Rancor

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Addie -

All of a sudden, I'm rustled out of a peaceful night's sleep when a sharp pain shoots through my left arm. Reluctantly, I open my eyes, and my jaw drops at what I see. I'm speechless, and I wish I kept my eyes closed; all the while, the pain in my arm disappears from my mind.

Of the variety of places I could be, I'm in a cramped, rectangular cage, sitting a few feet across from a teenage boy; he has disheveled, ear-length, dark chocolate hair and bright, baby blue eyes. A rusty oil lamp sits beside me, making only the boy and the cage around me visible.

My eyes widen. I think, Oh my god. Who is he? Where am I? Why am I in a cage? What's going on?

Hoping this a dream, I pinch my arm -the one that isn't aching - as hard as I can and rub my eyes, but nothing disappears. I frown. C'mon. This can't be real. Cages are meant for rabid animals, not innocent humans. I can't be here. This isn't right.

My mind swirls with questions like a tornado. Nothing's making sense; I can't connect the dots.

Through the dim, amber light, I notice the boy is staring at me. "Hey, I'm Alex," he says. He doesn't smile at me, but he does hold out a hand for me to shake.

"Oh, uh," I stammer, unable to form coherent sentences. Beads of sweat form on my forehead, and my heart beat quickens. It's hard to speak without stuttering. This is overwhelming - and too terrible to be true - I refuse to believe I'm really here. This has to be a dream.

With all the confusion, I feel like I could explode like a volcano at any moment.

"So, what's your name?" the boy asks, not stunned as he notices my calmness ripping at the seems.

"A-Addie," I mutter, playing with the tips of my pale, chestnut hair.

"Uh, are you alright? You look a bit pale," he observes, furrowing his eyebrows at me. Beside him, there's a glass cup filled with water, and he hands it to me. "Here. You should drink this. It will cool the anxiety."

I bring the cup to my chapped lips, and I end up chugging down the rest of the water. I guess I was more dehydrated than I thought.

I mumble a quick "thanks" and he nods. "Now, this is going to be difficult to hear, but I need to you to listen to me and calm down," Alex tells me, his voice lined with concern and discipline. "A group of scientists are trying to create a 'perfect person', and we are their subjects."

I shake my head several times, and I have to remind my heart to keep beating. I think, Not possible. I'm not in this cage. This is a figment of my imagination. The boy and the cage are not real. Besides, why would a human being be so cruel to lock people up in cages? It's unreal.

My breathing becomes ragged and inconsistent as time goes on. Needing more confirmation that this is just a dream, I reach out to grip the cage bars, yet they feel so real. The coldness of the metal bars gives me goosebumps, and when I pull away I see rust coating my fingertips.

Alex leans in and touches his hand to my arm; the warmth of his skin also seems tangible, and admittedly, coaxing.

Wait, what's going on?

"I-I don't under-s-stand," I stutter, a few tears brimming at the edge of my eyes and then rolling down my pale cheeks. I cover my face with my hands and sob like a little baby.

"This is real," he states as if he can read my mind. "I know that's hard to believe, but it's true."

He's right. I really am in a cage.

All of a sudden, excruciating pain shoots through my arm again. This time I can't ignore it. I let out a squeal and grab onto my arm in attempt to stop the pain. Alex looks at me with a curious glance.

"Ouch," I mutter, biting on my bottom lip.

"What's happening?" he asks as he scoots closer to me.

"My arm hurts," I complain, tears still falling.

"This will be the least amount of pain you will have to experience. Every new person that comes into the cages gets an injection," he explains, calm.

Oh great, there are others.

***

Ella -

I lean against the cage bars, and my boyfriend Max does the same. We've been in this cage for quite some time now - three years to be exact - and more than eighty percent of the time we do what we're doing now, relaxing and talking.

Out of nowhere, Max grips my hand in his and massages it with his thumb. "How are you, mon petit chou?" he asks. "You're looking amazing in that worn-out, white nightgown."

I smack him on the back of his head, and he chuckles. "Shut up," I mutter, my lips turning upward into a playful smirk. "By the way, you look pretty handsome in your white jumpsuit."

He rolls his eyes, knowing I was joking. I run a hand through his dark blond hair, and, of course the moment I pull away, he fixes his hair like the perfectionist he is.

"So, you didn't answer my question. How are you?" he repeats, his voice soft and delicate. "As your boyfriend and best friend, I demand to know how my sweet Ellie feels." He's so dramatic, I think to myself.

Despite my thoughts, his words make me smile wide. I'm so lucky to have a funny, caring, boyfriend like Max. He makes me feel so happy, even though we're locked in a cage and experimented on daily.

"You're the best," I mutter, releasing his grasp and leaning my head against his chest.

He bends down and kisses the top of my head. "No, you're the best, and don't you forget it."

Oh my gosh, he's so cliché.

---

Hello, and welcome to my story, Rancor! Let me know in a comment whose story do you like the best so far (Alex and Addie or Max and Ellie)?

Vote and comment if you like the story! Thanks for reading.