Control

xv | lauren

OUR WORLD WAS BUILT IN A WAY THAT A GROUP OF SLIGHTLY ABNORMAL TEENAGERS WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT CRUMBLE TO THE FLOOR.

Maybe that wasn't the best statement, considering that these "slightly abnormal teenagers" were able to control minds.

The world for sure was coming closer to a state that I wasn't sure we were going to be able to recover. Especially if the Institute wants to get rid of most of the population, leaving it to the hands of a group of people who were barely adults and over intelligent monst- er, teenagers. It was hard to tell if there were any buildings that were unharmed. Everywhere on planet Earth was mostly just a wasteland, piles of rubble everywhere.

It was like a scene in a dystopian movie, which was a movie no more.

This is reality.

It wasn't just us doing the destruction anymore. Somehow, the Institute was able to get chips into the majority of the population, giving them a simple program to easily get them to argue, fight and possibly kill each other. It messes with a bunch of brain waves, and I can barely understand the process. At least, technically, I'm not responsible for that.

Mind control is a tricky thing. The way the Institute does it is that people with microchips in them - anywhere in them - are easier to control, and it helps to control a large group at the same time. You don't need to control them completely, but the simple instructions given to them are ones they will follow. They have to. It's the ones without chips that are harder.

And then there's Aidan, who's a whole other story. I can't control him. I guess that's kind of a good thing, though. I don't really want to be controlling him, do I? He's probably my closest friend, we've been through a lot together. Now I don't even know if he considers me a friend.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." My mother's voice echoed through the room. My eyes didn't leave the glass in front of me, which just consisted of the forest outside my window. It reminded me of the freedom I once had, even if it was only for a few months.

"I feel awful," I muttered as she brushed her hair through my long hair. It rested on my shoulders, weighing more than it usually did. "I still don't understand why..."

"You did what you thought was right-"

"I killed someone by my own will," I shot back. Every death from before still haunted me. Every time I heard a trigger being pulled, the target being someone I love. Every time I used my powers to harm someone. Every one haunted me, and I'm sure pulling the trigger on the King of our country will be something I won't easily forget. "Aren't you mad, Mom? I thought you all were friends."

"Lauren, let me tell you something." She had me sit in a chair. "You are a fool if you think any of those kids you hung out with think of you as a friend. None will look at you without wanting to hurt you or think of you as a monster. If you don't have a good hold on Tyson, at the sight of you, they will lock you up. If they can."

"Thank you for the encouraging words." I get up from my seat and started to search for a spare hair tie.

"There's no point in thinking of them as anything but your enemy."

"What about Spencer?" I haven't talked to him in a while. The last time I saw him was just a glance, at our little scene at the palace grounds. There was a look of disappointment... no, surprise? It was something I didn't like to see on his face.

"What about him?"

"He's my brother. What happened to blood is thicker than water?"

"What am I to you?"

I didn't respond right away.

Spencer, I thought, trying to see if he can hear me. Spencer, talk to me.