Instinct

Chapter 10 -- Anthony

I shook my head in uncertainty. This whole situation was surreal, like it was ripped straight from the dreams of my brain and laid out into real life. No matter how tightly I closed my eyelids I'd open back up to those two silvery doors of the elevator with the warped images of Tracey and I. Splotches of dull lighting from the fixtures above us reflected off the doors and tingled my eyes a bit.

What the hell was I getting myself into? What was I getting Tracey into? Why was I so stupid to let this woman along? I couldn't even guarantee a safe fate for her in the near future of whatever laid beyond these doors. For all I know we could be detained for trespassing, or even worse now that I thought of it, treason for getting Crimson back. Should the opportunity present itself. There would be some kind of severity to our punishment, depending on what happened next. I was willing letting Tracey just come along even knowing of the monumental risks that lay just ahead.

Would I even be able to get to Crimson at all? Where would I even take her afterwards? Back to the apartments? It seemed viable, but I knew I could only focus on one task at a time. That being handling one thing at a time with getting to the cell of Crimson's.

I was more worried for the safety of Tracey than myself. She willingly wanted to make herself apart of this and knew the risks involved. I should've persisted to push her away from this. I barely knew the girl, this wasn't something to let a stranger into, no matter how much her dreams called for helping the unknown in whichever way possible. Looking over to her now, I could see a glimmer in her eye that read 'peaceful'...

Peaceful? No. She just seemed content almost, like this was something she was used to. Or maybe waiting for an opportunity like this. I felt a whelming pang in my chest that cried out that this was all wrong.

But deep down, truthfully, it felt rather comforting to have this...

familiar

...stranger by my side. Besides for the fact that she had powers far beyond any other faction's comprehension and their own strength: she was a soothing entity to be around. The few sentences I spoke with Tracey were nothing but genuine and intriguing. At least on my end. I felt like I understood her more than myself the more I thought about it. Tracey was unlike anyone I ever met before, because I could instantly feel myself connect with her spiritually.

There was no way I could tell Tracey to turn back now, it was long since past the point of no return. Whatever fate was held for us after the elevator stopped and let us out was far beyond our control.

The elevator doors opened up to reveal another hallway ahead of us. This one was more spacious on either side of us, as there were spaced out cells that stretched out ahead. Light fixtures were placed on the roof that faintly lit up the corridor in a angelic white light. A singular sign was hung from the roof that clearly showed where we were, as it read: "Holding Cells A1-C7".

So I was right. They were taking Crimson to the holding cells. There was no clear and defined reason as to why she deserved to be put in one. Unless it had something to do with the injections, since she was the only one to receive the serum, then maybe it was Zoe's and the Council's plan to have only one person get the injection and then have that person brought back to them to see the long term effects of the patient. That's the only viable answer I could think of.

Up ahead in the farther end of the hallway were the two Xultant guards still holding Crimson.

"There she is" Tracey whispered more of to herself than to me.

We waited for the two to turn the corner with her, but instead they remained put at one of the cells at the farther end of the corridor The Xultant holding Crimson's upper half shifted his strength to one arm while he pressed his thumb against a black monitor that was built to the left of the individual cell. The electromagnetic force field dissipated in a quick swipe, making it inactive. Both Xultants walked out of view, going into the cell, and leaving it without Crimson. They both left the cell and turned the corner to leave the area.