Hide-and-Seek

I stripped out of my clothes, keeping only my bra and underwear on, and crawled into my bed.

“I can’t believe it’s been two years,” I whispered to myself. “It feels like it was only months ago…”

Exactly two years ago Doctor Crampton, who I now know as the Tracker, used my body for an experiment that I still don't know much about to this day, which is probably the only reason I'm still hanging around. The operation didn't go as planned, and I woke up too early. They didn't have time to completely insert my memory back into my "new and improved" brain, that’s what they called it when Sean was there; new and improved. Anyway, I panicked right when I woke up unable to move. I was strapped down to an operation bed, my vision was blurry and I had no fucking clue where I was. They told me to calm down, to let them explain to me where I was, and what was going on, but I didn't calm down, and I wouldn't let them tell me anything...and then everything went black. I woke up to a loud beeping noise, like an alarm, only it didn't sound like it was coming from the building, it sounded like it was coming from my head. I kept my eyes in slits, and looked at everything threw my eye lashes. All of the people around me in lab coats were calm and obviously didn't hear the alarm-like-sound.

Beep, beep, beep. Pause. Beep, beep, beep. Pause. Beep, beep bee-

I got it to stop after about the 10th round of beeping. At the time I didn't know it, but all I had to do was concentrate on the sound, and it would go away. Oh, and there's usually a message after the beeping. I freaked out when a heard a voice talking to me...in my head. This is how I met Sean. He told me to act like I'm still asleep and wait for the beeping again. I decided I would listen that time to avoid any chance of blacking out again. He didn't make me wait long, maybe 5 minutes or so, and the beeping started again. I got it to shut up on the third beep that time. Now, was all he said and an explosion sounded right after. I opened my eyes and felt my ankles and wrist go free. I jumped off the table and fought my way to the exit. I had to dodge needles, bodies, machines, but somehow I made it to the front of the building and the automatic doors opened immediately, and shut just as quickly. I didn't make it very far after that. I felt two arms wrap uncomfortably tight around my shoulders, and then it got hard to breath and I took one quick gulp of air. Next thing I knew I was falling from a ceiling (the ceiling to Sean's basement that happened to be pretty damn high) and I landed with a crack. I screamed out in pain and a boy (Sean) ran over to me yelling profanities.

...And that's all I remember from that day. Sean explained to me everything that he knew about the experiment and what the beeping was. Which, by the way, is the messaging system they programmed into our “new and improved” brains. Somehow Sean changed the channel they were on so only he and I could "beep" each other. He tried to explain it to me, but I just didn’t catch on. Oh, and about Sean. He had the same operation as I did...Well, almost. His operation was little different from mine and it didn't necessarily go wrong, but it didn't exactly go right either, I guess. I was designed for stealth and speed (hence being able to get away during the escape at the Lab) while Sean was designed for well...we're not completely sure yet. They did something else to him other than mess with his brain, that much is pretty clear. He can...teleport? I don't know what you would call it. He can't go all over the world or anything. There's a border that allows him to go about 100 miles past it, but only for maybe 20 or 30 minutes. The starting point is his basement, which is actually just the lower basement to this underground, abandoned building. He found it while he was doing a "mission" (which is more or less like a training session) the scientist sent him on before he realized there was something wrong with him. His next "mission" he was sent on, he never came back to the Lab, and the scientist never found him. A year later he returned and rescued me before they could do whatever they were planning on. He’s also amazing with computers. I mean, like, genius status. He said that he was already good with them before the operation, but after it... you get the point. My theory is that they created him as a type of defense and I’m an offense. Like in soccer, or basketball; I was made to attack, and he was made to defend.

I only remember things like, how to speak and everything I learned in school. I can’t remember where I used to live, my family, not even my name – that’s why the Tracker started calling me M.I.A. which was given to me on our first encounter since I escaped from the Lab. Sean and I were trying to retrieve more information to understand the experiments they were performing, and we decided to go on a day they were out "hunting" for, what we thought were new test subjects; they were really out looking for their old ones. We crossed their path on the way to the Lab, they got way to close to capturing me, but at the last minute I was saved by Sean-like always. Anyway, the name just sort of stuck, and soon Sean was calling me Mia too, and whenever I made contact with any of the other scientist that’s what they referred to me as.

And that's who I am, or who I'm not. I am(not) Mia.