Running From Eden Page 2

  She pulled back from his mind. Sighing, she picked up a book, pretending to read it for the sake of the cameras.

  Stay calm, don’t think about it she began a mantra in her head. Taking slow, even breaths, she calmed her nerves. She couldn’t let on, couldn’t show she was scared, excited, and a whole range of other emotions. Stay calm!

  Chapter 3

  “Stand by the door please, Eve.”

  Recognizing the voice, she looked up at the camera and said, “Afternoon, Bill. Who’s with me now?”

  “Henrietta,” the voice came back.

  She stood waiting for the clank, and then the door opened. Raising her arms, she waited for Charlie to search her again. This time she didn’t enter his mind. Henrietta was too perceptive, and she didn’t want to tip their hand so close to an escape.

  Henrietta was a plump, short woman. It was a little comical seeing her standing next to Charlie, because she only came to his chest. She had large, square glasses that rested on the end of her curled-up nose, and her gray hair was always tightly pulled into a bun on the top of her head.

  Eve was always careful around her, because she picked up on too much information. Henrietta seemed to be more of an experienced scientist than the rest—a boss of sorts. She also handed out firmer punishments for non-compliance. As a teen Eve had kicked off at the woman, refusing to do some tests, and she found herself on basic rations for a week and being put through intense endurance tests over and over.

  “Good afternoon, Eve.”

  “Afternoon, Henrietta. May I ask what test we’re doing today?”

  “Nope, just follow me,” she replied sharply and turned toward the end of the hall.

  Eve’s afternoons consisted of testing all of her abilities. With her hands tied behind her back, she had to run through pitch-black mazes with puzzles in them, which tested her mind. There would also be several weights in the way that tested her telekinesis. She could only move what she could see, that’s why the door to her cell was not only electronic but it was bolted from the outside. She remembered as a child once making the dolls in her room dance all at once, only to be punished for it. They had taken them all out with a severe warning that she was only to use her powers when it was testing time.

  She followed Henrietta down a hallway she had never been down before. She was led into a room that was filled with various medical instruments and was told to undress and lay on the gurney. She could see anguish on Charlie’s face and shook her head briefly at him when Henrietta turned around. Giving him a tiny smile, she undressed and lay on the gurney.

  “Panties too, Eve.”

  Slipping out of them, she placed them on top of the pile of clothes.

  “Lay back,” Henrietta ordered, then turned to Charlie. “Charlie, grab the other straps please and lock them.”

  Eve watched as four straps were locked over her ankles and wrists. This wasn’t anything that hadn’t been done before, but being required to remove her panties was something new.

  “You can sit behind the screen now, Charlie. She should be secure. You aren’t going to be playing any tricks, are you, Eve?” she asked sternly.

  Eve shook her head, and Charlie moved behind the screen.

  Henrietta moved the bottom half of the table so Eve’s legs were spread and bent, then locked it in place. She sat down, pulled a machine up, and began scanning Eve’s lower stomach. When she was done with that she pulled a long, phallus shaped scanner out. Squeezing gel over it, she inserted it into Eve’s vagina.

  Eve breathed in sharply; the gel the scanner was covered in was cold. She’d had internals before, but this was different, they had never used machinery. Eve closed her eyes, thinking only of Charlie, and listened to the Coat work.

  Henrietta spoke into a small dictaphone.

  “The subject Eve is one of the females who is able to reproduce. Only twelve of the subjects are able to carry young. The blood tests that were taken shows her fertility level is high. The subjects seem to go through a heat stage very much like a canine, they become concupiscent. We have discovered that they enter a fertility stage four times a year. None of the subjects menstruate. The only external sign they are ready to breed is a raised temperature and general mood swings. The scans show that they also develop tendrils from the womb wall. Eve has what appears to be several small cysts developing on the wall of her womb. After looking at the other subjects, it means she is close to coming into heat.”

  Eve lay still, listening to everything the White Coat said. She began to understand why she felt it harder to control her emotions several times a year. She’d been in heat.

  “We have discovered that the subjects cannot be inseminated artificially. The only way they are able to become impregnated is through natural copulation. Injecting male sperm into the womb doesn’t work. It would seem the subjects have to orgasm to release the tendrils, thus collecting what it needs to procreate. The subject Ella became concupiscent when her sexuality was heightened through medication. She only calmed when the male she was introduced to was finally able to impregnate her. However, the male received significant bite injuries during intercourse. The subject Lulu was left to enter heat with no medication. She was calmer than Ella, and the male received no injuries. Subject Ella died on the table when we attempted to retrieve the deceased fetus for examination. After studying both corpses, we believe the fetus is not carried in a sack but is entwined in the subject’s womb by the tendrils attached to the womb wall and the child in various places. It appears that the tentacles accomplish the same thing as a cord from a placenta, just in greater quantity. Would this mean a quicker gestation? We have yet to discover that. The first twenty subjects were created and carried by normal means.”

  Eve hid the sadness she felt knowing one of her kind had died all for the sake of science. Where did they go after death? She’d heard the White Coats talk often about a God, heaven, and hell. Would Ella be in heaven now with her baby?

  “Subject Lulu caused a great deal of injury to herself in the weight room and is currently in the ICU. The fetus didn’t survive. It would seem with the increase of hormones in the body the subject becomes very protective over the fetus and will cause injury to herself or to others if it is in danger. Test number three will be subject Eve. She will be left to enter her heat cycle, and she will be placed into a safe room until gestation is complete.”

  Eve listened in silence, not showing any emotion at all, but all the while her heart pounded and dread crept in. They wanted to impregnate her? They would put her in a safe room? She knew Charlie was listening to all of this on the other side of the screen, and he was probably feeling very much the same as she was right now, but no matter how much she wanted to she couldn’t reach out to him.

  When Henrietta finally finished, she untied Eve and told her to get dressed.

  “Charlie, take her to the pharmacy. She is to take a pill that’s been prescribed, then she is to be escorted to the green room. It will be her last visit. When she has had her hour take her to level three. Safe room four will be waiting for her.” With her instructions given, the woman walked out.

  Charlie opened his mouth to say something to Eve, but she indicated with her eyes at the cameras. He closed his eyes and waited for her to dress.

  * * * *

  As soon as the door opened to the dome Eve began to relax a little. She loved the sound of the mini-waterfall. Even the bird sounds that were fed into the room via speakers were calming. Moving forward, she sat at the edge of the manmade lake, putting her hands in to entice the fish over while trying to calm herself. There were cameras in this room, but there were also blank spots too where the trees had overgrown.

  She looked up at Charlie. He seemed agitated, and his eyes almost seemed to be pleading. Closing her eyes, she moved into Charlie’s mind.

  “Fucking hell. I have to get her out of here before they fucking let any man touch her. Safe room, my arse. It’s a damn eight-by-ten padded cell.”

  Pulling
out of his mind, she quietly coughed then pulled the slippers off her feet, wiggling her toes in the grass. Knowing Charlie would take this as a signal she was listening in, she went back into his mind.

  “We have to get you out of here today. Walk over to the east corner. The camera there is currently blind. Behind two tall bushes is a vent cover. I hope you can get the fucking vent off—shit, you have to. They’re sticking you in a room, and you probably won’t get this chance again for months. If ever! Plus the fact they are gonna get some man to fuck you!”

  She quickly put her slippers on and walked down the thin stoned path to the east corner. She opened her mouth to say something to Charlie, but he quickly shook his head.

  “Cameras may be blind but microphones aren’t.”

  She nodded and looked behind two tall bushes. Her heart kicked up a beat seeing the silver vent. In all four corners were screws. She used her mind to visualize turning each screw to the left. The screws began to move. When the last one dropped out and fell to the floor excitement began to rise inside of her. Slipping her fingers behind the grate, she pulled and smiled wide when the cover came off quietly. Placing it on the ground, she turned to Charlie.

  He stood and kicked at a large rock. This was the part of the plan she hated. Looking up with sadness, she saw him nod. Cupping a hand in her hair, he pulled her toward him, placing his lips over hers. His lips were soft and warm. She had imagined this—their first kiss—for so long. Her lips tingled as he pulled away. His hand stroked over her cheek, wiping a tear away she hadn’t even realized she’d let go.

  “You’ll have to climb up about a mile. My truck is right by the vent at the top. It’s a bright blue pickup truck.”

  She nodded.

  “Open the floor compartment and climb in, then pull the door back over yourself and lock it.”

  She nodded again.

  “If you manage this, I will see you soon. Now go. You have just under an hour.”

  Picking up the rock with her mind, she swung it hesitantly at Charlie’s head, not making contact. He nodded and closed his eyes. With a heavy heart she swung again, hearing a thud as it hit the back of his head. She watched him crumple to the floor unconscious.

  Chapter 4

  Eve had no idea how long she had been crawling up the dirty shaft. Sweat dripped off her body in rivers. Being able to see in the dark allowed her to see the tiny ridges where each piece of vent was joined. The only light in the shaft was the dim light that came from the freckles on her skin. No alarm had gone off yet, so she was sure it hadn’t been an hour. She could see the top now. All the way up she couldn’t thank the Coats enough for keeping her fit.

  She pushed at the vent gently, knowing that Charlie had worked the screws out over the last few weeks. Feeling it lift a touch, she sent her mind out and scanned around above her, feeling for anyone’s mind to see if they were close. Sensing nothing, she pushed up again. The vent cover lifted and fell off to the side. Quickly climbing out, she replaced the vent lid.

  She was free! Well, nearly. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the bright blue truck parked where Charlie said it would be.

  Not seeing any cameras, she climbed into the truck bed. Feeling around, she felt the small lip where a hidden door was to the compartment underneath. She lifted the door and climbed inside. Laying down, she slid the bolt over, locking herself in, and waited. She was grateful that Charlie had been considerate enough to pad the interior of the compartment, because she suspected she might have a long wait.

  She must have dozed off. The feeling of movement as if someone had climbed into the truck startled her. The muscles in her body felt a bit stiff so she knew she’d been lying still for a while. Reaching out with her mind again, she felt around and smiled when she reached into Charlie’s head.

  “Delayed...taking their sweet time! Fuck, my head still hurts. I can feel you, baby! We’ve got to get out of here.”

  She pulled back, wincing at the thought about his head. She heard the truck start and then it began to move. She lost count of the ramps and the right-hand turns. When the truck slowed and came to a standstill she again reached out to Charlie.

  “I know you’re listening, sweetheart. Checkpoint one. Stay real quiet, baby. I can do this. Stay calm, Charlie, you are going to get your girl out of here!”

  His girl? She knew he liked her, and she liked him too. She had gradually fallen for him over the months, and being privy to his thoughts she knew he wanted to sleep with her, but his girl? The thought made her smile. To belong to someone was like a dream.

  The truck began to move. She’d been too gathered in her thoughts to search the checkpoint guard’s minds. Oops, I must pay attention.

  The truck again slowed and stopped. Scanning around, she found two other brain waves. The first one just threw back the static waves of a female. Shit! She sent her mind around to the next one and breathed a little when she came across a man named Ted. He was looking over the truck, but his thoughts went randomly from food to sex, then back to food again. He wasn’t paying much attention to what he was doing.

  Feeling the truck drive off again, she knew they were through and past the final checkpoint.

  Checking in on Charlie before taking a rest she could hear him chanting. “We’re clear. We’re clear. OMG, we are clear.”

  She must have dozed off again, because a knock came from above her on the hidden door. Reaching out, she found Charlie’s mind.

  “Come on, baby, open up. You have to be alive. Shit, was there enough air?”

  Sliding back the bolt, she closed her eyes at the bright sunlight that seeped in, briefly blinding her. Cool air rushed around her. Feeling it breeze through her hair, she breathed it in, taking it deeply into her lungs. It wasn’t recycled air—it was real air. It blew, it moved, it smelled!

  She found herself scooped out of the box and straight into huge, warm arms. Lips crushed against hers, making her gasp. The taste of Charlie rippled along her taste buds when his tongue stroked hers. She had never experienced anything as wonderful as being in his arms and the freedom to clasp her hands behind his neck and breathe him in. Opening her eyes, she looked up into his bright green eyes.

  “Hey there, sweet thing.”

  “Hey there,” she replied shyly. “How far away are we?”

  “Just over twenty miles. Come on, we have to get you inside and changed. We have to leave the truck and catch a train to the next van.”

  “I’m really away from there? We did it?”

  “Yes, baby. I was so worried all the way here, hoping that you were okay in there. They took so long looking over my head, then questioning me, etcetera. And all the time they had me all I could think about was if you had managed to get to the truck.”

  “What about cameras and stuff?”

  “No one saw anything. By the time I was found and looked over and questioned no one had yet discovered how you had escaped the dome. It took them nearly two hours to let me go.”

  “This isn’t another test, is it, Charlie?”

  “Test?”

  “You aren’t testing me to see what I can do away from there? Are you going to take me back?” She found herself tucked firmly against his body, his arms wrapped so tightly around her she was afraid to breathe.

  “Sweetheart, I hate that place. I hate the fact you were tested on and treated like a fucking guinea pig. I will fight anyone if we are found and they want to take you away from me. It isn’t a test, I promise. Read my mind and you’ll see.”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I believe you. It just seems too good to be true.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got this sorted.” He smiled, then dropped a brief kiss on her lips. He loosened his arms from around her, letting her slid down his body until her feet hit solid ground. Once she was steady on her feet, he placed an arm around her waist and walked her toward what looked like an old farmhouse.

  “What’s this place?”

  “This used to be my uncle’s
place before he died. We can’t stay long. It’s just somewhere I can hide the truck and get you into some different clothes before we go to the train station.”

  Glancing around, she saw fields upon fields. She had only seen stuff like this in books. It didn’t feel real at all.

  The house was in need of some serious repairs. The old, wooden front door hung off its hinges. Charlie just picked it up, propped it to the side, and walked with her into the house.

  “Go upstairs to the right. On the bed you’ll see a pink backpack that has some of my mother’s old dresses in it. Choose one and get changed. The room has a bathroom attached to it if you want to take a quick shower.” His hands came up either side of her face, cupping it. “We’ll be okay. I’ll keep you safe now, sweetheart. I promise.” He leaned down and kissed her deeply. She moaned as he crushed her against his body. She could feel his erection digging into her stomach.

  “If only I had time. I want inside her so much. Damn it, man, pull yourself together. We don’t have time.”

  Oops, she thought, realizing she had automatically gone into his mind.

  “I know you feel me sometimes when I read your mind, but is it noticeable? What I mean is do you think the Coats knew?”

  He ran a finger over her skin so lightly that she barely felt it, but it left a slight tingling feeling.

  “It’s like that, but on my brain. Before I knew you could read minds it wasn’t something I noticed, but after you told me and I had experienced it a few times and became aware it was you, I now know when you’re listening in. The only times I don’t really notice is when I get occupied with something that taxes these little brain cells.” He chuckled and tapped his head.