Solitary

The sound of doors closing behind me filled me with rage. Slamming my fists against the doors must have muffled the sound of someone coming my way. A peppy voice from my left shocked me into a defensive pose. With my body in a boxers position I turned to see a petite young lady within arms distance of myself. "You must be the new girl they mentioned earlier, my name is Hannah", she extended a tiny hand out to me. I looked down at her hand while crossing my arms over my chest. Hannah dropped her hand quickly slightly embarrassed by the weak smile she tried to give me. The sound of someone coming our way alerted the both of us. My head turned to the left to see a tall lanky person with dark hair the length of their shoulders come around the corner.

"Damnit, you always beat me to meeting the new ones Hannah", the lanky one said in a husky voice. "You know I'm assigned to give the tour to the new ones Eds", Hannah said turning towards Eds with her hands on her hips. Seeing Hannah in that pose brought a tiny smile to my face. I hadn't seen anyone make that kind of pose since before the incident. The lanky one came closer to have a look at me. "What's with the glasses?", he asked after taking a longer look at my face. "I need them or I won't be able to see shit", I said while looking him up and down. Both Hannah and Eds chuckled at my remark.

"Well let me introduce myself, I'm Ed and you are", he said extending his hand towards me. Before I could reply Hannah interrupted me, "She doesn't like to be touched." Looking from Ed to Hannah I said, "I go by they/them pronouns and my name is Z." I didn't wait to hear either one of them to respond when I turned to walk away. "So Z what's your ability if you don't mind me asking", Hannah asked next to my left. She didn't seem to be having issues keeping up with my stride. "Mine is speed", she said with pride in her voice.

I took longer steps and Hannah was still there waiting for me to answer. After making a turn with her still following me I decided to tell her off, "Look! I just want to be alone to process what has just happened to me. I don't want to your friend and I have no issues beating you to a bloody pulp if you don't leave me alone right now". Seeing Hannah stunned in place brought a smirk to my lips. Seeing the dead ahead I turned back around to the original spot.

Ed was leaning against the wall where I first left him at. Hearing him following me was no surprise. "I can't stand chatterboxes, so if you're anything like Hannah just save your breath and leave me alone", I told him. A few seconds passed before Ed replied with, "You need to be careful around Hannah, she's relentless when someone pisses her off. It also doesn't help that she's Armstrong's niece either." Ed said with a tiny bit of concern on my behalf. Hearing that news didn't disrupt my stride. Ed chuckled all while not missing a step next to me.

A deafening bell rang so loud I had to cover my ears. Once my hands lowered off my ears Ed said, "That bell means its lunch time." He tilted his head for me to follow him. Ed led me down the same hall we were already walking through, after taking a right then left we were met with a line of people waiting to be served in a massive cafeteria. I could see Hannah in the front of the line with nine people behind her not including myself and Ed. I wondered to myself how could she have gotten to the front if she didn't pass either one of us. Ed noticed that I was lost in thought. He cleared his throat before saying, "It's kind of ridiculous to have this building dedicated to only 12 people now". "You'd think the shock collars we have to wear along with the tracking bracelets would be enough to monitor us. The government must be really scared of us to have armed babysitters here to keep an even closer eye on us", I said moving slowly with the line.

Finally seeing soldiers on either side of the entrance didn't phase me at all. I saw Ed behind me and asked, "What's on the menu for today?" Ed gave me a small smile that barely showed the dimples he was hiding, "It's the same thing everyday, gruel made out of vitamins and proteins that taste like shit." Hearing a joke in over ten years made me chuckle softly. Before I knew it there was only Ed and myself waiting to get our food from what looked like a dumbwaiter. The door opened on its own, there was a tray with a bowl of gruel and a spoon next to it.

With the tray in hand I side stepped so Ed could get his glob. Seeing how big the cafeteria actually was didn't make finding a place to sit at any easier. All the tables had at least two seats, of course everyone was already paired up close to Hannah. Well everyone except for someone who appears to be male, around my height, keeping his head down. There appeared to be something around his mouth that I didn't get a good look at.

"Just follow my step", Ed said while walking ahead with his tray in hand. We completely avoided everyone else in the room, he chose a table that was close to the wall. Before he took his seat he placed the chair to the back of the wall. "My dad used to quote The Godfather whenever he had the chance", he said while watching me fix my own chair to keep an eye on the guards. "'Always sit with your back to the wall?' My dad used to say that, too", I replied.

Looking down at the glob in my bowl wasn't appetizing at all, my stomach made the choice for me to eat anyways. Ed let out a small chuckle of his own then asked, "How long has it been since you've had cafeteria food?" Bringing the spoon close to my mouth I said, "About ten years and a few days since I've had junk like this." After swallowing the first bite I had to fight a coughing fit to keep myself from gagging. "That's everyone's reactions for the first week or so", he said in between swallows. "It doesn't need to be chewed so it's best just to swallow as big a spoonful asap", he said after shaking down the last spoonful in his bowl.

Taking his advice, I wolfed down what was left of the glob in my bowl. With my last spoonful going down my throat I looked out at the rest of people that are imprisoned here. I noticed that everyone else was at least in their late teens or early 20s. Ed saw me observing everyone here. "Is it just me or is everyone here look a little young to you?", I asked curiously. "From what I know everyone here got infected around the age that their at now. No one has aged since then", Ed said.

I looked back at Ed quizzically, "How old were you when you got attacked?, I asked." Ed looked down at his hands while his brow furrowed, "I was 18 when it attacked me." His voice took a deeper tone than before. "Has it been 10 years since then?" I asked again. Ed looked back at me with a question of his own, "Did it happen at night on a Friday the 13th?" Feeling my eyes widen in over a decade felt strange and slightly painful. "It was September 13, 2o13", I said in a hollow voice.

Memories of that night came crashing back to haunt me. My chest tighten from the seatbelt holding me in place, the wind roared against our car, rain hit the windows furiously, then seeing my mom and dad lying there bloody and dead. Tears begged to be released from my eyes. I could barely see, let alone hear what Ed was saying to me.

From what I could see he was trying to snap me out of it. Left with only one last option Ed extended his hand out to touch mine. He barely touched my fingers when I yelled, "Don't touch me!" Ed jumped back in his seat while everyone turned to stare at us, the guards aimed their riffles at my head. I looked everyone in the eye for a second, "WHAT?! Are you going to shoot or not?!" The guards lowered their weapons and everyone else averted their eyes, going back to talking to each other.

I turned my head to look down at my clasped shaking hands on the table before meeting Ed's gaze. He was looking at me with such deep sorrowful eyes. Before I could say anything he tilted his head for me to follow him again. Seeing him grabbing his tray I did the same, that's when I noticed everyone was following Hannah with her tray. We were the last ones to dispose of ours back into the dumbwaiter.

Seeing everyone follow Hannah wasn't a surprise, it felt like high school all over again. I looked up at Ed again and didn't see much in his face. If he was upset or embarrassed he hid it very well. "You strike me as a reader or a type of artist", he finally said when we were out of earshot. "I used to read and draw whenever I had the chance, that was of course before being attacked", I said.

We turned a corner to find a large room with two tables a few chairs and a book shelf against the wall. "This is one of the few places we are all allowed to be in without any restrictions so far", Ed said going to the book case. "The book collection here is atrocious, if you can even call it a collection", I smirked at his sarcasm. "We used to be able to draw on canvases and have easels, but there was an attempted break out so they got rid of it. Only a handful of us can draw anymore, that's if you don't mind being watched like a hawk doing so", he said looking at the bare red wall. "Lately I've been the only one coming here to be alone", I could hear the sorrow in his voice.

"Did you know them? The people who tried to get out?", I asked him looking for guards. Ed saw me keeping an eye out and replied with, "Guards only watch over these places when there is more than two people in one room. They usually just monitor this area when its just me" he said pointing at all the cameras. "To answer your question I didn't know them well", Ed said. "Although the guards did make all of us watch them die", he said keeping his voice leveled. "Was it the collars or?", I asked. He nodded the sound of two pairs of boots coming our way alerted the both of us. "When they come in follow me", he whispered while having a book close to his mouth.

Hearing the guards coming our way made my body tense. Ed noticed and changed the subject, "Want to know why Hannah calls me 'Eds'?" I tilted my head at the sudden random question, I said with a shrug, "Why not?" "I would like to say its due to my ability, but coincidentally there are two guards here named Ed as well". With a smirk lacing my lips I said, "Of course Hannah is a bootlicker."

The sound of the boots stopping in place was followed by me feeling 10,000 volts run through my body again. I turned to see which one of the guards did it this time. Ed pointed at the shorter one, who looked to be about 5'8'' and said, "That's the guard Edwin and his partner Edgar". I gave them both a death glare through my glasses. "Well we really should be going to the rest of the areas we're allowed in", Ed said while walking in front of me. The guards watched us leave their sight.

Ed took me down the same hall we came from. Passing the cafeteria to a room the same size where we found everyone else. It seemed to be the tv/game room. Everyone was either watching an old movie or playing even older games from consoles that are no longer made. "This is the place where everyone becomes a gamer", Ed said gesturing to the open room. I recognized all the games from my childhood.

There were more guards here, two at the entrance along with one in every corner. I had to stifle a snicker seeing the guards, Ed noticed and waited for the joke. "Looks like the guards are in the corner for being bad." Ed had to cover his mouth from laughing so hard. Seeing that we were about to be the middle of attention again, I moved to the side and Ed followed me.

Once he was done laughing Ed led me past the room to follow him down another long hall. "This is the hall that leads to all the rooms we've been assigned to live in. When the bell rings at night that's our cue to come through here. You don't want to be caught outside of your room when the lights go out", Ed said while looking back at me until I nodded. "If you somehow get out of your room or try taking the bracelet off an alarm will go off for something worse than the guards to come after you." Ed looked back at me again before continuing his speech. "Something that sounds like an animal roams these halls only at night and it's ravenous", Ed saw that I wasn't impressed with his story. "The first and last time I heard someone trying to escape at night barely lasted a minutes before she started screaming", seeing Ed's shoulders tense told me he wasn't lying. "By the time morning came all that was left of her were blood stains. The guards made us clean up the mess", he said while we turned another corner.

Ed stopped in his tracks to face me with his back to the wall. "I'm sure you've noticed that this hall doesn't have any cameras around", he said taking a glance around. He pointed at a small room that anyone would miss if they weren't looking for the doorknob. "Go in there now, I'll be in after walking for a bit, don't lock the door", Ed said in a whisper. I looked around before entering the room.

While I reached my hand out to grab the knob I heard Ed walking away like he said he would. Once inside the small bathroom I left the light off. I didn't need it to see myself in the mirror, even with my glasses on. It was the first time seeing myself in my original form since the night of the attack.

The phrase 'skin and bones' is an understatement I thought. I barely had a chance to eat while being on the run for 10 long years. I'd eat once maybe twice a day if luck was on my side. Before I could see more of myself the door opened behind me. Ed pushed his way inside.

Turning my body to face him Ed put his hand on my mouth whispering, "I can't have you yell or they'll send us to the pit." My body started shaking when he took his hand away from me. Feeling my legs about to give out I sat on the toilet seat as quietly as possible. Ed turned the light on to get a better look at me shaking on the seat. "This is one of the few places we can talk without having to be worried about someone hearing or watching us", he said in the same hushed tone. "Before you came here the guards would gossip about one of us that could manipulate shadows. Is that you?", Ed asked. After inhaling deeply I nodded my head.

"I'm sorry I touched you again", he said looking down at me. I shrugged in response to that, "It's not your fault that I've got issues." Ed said, "I'm also sorry that I lied when I said I didn't know the people who were executed", Ed paused to inhale deeply. "They were my friends, we met in this room to find a way out. We had a plan for all of us to get out together", Ed had to swallow his tears before finishing. "That was the night we found out that something lurks at night to hunt us if we try to leave", Ed said with sorrow lacing his voice. "The next day we had to clean up what was left of Sarah", hearing his voice tremble I looked up at Ed. He was holding back tears when he said, "She was the youngest amongst me, Dan, and Sally; they barely lasted a few hours after cleaning up the blood", seeing Ed cry made my heart drop. "Sally tried breaking the outside doors and Dan fought off as many guards as he could before they were shocked into submission. When they woke up the rest of us watched as the guards set the bombs off on their collars", Ed's voice was shaking along with his body.

Finally getting a grip on my nerves, I took a deep breath and stood up to get a better look at Ed. With what little space we had between us I whispered, "Is it ok if I touch you?" It took Ed a second to process what I said. He nodded his head gently, I barely touched his hand when his arms wrapped around me so tightly. Feeling his body continue to shake my arms reached around his lanky frame to rub his back gently. Feeling him relax with my touch reminded me of when my dad used to do the same for me.

Having no idea how long we had been the in restroom let alone holding each other made the sound of someone walking down the hall all the more frightening. We both must've heard the footsteps simultaneously. Feeling my body freeze while my mind ran with worst case scenarios Ed rubbed my back gently. Before I could make a sound I buried my head in his chest breathing in his musk deeply.

Hearing the footsteps get closer our grips tighten. At some point we both stopped breathing. Whoever was walking down this hall is on the other side of this door. The footsteps moved passed the door, they didn't even knock on it. We both relaxed while exhaling our last breathe. Feeling Ed's heart continue to pound against my ear reminded me that we were still holding each other tightly.

Feeling my body relax in what felt like a lifetime I looked up at Ed. He looked down at me and whispered, "We need to get out of here. I'll go first, wait until you hear a knock from me to leave." I nodded my head while we let each other go. Sitting back on the toilet I watched him leave quickly. Ed's footsteps echoed down the hall and back again. Feeling myself holding in my breathe again I exhaled hearing a knock along with Ed's voice on the other side saying, "Anyone in there?"

Hearing my cue to leave I got off the toilet, turned the off light, and opened the door. Seeing not only Ed on the other side surprised me a bit. Ed saw my head twitch from him to the person behind him. He turned to introduce us, "Hey Mat, this is the new detainee Z." Mat was about my height and looked to be a year or so younger than myself. He was also the person who had the metallic mask covering his mouth. He looked at the both of us and nodded his head before going into the bathroom.

As the door closed Ed leaned in to say, "Mat is a little shy and goes by he/him pronouns. Did the guards tell you if you're in solitary or?" I looked down at my bracelet and said, "Armstrong said I'd be in solitary due to my ability and the danger threat." Ed didn't look surprised at hearing my answer. "Looks like you, me, and Mat are going to the same area tonight. Makes it easier not having to split up by the time the last bell rings."

I raised an eyebrow after hearing that both Ed and Mat were going to the same area as myself. "So you and Mat are just as dangerous as I am huh?", I said with a smirk. Ed looked down at himself then took me in fully, "Is your head really that big to think no one else can be as deadly as you are?" Looking Ed in the eye for a second I asked, "Have you or Mat ever killed anyone before?" Ed broke eye contact while his hands balled into fists, I struck a nerve there. "Ed's a vegan and they make him eat animals to see which ones he can turn into. While I have killed at least 20 guards due my commanding voice." I turned to see Mat no longer hunched in a shy manner, he was standing at eye level with his shoulders back and his brows furrowed. Hearing his voice for the first time I snickered and said, "Was I talking to you Dark Helmet?"

Hearing Ed trying to cover his laughter made me laugh harder. Mat wasn't amused at my comment yet still chuckled begrudgingly. When the pain began in my sides I started taking in deep breathes. Ed's laughter began to subside as well. "You're the first person who has referenced a Mel Brooks movie based on my mouth guard", Mat said in the same distorted tone. Ed inhaled deeply before saying, "Due to Mat's ability the guards have to take severe preconscious for him. The reason why he has this mouth piece is to keep him in line with the rest of us. The only time he can removed it is in the cafeteria to eat. He rarely ever talks due to the relentless bullying."

"Well now I feel like an asshole", I said with a shrug. Both Ed and Mat nodded at my comment. I decided to ask, "Where is the solitary area?" Ed looked down at Mat, they both gave each other a small shrug. I followed behind Mat with Ed at my side. We walked down the long hallway, about halfway there I started seeing doors with names on them. The first was obviously Hannah's along with everyone else's that I didn't care enough to read.

At the end of the hall there was a very thick steal door with the word Solitary above it. On the right side of it there's a rectangular scanner for the bracelets. Mat scanned his, the door made a small beep sound before it slid open. When he walked through the door it slid shut, the scanner made a deeper beeping sound, and then turned red. After a few seconds the scanner changed from red to green, Ed did the same and I waited to be let in. Once the scanner turned green again I brought my bracelet to it. The same sound was made while the door slid open.