Between Disreality - Snippet #03

“Wake up…wake up…wake up!”

Kayel surfaced from the depths of unconsciousness, finding himself tightly ensnared in a straight jacket while strapped down to a metal medical table. The table sat in the padded room center, the air thick with the scent of disinfectants. Groggily, Kayel lifted his head to see that he was not alone. Two guards stood at the security door while three doctors in lab coats murmured in the corner by some desks.

“You’re going to allow them to hold you like a crazy person?” a familiar voice echoed inside his mind. Kayel shook his head, pursing his lips.

Of course not…he thought. I just need to plan out my escape.

“If you hadn’t been playing “Hero,” these fuckers would have never caught you.” the insanity reminded him.

Kayel grimaces. The memory of the little girl trapped in a blazing building burned itself into his mind’s eye. Remembering how he instinctively transformed into a ball of light to slip past the flames unscathed, he wondered how he accomplished that momentarily. He managed to save the girl by gingerly carrying her out a window. Then, as he was catching his breath, a couple of soldiers came up from behind and knocked him out cold.

This was a terrible place to live, honestly. Punished for saving the life of a child because you used unholy powers to do so. What a cruel fractal.

“Enough self-pity! If you don’t hurry, they’ll knock you out again.” the voice barked.

One of the research doctors approached him, a needle in hand, while the others trailed behind her. Kayel struggled against his straightjacket, cringing away from the sharp device.

“Now, just relax.” the head doctor soothed, but her eyes spoke maliciously, “I just need a few samples of your blood and tissue, then we can get you back to your cell…”

His eyes fixated on the needle; the young Lumarian man knew he had to leave — now. They would test after test, most likely to determine where his abilities came from and when they were satisfied? He doubted they would return him to the public.

Just as the needle was about to pierce his skin, he clenched his eyes shut and then disappeared. Confused, it took a moment for them to realize what happened as a dim light hung above them.

“He’s up there!” one of the male doctors called out, pointing at the ceiling. The guards lifted their rifles, aiming at the light when the brightness intensified and blinded them. Attempting to cover their eyes with one hand, the soldiers fired rounds off into the luminous void.

After a few seconds, their vision adjusted enough to see in front of them. It wasn’t until the shine wore off that they saw the researchers on the ground, dead, their faces melted from the powerful blast.

Sirens blared throughout the underground prison while guards sprinted, searching up and down the halls. But no one noticed the strange, dim light floating above them, flickering as it pursued freedom.