“I'm on my way, calm down.” I said to my best friend Meg. We were going to a volunteer testing at a local college. We didn't exactly know what we were being tested for, But we knew that we were getting paid thirty dollars an hour and that was good enough for us. I couldn't help but feel butterflies though. I didn't know what we were doing,what if they were testing drugs and cures on us. What if what their testing is going to have negative effects on my body and I die.
“Well you better hurry they’re about to start the presentation.” she whisper shouted back. I was always late. Even when I try to hurry something always comes up and I'm even slower than usual, hope they’ll still pay me even if I'm late.
I walk in the door to the building and there are so many people. I see about fifteen girls and about ten boys, all around my age. I just got out of high school. I'm not going to college. I want to travel the world with my camera in hand. Taking pictures of the world for what it truly is and for the beauty that it has. I know that it kinda cliche but it's my dream and what I want to do. As soon as I open the door all eyes turn towards me. I'm used to it, I walk over and sit next to Meg. “What did I miss?” whisper to her.
“Nothing much. Just boring talk from the professor in charge of the experiment-” she kept rattling on. I wasn't really listening. My eyes were caught up staring at the tubes and wires and needles in the corner hooked up to bleeping machines. That's what I'm going to be hooked up to soon. I thought to myself.
I really hope that they aren't testing drugs on us. “Tes are you even listening to me?” Meg’s voice brought me out of my mental worrying. “No sorry, what did you say.” I replied.
“I said, that you need to stay with me no matter what. If it's something you don't want to be tested for, I want to know that you’ll still stay with me. I really need the money and you know it.” she said.
“I know. I won't leave you.” I didn't mention the fact that i was just thinking about how I really didn't want to be tested for certain things. I always get lost in my head. People are always trying to talk to me and I'm just off in my own world. Not knowing if someone is talking to me or knowing what they are saying. “Now let's get on with the testing.” A short man with balding hair stated boldly. Gosh, I really need to listen I missed what he was saying.
“Each student is assigned to one of you guys. So students you may take your subjects to their areas.” A short girl with brown eyes and dark hair cut into a bob came up and grabbed Meg. At least she got a pretty one. A guy with big round glasses and teeth that shot a foot out of his mouth came up to me.
“Hello. I'm Donny and I will be your mad scientist for the next little while.” He said.
“I'm Tessa.” I shook his hand and then without being too obvious I wiped my hand on my pants, (I'm kind of a germ freak.)
“This way please.” he led me towards a small hospital like bed and asked me to sit down.
I sat down and he started to hook me up.
“This might pinch a little.” he said. I looked down right on time to see a large needle being stabbed into my skin. Then he placed a small piece of tape across the needle protruding from my arm. I couldn't see where the small girl had taken Meg. There were curtains around my area for a little bit of privacy. I gasped as something cold touched my chest. The Donny guy had taken his stethoscope and placed it on my chest.
“Why do you need my heart beat? And what am I being tested on?” I asked him.
“Just on different allergies you may have, and how they affect your body.” He replied.
He probed my body a little bit more. I started to feel a little bit drowsy. I think this thing that he's testing me on right now is having some effect on me. “I...I'm...tired.” I said to him.
“Good. That is a positive effect that this drug is having on you. You should also feel your muscles relaxing and your brain shutting down.” he said.
“Wha-” I started. I never finished my sentence. I don't even really remember what he said after that.
I was falling, slicing me into pieces. The walls were covered in sharp long spikes that dug into my body with every foot I fell. There was another person falling with me. Or whatever it was. It looked like a woman. It looked like me! It had long bright red hair, and one leg of metal, one looking as if it was an animal. She was more beautiful than I, but she did have some of my unique features. Like my small button nose and my legs that stretched out a mile. I didn't know how long I stared at her. But suddenly I jolted and my whole body started to spasm. I didn't just feel it in the dream but in real life. My entire body felt like it was being tugged at from every limb. I tried to open my eyes but I couldn't all I could do was feel my body being jerked around and stare at this beautiful me that wasn't actually me.
I had stopped falling. We were now lying on top of a feather mattress with soft linen sheets and a large velvety comforter. She was not staring at me any more. She was looking up at the sky. I tried to look but my head felt to heavy to lift. I could just make out the silhouette of a man in my peripheral. I kept trying, with no luck I just relaxed. Then I started to make out words forming in my head.
“The leg surgeries are complete. On to phase two, face reconstruction. Then to the DNA implants.”
Everything the voice said sent chills up my spine. Who could he be talking about? Maybe it’s the girl in my dream. She sure looks like she had some plastic surgery. No one could look that good. But also with the different legs, I'm sure she's the one that they are talking about.
“ Are you sleeping?” I heard someone say. They were very far away. I could barely hear them. I tried to reply and tell them no, but my mouth seemed to not want to open. It felt like it was glued shut. Oh no. I thought to myself. The jerking is back. But it is so much harder now. It feels like someone is trying to pull my limbs off of my body. Like literally rip them off. It is so painful.
I woke up. It feels like I've been through a meat grinder, then fried in hot oil and then sprinkled with salt. And then someone decided to rub that salt into all of my burned cuts. It is so dark. There is no light I can't even see anything. I try to touch my face, but I can't. I can't move at all. I try to roll my neck. Yep, easy. That means I must be tied up. Otherwise I wouldn't even be able to move my fingers and toes. But I can, I can feel them and move them. Wait, am I barefoot? I swear I was wearing shoes when I got here. When did I get here, where is here? I feel like I have lost all remembrance of everything. I know my name. I am Tes Grey, I was born in Michigan and I am seventeen years old and I skipped a grade. That about sums up my entire life. Except for the tiny little fact that I don't know where I am. Someone must have kidnapped me. I know what to do when someone kidnaps you… Scream.
I screamed for so long it was a relief when I heard a voice. “Careful, you don't want to get in trouble do you?” a deep rough voice said. It was a man's voice.
“Who are you and where am I?” I told the voice in the dark.
“You don't remember me? How hurtful I remember you. Probably because we’ve been working on you for a very long time. You have been in deep sleeps my dear.” the voice told me.
“I am not your dear, and you may tell me where I am and why I am here now.” I told him boldly.
“No. Oh fine, I guess I could tell you a little bit. You're here because you volunteered. And where you are? You are in your room where else would you be?” he asked in an innocent voice.
“I have one more question for you to answer.
Why are the lights off and why am I not able to move?” I asked.
“You wouldn't want to see or touch yourself that is why the lights are off and you are not able to move.” I glared at the darkness around me.
“Why would I not want to see myself?” I asked.
“Because you're different. And people are afraid of different.” He said plainly.
“Why am I different?”
“You said one more question. I think you have had enough answers for one day.”
This guy is being difficult.  “Answer the question.” I said.
“Would you like to see why you are different?” the voice asked.
“Yes please.” I told him. Suddenly, I was shown upon by a bright light. I screamed and the world around me went black again.
I opened my eyes. I am not real. I must be dreaming again. This is wrong. I must have been presented with a roommate. I said, “There is something not right. You're not real, I need to wake up.” to the young man.  He was a very pretty sight to look at. He had large body and very big muscles on his arms and his legs. But for some reason I felt an odd connection to him, like I've met him before. I couldn't have. I've never met anyone who looks like him. “When did I get here? And who are you?” I asked him.
“My name is Tymon. And for the other question, I don't know. I've been here a while too. I woke up not long after you did.” he replied in a deep, kind voice.
“Why do I look like this? I'm ugly. My body is deformed!” I shouted at him.
“Calm down you don't want them to come in to see what the commotion is about. They might be listening.” he said in a calming voice.
I lowered my voice. “What do you mean them, Who are they? What do they want with us?”
“You don't remember? We came to get tested on. Then they put us to sleep and worked on us. And here we are now, different.”
“But what if i don't want to be different. What if I want my old self back?”
“Well we can't really do anything to change it. They tested us and then locked us in here.” I thought about what he was saying. We aren't going to get out. Were going to be stuck in here deformed and ugly. Well I was ugly. He was a beautiful being. Why did I get the horrid one? Why do I get to live the rest of my life looking like a donkey bred with a human? I want to go home.
“I have an idea.” I told Tymon. 
“What is it?” he asked.
“How about we try to escape.” I said in a sneaky voice.
“I don't know, won't we get caught?” he asked while leaning his big side against the door.
“No, that’s why we’re breaking out. We’re going to be like the ninjas that you see on t.v.” I replied.
“Good idea. But we kind of need to make a plan.”
“Okay, let's start with what we’re going to need. The supplies.” We asked the men in the suits for some paper and a couple pens. When we were sleeping they brought them to us. We knew they wouldn't bring them when we were awake. They're too scared of us. I wonder why? It doesn't matter right now. I thought smugly about what they fed me. I got a glass of something warm and soothing. He only got big platters of fish. No wonder his breath always stinks of an old fish tank. They need to get him a big box of mints for after he eats his food.
Once we had finished planning and making lists of all of the things we were going to need to make the plan come to life. We started setting out to find our materials. First we needed a fire. To get the guards to let us out of our room. One of the guards that helps the chef that brings our food in has a lighter that he always keeps in his back pocket. Then, we’re going to need a distraction, one of us will ask to go to the bathroom to distract the guards.  Then,  one of us will go in the control room and turn off all of the cameras in the building. After that we will hopefully make it out the back door. Unless there are people outside this plan should work nicely.
We did all of the steps correctly and well. But how did we end up in a small boat with no food, about three extra people than planned, and lightning flashing above our heads you ask. Well, this is how it happened.
Everything is going good. The plan is going well. I'm running through the halls now trying to meet Tymon. I ran past a few shut doors and wondered what could be in them. I could see the faint green glow of the exit sign. As I reached a bend in the hallway I grabbed onto the wall and swung myself around the corner. There it was. The door to leave. And next to that door is Tymon. Oh gosh, and three other people. One was a girl with blonde hair to below her waist, she had the most slender fingers like a pianist and bright blue eyes that looked like a cloudless sky on a summer day. Then I noticed that they weren’t fingers but thin bodies of small snakes. I wonder what she would have looked like before they made her different like me and Tymon. The next one was a boy; he was probably the tallest human being I had ever seen. He had hair that started in thin spikes but ended with small balls. Then there was another girl. She had orange hair that blew out in wisps. Kind of like mine, Wait,  she looked exactly like me.
“What are they doing here?” I asked. “And where did they come from?”
  “They’re coming. They can't stay here they’re like us.” he replied. Okay, well let's go then. I slipped in between all of the people. I breathed in deep and opened the door.
“What?” I shouted. There was water on every side of the building.  There was a small deck around the building and at least a ten foot drop off to the water.
“How in the world did we get here?” asked the girl who looks like me.
“I don't know. How are we going to leave?” I ask Tymon.
“Don't ask me, it was your plan” he replied. Think Tes what should we do? Think. “There, look a lifeboat. Let's use that and get the heck out of here.” We all ran. Our legs moving in sync. All except Tymon, he's running in the front faster than any of us could run. I saw the blonde girl trip and pull her own hair. I saw the girl that looks like me glide over the ground like she was floating. Maybe she was. Except I could see her chest expanding with every breath. We flung ourselves into the boat and I couldn't help but wince as some of the wood on the sides drove into my hands.
“Hey, you there! Get back here.” I heard someone shout.
“Go, go, go!” Tymon screamed. Him and the other guy he brought grabbed the rows and I started to let the boat down. I unhooked the rope and the boat fell just as a man with a balding head reached for me.
“Noooo…” he screamed as we dropped to the rolling waves.
We were in the water now. No way of going back now. We don't have a map but we will find somewhere.
“Does anyone know where we are?” I asked.
“No.” several people said in unison.
“Why didn't you think about food, or finding a way of navigating?” the spiky haired boy asked.
“Well I didn't think we were going to be surrounded by water on all four sides, in the middle of an ocean.” I said back in a slightly raised voice.
“Calm down, we’ll figure out what to do.” said the blonde girl. “Who even are you guys?” I asked. “I'm Meg. This is James and Clara. ” the girl who looks like me said.
Right as she said Meg my mind went elsewhere. I remember my best friend. My other half, we did everything together. We were like inseparable sisters. But why is she here?
“Meg?” I asked with tears in my eyes. “Yeah it's me.” she said. I jumped over the middle of the boat and crashed into her arms. “I can't believe it. You're the only one I have been able to remember.” I said into her shoulder. I could feel the warm tears streaming down my cheeks. “I'm here we’re in this together.” she said into my hair. We sat like that for a while. The waves crashing around us. Waiting for some crazy idea to come to us. No one knew where to go or what to do. We would figure that out later. Right now, we will just sit here and cry. Cry about all of the things that have happened to us.