Imperfect

“Liza!” I shouted, giggling as I tour through the woods, urging to catch up to my friend who was running ahead of me.

“Come on! We’re almost there!”

She yelled, as I followed her, thorns tearing at my soft skin. I winced, ignoring the pain as I continued on through the woods, eventually coming into an opening. A giant field was plastered out in front of us. I jogged to a stop, panting next to Liza. I gripped her hand, looking into the field.

“Why’ve you taken me here?”

I ask, tilting my head as I question her actions.

“Because your different. We both are.”

“How?”

I ask.

“It doesn’t matter. But what does, is that you keep a low profile. We can set up a home here, and-”

“What?” Is she going absolutely crazy?

“If this is a game Liza-”

“Its not. There are people that will come looking for you.”

“Your insane-"

"You don't understan-"

"I think I do. I don't know what game your playing, but its starting to get creepy- Besides, I already have a home." I say, chuckling nervously

“I know.”

She smiles, as a dart hits the side of my throat and everything around me goes dark.

Hands wrap around my arms, covering my eyes as I’m lifted onto a hospital stretcher and carried inside a vehicle. I lift my head up, slowly looking around. Tubes stick out of my arms. A man lifts the stretcher off of the vehicle, carrying it into a large, futuristic looking building. “Do it now, she needs to be asleep for this.” I hear a voice, similar to Liza's say. Where am I? I have to get back home. My parents must be freaking out by now.

"Do it!" The strict voice commands. A button clicks, and within seconds, I'm out once again.

I open my eyes. A women sitting on the edge of my bed is staring at me. She looks so similar to Liza. Is it..Liz-

“Hello Callie.”

“I-”

She puts her hand over my mouth.

“Shhhh. We wouldn’t want your vocal cords vibrating now, would we? That would mess up the medicine, flowing through your tiny veins.”

She smiled. What the hell does she want from me? I look at her. She looks different. Instead of the usual pastel flowing skirt, or her blond wavy hair that she used to braid every night so it would flow in waves down her back the next day, they were both gone. Her blond hair was gelled back into a slick hairdo. Her body was stripped from her usually rainbow-y self and plastered on another person. She was dressed in a tight black dress, and heels. She looked older.

Like it wasn’t her.

Like it was someone..

else.

“I know you want information. That’s why we’ve assigned you a dorm mate.”

A dorm mate?

She twisted her hand in a motion, lifting a finger up. At once, the door to the room opened, revealing a short, thin looking girl with brown hair. She stood in front of my bed, staring at me.

“Hello. I am Emily.”

Her voice sounded like a robot. She wore blue leggings and a blue sweatshirt.

“You can talk now, sweetie.” Liza says.

I pull back my hand and slap her.

“You idiot.” I mutter.

“I’m not your sweetie.”

She chuckles, seeming unbothered.

“We’ll see about that.” She says, getting up.

“Emily will show you around.”

Emily turns to Liza, smiling.

“Goodbye, Callie.”

“Bye.” I say, as she shuts the door. Emily signs, as if someone took a giant rock off of her shoulder.

“That was a mess.” She says.

I look at her, confused. One second ago she looked almost as if she were being programmed, and now she seems normal. Like a normal person. I look around the room, examining my surroundings. I’m on a normal looking bed, in a room that looks exactly like the one from my home. The white curtains, two large windows, the desk with the computer..

“What is this?” I say.

“It’s your home now.”

She took the remote control sitting on the nightstand, turning on the TV. It only had one channel. ‘Living in the open world.’

“That’s the only channel..?”

“Yes, it is.”

She sounded tired.

I sat up from the bed, walking towards the mirror propped against the wall. I’m dressed in the same leggings and sweatshirt as Emily is. My usual wavy hair had been tied into a tight ponytail, and I looked like I had risen from the dead.

Literally.

“Why am I here?”

“Liza has created an empire.”

“An empire?” I laugh. “I’ve known Liza my entire life, this isn’t her.”

“Your right. It’s not.”

“What?”

“Its someone. Someone else.”

"I used to know a Liza too."

Emily's expression darkens. She slowly walks towards me.

"But you won't remember any of this." She grabs my wrists, pressing me on the bed.

"Your going to be just another itty, bitty, little helpless girl who's been trapped into their stupid game."

"Huh?" I say, beginning to freak out.

"You see now, I can tell you anything because you won't remember any of this." Emily lets out a loud, echoing laugh.

"Yes, yes! You want to know everything about this weird game for what?" She lowers her voice.

"You think you'll remember?" She tilts her head.

"Um-" I shrink back on the bed, itching to remove her grip on my arms.

"Well. You won't." She whispers, getting up and walking towards the door.

"I'll see you soon, Callie."

I shiver as the door slams shut. What was that? Am I seriously going to forget all of this? Will I just wake up back in my own bed? I still have no idea whats going on and why I'm in this weird room.

The TV glitches, slowly turning on.

"Hello, Trainee. Here is all the information you will need before your memory is reset."