Jan 28, 2020
Naively, I thought everything would be okay when we got outside. Freedom is in the sun, right? Freedom is outside, away from what lay behind that horrible metal door, right?
So wrong.
Outside was fenced in, surrounded by sky-high, white brick walls. There was a giant courtyard, yes, full of lush grass and more plants that looked exotic and unfamiliar. Walkways wove through the grass with soft-looking benches lining the sides. Men and women, no children I noticed, thronged the area. They seemed happy. Were they happy?
Seven pulled me down a dozen steps, and pushed me to the left, following a path leading to a round, egg-shaped building. Thinking we were going to go in and maybe meet a worse fate—for me anyway—I elbowed Seven in the side. He groaned but didn’t let go, and continued to push me forward.
I was relieved, and audibly sighed, when we didn’t go through the big front doors but headed through a small opening in some bushes that lined the side of the building. With wide eyes, I entered, hoping nothing would bite me or eat me as I ventured into the unknown. Again, I had absolutely no idea what to expect in this strange world and my mind was going to some dark places.
On the other side of the bushes, Seven, still silent, opened a white metal door that matched the building, and shoved me through.
As I entered, I saw a long empty hallway. The door shut behind Seven and the hall became dark. I couldn’t see anything. So I just stood there.
Seven pushed me forward. “Move,” he commanded.
Slowly I walked forward. I could feel Seven’s impatience, but my reluctance was stronger.
We walked maybe a hundred feet in the dark before Seven halted me. I heard him fumble with something on the left wall and then a creaking sound.
“Here,” he said, “come in here.”
I let him pull me inside another dark place. The door squeaked again, then a click, and the room was filled with light.
I looked around. It was a small room, maybe eight by eight feet, square. The walls were dirty white and empty, except for two orb sconces that lit up the room. On the floor were two pillows.
“Have a seat,” Seven commanded, pointing to one of the pillows. Slowly I obeyed. Seven took the other and turned it to face me.
He sighed, looked at his hands, then back to me. “Who are you?” he asked.
“Who are you?” I asked back, defiantly.
“Okay, okay,” he said. “I clearly haven’t earned your trust.”
I glared. Or my cooperation, I thought.
He sighed—again—and looked at his hands—again. “You can see things,” he stated when he finally looked at me again. When I didn’t say anything he continued. “I saw what you saw, the desk behind the wall, the four people in the room with the table, your memory being wiped. You were scared, rightly so, of course. But in a different way, like you had no idea what would happen.”
He paused, as if wondering how to choose his next words. “You’re not from here, are you?”
I smirked, “Isn’t it obvious?”
Seven cocked his head. “Where are you from?”
“Why should I tell you?”
“Maybe I can help.”
“Ha!” I scowled. “Now you want to help me?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, I didn’t know before. I didn’t know….” Seven rubbed his hands through his hair. “I mean, um… I don’t know what I don’t know, I guess. I’m very confused.”
“So am I,” I mumbled, looking away.
“But,” Seven went on, “you have the sight? You can see things?”
I sighed, “That’s never happened to me before. I don’t know what just happened.”
I looked up to see Seven lost in thought with his eyes closed. He looked, I don’t know, scared, maybe. Worried. Plotting. But why?
After a moment, he opened his eyes, leaned forward and asked, “Are you a seven?”
“What does that mean?”
“You know, a seven, a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter?”
“Yeah, but what has that got to do with anything?”
“Everything!” Seven shouted, exasperated. “Why are you making this so difficult?”
“You made it difficult first! You dragged me to that room in silence and then brought me here. I have absolutely no idea what is going on and no one seems to want to help me!” I sighed deeply than growled, “Bah!” letting all my exhaustion, confusion, frustration seep out.
With a gentle tone, Seven mumbled, “I’m sorry. I was just doing my job.”
“Yeah, well…”
“But,” Seven’s commanding tone returned, “you’re in danger here and I think I’m the only one who can help you.”
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