No Current Title (Prologue)

The only sound that could be heard was the baying winds rolling across the endless sea of wheat. Blowing in from the east, they caressed the fields and hills, manipulating the stocks into violent rippling patterns like waves in the ocean. Although the sky was painted in grey and dark clouds congregated overhead, several columns of sunlight managed to push through the overcast and illuminate the wheat, giving it a golden hue. They appeared almost sacred in their radiance, as if gods of old had poured their benevolence upon the earth itself.
The scent of rain was in the air.
As hauntingly beautiful as such a landscape was it was marred by one unholy blemish. A speck of metallic grey in a sea of gold, this obscure structure jutted out from a hillside. It boasted no distinct markings or features, except a lone door on one of its sides. It appeared nothing more than just a strange box constructed of steel plates and screws. It was a foreign and mysterious object, roughly inserted into a beautiful work of art. Not even the light reflecting off its surface was able to numb the ominous aura it emitted.
Then, something stirred within the heart of the metal structure. For the first time in many years, the door began to slowly creak open but stopped after several inches only. Although the air outside was already cold, the draft that emerged from the darkness was infinitely colder. Time seemed to stand still for several long seconds. It was as if the eye of the beast had opened and was surveying its surroundings for the first time. Then, just as it would seem that nothing would happen at all, the face of a young girl timidly emerged from the blackness. Half hidden by wall of the structure, it was ghostly pale. If it wasn't for her vigorous, yet terrified blue eyes, one would have to assume they were looking at a corpse.
Very slowly, she pushed open the heavy steel door with a shaking hand, and began to creep forward from the entrance. The chilling, unfamiliar wind ruffled her unkempt blonde hair and kicked her white hospital gown into the air. As invigorating as it was, it also caused her pain as the gusts tugged at the hastily-torn rubber tubes whose needles were still deeply embedded in her veins. Limping, she took several steps away from her former prison. Gazing out into the wheat fields, she was nearly overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of her surroundings and was forced to steady herself. This being her first time outdoors for the better part of her life, she was in a state of awe. So much so, that she almost didn't hear the multitude of footsteps rushing towards her from behind. But she did hear them, and when she did, her sense of priority took over and pulled her back into to reality. Despite her body being racked with pain and exhaustion, she dashed into the fields as fast as her condition would allow.
Not having made it more than fifty feet from the steel structure, her pursuers burst forth from the doorway. Six in all, they were clad completely in black leather and tactical gear. They wore queer gas masks that hid their faces and amplified their breathing, making them seem odd and mechanical. They each held a large semi-automatic carbine rifle that looked far too heavy for any of them to bear. This unnatural feat of strength made them appear less human than they already did. The red eyes of their masks transfixed on the fleeing girl, they briskly followed her into the rolling plains.
Upon hearing the heavy footsteps gaining on her with frightening speed, the girl grew more frantic in her attempts to negotiate her way through the stocks of wheat. Just as it seemed that she was managing to put some distance between her and her pursuers, she tripped over her own feet and came crashing down onto her already broken knees, sending flashes of agonizing pain coursing through her body. Letting out a faint cry, she tried to regain her footing but stumbled in the process, again crushing her shattered kneecaps beneath her own weight. This time, she was unable to hold back a deep moan of pain and frustration as she rolled to her side, clutching her legs. With the sound of footsteps and crunching leather growing ever nearer, escape seemed impossible at this point. She considered giving up and letting the men take her. Just the thought of how much easier that would be seemed to relieve her agony. However, she could not bare being tied up to that horrible steel table again. Just remembering how cold and unforgiving it felt made her shudder in fear. As the memories of the table began to come back, the terror began to well up inside of her. Her eyes began to water, and she again forced herself to continue running.
Far off over the horizon, the distant sound of thunder was heard. It was something the girl had never experienced before. Had she not been blindly staggering across the wheat fields for her life, she might have stopped to ponder it for a minute. However, she knew that any further hesitation would cost her her freedom, and perhaps her life. While the tall stocks of wheat prevented the figures in black from achieving a clear line of site with their rifles, they we gaining on her. Although she could hear the sound of the pounding footsteps approaching her, she didn't dare look back. Adding to her desperate situation, she had been losing her pace. Almost completely out of breath, she was gasping for air, clutching her chest with her right hand. Her lungs, not used to such overexertion, began to give out and she started to cough profusely. She felt that if she kept going at this rate, she would lose consciousness almost certainly. Also, her broken kneecaps and sickly condition had been hindering her considerably. Every step with it brought a tremendous amount of pain that the girl was forced to endure through sheer will power alone.
Finally, just as is felt as if the barron plains would stretch on forever, she reached a break in the wheat where a small stream ran through the field. As the girl slowly approached the water, its crystalline surface reflected her image as she peered over it curiously. At first, the girl barely recognized the wretched figure staring back at her. Her hair was tangled, knotted and in a state of disarray. Several of the rubber tubes that were inserted into her arms had fallen loose in the panicked flight and small streamlets of blood had begun to seep from her wounds and drip to the pebbles below. The loss of blood was beginning to catch up to her now, and her arms felt weak and frail. Her knees were doubly swollen and bruised than they had been when she'd left the door, and each stock of wheat that had brushed up along them as she ran brought her more and more pain. How they were still managing to support her weight, she did not know. Nor did she care. All that mattered was that they didn't give out until she had escaped.
As the chorus of heavy footsteps grew closer behind her, her eyes wandered to the other side of the stream. Just more wheat as far as her eyes could see. But it didn't matter, she had made it here. It felt like this stream, like the door, was yet another boundary that needed to be passed; another boundary that stood between her and her freedom. She wondered how many more boundaries she would have to cross in order to reach it, but she knew she would have to cross them one at a time nonetheless. She stepped towards the water's edge and cautiously dipped her toe into the stream. But, as soon as she felt the chilling water against her skin, her muscles immediately tensed up and her joints locked as if in some kind of seizure. Fragmented memories of her past began to flood her brain and flash before her eyes. Memories of her thrashing wildly in the dark, submerged under the water as it began to fill her lungs. Memories of being being held down. Memories of her not being able to breathe. Dread began to fill her heart until terror alone forced her to pull her foot from the water. Her body loosened up and her head cleared as she fell backwards. Just as quickly as the terrible recollections had overwhelmed her, they retreated back into the recesses of her subconcious. All that was left was fear and sadness. Her willpower and courage lay shattered as tears began to flow from her eyes, tears that she had struggled desperately to hold back. She looked around, and for the first time realized she was truly alone. No one was there to help or comfort her. Her loneliness finally became too much to bear and she began to sob.
She was not alone for long however, as the six figures clad in black silently emerged from the wheat and stood before her. The girl looked up desperately into the hollow eyes of their gas masks, perhaps searching for a shred of sympathy she knew she would not find. It seemed an eternity passed without movement from either her or the pursuers. The only sound was the rolling winds, the rustling of the wheat, and the strange, lifeless breathing of the masked figures. Finally, the one closest to her brought his rifle to bear and aimed it at her forehead. The girl knew what was coming. She ceased her sobbing, took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She felt somewhat relieved. It was not the ending to her sad story she had envisioned, but it was an ending nonetheless. At least she wouldn't be lonely anymore. Perhaps she knew this was how it would end up the whole time. Maybe this is what she had hoped for all along. Not freedom, but peace. In any case, it didn't matter anymore.
As the clouds finally let loose their rain upon the landscape, the crack of a gunshot was heard, followed by a splash as she fell backwards into the water.