper asked him, racking Jerome’s head, "Oh, just Barnes," Jasper said. Jerome brought two fingers up, his pointer and his thumb an inch away from each other. As they grew closer and twirled slowly Jasper's face wrinkled in pain "Ow, you f****r! Stop that!" He yelled, begging to grab the twisting sensation on his sacks. Rhaella chuckled, looking down and hiding the smile so she didn't encourage the boys

“Quite being a copycat,” Tommy scolded.
"Don't be idiots," Rhaella said. Jerome continued, finally stopping seconds later and taking his fork, eating his food.

Hazel and Harper came down the stairs, one after the other as guards down the staircase escorted them. Minutes later Jason was accompanied down also, he went straight to the table.

"I hate it here." Harper spoke softly, carmel hair tied back into two tight pigtails. She stared at her food, not bothering to eat it.
"Lighten the mood a bit, sweetheart," Jasper said, taking a bite off her plate. Hazel rolled her eyes.
"She would if there was something to lighten the mood about," Hazel said, biting an apple.
"Shut up, both of you," Emilia told them.
"Yeah, you f*****g babies," Jerome added after her,
"You too," Emilia replied to Jerome, poking at her food to make sure it wouldn't come to life like a science experiment gone wrong. "You guys complain day in and day out but never do anything for yourselves," The blonde said, dropping her fork and looking up at the people around her "No point in complaining if you won't do anything to fix it." Emilia said, a tone of annoyance lacing her voice.
"And what exactly are we supposed to do, try and escape, inevitably fail and live the rest of our lives alone in Max," Rylee said in a hushed tone "What other choice do we have, Emilia." She added, still hushed.
"We fight for ourselves! We can be strong together, all the ten of us; they won't be able to take us all working together down." Emilia said in a quiet voice, but trying to get the point across.
"We have choices, follow the rules and die in this place or escape and finally be free again and I say it's about time for door number two," Emilia told them quietly, "I don't know about you guys but I haven't seen a beach, a real beach, in eight years, I haven't tasted my mother's cooking in eight years, and it's been eight years since I've played in the rain, or worn real clothes and not these damn scrubs. Most importantly we have spent eight years here, completely isolated from the world." Emilia spoke with passion, she's hated this place since she saw it, and it hasn't gotten any better. Rylee shook her head, standing from the table before Jerome brought two fingers up, his pointer and index of his right hand. He held Rylee in place for a moment,
"Rylee, this may work, we just need a plan and some time," Tommy told her, "Hear her out," He said. Rylee sighed, Jerome letting go and Rylee sitting back down at the table.
"You all think this is a good idea? Going up against the people that have held us for eight years without a damn problem?" Rhaella argued, "We'll have our bodies filled with bullets before we make it to the door," She spoke, hand gestures to go with it.
"Just listen and hopefully you'll get behind it," Tommy said encouragingly to Ray.
"Oh, I'm listening," Rhaella told him, “I just don’t think it’s a good idea,”

"Tommy connect us," Emilia ordered. She took his hand and soon everyone else took each others hands subtly, all ten of them were connected through thought, by Tommy of course, 'We talk about this here, and only here, if we do this we do it right,' She thought. They nodded to her, letting her know that they were all connected 'We need to make up a plan. Who here knows the building well?' Emilia asked everyone.
'I do,' Jasper and Jerome said through their thoughts in near unison. They glanced at each other, furrowing their eyebrows towards each other. Jasper shook his head and looked away from Jerome, tuning back into the conversation.
'Ok, what about exits?' Emilia questioned to the group.
'I know there's one, downstairs in the max wing there's a door, I assume it leads outside. I've never seen anyone use it.' Jerome said.
'So walk ourselves to Max for them? Are you guys crazy or just stupid?' Rhaella questioned, rhetorical.
'Ray's right, Max is Max for a reason.' Jasper added.
'It's the only one we know right now.' Emilia thought.

'What about the guards? What are we supposed to do when they start shooting at us?' Jerome asked.
'I don't want to do this.' Harper thought 'It's dangerous, and it's stupid, and you guys shouldn't do it either.' Harper added. Hazel ran a hand over Harpers back "It'll be fine Harper. We won't do this without you." Hazel whispered to her.
"I still don't want too." Harper whispered back to her.

‘I don't think she has a choice.' Jerome thought 'Everyone's up for it except you.' He told Harper through his thoughts.
'She does have a choice; stay and rot or come with us and live.' Emilia thought once again '01, 02, 04, 08; Ray, Rylee, Jerome, and Ricky, you guys need to be wherever the fighting is.' She thought.
'There shouldn't even be any fighting, we leave undetected, and we get far away fast.' Rickard added in, shaking his head subtly and looking down.
'There will be whether you want it or not.' Emilia directed to Rickard, smaller less relevant thoughts like faint, inaudible whispers in her head.
'I'm up for it.' Jerome thought, a slight smile playing on his features and he took a bite of the Salisbury steak in front of him. Rhaella sighed quietly, picking up her tray and carrying it to the garbage, "I'm going to my room." She told them, making her way to the staircase.

"Me too." Jasper said, keeping eyes on Rhaella as she walked away. The cleaner must've come by to clean the apple on the floor.
After putting his tray away he caught up with Rhaella, walking up the stairs side by side "If you're planning something, you're out of luck." She told him.
"I don't plan, just flow," He said, a smirk painting his lips.

The last eight sat around the table "Lunchtimes almost over." Harper said. Rickard cleared his throat, his eyes averting from Rhaella and Jasper back to the others, he nodded, taking his hands away like the others and running them quickly through his bleach colored hair 'Break the connection, Tommy, this isn't happening today, not yet.' Emilia thought, taking her hand away, and just like that the connection between them was broken, everyone now having their thoughts to themselves.

Two short rings filled the one tabled cafeteria. Guards coming down the stairs to escort the remaining experiments back to their rooms. They got up, all of them giving each other a single look before being pulled away to their rooms.

Rhaella sat in her room on her creaky metal bed, Jasper sitting on the floor, the click of the door locking made her skin crawl. Jasper got up from the floor, taking a few steps across the room and resting his hand on Rhaella's knee, golden eyes gazing up at her "We'll be okay, Ray, I promise." He told her, an almost unrecognizable tone of care and comfort. Rhaella looked down to him, shaking her head.
"We're never getting out of here." Her voice shook, crimson eyes glossing over. Jasper stood and pulled her up with him, holding her close to him "I meant what I said." He whispered into her ear "We'll get back Home."