Elemental

Sometimes I wonder what the world looked like before it's beauty was stripped bare, by humanity. The effects of global warming and the extreme pollution humans created had all but destroyed Earth. Now it's a wasteland that is dry and unfit for humans long term survival. My parents told me about how years ago there were many animal species, the greenery was something unimaginable by us and the population was enough to cause concern. I found the stories to sound much like fairy tales as I look out our window and see nothing but barren lands. It seemed hope was something far too precious to hold onto as more people were dying from the heat and malnutrition as plant life has been scarce. "Lia!" My mother calls as I look away from the window. I walk out of my room and feel the ground shake our wooden shack of a house. "What's happening?" I ask my mother and she looks slightly concerned as she walks inside the house, clutching something in her hands. She's holding a letter. "You've been selected." I look at her with wide eyes as I knew it meant I'd be taken away. The process of getting a letter and being taken away started around fifteen years ago, ten years after a meteor had struck earth. It's said that scientists have been working on a way to save the planet with the meteor and that it required human testing. I tried not to pay attention to the rumors but I knew being taken away by the government meant I'd never come back home. "They're almost here." My mother whispers and I take the letter from her. "You'll have dad." I reassure her as she envelopes me in a tight embrace, not letting go even as the ground settles and the trucks park. "I could talk to your father." My mother says as a loud knock sounds on our hollow door. "Don't." "We can't fight this." She looks away as I knew her eyes had started to tear up. She won't cry in front of me as I won't cry in front of her. I walk towards the door with tears in my eyes and hear the sniffling of my mother in the background. I'm sure she's looking out the cracked window, wishing this was all a dream. I wanted to comfort her but I knew as I opened the door that all my human rights will now be taken away from me. "Lia Allen?" I hold out my letter and they take it. It isn't even a letter as all that's written is my name. They use a unique hole punch before giving it back to me. "You'll need to show it at the gate." I nod as I numbly feel myself surge forward by the grip of the man next to me. He must be the one who's meant to escort each person. Does the forceful nature of this mean I'm being sent to my death? I can't assume such things. I have to stay positive as we once got letters saying that when someone leaves... it will be to save our world. I have to chose to believe in those words as I'm seated in the back of a military truck. I knew it would be a mistake as I look out the back, towards my home. My mother finally turns towards me and her tears continue to fall down her cheeks. I'd give everything I have to comfort her but my life and my actions are now in their hands. I look at the man across from me as he takes in what's happening. "You're one of the lucky ones." He scoffs at me as I give him a questioning look. "You won't end up in a body bag, like the rest." My eyes widen and the reality of my situation truly sinks in as he rolls his eyes. "Let's get going." He yells before tapping the tailgate with his hand. The truck starts and I gaze out the back, watching my home fade into the desolate landscape. I could feel each bump as we drove over the rocks and was fascinated by the feeling. I'd never been in a vehicle, like this. My father would let me sit in his but never was I aloud to go to the cities, later I learnt it was for the fear that I'd be selected for scientific studies. Now I sit here and wonder if the homeschooling and isolation was worth it. I still got chosen despite my parents extreme measures. "We're almost there." The man who'd been rather ignorant of my existence says and he looks at me with a sly grin on his face. He obviously knows something I don't. The truck pulls to a stop and I hear voices. "The last one?" A man says as he comes into view. He's in a white coat and seems to be checking my name off a clip board. "Bring her." The man in front of me hauls me up as the other men open the tail gate. I'm yanked out of the truck rather harshly before I'm thrown into another set of arms. "My shift is over, you can take her from here?" He gives a hard look to whoever is holding me. "Right." He says softly and it soothes me to be in the company of someone that can express compassion. The brute of a man walks away before the one holding me steadies me on my feet. "I'm sorry about him." He releases me and scratches the back of his neck with nervousness. "I assist one of the many doctors here." "I usually don't talk to any of the subjects." "Subjects?" He seems to realize what hes said is quite rude but brushes it off. "Follow me." I'd tell him no but what other choice do I have. We walk around the truck, when I'm suddenly blinded by lights. These must be the city lights. "You've never been here, have you?" The doctors assistant asks me and I shake my head as I stare in awe. He doesn't say anything for a moment until a few men who must have been talking to the city guards walk back. "You must come now." His hand latches onto my arm and he pulls me along, after him. "Have fun with your new toy!" One of the men say before they hop in the truck and drive away. What did he mean? I feel the hand on my arm tighten and wince. He continues to pull me till we walk through a door with a full body scanner. We enter into a pristine building. Never have I seen such a color of white as it coats everything from the floors, walls and ceilings. I'm not able to give it much thought though as the man holding me throws me into the center of the room. A clear tube suddenly comes up from the floor and traps me inside. The man that was holding me smiles as he sees me stand up and walks towards the glass. I place my hand on it and hit it a few times, testing its malleability. It's solid and I feel my fear sink in. The man who pushed me in here is now getting a device out of his pocket. He suddenly starts pressing on it before more people show up and surround me. "What's going on?" I say and the man from earlier laughs. "Indron." A man steps up and takes something from the man who put me in here. "I'm the doctor as many of you call me, though I am much more a scientist than a doctor." "Let me out." I say even though I know they have no intention of doing so. "You seem to still have some fight in you." The doctor says as he steps forward to observe me. "Most of them accept the situation they're in at this point." "Why, because I'm locked inside here!?" I start to pound on the glass as the fear of death creeps in. "They usually try to run when we first show up or when the truck stops..." "I even had Treno sent out with sedatives and darts, yet you're the only one who didn't try to run until we had you in a cage." "I find that interesting." "You must run either very cold or very hot." He taps the glass in a mocking way before he steps back. "Lets put it to the test, shall we?" He presses something on a clear pad that he has and I feel something run through my body. I see a white and orange aura as what feels like energy surges through me. "This will only hurt for a moment." Treno says with a smile and I knew then that this place was filled with monsters. That there isn't a kind soul alive that lives inside these white walls. The energy continues to build as my body starts to burn. A scream echoes throughout the room as my flesh must be on fire. It consumes every inch of me as I hear the people outside clapping. "My daughter!" The clapping ceases and voices fade as my senses are heightened with in my pain. My eyes open at the sound of someone calling me daughter and see my father fighting through the people, to get to me. Is he a monster too? Is my only question as my vision blurs and the pain subsides. I hear another scream that does not belong to me before I feel the impact of the floor.