Alo woke to a splitting pain spiderwebbing down her spine. Her eyes flew open and she jerked to the side, gasping and hitting her head on something smooth. Immediately the pain subsided. She felt the small of her back in a daze, wondering if she had imagined it. There was nothing there, no soft spots or sensitive nerves. She blinked now, finally taking in her surroundings. After a beat of initial shock, she searched her mind for anything familiar but came up empty. She couldn't remember what she did last night. In fact, she couldn't remember what she had done last week. Panic started vibrating in her chest and she found herself short of breath. Frantically her eyes searched the room, looking for something to familiarize her with her setting. Her eyes landed on an envelope sitting on the desk beside her bed. She grabbed it and opened it as cleanly as she could with shaking hands, telling herself to breathe.
Dear Aloysia,
First of all we must thank you for your contribution to our experiment. The procedure was successful, and you now have the ability to push illusions. You may not understand your enhancement yet, nor know how to use it. Unfortunately we don't have the time to educate you further - there's a war to fight, after all. There are seven others who, like you, have had unique powers given to them. Together, you stand a chance of ending the Tyrant's cruelty and bringing peace to the world. We apologise for throwing such responsibility upon you, but you are our last hope.
The door of your room is unlocked, and you are free to leave our labs. The others will be waiting for you outside.
Good luck.
Her eyes scanned over the lines a few more times, assuring herself. The memories came back all at once, though to her relief or horror she didn't know. Her pulse slowed and her breathing became deeper the longer she stared. When she felt good enough to move, she flung her legs over the side of the bed, swinging her feet placidly. The last line of the note reverberated in her head: The other will be waiting for you outside. Company had a way of comforting her, but at the same time, a wave of shame washed over her. She wasn't sure why, but the thought of meeting these other freaks worried her. They all had reasons for being here. However grotesque or mild their stories were, she couldn't shake the overwhelming feelings of inferiority creeping into her conscious. Her cheeks warmed as she pushed herself up, looking for a mirror to assure herself that her face was still intact. She found nothing in her minimally decorated room, so she ventured into the hall.
Through a window she could she two figures sitting on the frosty grass; one male and one female. She watched curiously for a good few moments, her heart rate picking up unexpectedly. The scene looked so serene -- eerily serene, like they all hadn't just woken up as freak experiments. It both calmed her and unnerved her. She rested her head against a door frame, watching them. Shifting her eyes to the right, she saw another figure. She stood on the outskirts, swaying ever so slightly. It was such a beautiful, unusual scene that Alo felt a pang in her chest. She wanted to be out there with them, but something kept her rooted to her spot. She suddenly became aware of a lump in her throat. It wasn't nerves keeping her, and it wasn't revulsion. It was fear, straight out of the bottle. She had become something dangerous willingly, and so had they. What did that say about them as a group? Simple: they were all crazy.