The Blackbox - Chapter 2

❖ Chapter 2 - Changes in the air ❖

If you haven't read the first part (prologue) of this story please click here

If you would like to view the Table of Contents where the links to all the existing chapters are, click here

*it's recommended that you read the previous chapters before this so you have more context :)

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Just 10 more minutes is all I want. But I suppose what I want doesn't matter, because the shrill wake up bell keeps ringing anyway, and I know it won't stop until I'm completely out of bed. Reluctantly, I fling my blanket to the floor and jump up to my feet. "I'm awake! You see?" I shouted to nobody's in particular, but I knew they heard me because moments later, the bells stopped. I usually have no problems with the morning and evening bells. I always fall asleep on time, and I always wake up on time. I roll my eyes at myself. It must be because of the dream. That terrible nuisance is the reason why I feel tired before I've even started my day. And it's not as if it's my first time having it. I blame myself. I should have had it under control like usual, but instead I somehow let it affect me. I make a mental note not to let it happen again.

"Serene what's going on?"
I turn my head towards the sound of my name. It's my closest friend Grace. She's speed walking towards me as her long blond ponytail sways behind her like a pendulum. She looks concerned. For me. "Serene! The wake up bells were playing for at least 10 minutes before you got up!" Grace is speaking hurriedly, as if she feels like she might run out of time. "I wanted to wake you, I really did, but I didn't want them to take my breakfast away, or and I was really hungry!". Yeah, I understand her. I'm not sure any of us would risk waking somebody else up when they could have their breakfast confiscated. "Everyone's already had breakfast so..." Grace starts.

As Grace utters the word breakfast, I curse to myself. I missed breakfast. They leave everyone's food out for about 2 minutes and if you don't go to eat it within that time, they take it back and you have to wait until the next meal. Gosh, this never happens to me. I'm always first up, first asleep, and first to get my food. Obviously something's the matter with me. Grace is staring at me, wide-eyed with concern. "I didn't sleep well," I tell her. I see the look of understanding cross her face immediately. She shuffles closer to me and whispers, "You had the dream again?". I simply nod. To be frank, I don't want to talk about it. Not to Grace, not even to myself. But Grace doesn't realize this and she prods on. "What does it mean?" Grace is now staring at me like a small, curious little child. I've told her about my dream numerous times. I've even described it to her in vivid detail. But I've never told her what it mean, or should I say what I think it means. But that's only because I have absolutely no idea. I ask myself all the time. Why do I run from the darkness when in reality, it's all I've ever known? Why do I run away from my home?
"Trust me Grace. If I knew what they meant, you'd be the first person I'd tell." I sigh to myself. "Gosh, maybe if I knew what they meant, I could stop them once and for all! I lost sleep over this, and now breakfast too!" Grace pats my back sympathetically. I realize that I'm fuming. But how can I help it? Now I've got to starve until lunch time. I take a deep breath and attempt to change the subject, something which Grace never seems to mind. "So where are the boys?" I ask her.
Along with Grace, Raven, and I, there are 3 others who occupy the Blackbox with us. Jasper, Eli, and Finn. Together the 6 of us (or should I say 5 of us since Raven is sort of out of it) are best friends. We're all each other have, and it's always been enough for us. "They're all conditioning right now, maybe they'll be out in a few minutes?" Grace ponders. I glanced towards the 6 black doors all the way on the other side of the room. Conditioning is when we enter a light filled chamber for at least 10 minutes so that we don't go blind from the constant darkness in the Blackbox. There's no set time for it, we just do it independently, twice every day. "Have you conditioned yet today?" I asked Grace. "No, let's go do it right now. I sort of want to get it over with." Grace replies, she's already turning towards the chambers on the other side of the room. I speed up to meet her brisk pace. I reach the door to a vacant chamber, I place my palm against the scensor and I see Grace do the same with the door beside me. After recognizing my hand, the door rises from the floor, to reveal a dark room. It's pretty much just like the Blackbox at first. I step inside and turn to watch the door close behind me. No sooner than I hear the light thump of the door hitting the ground, the chamber is flooded with light and warmth. It always takes a while for my eyes to adjust from the constant darkness to the sudden brightness. I glance at the mirror that's lodged in the wall. Ever since I started conditioning, my favourite part has always been looking into the mirror and watching my pupils shrink. I absentmindedly twirl a piece of my hair. It's quite messy and frizzled since I haven't been to the washing chamber yet. I make a mental note to go there after conditioning, while I try to pat down my wild mane. As I wait for my 10 minutes to be up, I survey myself in the mirror. Physical appearance has never really been anything more than an identifier in the Blackbox, but for some reason I always try to look as... attractive as possible. I've got large bright green eyes, a small flat nose, and dark golden brown skin. I have jet black hair hair that reaches just past my shoulders; it's usually straight as straight can be, but of course it's all messy now. I've always cared about how I look more than than the others, and they sometimes tease me for it but I do it for nobody but myself. There are no mirrors in the Blackbox itself, only in here, the conditioning chambers, and in the washing chambers...

I'm suddenly jerked out of my train of thought when the 10 minute timer beeps. The light slowly fades away as I'm left gazing at my dark silhouette in the mirror. I step out of the doorway and see Grace stepping out of the chamber beside me. "Why didn't you tell me that my hair looks like I haven't brushed it in weeks?" I asked Grace, crossing my arms to feign annoyance. Grace just shrugs "Who cares? Oh wait, you do. Why? I don't know. Just go brush it in the washing chamber if it bothers you so much." I roll my eyes at her but Grace is already running off towards the boys, so I start off to the washing chamber without her. There are two washing chambers, one for Grace, Raven, and I, and one for Jasper, Eli, and Finn. The chambers are large rooms equipped with mirrors, and a little bit of light so you can see into them. We each have our own bathtub with a shower head, and our own toilet stall, as well as designate storage areas where we keep our toothbrushes, hair brushes, and other wash chamber necessities. I walk into the chamber expecting to be alone in an empty room, but when I turn the corner I see Raven, in front of the mirror combing her long dark hair. She looks calm, but as soon as she sees me her expression shifts drastically from calmness to anger, to annoyance. I watch her roll her eyes. As I go to get my things, I feel her staring at me in the mirror. I walk towards Raven and position myself a small length away from her in front of the mirror so I canbrush my hair. She's watching me intently. The tension was so palpable, you could cut it with scissors. Just when I'm starting to wonder if I can take it anymore, she exclaims, "Brushing your hair looks like fun! Waking up right on time! Always the first to breakfast! Do you ever do anything wrong? Have you ever even had a single thought for yourself? Or do all of your thoughts just come to you from them?" I'm immediately startled, I don't know what to say and I get the feeling her question was rhetorical, so she continues, "You're like they're little guinea pig aren't you? You do everything they say, everything they ask! Am I the only I person here who wants more out of life?" And before I can reply, Raven stomps out towards the door. I nearly forgot what her voice sounded like to be honest, and that was one harsh reminder by any standard. As Raven reaches the door she turns back to me with eyes as cold as ice and glares at me before she whispers, with an utterly disgusted look on her face, "You're the most pathetic of them all." And with that she walks out, leaving me standing with my hairbrush hanging numbly at my side in stunned silence.

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Chapter 3 coming soon!

If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please leave them in the comments.

• Ally O