7 Chapter 7

I must be hallucinating from the shot. I'm in a white room, completely empty and perfectly clean. The only thing out of place in this perfect room is a girl. She's my age, with chestnut colored hair and blue eyes that seem young and playful, yet old and wise at the same time. I know her, but where from? I'm pondering this thought when she speaks in a clear voice, one filled with joy and hope. "You're here!"

As she says those two words, the memories come rushing back. The memories my parents begged me to forget. "Amelia?" I ask, astonished. She was my childhood best friend; we were practically inseparable. Until she disappeared. My parents say she moved, but the strange thing is, her parents stayed. And no one leaves Hawthorne. Ever. "Where- where did you go? What happened?"

Before I can ask any more questions, she cuts me off. "I- it's hard to explain. We don't have that much time. Not enough for you to know the whole story."

"You mean the story about how our entire generation is supposedly brainwashed and only one boy and one girl can resist it? And that girl is me? Because yeah, I know that."

She gapes at me for a minute before regaining composure, continuing. "I was acting weird, apparently. Not good enough. And that day I came home late from soccer practice... it was kind of the end of the line. So my parents took me to the doctor. He shot me with something, the same thing he gave you. I was supposed to wake up, but I- I never did," she finished, her voice breaking a little.

"You're the one who died?" I ask quietly as she nods in response. "So... you're just a part of this hallucination, right? Nothing more?"

She pauses, trying to figure out what to say. "Not exactly... I'm dead... but... I mean, maybe it's a trigger or something. Because the shot... you're immune to it, you can resist it, right? You and Thomas both. So maybe it just decided to fill the hallucination with things on your mind, things that might be useful? I have no idea."

I decide to accept this and move on; there are more important things to know. "But... if you were brainwashed, then how come they did this to you?"

"Some people are apparently more susceptible to having a... problem adjusting. And... sometimes the brainwashing... has to be stronger, I guess."

"So it's... it's all true. Our lives are lies?"

She nods, touching my arm gently, "I wish you didn't have to go through this."

"It's better than being brainwashed, isn't it?" I say a little harshly.

"Well, that depends," she ponders, "is it better to be happy and living a lie, or to be unhappy, but know the truth?"

"To know the truth, obviously," I reply quickly.

She shrugs casually, "If you say so."

I'm getting impatient, and maybe a little angry. "Why are you here? What do you have to say besides these stupid philosophical questions?"

"I was getting to that, but now I'm not so sure..." she teases.

"Tell me now! Or else I'll..." I pause; there's not much I can do to a hallucination.

"What I wanted to tell you was to be careful... things aren't always as they seem. Think about the bigger picture. What you and I know is only part of it. What else is out there?"

What does she mean? I'm about to ask her when I'm pulled out of my drug-induced slumber. Dr. Miller is still standing over me, looking confused. "It didn't work..." he says as soon as I open my eyes.