Adam: The last man

Chapter 22: Like an animal

Teresa walked desperately from one side to another in a white room when Carla appeared, looking at her angrily.

"Release him!" Teresa demanded as soon as she saw the woman. "Don't do anything to him!"

"Stop talking nonsense."

"Please, don't do anything to him," she begged.

"Shame on you! Traitor! You dared to want to hide a potential danger for us!"

"He is not like the men they mention in the documentation!"

"Of course it is. It's just another man, and there was no distinction between them!"

"Yes, there was! He is not bad! Please, listen...!"

"No! And that's enough," the woman said through her teeth. "How long did you think this would last? Hiding that thing, like it was even valuable."

"What do you say? He is valuable!"

"It is worth nothing. You know it. It is one more male but from another era. It will only ruin our existence."

"He is valuable to me!" the girl exclaimed, clenching her fists. "He has feelings. He has personality, perhaps as much or more than many women who live submerged in their trivial things. He has dreams that he never fulfilled..."

"Ugh, this can't be possible," Carla interrupted in disgust. "You have fallen in love with it," she said as if it was the most aberrant thing she had ever seen.

Teresa was speechless. Yes, she was in love with him, she had a day and an afternoon to show it to him, begin to assimilate it, and enjoy the feeling that he corresponded to her... And now, she didn't know where they had him.

Anguish devoured her.

"Guardians have searched your house..."

"And my mom? Don't hurt her!"

Carla smirked.

"Not yet."

"She has nothing to do with this!"

"Drones."

"NO!" Teresa screamed, unable to defend herself when two drones dragged her to another room using the magnetic bracelets. "Leave them alone!" the girl screamed again, kicking desperately.

The impact against the floor knocked the air out of her. The door closed before she could reach it after quickly getting to her feet. Teresa collided with it and screamed, but nobody heard her.

Her eyes widened, the air rushing through her nose; the first thing she noticed was her heavy breathing. She screamed again, hitting the material, and got horrified not to hear any of it. 

Silence. 

She was hearing her breathing and the beating of her heart.

The girl covered her ears, beginning to get exasperated by those noises and sounds inside her body that would not go away. The room absorbed all sound waves except those from her organs. Panting, Teresa closed her eyes, releasing a moan that didn't sound either. She slid into a sitting position, trying not to end up unhinged by the infinite silence outside and her heart's constant and desperate beat.

Would they have her mother and Adrian under torture like that?

Her lips still vibrated with memories of their kisses. She clenched her teeth, tears welled in her eyes, and she began sobbing. Teresa allowed herself to be overcome by the bitter cry. She barely heard the echo of her voice in her head, but not outside.

***

The women watched the man in a white-walled cell from a second level. He touched the material. It was like glass, enough to alert him that he was possibly being watched.