Levi

The bag fit tight around my neck; I could feel the drawstring zip around, closing off my airway. It was pitch black, but I could hear them struggling to control my flailing body. There were voices: screams and angry words thrown at inanimate objects, possibly people, I was unsure, and then I felt the hardness of the ground as I must have been dropped. I lay there in shock, not knowing what was happening--a loud thud, and complete silence except for a few muttered words. I thought I was safe and then was picked up again. I was calm, I assumed it was my mother or father until I was thrown into the back of a truck, my head ramming against the rippled floor before I lost consciousness...

I woke with a start, covered in sweat. The sheets were twisted at my feet and a chill ran over me. I glanced over at the vent which automatically generated air flow, wondering why I'd suddenly felt so strange. I'd have to ask in the morning. They always disabled my means of asking at night, and I couldn't know why for sure; I probably never would. I flickered my eyes then wiped the sand away. It would be awhile before they'd be back to unlock the door. Might as well go back to sleep.
The hum of the controller starting up is what woke me. I'm usually a heavy sleeper, but this recurring nightmare had me anxious. I needed to understand it, it wasn't an option for me, it was a necessity. Because the controller had started, I could ask questions. I wasn't sure if it would answer or if they'd be watching, but I had to try. I slumped against the wall in the corner, closed my eyes and asked.

The images and whispering words flashed before my eyes violently and in the back of my mind I told myself I'd never be able to process all of it before she came. So I saved it. There's a part of my mind they've never been able to reach with their machines and they don't even know it.

I stood up and padded across the hardwood floor to the recently unlocked door. I loved that the controller was so predictable. In the general room I could hear Ainslay yelling at the staff, something she never did, meaning trouble. I assumed it had something to do with my questions this morning, so I flat out apologized.
"Ainslay, I'm sorry, I... I didn't know it was something restricted, so please don't blame them. They probably knew nothing about it."

"Levi... What ever are you talking about?" This wasn't a polite question leaving an open invitation for me to elaborate, this was a true question coming from someone I'd just confused. It threw me a little.

"Ahh... About my dream last night? Err... Well... Not really a dream.. More like a... A nightmare."

"Oh really? That's unfortunate. Would you like to talk about it?" She took a seat, offering me the chair across from her. That was better. I understood how to answer these rhetorical questions; the ones that didn't need answer, but expected you to explain.

"Well..." I sat and she ushered the staff away. "It's really kind of just a blur... All I can remember is being taken, stolen away, not shown or told where we were going. I can hear voices, a woman, like you, calling my name frantically, only her voice is much softer and higher. There's crying and... And... Swearing, fighting..."

Ainslay kept nodding, even after I was done talking. I was slightly worried, but knew better than to touch her or possibly even interrupt her train of thought. Perhaps that was what she was doing, trying to analyze what I'd just said. Maybe she hadn't understood what had happened to me either. But that was crazy talk, of course she knew, how could she not? She knew everything.

"Levi... I'll umm, I'll be right back okay?" her voice shook slightly and she wobbled when she first stood up. She started across the room, stumbling over the uneven stacks of books and slowly made her way to the door. Something about the deer-in-the-headlights look she wore on her face made me uneasy. I ran to the door, debating whether or not to look out for I knew it was dangerous.

They'd always warned me of the outside world, how it was barren, there were Predator's and we were the Prey. That was why they'd removed the windows, to keep me safe. I must've stood for a whole two minutes before finally flinging open the door.
It was white, everywhere. And I didn't understand any of it. There were fragmented pieces of a white substance falling from above. I reached out to touch it and... it disappeared. It was suddenly gone, like magic. But magic wasn't real, I'd been taught to know better than that.

So what was it then? I took two steps off the porch and suddenly felt a peculiar sort of shadow fall over me. Like all the heat in the world had been sucked away, leaving only an intense, stabbing feeling of... Cold, the voice said inside. Visuals were brought to my eyes, showing me someone else's memories. I could never quite get used to the feeling, even after all these years. Yeah, it was useful, but was it worth it? I wasn't sure, but when would I ever find out?

Next I focused on the white pieces: snow. It was so pretty, not one the same as another. I learned that it only fell at certain times of the year, but couldn't be sure what time it was now exactly. This was the old way of keeping track of time; I'd only learned it because I'd begged Ainslay after she told me it had changed. But I'd also been told that the earth was now a wasteland. So far I apparently know nothing.

There were trees without leaves, the long branches covered in thick blankets of snow. A pond was sheltered by the tall frames, frozen solid. As I got closer I could see orange and yellow leaves stuck inside, preserving their beauty. Even though I'd seen pictures of the four seasons, this one had to be the most beautiful. Everything was so calm and quiet. Still, yet moving. The snow falling set the scene, it was absolutely perfect. The wind blew in circles, swirling it in every direction. I couldn't help but smile. Then I heard it.

The voice, His dreaded voice. It haunted my dreams, even the good ones. It was as if I could never escape Him. Him and His voice and His eyes. They stared through you, as if analyzing your soul. They realized I couldn't spend very long with Him before I completely shut down when I was just little, but He never needed that long. He'd enter, say his four or five words, then leave. Some people need to work hard to make you feel their words, but He did it effortlessly.

He called my name, low and sharp. I knew that I'd be punished for this. Ainslay must've told Him about my dream and it must have been forbidden. I knew He wouldn't care for my apologies, they were juvenile. He'd go straight into an attack and I couldn't risk losing my newly acquired information. He was the only one of them that could get to me and I didn't know why. They tried, but none of them were as powerful as him, which made me afraid.

So I ran. As far and as fast as I could, away from everything I'd ever known, into a snowy abyss I knew nothing about.

Levi.

Levi!

LEVI.

LEVI!

I cringed against the sound of my own name. They'd realized I was gone, I wouldn't have much time now. I ran towards nothing, just trying to put myself as far away from them as I could. It was a good thing it was morning, the Predators wouldn't be out, I'd be safe until nightfall and then I'd have to be aware of everything.

It wasn't like I hadn't had a good life, they'd been kind to me. They'd fed me and taught me everything and I literally mean everything. It's what I did non-stop all day, every day. I hadn't known anything different, so I thought it was just how it was. Apparently not.

As I grew older though, I started to feel like something was missing. I couldn't understand why, but I had this instinct that something needed to be there that wasn't. Someone like Ainslay, only different... They were just for me, she would be mine. I could ask her anything and she'd be able to tell me and comfort me when I lost hope. I could look up at her and she'd smile and hold my hand through hard times. She'd clean my scrapes and cuts when I fell, even though I rarely ever did.

When I tried to search it in my system, it told me that the file had been erased. All I had was a word: mother. So I clung onto it, hoping that one day I'd be able to find what this word was, who she was, even though there wasn't much of a chance.
As I came out of my thoughts, I could no longer see any snow. How long had it been? I looked ahead and noticed a light. It was glowing on the edge of the horizon, as if begging me to come closer. I don't know what it was that drew me in, but I followed it.

I couldn't believe my own two eyes. The heat pressed against my face was wonderful, the twinkling lights unimaginable. The roar that came from below sent tremors through me and I felt a sense of longing. How had this happened to me? How I had I been tricked like this for so long? This wasn't real... It couldn't be! I was smarter than this, it was all a setup. They were testing me.

The voice calling my name proved me wrong -- and set me in a panic. It wasn't a trick, this was the real deal and I was afraid. If they'd managed to keep this hidden from me for so long, imagine what they'd think now. What they'd do to me when they found out I knew the truth.

I had to get out of here, had to escape somehow. Only there was no exit. Standing on the edge of a cliff, with nowhere to go but back, wasn't exactly where I'd pictured myself at the end of all this. I could've slid down, it was covered in snow, so it wasn't that dangerous, but I was too inexperienced outdoors to even try.

I looked out over the sparkling city on front of me. The cars, the buildings, the pollution, the people. They reminded me of something in my past that I couldn't quite latch onto. The memory kept sliding in front of my eyes, quickly, wanting to be acknowledged, understood, but it couldn't help that it was too fast for me. Every time I got close to remembering, it would zip away again, out of my grasp.

A lone melody floated to my ears; it was catchy--bubbly and light. It repeated over and over again, seemingly important. And then, it caught. The memory opened up, triggered by this sound.

December. Cold. Mummy. Daddy. Walking. Laughing. Singing. Skipping. Music. Smiling. Bells. Lights. Colours. Doorbell. Yelling. Thrashing. Screaming. Crying. Lifting. Carrying. Throwing. Darkness.

That was it, my story, my recurring nightmare, my life. It was all laid out in front of me, as simple as could be. I could find them. I knew what they looked like now, I could remember. I opened my mouth and screamed, "I'M FREE!"

"Gotcha!" the black bag's drawstring closed tight around my neck.