CHAPTER 6.

A ray of crimson light snaked into the backseat hitting me directly on my visage. I slowly opened my eyes as I yawned wondering where I was. I felt a tap on my lap, looking forward, my mom exposed her eggshell white teeth in smile reminding me of my engagement. I slowly alighted our car and followed my dad to the entrance. The structure was spectacular. It looked even better in person. Back at home, my dad constantly gave this place positive views but I didn't expect this. "Welcome to White Rand Rehabilitation Centre, let me just check you in. The receptionist said as she handed me a blue sort of like residential card and tied a blue ribbon on my right wrist. My parents felt obliged to survey the entire institution before dumping their only child there. They are the best parents I could ever ask for. After the reception, there is a main gathering area at the centre, surrounded by several rooms and past this rooms was a lake that surrounded the place. Tranquillity at its finest. I mean, I was feeling calm already. One of the caregivers approached us and directed me to my room. ''Afternoon guys, hope your tastes coincide with the décor. I can assure you Greg, we will not rest until you are good as new. "Ok. This was a little bit creepy. I hadn't told him my name neither had never seen him in my life. What was even more peculiar was that no one was outside or even anywhere at all. Come to think of it, I have only seen the receptionist and the caregiver. ''I wish you the best son." my dad said as they headed out with the man. Philip, the caregiver, guided me to my room. I mean, it wasn't all that. It had a bed, a window and most importantly, a toilet. He left me there together with some sort of pamphlet. It was just talking about how this place is amazing and all and it also had the daily routine. My eyes began to get heavy and I slowly drifted to slumber land. I didn't know how long I slept. But I was abruptly awoken by blaring sirens coming from everywhere in the building. A brown skinned male, about 6 feet and had dainty eyebrows bolted into my room. ''Follow me! Now!' I rubbed my eyes as I got up from bed. Wore my cheap sandals and trailed him. I had never been this confused. I followed the others along an endless hallway when suddenly, I was pulled into a safety closet with a firm grip. ''Shh!!'' the guy from earlier held his index finger across his lips. My eyes popped out corresponding with my racing heart. ''we need to hide somewhere else. I'll explain everything later.'' He said. ''my name's Cedrick by the way. ''I wasn't 'really up to start a conversation considering the circumstance. He slowly opened the closet door and I checked whether the coast was clear. There were some torch flashes but were emanating from outside. We tiptoed out as Cedrick led the way. He took me down some steps into some sort of dungeon. He pressed a brick on the wall and the wall just like opened. ''what the actual….'' I thought to myself he pulled me in. the wall closed almost immediately. He sat by a corner and signalled me to come closer. ''so, I know your probably wondering what the hell is going on. I'm sorry to say that this is no rehab centre. On contrary, I would call it a torture house. The caregivers you see around are employees of some foreign government who experiment on young minds like us. When it normally gets around 1 in the morning, their meant to get into our rooms, take our blood and experiment on it. A few years back, the guys enrolled here used to go through hell. Some even used to be amputated and all sorts of things. This also used to happen around 1. The sirens would go off, signalling all the patients to remain in their rooms to get their ''medication''. As time went by, we adapted. We slowly built an underground hideaway to escape to as soon as the sirens are heard. That's where everyone was headed earlier. I've been here for quite sometimes, about six years. My parents died when I was eleven, so my aunt took me here adhering to the fact that I was unstable. Little did she know… the institution lied to her that I was dead and sent their 'condolences'. When she came to confirm this, they induced me with some sort of serum I don't know. All I know is that to the outside world, I'm dead. These sadists took anyone they could find during the time, and locked them in their lab till morning doing all sorts of things to them. In the morning, they would come up to you and act as if everything was normal. They were brainwashed so as not to remember anything. I'm lucky enough never to have been caught. Let's just say my friends didn't share the same luck. I've lost about four pals of mine to these guys. My vendetta grows stronger and stronger each day. After gathering in the hide away, we would leave at early dawn and return to our rooms. During the day, they wouldn't dare do a thing as the administrator was around. They all seemed to fear her. She goes by Alexa. So, just saying keep your head up at all times. Not all these guys here are innocent. Some are here on anger management, depression, homicide amongst other ruthless things. But I…...I have a plan. A plan to escape, be free. Finally leave this hell hole. But I'll need your help. Do you trust me?''