The Experiment, Cassidy Shay [amazing books to read .TXT] 📗

“Penny, follow me please.” I look up from my hands to see Dr. Pender. Dr. Pender is by far my favorite employee of the Azuli Academy. Although she works for an evil employer, I suspect that her heart is good.
I get up and follow her down the hall. I still haven’t gotten used to the layout of Floor 6, which is so different from my old living space, Floor 1. I was transferred when I had tried to escape, after being raped by my husband.
Confused? Well, if you are, then you obviously haven’t read the first book. I’ll try to explain things as I go, but it may serve you better to read about Carl, Jack, and how I met Collin.
I guess you could say that Collin is my boyfriend, but that’s not exactly right. My first love, yes. The man I want to marry, of course. But boyfriend? No way. At the age of fifteen and a half, I’ve been imprisoned, married twice, raped once, gotten pregnant, and miscarried. Collin was there through it all, and along the way, I fell in love with him, and he fell in love with me. Unfortunately, after today, I’ll never see him again. See why I can’t call him my boyfriend?
I’m on my way to see him now. My heart is racing, pounding so hard that I fear it might break a rib. It’s been a week since I’ve seen him, and a lot has changed. When I last saw him, he was being dragged away from me as punishment for beating Carl, my first husband. It’s been six days since I tried to escape and five days since I was relocated to the sixth floor. Four days ago, I was married to Mathew, and three days ago my unborn baby died. Later that day, I was pregnant again, thanks to the pestering of some very persistent scientists. Last night, I discovered that once again, my baby had died.
But I’m going to forget all of that for now. Right now, I need a quiet place where I can sink into Collin’s arms. As much as I want this, I highly doubt that it will actually happen.
We reach a long hallway with unmarked doors on each side. When Dr. Pender stops at one of them, I discover that for once, my pessimistic assumption was wrong. “You guys have two hours, and then we will send someone to collect you,” says Dr. Pender with a wink. Then she turns and leaves. I stand, facing the door for a couple seconds, and then I push it open.
I had expected a dark room, but that’s not what I find. Instead, it’s a small room that looks like a nice dorm. It is similar to the cells on Floor 1, but only in the fact that there are two beds and an end table in between. The room is a little bigger than the cells, and there is a dresser against one wall. Against the other is a table with two chairs. They even have a closet.
Sitting at the table is Collin. He stands as I enter, and holds his arms wide as I step into them. He seems to have grown, but it could just be because I haven’t seen him in so long. His strong arms go around my shoulders, and I allow myself to enjoy this small amount of pleasure.
“This has been the longest week of my life,” he breathes into my hair.
“You’ve had it easy,” I say, trying to tease him, but thinking about everything that’s happened causes me to choke up. “I’m married again. So far, he’s much better than Carl. He doesn’t seem pleased with this situation, either. I also found out that I was pregnant. Once with Carl’s baby, and again with Mathew.” I let out a small sob. “They’re both gone now.” I dissolve into tears and he hugs me tighter.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Penny. I wish I could be there for you still. But I can’t. They’re moving me. There’s been an increase of Azuli births the last couple years, so they’re building a new facility a few miles from here. They’ll move half the Azuli and employees over there. Because you’re here, they’ve moving me. My chances of ever seeing you after today are almost nonexistent.”
I smile a sad smile up at him. “Then let’s make the best of the situation,” I say, and pull his face towards mine.
Almost two hours later, I’m tangled up in a mess of sheets and human limbs. His skin is hot against mine, and he’s simply staring into my eyes.
“I don’t like your new face.” He strokes my cheek, which is still tender from the plastic surgery that was performed as soon as I got to Floor Six.
“What do I look like?” I ask him. I try to conceal my emotions. I don’t feel like me, not with this face. It doesn’t really make sense, even to me. But even if my hands aren’t touching my face, I can feel that it’s different. It scares me. I have to leave my entire life behind, again. I already did it once when I was five. But at least then, I got to keep my own face.
“Your eyes are green now. With your red hair, it looks nice. But the blue ones were so pretty, and it was like looking into a clear pool of water. Your eyelashes are still the same, like a starry night. Your nose is shorter and it isn’t turned up anymore. Freckles are scattered all across your cheekbones and nose, making you look much younger. All the scars are gone, including the one on your lip. Your lips are fuller, and much more defined. Your jawline is very distinctive now.” He leans back. “You look perfect. Too perfect, actually. I miss your little scars and your blue eyes. You look like a model now. Someone who’s been altered to fit someone else’s standards. Not my Penny.” He sighs. “Why did they change you?”
I shrug, trying to act like it’s not a big deal. But by the look on his face, I know that Collin can see through me. He knows that I’m sad and angry, and a little scared of the future. “They said it was to keep anyone from knowing that it’s me. If they’re sick or something, and need to come up here. But I liked my old face better. This one doesn’t belong to me.” I grab my hair, which used to be brown. “They also somehow changed the hair color. It’s not dyed, I know that. It’s something with the pigments. And they’re making me wear these extensions until my hair grown longer.” I sigh. “They’re also making me change my name. It’s like they’re trying to take away every aspect of my old life. Tomorrow, I’m going in to have my frame changed. Not a whole lot, but a little.”
“Why? I love your name. And your body’s perfect,” he kisses my neck, “in every way.”
“I don’t know, Collin. But I get to choose my name. What should I choose?”
“Tabitha,” he says, and then starts laughing. “No, never. That’s a horrible name for someone like you. How about Meagan?”
“Meagan,” I say, trying it out. “I like it. I’ll have to let Dr. Pender know.” I smile up at him, and then remember our time limit. “As comfortable as I am right now,” I say, nuzzling a little closer to him, “I have to get dressed. They’ll be here to get me soon.” We stay under the blanket for another minute, and then I sit up. As we’re getting dressed, I feel something.
It would be much too soon, so I know it’s just my imagination. Still, I feel something move against the inside of my belly. I don’t know how, but I know that there’s another small human being growing inside me. I’m determined to keep this one alive.
“Collin,” I say. “If you had a daughter, what would you name her?” My hand is on my stomach as I turn to face him, and he instantly takes the hint.
“Jeez, Penny,” he says, placing his hand over mine. “You sure?” I nod. He looks at my stomach, imagining the small form inside. “You’ll be extremely sick. Not just from morning sickness. But this many pregnancies in such a short time will wear on your body. It’s a wonder that you can still stand.” He keeps one hand on my midsection and pulls me into him with his other arm. It’s an awkward position, but also very comforting. I know that I’ll be safe as long as I have part of him with me.
There’s a knock on the door, and he pulls away. “In a second,” he calls out, and pulls his shirt on. He hadn’t gotten it on before I started talking. “I’ve always liked the name Belle,” he says quietly. “It’s such a beautiful name.” He pulls me to him and kisses me, and we stay like that until the door is forced open. “Goodbye, Penny. I love you.”
I walk down the hall with the Vipero and try to make conversation. I need something to take my mind off of Collin for a while. “How do you like your job?” I ask him. He merely shrugs, so I ask another question, hoping to get a few words from him. “Do you have a family at home?” He nods. “I guess I’m supposed to be starting my own pretty soon. What’s your favorite part of being a parent?”
His eyes gleam, and his lips turn up at the corners. “Holding them for the first time. They’re so perfect and uncorrupted. It gives you hope, you know? It gives you hope that maybe, once day, the world won’t be like this. It might seem wrong for me to say that, since I’m here enforcing their cruel laws. But that’s how I feel.”
I nod. “There’s definitely a chance. It wasn’t always like this. There was a time when you could choose the amount of kids you have, and in some countries, you could vote for the president. He was the ruler of the country,” I say, in case he doesn’t know. “It really was a great world, in some parts. People were free.”
By now, we are close to my room. “Is there really hope that it won’t always be like this?” he asks. I nod and he smiles. “Thanks for letting me know,” he says, and walks away. I take a deep breath and then open the door. Mathew isn’t in here, and I let out a sigh of relief.
I’m having surgery tomorrow, so they’ll know that I’m pregnant. This means that I’ll have to make it