Conspiracy Theorist

Adam awoke to Gem’s obnoxious gravelly voice. “Get up, rats, time for day two.” She cackled and a brilliant light about made him go blind. He ran a hand through his brown hair and rolled out of bed. Adam grunted and held his pounding head; he definitely was not a morning person.

He was only focusing on his own misery and managed to walk into another body. He looked down at Scar’s beautiful face and remembered what he had heard last night- her sniffling. She must have been drying and he felt a pang of guilt. Unlike him, she probably had a family back home that loved her a lot. He wished she was back home in a happy household- the kind from a sitcom.

“Sorry Scar,” Adam mumbled.

“It’s okay,” she replied and her eyes drifted to the scars on his arms. Their eyes connected and to Adam, Scarlett was the only thing in the world.

“Hurry up! I don’t have all day, rats.” Gem’s comment broke whatever connection he and Scarlett had.

***

They all walked out in the jeans and T-shirts provided for them. Kasper’s gaze trailed Jason’s fit body and he smiled with delight. That was a man that got to the gym.

None of them had any idea what sort of challenge they would have to face today. Kasper’s ears perked up when he heard the faint sound of barking. He went still and his face lost all its color. No, anything but dogs, he wished. His father always sent his Rottweiler after Kasper when he was mad, drunk, or bored. He had the scars- physical and mental- to prove it.
Jocelyn must have realized his discomfort because she drifted closer to him. “Don’t worry, Kasper, their just dogs. You’ll be okay.” He wished that was the case, to add onto everything he experienced the past day he couldn’t add dogs to the mix.

“Speak for yourself.” Kasper’s face was grim as huge, rabid dogs where dragged into the room by men in protective clothing. The rest of them looked not very happy, but fine. He was completely and utterly scared all by himself.

Jason’s smooth like honey voice penetrated Kasper’s self-pitying thoughts. “This is a special bread of dogs invented in our labs,” he gestured to the growling beasts, barely restrained but the chain leashes. “They have no senses, except for sight, and we’re going to send them after each of you. One of you will turn invisible and the dogs will lose you.” He turned towards Adam, “You, since you already discovered your power, will not participate.”

Adam scowled, obviously not appreciating being left out. He clomped over to where Jason and Gem were sitting and flopped onto the bench, seething. Gem looked at him, clearly amused.

Kasper gulped as the largest animal set its sights on him. “Run!” Jason yelled and the beasts were let loose from their confinements. Kasper didn’t need to be told twice. He let his spindly legs carry him as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Jocelyn and Scarlett got the same idea and they all booked it out of the dogs’ path.

***

Scarlett trembled with fear as the bear like dog backed her into a corner. She still saw Jocelyn playing cat and mouse in the background. And Jocelyn was definitely the mouse. Her gaze landed on her own “cat” approaching her.

It snarled menacingly and foam dripped from its mouth. Scarlett closed her eyes and waited for it to pounce. She didn’t feel a bite. Looking in front of her she noticed it on the ground, unconscious. A tranquilizer dart stuck in its neck and a man holding a gun approached it. She let out a breath of relief.

Jocelyn stood a few feet away and Kasper was nowhere in sight. “This is so weird.”

Scarlett let out a squeal and jumped about a foot in the air. She looked at the space before her and Kasper started to slowly materialize, it was like watching him start blurry and slowly come into focus.

Judging by his wide eyes and pasty skin she knew he was just as shocked.

***

Adam and the others were led into a cafeteria sort of thing. Just like everything else in that damn place, it was brilliant white. In the massive room there were dozens of tables. They all plopped down at one.

Adam glanced around and took in the fact that they were completely alone. He tapped his fingers on the table and it echoed around. Jocelyn’s gaze snapped around, following the traveling sound.

A man in a white uniform came up to them and dropped a pan of some sort of goopy soup, the sound was ear-splitting and Adam momentarily went deaf. Scarlett winced, Kasper’s hands shook, and Jocelyn kept her face impassive but her eyes flickered gray.

The man traipsed off, leaving the prisoners alone. Adam cleared his throat, “So how do you two know each other?” He made a sad attempt at conversation.

Scar and Jocelyn exchanged a look. “We were best friends at our old school.” Jocelyn stated matter-of-factly.

“What about you two?” Scar was trying to be civil, unlike her friend.

“We went to the same school.” Kasper stated timidly, his hands were still shaking. That was an understatement; Adam had bullied him, thinking he was a big cool jock. It was what was expected for him to pick on the nerd.

“I wonder why they kidnapped us with someone we knew from our old lives.” Scarlett thought out loud.

Adam knew the answer but he wasn’t sure if he should voice it. It wasn’t exactly the most pleasant reason, but he decided these people deserved to know. “The guy who was there when I woke up told me it was so we’d be less inclined to run away.”

Scarlett got some red in her cheeks with anger, but she kept her mouth shut. She couldn’t believe they were as low as to try and cheat them into not escaping.

They continued to eat in silence.

***

Scarlett jogged around the fenced in area outside and soaked up the sunlight. Jocelyn and Kasper were playing Poker at a picnic table and Adam was shooting hoops.

They got an hour each day to do what they wanted outside. It was the one pleasure they were awarded for their days efforts. Scarlett’s Nike clad feet pounded on the track and she thought about how she had just been transferred from one hell hole to another.

“Hey,” Adam said, coming up behind her. She looked up at him into his gorgeous, deep, green eyes.

“H-hey,” she stammered. He smirked as if knowing how his close proximity affected her.

“So where are you from?” Adam inquired, trying to strike up a conversation with the blonde.

“Louisiana, what about you?”

“Michigan. So I’m sure your parents are probably freaking out looking for you right now.” Adam wanted to get an insight on her past.

“Nope,” she said, popping the ‘p.’ “My mom never wanted me, she’ll be glad I’m gone. If she ever sobers up enough to even realize I’m not there.” Adam immediately felt terrible, but the look in Scar’s eyes told him she had accepted it a long time ago.

“Yeah, my mom and dad won’t care either, besides the fact I won’t be there for them to take their anger out on me.” Adam stated and once again Scarlett’s gaze drifted to the damage on his arm. “It’s not that bad here; I’m away from my mom so she can’t do something like that again.” Adam mentally slapped himself, he had never told anyone about his family before. Why would he tell her?

But then again, he trusted her, he knew she wouldn’t judge. She stuck her hand out and traced a finger along one of the crude marks. He shivered from her touch.

Then she surprised him by sliding the sleeve off of one of her shoulders revealing a huge mark. It looked as if someone had taken a knife and scraped the first couple layers of her skin off. It was a terrible scar and Adam couldn’t even imagine how much it must have hurt.

“One of my mom’s boyfriends gave it to me. He was pissed when I wouldn’t have sex with him.” She then pulled back her bangs to reveal a scar along her hairline. “My mom gave that to me because she thought I was trying to steal her boyfriend.”

Adam wanted to say something to make her feel better but had no idea what. Instead they continued to run in silence, both of them wallowing in their memories. They still had a half an hour left and he reached to the depths of his mind for something to say to Scarlett. He came up empty handed and still they continued to run.

He had a feeling she hadn’t told many people about her abusive mother and he felt honored that she would confide in him. Still they continued in comfortably silence. The only sound was their feet thumping on the ground and the occasional competitive comment from Jocelyn or Kasper.

Suddenly Scarlett grinned at him. “Let’s race!” She took off leaving Adam in the dust.

“Oh no you don’t!” He cried after her and took off in a sprint.

“Slow poke!” She shouted and laughed as she pumped her legs harder.

He was slowly gaining on her and he was laughing too. He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her back. He released her and flew past her. “Hey! Cheater!” Scarlett cried and Adam heard her come up behind him, he stuck out an arm to catch her so she wouldn’t pass him. He didn’t expect her to jump on his back.

She looped her arms around his neck and he laughed with her. He didn’t even bother trying to shake her off; he was having too much fun. Kasper and Jocelyn gave them weird looks from their vantage point, but Adam wasn’t about to decipher why.

Scar’s warm breath tickled his ear and he shivered. The sun beat down on them and Adam couldn’t help but give a genuine smile. He couldn’t remember the last time that happened. He didn’t want to remember how he’d sworn to himself he was never going to become attached to anyone ever again. He forgot all about that- for now.

Running with Scarlett made him think about how maybe, just maybe, things here wouldn’t be so bad.