I’m floating in a sea of fluffed-up white. I’m drowning in it, my thoughts as slow and staticky as though they’re being pushed through cotton balls. But it’s not as though I’m unaware of my surroundings…
It’s simply that I’ve been drugged.
“Sheesh! Careful with how you move her. If you drop her too hard, she’s gonna wake up!”
That’s a man’s voice, gruff and callous. I think his hands are wrapped around my ankles, from the pressure and shooting pains that are present at those joints.
“I bet she doesn’t have long to live though, anyway… does SkyFarm seriously care about these guys that much?”
That’s a second man, about the same age as the first. He’s a sarcastic, bitter creature who’s clutching both my shoulders. Together these grunts are floating me amongst the clouds; I refuse to open my eyes and break this soothing illusion.
“If you damage one of those test subjects, my father will be quite mad,” a young woman finally cuts in. “Just put her on the pile with the other ten, and I’ll start the game very shortly. I can’t believe you’re both ranking members of the company.”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
This last interjection is from the voice of a girl around my own age, but as soon as I hear each person I immediately forget what they sound like, soft tones slipping away from my mind. I’m then dropped coarsely onto a flat stone floor. And just lie there, limp.
I’ve given up.
I should be wondering when I’ll be back at school, pushing myself through each awful subject til the bell declares I’m freed. I should be wondering who these people are, the woman and the two mysterious men treating me like a lump of incredibly unprecious cargo. I should behave like a heroine, struggling to force open my eyes, striving to hold on to even a sliver of memory.
But I really just don’t care.
I just feel incredibly tired.
***
A calm voice flows into me, rich and soothing, as clean and gentle as a white prince’s from a dream. It is a voice I could fall in love with, if I were a girl who was interested in princes.
“Good morning. You’re the fourth person awake.”
“Just let me sleep a little longer… just five minutes more,” I murmur, snoozing.
“That’s fine, Ms. Snake.”