CHAPTER 7

I couldn't stop thinking about what Tisha and Marcus were talking about in the library, I wanted to confront Tisha, but since she was the leader of PAOMAS and ISTACES, I'd probably give a bad impression and would get kicked out. So, I told Mia about what would probably happen if we decided to confront either Tisha or Marcus.

"We should probably keep it a secret," I said blankly, while starting at the ceiling, "We'll find a correct time to confront them about what was going on, until then, we should forget what this all is probably for"

"Yeah, true," Mia said, like she never heard a word I just said, "I wonder what ISTACES really means…"

We were discussing the possibilities of life forms when we got into the other Dimension, Then, We started talking about random things that just came to our mind, Mia dozed off. But I didn't, I was waiting for the sun to rise, Until my I gave up for the rays of sun to hit me, and I finally Fell into a small dreamless sleep.

I woke up the next day to Mia yelling out, "NATALIE! GET UP! THERE'S THIS SUDDEN MORNING MEETING IN THE CAFETERIA! WE'RE GONNA BE LATE!"

I rushed to the laboratory with Mia, who was straggling behind me , panicking,Tisha definitely had something against me, I dashed through the long corridors, they had always had a chilling effect because of the cold weather that followed, and the people, they always seemed really uninviting, I swear it always felt like they were saying "Get the frigging hell away from me!" I didn't know why though, I pushed across the crown and got somewhat towards the front.

It was Isaiah, he had a grim look on his face, I asked him why was he looking so lost, he couldn't seem to meet my eyes, another thing to be worried out, dang it, I asked him

"tell me what the heck just happened", I asked.

He spoke with venom in his voice. "ISTACES is a lie! PAOMAS is using us for something!" He said, shakily, holding some sort of banner above his head, obvious that his hand started to cramp.

My head started to spin, what all I had been working on had been a lie, mere tricks? Getting more angry by the day that Tisha would want to kill me, and feed me to her non-existent demonic pets.

There was silence for a moment, And Mia decided to break the ice… Haha! Get it? Ice:Ice age? That was a horrible pun I thought.

"Isaiah!" Mia growled, like she was wishing to make a thick scar on his face, "Come here, NOW!"

He did as she said, looking kind of scared, like as if she was his boss or something, probably… I said to myself.

We walked towards all the scientists and workers' and stood there. Making no noise, like we're forced to shut our mouths, and as if with one word that I'd say, I'd be dead. Tisha took over the chattering crowd.

"Okay everyone listen up! We are having a test, on your instincts, because most of you…" Tisha glared specifically at me, "Have a good knack for instincts."

What did she mean? Was it something that PAOMAS again made us believe. I wanted to walk out of there right now, But, something strong kept me there, not wanting for me to leave, Maybe Tisha was mixing a drug in the food that made me want to stay there ? I asked myself… No, that wasn't it, I can't be drugged because I'd been infected with , a the bacteria that ate away any type of chemical other than all the chemicals in the food, which had entered my body, a few years back. I was diseased. I bet most of us here had that disease. I thought about the world outside and its horrors, Maybe that's why I couldn't make myself leave… I said to myself, That's what's keeping me here. That's one of the reasons I'm not like my parents and the others, who'd froze and been buried in endless snow.

After what seemed like 5 hours of Tisha's stupid announcements, Isaiah tapped me on the shoulder, "Hey, Natalie? You drifted off to wonderland again?"

"What? No!" I said, it was obvious that I was lying, but he acted like he believed me, That was nice enough I thought. I was still sleepy, I felt like falling back down and never waking up, in paradise,where everything was in a great condition, I was slightly relaxed, As I headed towards the drive testing units, I heard Tisha screaming loudly, it pierced through my ears like a sudden Bleep, she had been saying something incomprehensible.

"Can you explain what's happening?"I asked Isaiah. He just stood there. Well, that's kinda rude! I thought, but then again, There was something Isaiah knew and we didn't.