Defect - By Ryann Kerekes Page 0,15
straight ahead as if this is the most leisurely of strolls he’s ever been on. We’re jogging so slow, I can tell he’s almost bored – this is no challenge for his long legs – I’m sure they itch to run faster, push farther, but he stays quiets and lets me set our pace.
After a little while, we approach a spilt in the path, the left side strips some distance off the run, and it’s smooth and flat. The right side adds an additional loop to catch back up with the main path, and it’s bumpy and uneven. My mind says go to the left, but then at the last second, my body turns onto the more difficult trail on the right.
My pace doesn’t slow as I navigate the dips and potholes. I side step rocks and stray branches, pushing myself forward. Almost there, I repeat to myself over and over. My lungs are now burning, my feet blindly stumbling over the uneven terrain.
After a few minutes, Will stops and presses the button on his watch. I look up – we’re back in front of the door we started from. “An eleven minute mile,” he says, not indicating whether I passed or failed another one of their stupid tests.
I rest my hands on my knees, sucking in deep breaths, trying to slow my heart. It doesn’t feel healthy to have it pounding so hard. My braid has come loose, and stray hairs stick to my forehead and neck.
When I straighten up, Will is watching me. He hasn’t even broken a sweat, and his breathing has already returned to normal. My stomach does a little flip; I don’t like being scrutinized by him. Though he’s done nothing yet to make me fearful – he’s a leader here and I’m sure he’s only waiting for me to do or say the wrong thing.
“Why’d you take the harder path?” he asks.
“Huh?”
He points back sternly to where the paths split, his face a hard mask. “Most people go to the left there – you didn’t. Why?”
I consider my split second choice out on the trail. When my eyes move over the rough terrain on the path I chose, suddenly I know why I did it. “My mother always said there will be two paths in life.” I push my hair back from my face, gaining confidence as I talk. “The easy, smooth path and the hard, muddy path. She used to say when you take the hard path, you’re building up strength the entire way.”
His eyes narrow, taking in the meaning of my words. And suddenly I’m worried I’ve said too much. Normal mothers don’t talk like this – they don’t tell their daughters to build up strength – because there should be nothing within the safety of our city that would cause you to need it.
“I mean – I just wanted to see if I could do it,” I say.
He looks me over. This wasn’t the right thing to say either. Crap. I press my lips together.
“I’m taking you back Come on.”
I follow Will back inside, wondering why he and Dr. Nolan seem to have given up on me early today.
Kane is waiting for us, leaning against the wall, like he has all the time in the world to torture me. “O’Donovan says it’s time for her to meet Reggie.” He smiles.
Will clenches his fists, veins throbbing against his forearms. I can tell he’s not happy, but he can’t do anything to overrule O’Donovan. I have no idea who Reggie is. But I soon learn.
Kane hauls me by the arm to a room just down the hall. The nameplate on the door reads THE REGULATOR. He opens the door and pushes me toward the exam table that takes up most of the small room.
“Lie down,” he orders.
Will has followed us inside, but as I climb up onto the table, he decides against staying and turns to leave. Once the door closes, leaving Kane and I alone, my heart begins to race.
Kane fastens a strap across my forehead, pinning my head against the table. Then he slides restraints over my wrists and ankles. I hate how weak I feel, unable to protect myself from him in any way. Reggie turns out to be their pet name for the psychological testing machine he hooks me up to. After attaching electrodes to my temples, he presses a button, and a monitor lowers from the ceiling toward me, stopping about a foot in front of my face.
Kane