Holly continued with her introduction of her mindfulness session. I wasn't paying attention to a single word said because I was busy imagining how it was that the Pied Piper officers were intending to use the gas canisters hidden within the walls throughout the facility. Did they plan on blowing the entire underground complex up in one go, burning and burying everyone alive? Or was their plan to unleash a lethal gas to kill us all in a matter of minutes to then clear out the dead bodies? The latter seemed more likely because of how efficient it seemed.
Whilst it was entirely possible they could blow up the entire facility it also seemed like a lot of destruction to kill around two hundred teenagers. I figured it was more likely they would want to kill us all with lethal gas, remove our dead bodies, and then invite a whole new wave of teenagers to the facility to repeat the process.
I smirked because it seemed darkly funny to me that I had bemoaned having to breath ventilated air at the facility at all times, not suspecting the ventilation systems would be the key vector which the Pied Piper officers would use to kill us all. Other than escaping to the surface, or going deeper down the facility (if that really were possible) there wasn't any way for us to avoid breathing in any toxic gasses.
"Okay everyone," said Holly, clapping her hands together, "Before we begin I would also like to explain what it is we're aiming to achieve with these sessions."
She began to walk anti-clockwise around everyone and we all turned our heads to follow. I could see Holly had a strong build, like a farmer's wife, and she spoke with a faintly posh accent. She was pretty but not to the degree Tiffany and Mikayla had used their powers to remove their numerous (normal) blemishes and tiny imperfections.
"The world around us isn't just the material," she said, "Every child understands innately that there is a supernatural element to life and that there is a higher power which shapes our lives. But as each of us grow we lose this innate understanding replacing it with nihilism, materialism, video games, movies, parties; whatever we can to fill that void that is left inside of us."
I could see Holly wasn't just reading off a script, every word she said she spoke passionately, her hands pressed to her chest. My initial reading of her was that she genuinely believed the spiritually she was selling.
"The world," she said, "Wants to remove you from your power. Wants to place women in domesticity and men into toxic masculine energies. The world wants us blind to our own divine power. Well I say there is another way."
Holly stopped a quarter of the way circling the group. She stood before Jay who gazed up at her as if she were a celebrity.
"The journey I'm asking you all to join in with me on is one that is not new. For thousands of years ancient knowledge has been passed down, refined, and shared to those open to discovering it with a clear mind."
Holly began to walk back to where she had started speaking. Although I could only see the back of heads for the most part I got a sense that most present were enraptured with what Holly was saying. A lot of them must have already heard similar things spoken by Holly before, whilst others were at least open to the idea of a 'mindfulness session' and thus were more likely to be drawn in by the flowery pseudo-spiritual things mentioned.
How did I end up here? I thought, my mind thinking back all the way to having the discussion with my friend about whether being evacuated was even a good idea in the first place. That's how, I thought, and you've only got yourself to blame for it. Idiot.
"Are there any questions before we begin?" said Holly.
Jay shot up his hand.
"Yes," said Holly, smiling.
"Why is toxic masculinity bad?" said Jay.
"Because," said Holly, "The masculine and the feminine energies are like the sun and the moon and should be complimentary and not opposing. It is a patriarchal mode of control to define someone's identity in a way which isn't on their own terms. The patriarchy says men must be tough and aggressive and shouldn't listen to a word a woman says. The patriarchy also says women should make themselves small, seen but not heard, like children unable to think for themselves. You cannot unlock your divine power if you rigidly define your own identity by society's standards."
"Men should help women, support women, be allies for women. Men should stop trying to lead the world with their toxic energies because where has that led us?"
"War," said Reece.
"Yes," said Holly.
"95% of homicides committed by men," said Christopher.
"Exactly," said Holly.
"How 'bout the invention of the lightbulb, ay?" said a distinctly Scottish male voice.
Heads whipped round to a young man, about my size, with brownish hair almost reaching his ears. He wasn't particularly big but there was something steely and tough about the way he fixed his gaze on Holly.
Holly's eyes narrowed on him.
"Or what about the telephone? Soap? Cars? Electricity itself, ay?" said the Scottish young man.
"Do you think these inventions are truly helping women?" said Holly, "If you think about it-"
"-Oh I am thinking 'bout it," the Scottish young man said, cutting her off, "I'm an ally to women and all that, but what I cannae stand to hear is this brow-beatin' on men as if civilisation as we know it wannae built on men's hard graft."
"You're not understanding my point," said Holly.
"Then what is 'ya point?" said the Scottish young man.
"My point," said Holly, getting aggravated, "Is that these inventions are means of patriarchal control."
"Oh," said the Scottish young man, "And I 'spose you would rather go back to caveman times, ay? You wanna go have ya' babies in a ditch somewhere, is that it?"
"You're clearly performing the same toxic role many men feel they need to," said Holly.
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The young man stood up.
"So I'm toxic because I point out a simple truth like men invent things?" he said.
Christopher and Reece shot up and, in the blink of an eye, took on monstrous forms.
Reece took on feline qualities; cat eyes, pointed ears, sharp teeth with two long fangs; a nose that was half-human-shaped and half shaped like a cat's snout. His hands had claws which were pointed and long enough for me to see from several paces away.
Christopher took on a different form; his eyes blackened completely, becoming shiny like 8-balls, and his nose took on a similar snout, albeit one which made his face appear longer. His ears grew out bigger than Reece’s and he also took on the same kind of teeth and fangs. His arms underwent the most drastic change, extending out to a length that his hands – each with two fingers fused into large hooked claws – stopped at his calves. The overall effect of a bat-like appearance.
The Scottish young man threw up his hands, clearly not prepared to be faced down by two monstrous looking teenagers.
"Get out," said Christopher, "Now."
Throughout all this I had initially been delighted to hear the young man speak up on behalf of men. It was common sense that men happened to be the inventors of a lot of the world's great inventions. I hadn't expected however for such a rabid response from Reece and Christopher at the slightest push back from someone not already on board with their beliefs.
"Do you wannae go?" said the Scottish young man, having found his courage after the initial shock of being fiercely looked upon by the transformed pair.
Reece and Christopher looked back to Holly as if for permission to set upon the young man. I felt myself inch up a little ready to jump into the fray if needed – it was hardly a conscious decision on my part; if things were going to kick-off then I would involve myself.
Holly strode clockwise this time around the circle – everyone was on edge now; with more than half of everyone present looking venomously at the young man. I spotted Mikayla and Tiffany and saw they too were looking at the young man with narrowed eyes and their lips curled up, fangs showing just a little.
Holly came to a stop about two paces away from the young man.
"You can here to learn how to be better," said Holly, "Didn't you?"
"I came here because I thought we'd be doing something relaxing, I'm all in-ta meditation. But I'm not seeing nae meditation happening here. You-s have lost it."
This time it was Holly's turn to undergo a sudden transformation. Within a matter of moments her face became feline, menacing, with the same sharp teeth and fangs, pointed ears, and cat-eyes and snout. Her hands grew sharp claws too. But the transformation didn't stop there; additionally she seemed to grow by about two inches, her entire mass increasing; the muscles in her arms, torso, and legs bulked out visibly in the same way mine had when coiling. A feline growl which reminded me of a cougar built in her throat. I also couldn't help but notice there was actual feline-like hair in a light fuzz across and around her face and over the backs of her hands.
Amazingly, despite all this, the Scottish young man continued to fix his attention on her with a steely gaze. It was clear he was taking the confrontation seriously but he wasn't shaking in his plimsolls either.
"You dae nae wanna do this, hen," he said, "Trust me."
Holly took a step towards him.
"Hey!" I yelled.
I was standing now.
"What do you think you're playing at?" I said, "Do you want the Pied Piper officers to come in here and kill us all? Don't you see the cameras?"
I pointed to the cameras which were dotted across the exercise area; there were enough to cover every inch of the space.
"What do you think the rest of the world is going to do when they see you lot like this?" I said.
It was maybe the strangest experience of my life to date to be stared at by a lethal, muscled young woman with heavily feline features. My mind and body was having a flight or fight response the same way I would if I were face to face with a ferocious tiger snarling at me with hate-filled eyes.
Holly's cat-eyes looked from one camera to another. The growling in her throat continued to rumble.
"We want the world to see us," said Holly in a slightly deeper, more monstrous and feline voice.
Blain stood up next at my side. He didn't say anything but a quick glance told me he was ready to throw down if need be.
The situation continued to escalate. Adam sprouted up next and so did Jay and Amar.
Adam took on the same monstrous feline appearance I had seen him flash for a few moments before back in B-6. Jay took on a wolf-ish appearance, and Amar also a feline one.
Tiffany and Mikayla remained sat on the ground, their initial hostility towards the Scottish young man replaced with confusion over what to do. Neither had taken on a monstrous form yet.
"You're no longer welcome," said Holly, "Get out."
She looked down at everyone sitting. A half dozen teenagers, likely the ones who had also come along to see what the mindfulness session might offer, were trembling at the sight of the monstrous teenagers looming over them.
It was then I noticed constrained breathing coming from Adam.
"Ah!" He cried out, "Ahh!"
His monstrous form became even more monstrous; muscles bulked out across his body, as well as a layering of blonde fur around his face, over the back of his hands, and faintly I could see the fur had grown across his body. His plimsolls exploded with the growth of his feet which were arched in a feline way with sharp claws as well.
"What's happening to him?" said Christopher in a panic.
"He's losing control," said Holly.
Her monstrous form, though scary to look at, also took on a somewhat pathetic look as her fierce gaze become one of concern for Adam. She moved towards him as he lurched forward, holding his temples.
"Ahhh!" He screamed with what little remained of his normal voice, the next time he screamed it became the roar of a lion.
"Adam please calm down! It's okay! It's okay!" Holly cried.
She put a hand on Adam's back just as his spine seemed to grow bigger, each vertebrae pressing deeply against the back of his overalls. His clothes were ripping from the increasing bulge of his muscles; he grew by several more inches and his hands and feet and every other part of him became thicker, having the same kind of weight and bulk that a real lion would have.
Adam stood upright, and then reared his head towards the ceiling and let out a fierce lion's roar. His overalls ripped in various places unable to constrain the size of the beast he had become.
"Adam!" Holly screamed.
Adam roared and swiped at her, his claws drawing sharp lines of blood across her face in deep gashes. Holly screamed and jumped back with a superhuman level of agility and grace, no doubt, because of her feline body.
Many of the teenagers, including those who hadn't changed but were in support of Holly before, desperately climbed to their feet and made mad dashes towards the exercise area exit.
Adam roared and was clearly completely lost to the beast he had become. His heavy body began to thunder towards the Scottish young man.
The Scottish young man turned and ran away joining the others desperate to get to the exercise area exit. Those that reached the exit however quickly found the doors were locked. They banged on the doors screaming to be let out.
Adam didn't pursue the Scottish young man at a run, but he did move forward at a walking pace, his hands extended out as if intending to grab the young man in his clutches.
Tiffany and Mikayla and the rest of the teenagers who were loyal to Holly gathered around her body which was prone on the ground. Blood was leaking from her face as she wailed like a cat in agony.
"We need to do something, man!" said Blain, grabbing my shoulder hard enough to hurt.
It was enough to take me out of the daze I had been in watching everything unfold. It took a few moments of dazed thinking to come to my senses.
"Right," I said.
I pointed to Adam who was continuing his steady approach towards the young man and all the other teenagers screaming in vain to be let out of the exercise area.
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse the group which formed around Holly backed away, several of them also screaming in fright. Holly was also losing control of her power.