Hex by Rhiannon Lassiter

Author:Rhiannon Lassiter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Pulse

7

NATURE’S MISCHIEF

The room Ali had been left in was plain and windowless, and something like a private room at a hospital. There was a single bed and some equipment to monitor life-signs and brainwaves, standing near it. But it contained no computer equipment. There was also a small metal table and a single chair, both bolted to the floor. Apart from that the room was empty. Lying on the bed were the white coveralls Ali had been told to put on, made of a thin material. But somehow her own clothes seemed like her last link with home and she made no move to change, sitting hunched against the wall.

There was no lock on the door and it had a large pane of shatterproof glass set into it, as if to emphasize the complete lack of privacy. Under the circumstances Ali had made no move to close the door, which the CPS operatives had left open—it would have been a pointless exercise. So she was surprised when she heard a quiet knock, although she didn’t move from her position against the wall. There was a pause, and then she heard the door swing further open as someone entered the room.

“Are you OK?” a voice asked.

Ali looked up then, if only to tell the speaker exactly what she thought of such an utterly stupid and pointless question. But she was arrested by the sight that awaited her. It was a boy, perhaps about her age, but she found it hard to tell for certain. He was painfully thin, almost emaciated, and his white coveralls hung off his scarecrow figure like rags. The sleeves of the coveralls were short enough for Ali to see the yellow bruises that covered his arms, like those of a drug user. He saw her looking and his mouth pulled into a travesty of a smile.

“My name’s Luciel,” he told her. “They’re testing to see if drugs break my connection with electronics. I guess they haven’t found the right formula yet.”

“I’m Ali,” she said, standing up awkwardly, and glancing at the open door. “Are we allowed to talk?”

“We pretty much do what we want to,” the boy said. “Unless someone’s door is guarded. That means they’re doing experiments.”

“Who exactly are they?” Ali asked, although she could already guess the answer.

“The scientists,” Luciel replied uneasily.

“Is one of them called Dr. Kalden?”

“Shhh,” Luciel warned, suddenly alarmed. “We don’t talk about them, and especially not about him.” He tried to smile again. “I came to see you because I knew you’d be scared, everyone is. But it helps that we’re allowed to talk to each other.”

“Yes, it does,” Ali admitted. She hesitated. “Can I ask you another question?”

“OK,” Luciel replied slowly.

“Is there a girl called Rachel here?” Ali asked. “She’s a . . . a friend of mine. About eleven years old, brown hair, brown eyes . . .”

“I’m sorry.” Luciel shook his head. “I can’t think of anyone like that.” Ali’s heart sank; everything felt cut from under her. But then Luciel added, “But there are a lot of people here and I don’t know them all.

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