Iridescent - Chapter 2

OoOoO

The nurse told me that there weren't many survivors. I was one of a few they expected to live after the disaster. I guess I should have felt good about that, but I didn't.

I was trapped in a dingy little hospital room. It was one of a few rooms with actual windows. The windows were dirty, but the sun still managed to shine through and warm my room. The room was equipped with an old CRT television. The nurse left me with a few novels and magazines of varying content, but never did she leave a newspaper or magazine. Needless to say, I wasn't allowed access to the Internet. What I was allowed was an old Nintendo 64. Something I didn't even know still existed. I felt like I was in a prison—like I was being punished for surviving.

Oh that's right. I belonged to Providence. This was all part of the experience.

"Many reporters want to talk to you." My nurse said through a heavy accent. "We have an armed guard outside your door. To protect you until Providence arrives to transport you."

I grunted, and paid no more attention to her. I stuck my nose back in my game and tried to forget about—it. They denied me Internet, phone, live TV, and even a chance to talk to another human being. It was disgusting. Why even keep me alive?

An array of medical equipment hummed and beeped, all performing a specific function to keep me alive. Even though it's been two weeks since the disaster, my body still ached and felt sore all over. My legs were weak from however long they'd kept me in there and probably didn't work. Not only was I imprisoned to the hospital room, I was imprisoned to my hospital bed. That's why I played on the N-64 so much. It allowed me to escape reality, escape that awful hospital room, and escape my memories. No wonder Rex has decided to go.

OoOo

I was asleep with my novel open on my chest when I heard the door open. I opened my eyes lazily thinking it was my nurse coming to finally put me out of my misery; but no, it was two different people. It was a male and female dressed in suit and tie. They walked in expressionless and went for the two chairs that had been placed near my bed. The male offered the his colleague a seat, before seating himself.

"Max," the man started talking while flashing me a shiny gold badge, "I'm Special Agent Richards with the CIA. To my left is Miss Lanfen from the NASA investigatory team."

I looked them over, including their credentials. They seemed awfully young, but what did I know I was a weapon.

"I don't care. Get out."

"We're here because of what happened." Richards continued. "You're property of the American government. I'm here to hear your story and protect you. Lanfen is here, because of what happened to their property. We come on equal footing to hear out your story and gain insight on what happened. And maybe…just maybe…prevent it in the future."

I laughed.

"Did I say something funny?" He asked.

"You think you can walk in here and start demanding answers?" My throat ached, but I continued talking. "I don't know what's really going on but my business is strictly saving lives from EVOs. Not government conspiracies and NASA whatnot."

Richards sighed. "Teenagers..."

"Grumpy bald people..." I mimicked.

Richards eye twitched. "Right now, you can help us with valuable intel. Don't you want to help? How did you survive? What exactly happened?"

"Heck if I know how I survived." I stared up at the ceiling.

"Why don't you start in the beginning?" He pleaded.

"Because it's painful and I don't want to."

It was Lanfen's turn to speak next. "Please Max." Her voice was angelic. It also struck me how the light reflected off her eyes. "We understand what happened is uncomfortable. But what you tell us can probably help us save lives in the future."

I looked into her purple eyes, my own dirty reflection showing back at me.

Richards pulled a small audio recorder from his suit jacket and hit the record button. He set the audio recorder on the desk adjacent to the bed.

"Let's start from the beginning." He lowered his voice and tried to sound empathetic.

Forget him. I knew his tricks. I didn't want to re-live what happened.

But a small part of me did.

OoOoO

"That was the last thing I remember." My eyes were wet and my throat stung as I tried to fight back tears. "Next thing I know, my legs are broken, and I feel pain all over my body. And Providence delivers me to this lovely room with no internet or even access to the news. I don't even know what happened to my new friend Lucy. Much less will anyone tell me." I took a breath. "I hate my life. Why am I still alive?"

Richards took the recorder and stopped recording. "Thank you for sharing your story Max." He said.

"I don't know what use my story is to the CIA or NASA." I said. "It's not like I saw anything useful." After a second thought, "Any word of what's going on with the Pack or Rex?"

"They're around." Lanfen said giving a smirk. "A lot closer than you or anyone think."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "Wait, what?"

"We will be heading back with your story and we will—" He shook his head. "I...Lanfen. I'm sorry. I can't keep this up any longer." He grinned at me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

Lanfen stood up and walked towards the side of my bed so that her pretty face was above me. She smiled as she looked down at me. I started to involuntarily tremble in my hospital bed. "My my. Don't you look positively delicious." She used her tongue to wipe the fronts of her teeth. "I can't wait to see how you taste."

"Y-y-you?" I stammered. I reached for the hospital remote and started pressing the Nurse button repeatedly.

"It's not going to work." Richards said. "Everyone here has been taken care of." He smiled.

"W-w-why?"

"Why what?" He shot back. "Why we destroy that city? Or why did we come here to talk to you? Speak up boy! You're supposed to be Providence's special boy!"

I nodded. I felt my heart thumping fearfully.

"My girlfriend and I thought it would be fun to go on a rampage." He wrapped an arm around Lanfen's waist. She looked up at him adorningly. "Let me tell you, the party was amazing. Especially at that school with everybody screaming their little heads off."

"When we heard of you and how you had managed to find a survivor," Lanfen said, "we just had to come meet you. Before Providence had a chance to get to you. We wanted to hear what it was like in the aftermath." She twirled a finger through her hair. "But we knew you wouldn't talk to a couple EVOs who killed so many people." She burped. "So we put on this fake show for you. Thanks by the way. For the story."

"You did all that?" I asked. "You put Lucy through all that?"

"Lucy?" Richards smiled. "So that's her name."

"Mmm, she sounds scrumptious. Her parents along with the many others were oh so delicious as well." Lanfen patted her stomach. "You will join them soon enough. Is that alright?" She cocked her head to side.

"Excuse me." A voice started from the door.

We all turned and looked into the face of an obviously irked Doctor Holiday.

"I don't know what you two think you're doing in here. But if you don't get away from my patient immediately. I'll have my assistant personally throw you out." She pointed at Sixx standing immediately behind her with two grunts.

"Well if it isn't Providence's infamous Sixx." Richards growled. "Sorry to hear about what happened to Rex."

Sixx didn't respond, instead drawing his Katana counterparts.

"Figured as much." Richards backed to the windows and shrugged. "Lanfen. Come get away from Max."

"But-"

"Now Lanfen."

She nodded, pausing to lick my right cheek before bounding over to his side.

"Until the morrow Max." Richards waved, jumping out the window with Lanfen.