the sun was just a legend?
The days dragged on slowly, filled with anxiety and expectation. Doctor Emmett did not return for a long time, and Nia began to worry. What happened to him? Why doesn't he come? Maybe he got sick? Or did he just forget about her? She rushed around the room like a beast in a cage.
One day, an unfamiliar man in a light blue suit entered her room. His face was impenetrable and cold, and his gaze was aloof.
– Doctor Emmett will no longer be able to visit you, – he announced without any preamble.
– What happened? Where is he? – Nia asked fearfully. She felt her heart sink.
– Doctor Emmett has been arrested for his interest in forbidden knowledge, – the new doctor replied.
Nia felt the world around her collapsing.
– Arrested? For what forbidden knowledge? What will happen to him now? – Tears welled up in her eyes. She had become so used to Doctor Emmett, to his kind eyes and sincere concern. He was the only person she could trust in this crazy world.
– Don't worry, – the new doctor snapped. – Doctor Emmett will be cleansed and sent for retraining again. Then he will reappear in the hospital and take on a new patient.
– Cleansed? And retrained? Won't that take a long time? – Nia wondered.
– No, not at all. It's only a few years. There's no need to worry about Emmett. He's been through this procedure several times. He starts getting too close to patients too often, and that's unacceptable and causes problems.
Nia was shocked.
– Cleansed minds? Several times? That's terrible! How is that possible? – There was despair in her voice. She pressed her hands to her chest, as if trying to protect herself from this terrible truth.
The new doctor just shrugged:
– These are the rules. Our job is to heal, not to befriend. You must understand that all this is done for your own good.
With these words, he left the room, leaving Nia in complete confusion: Mind cleansing. Forbidden knowledge. Friendship with patients is a crime? What is this world I'm in? And what will happen to me now? Am I next?
Nia spent what seemed like several more months in this hospital. How much time had passed? A week? A month? A year? Her favorite pastime was watching the lights of the unusual metropolis in the distance, and she began to prepare an escape plan. Since both days and nights were very similar to each other, it was unclear when the day began and the night ended. What difference did it make? It was always twilight here. She decided to wait for a time when there would be the fewest people around the hospital, and jump out of the window, since that was the only way out. It was the third floor, and she thought that even if she broke something, it would be better than just doing nothing. A broken leg is better than a broken will.
The girl tried to pull out all possible things and tie them together into a long rope, but the length was naturally not enough. Then Nia decided to drop the mattress from the bed down below, in order to at least somewhat cushion the fall. She barely managed to drag it across the room and lift it to the window. The mattress was heavy, and Nia had to put in a lot of effort to get it over the windowsill. The main thing was not to fall.
Then she tied a sheet to the leg of the bed, hoping that this would help her descend from a lower height. The sheet was thin and fragile. Nia understood that she would still fall, and possibly get injured, but she was willing to risk it. Risk is all I have left.
Waiting for it to become completely quiet outside the window, Nia climbed onto the windowsill, took a deep breath, and looked down. The mattress lay on the ground, like a small island of hope. Jump. Or stay here forever. Closing her eyes, Nia jumped.
Nia flew down, feeling the wind whistling in her ears. The sheet tightened, slowing the fall a little, but it was still scary. Just don't break your neck! She landed on the mattress, which, although it softened the impact, did not completely absorb it. Her legs were pierced with sharp pain, but Nia, gritting her teeth, got to her feet. Alive. And that's the main thing.
She expected everyone around to rush to her, start shouting and grabbing her. But nothing like that happened. The people passing by were simply going about their business, as if they didn't notice her. They behaved like obedient robots, immersed in their own thoughts and concerns. They didn't care. As always.
Nia looked around. The urban oasis was far away, but she decided that she needed to go there. There was nothing more for her to do here, near the hospital. Soon they would start looking for her, and then it would all be over. She needed to run. Before it was too late.
She needed to get to the city as quickly as possible, but in such a way that as few people as possible noticed her. Nia understood that she would have to move carefully, avoid crowded places, and hide in the shadows. Become a shadow in this city of shadows.
She ran towards the metropolis, trying not to pay attention to the pain in her legs. Strange vehicles rushed past, people in identical suits, billboards with incomprehensible images. Everything was alien and unfamiliar. I am a stranger here. And I always will be a stranger, the girl realized.
Nia felt lost and lonely. But she knew that she couldn't give up. She had to find answers to her questions. She had to find out who she was and why she was in this strange place. And she had to find a way to survive. At any cost.
After the desperate jump and the, albeit cushioned, but painful landing, Nia felt every bump under her feet. The pain in her legs pulsed with every step, reminding her of her risky escape. The roads she walked seemed endless, gray ribbons running into the distance. They were laid between some strange fields, where not so much trees, not so much bushes grew, all equally gray and lifeless. Like her life.
She wandered, stumbling, along these godforsaken paths, feeling hunger twisting her stomach more and more strongly. Due to the lack of change of day and night, Nia completely lost track of time. It seemed that an eternity had passed since she woke up in the alley. She didn't know how long she had been walking, but she knew for sure that she needed to eat. And drink. And find out who she was.
There was no one around. Only these endless gray fields and strange, emaciated plants. Nia began to doubt that she had chosen the right direction. Maybe she should have stayed near the hospital? But they would have found her there anyway. There was no turning back.
Chapter 4
When hope had almost faded, she saw a figure in the distance. A person? Or was she imagining it? Nia squinted, trying to get a better look. Yes, it was a girl. She was standing in the middle of the road, as if waiting for someone. Who could be waiting in this godforsaken place?
As Nia got closer, she couldn't believe her eyes. The girl was incredibly beautiful. Sparkling hair flowed down her shoulders, perfect makeup emphasized her expressive eyes, and her clothes were so stylish and elegant that they didn't fit in with this bleak landscape at all. She looked as if she had just stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. What is she doing in the middle of nowhere? Nia thought.
The girl saw Nia and smiled.
– Hi! Are you okay? You don't look very well, – her voice was soft and melodic.
Nia was a little confused.
– I'm lost, – she squeezed out of herself. It sounded pathetic. – And my leg hurts.
The girl examined Nia carefully.
– Yes, I see. You've hurt your leg. And you look very tired. Let me help you. I live not far from here. We can go to my place, I'll treat the wound and feed you.
The offer was very tempting. Her leg really hurt terribly, and she was tormented by hunger. But something about this girl seemed suspicious to Nia. She was too well-groomed and beautiful so far from the city. She offered help too easily. Intuition screamed danger, but her body demanded rest and food. You can't trust anyone. But there is no choice.
Nia hesitated:
– Thank you. But I don't know…
The