Chapter 8.4

I loitered on thoughts of escape when I was escorted back to the room. If I escaped, it would mean we would all have to leave the FDD, or they'd just force some other poor child to do their experiments. If we left, we'd be at the mercy of Garlantia- we'd have two enemies to think about. I didn't want that. If the war ever ends, then we'd be screwed either way- we'd have nowhere we could belong.

Naturally, my thoughts then deviated to the consequences of our outburst. My behaviour directly reflected onto the other kids- whether we could be of use or danger to be eliminated. We shouldn't have been aggressive; they'd use it against us… But there was no use searching for alternative courses of action when it's all over. I needed a way that I could turn things around to our advantage while playing the obedient participant. I wished Theo was there to talk things through. I sighed, and laid back on the hard bed.

And then, just when I started to doze, something dark is in my face. I flinch in surprise and Rex clambers off my chest. Despite his cowardly demeanor, he was happy to see me; his ghostly tail throbbed back and forth, which was difficult considering he was attempting to sit patiently, but his tail wagged so vigorously at his bottom couldn't reach the floor.

"What are you doing so far away from Tommy?" I muttered, then noticed something tied around his neck. There was a thin collar with a small oval capsule tied to it. With a little difficulty I dislodged it and Rex, having achieved his objective, jumped from the bed and flitted around expectingly. The capsule was made of two parts that joined at the middle, when twisted, it came apart to reveal a small cavity, which contained a thin roll of paper tightly wound. There wasn't much space to write so the message was written in shorthand.

Gralantia= coming. WL + SM planning escape. Wait 4 Rex.

My heart raced; I turned the paper over in my hands, hoping there was something more, but the alternate side was bare. I had nothing to write a reply, so I wound it up in the opposite direction, so the writing was now on the outside and slipped it back into the capsule- message received and understood.

"Good boy." I muttered. Rex waited until the researchers came with food and slipped out behind them, running between their legs. The words swam around my mind, and the shire briefness frustrated me. How did they know Garlantia was coming? What's their plan for escape? Wait for Rex? What's Rex going to do? How far out is the Garlantians? Does Raven know? My thoughts did circuits with these questions, but stuck where I was, I couldn't come to any conclusions.

I didn't sleep much that night. Apart from almost losing Shadow, Garlantia was also on their way, and I had no way of communicating with Theo. I just had to wait nervously for Rex to come again.

In the morning I was taken straight to the experiment room even before I'd eaten or had a chance to have my morning piss.

"You must know there are consequences for yesterday's actions." Dr Linderman sat across from me once again, expressionless and unmoving, his hands knitted within each other comfortably.

I resisted the urge to scoff at the man. I sighed, it wasn't totally unexpected. It was a damned if I do, damned if I don't situation, and of course, he'd use it for his own gain. That's the sort of people they were.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"I'll have to report to Raven that the Shadows can be dangerous."

She knew that already. Sargent reported back everything he saw when we were in Cenderhan, which is what landed me here in the first place- reports that Shadow is dangerous wouldn't exactly be news to her. But I didn't think that was what he really meant.

"What would that mean for the other children?" I asked, reading between the lines.

"They would have to be detained as well."

"They haven't done anything wrong. Their shadows are harmless."

"We received a report of one of our researchers getting bitten by one of these harmless shadows."

Damn it. I bet they cornered them or threatened them in some way… Theo's plan didn't win over the FDD even if the whitelisted knew they weren't monsters. If something like the incident in the canteen happened again without Theo or Bella around, then it's not surprising then their shadow lashed out to protect them.

"Are they okay?"

"The researcher is fine. It was only a small bite."

"I meant the child. You didn't hurt them, did you?"

A hint of a smile crept onto his lips, but there wasn't any warmth in it. "No, the child ran away before any of our security could catch him." But if they had caught him, then what? There was a threat somewhere there in what he wasn't saying.

"What do you want?" I asked.

He wasn't surprised at my question, "I want you to tell me what you haven't. I think you know more than you're telling."

"And what if I don't?"

"I believe I've already explained that. I'm sure you're aware that your people aren't the most popular. This way we can ensure both you and us, are safe."

It wasn't a very subtle threat. "Give me some time to think about it."

He considered it for a moment, then answered, "I'll come for an answer tomorrow. You can have today to think about it."

Hopefully, that was enough time for Theo to put her plan into action. I was escorted back to the bedroom, and it became a waiting game. An extremely boring and tedious one. I drifted in and out of sleep, the kind that you spend most of the time neither asleep or awake and you don't feel like you've rested at all. Shadow waited by the door, and my stomach rumbled.

Then my boredom curdled into anxiety- my body clock told me that substantial time had passed since my meeting with Dr Linderman yet no sign of Rex. I waited and I waited some more. My stomach growled and I wish I'd asked Dr Linderman for some food.