RIDE HIGH

Behind the men coming out were women cladded in nurse uniforms rolling trolleys that contained syringes which have some silvery liquids in them.

Jordan like every other person started panicking and struggling to get free, but what exactly can some feeble attempts of some kids do to such strong metal clamps?

He started straining his eyes to at least see what was going on around him, but that was an impossible thing to do as well.

All of a sudden a voice among the many children screamed out, followed by another and then another. The heart-wrenching screams kept getting joined by others.

Jordan got more panicked and started struggling more and more, but all was to no avail as the screams of those around him kept catching up to his position as well.

It didn't take long before a shadow of a silhouette came to his chair before the owner of the shadow finally came into view.

It was the Albert Einstein-looking scientist, accompanied by a female nurse pushing a trolley half filled with the remaining syringes.

He still had that dark glint of delight in his eyes, but this time it was also accompanied by a dark smile. He seemed to be relishing in the screams and had that look of someone happy with his job.

The nurse's expression was hidden behind the nose mask she was wearing.

As if something well practiced over and over again, he stretched out his hand and the nurse handed him a syringe from the piles of syringes in the trolley.

He started struggling once again but he couldn't stop the inevitable, the scientist easily held his left arm and injected the silvery liquid inside the syringe into his arm.

The pain started like an ant bite, then immediately shot up, it was as if five hot knives where been stabbed into his hand at the same time, and he immediately joined the cacophony of screams.

The scientist nodded his head as if congratulating himself for a job well done, he quickly moved on to his next victim with his dutiful nurse trailing behind him, leaving Jordan to experience a pain he had never experienced in his tender life.

As the silvery liquid moved along his bloodstream, the pain intensified, and hot sweat kept pouring out of his body with steam rising from his whole body.

It felt as if his organs were being diced with red hot knives and being boiled. His skin felt as if he had been burnt in a bloodthirsty flame.

After twenty minutes of this unending pain, he couldn't bear it anymore and passed out, but even in his unconscious state, he was still twitching in pain.

**ONE MONTH LATER**

Jordan just finished taking a bite out of his sandwich, when a hand tapped his back,

"Hey man, why didn't you wait for me"

He didn't need to turn around to know that it was forty-four, a short black boy with dreadlocks, but his most noticeable feature was his red lips.

The boy didn't waste time sitting down on the chair next to Jordan in what seemed like a school cafeteria, with other children sitting at different tables.

"So how's my best number doing?"

"Is just five, we've only known each other for a month to be classified as best friends."After making that comment, it dawned on Jordan that only a month had passed since he was brought here, a month filled with lots of overwhelming events. Being experimented on, being given a number as a name. Starting school in this weird place, now just living a normal life with a super active roommate, except for guards in every corner and being made to wear clothes with their numbers which acted as their names attached to the clothes.

"When do you think we will start exhibiting these strange abilities they mentioned". Jordan's thoughts were interrupted by the very question that he had thought about almost every minute.

After being among the few who woke up from the torturous experiment, they were informed that the injection was meant to progress their human body to its peak and some will even cross this threshold and develop some superhuman abilities.

But before he could give a reply, a little girl of about five years old came forth timidly to their table.

"Are you ok eighty?". Forty-four asked, he seemed to be familiar with her.

"I can't find my sister." Her voice almost sounded like a whisper.

"Did you check the class?"Jordan asked.

"She wasn't in the class, she always waits for me in the hallways, but she wasn't there as well". She replied with her eyes getting wet.

"Don't worry come on, five, and I will help you look for your sister ". Forty-four stated and stood up

Jordan stared at his half-finished sandwich and sighed, he stood up as well and along with forty-four and eighty went searching for forty-one, eighty's sister.

Eighty and forty-one is known among all the kids as the only two who were siblings that survived the experiment. Forty-one is the elder sister and always tries to shield Eighty from everyone else. These two siblings only had each other's back, it came as a little surprise to Jordan and Forty-four when Eighty came to them.

Another reason why the two siblings were popular was because of Forty One's scar on her face, which almost covered her entire right cheek which makes her stand out from the crowd and also one of the reasons almost all the children never associate with her. She developed low self-esteem and was always looked down on while talking to others, the only time she raised her head was when she tried protecting her sister from any bully.

After about twenty minutes of searching for forty-one, they found her in the bathroom and crawled on the floor crying, Eighty immediately ran to her and hugged her.

"What happened?". Not being able to bear the emotional display anymore, Jordan asked.

"One thirty",

That was the only thing she said, that immediately triggered Forty-four, to storm out of the bathroom in anger.