Duel Integrity

Chapter 1: Part 1 Crack

Fuzzy yellow light seeped into my eyes and suddenly I was gasping. My hand slapped the tile wall as the room reeled around me. My eyes rolled as I struggled to release the fog from my lungs. My knees almost gave and my head hit the wall as blackness began clouding my vision. Before I could completely crumple the feeling lifted. Still struggling for breath I looked around.

                “Holy fuck.”

I was in one of the cubicles. A shower sized room with a showerhead and a metal curtain that didn’t move when my trembling hands clawed at it. Water streamed down gently splashing my feet and I felt the sudden urge to walk into the water and let it drown me. I dragged myself as far from the water as I could get and hugged the wall.

I knew exactly what that water did to a person. It took them. It controlled them beyond consciousness. I remembered the day I first had stepped into that water. Now I had a chance to be free.

There was a click and the curtain started sliding into the wall. My body reacted before I cared to think and I had grabbed the metal square from the man’s hand jammed it in his throat. Hit him hard in the temple and bludgeoned him in the head. Needless to say he crumpled.

A sick smile spread across my face and I turned away feeling my innards turn. I was still holding the metal thing in my hand and after some inspection I realized it was a cell phone. Tapping in the only number I cared to know I waiting as it rang. Looking down I watched droplets of electric water roll down my bare body. Here and there were faded scars and some more fresh bruises on my ankles and wrists.

                “Hello?”

                “Tyler,” I gasped. “How long, how long have I been here?”

                “Oh my god, Alyahs.”

                I could feel my lungs close as I spoke. “Tell me.”

                His voice was calm and slow. “Three years, Alyahs. But don’t – “

My hand dropped from my ear and I grabbed my hair. I tried to cry but I could barely breathe. Looking at the phone a sudden rage enveloped me and I slammed my hand into the tile. Piece’s broke and flew off, pinging against the half opened metal curtain. I pulled my hand back slowly and stared. It had made me stronger, far stronger than I’d been before. Too distracted there was a pull like hundreds of hands and I was standing back in the water with it streaming in my face.

It went into my eyes, my ears, my mouth and I was gone.

She opened her eyes and smiled at the dead body. She always smiled at them. Reaching a creeping hand outside the cubicle she gently pushed the button to close the curtain. She wasn’t supposed to let her out and she was more awake than usual today. She’d have to call Him down to reset the water to a higher level again.

Rarely did she get to look around her cubicle. They usually woke her up right before when she had already been prepared. She loved her cubicle. She also loved her because when she got too strong for her water and woke them up she could play with her.

Slowly she picked up the phone and with patience watched its display light up. One call. He wouldn’t like that. She felt her gasping again and relaxed.

Again I fell forward from the water gasping at the wall. This time my legs couldn’t handle it and my knees made a cracking noise as they hit the tile floor. The curtain was closed and I could have screamed in frustration. I glanced at the floor and found the phone again.

                “Alyahs! What happened, it just cut off.”

                “I.” I coughed violently before continuing.

                “Are you,”

                “I’m fine. She, the other me, the one from the water took over. She isn’t letting me breath. I’m too light headed.”

                “I’m tracking your phone now, just leave it on.”

                “Okay.”

                I slowly pushed off the ground and stood swaying in the corner. My breath became shallower and shorter.

                “She’s stronger than me, Tyler.”

                He was silent.

                “I can’t. I’m falling

The water snatched me back and then there was her.

She saw the phone again. In a new place still lit up. She narrowed her eyes and slowly bent over, one vertebrae at a time, to pick it up.

                “Hello?”

                “Alyahs?”

                “Yes. I am O-Kay.” She couldn’t speak quick enough to be fully convincing unless they put in a program that required that into her cubicle. An annoyance. He would not be happy if she let her control the situation. “So-ry the o-ther one is not let-ting me breathe.”

                “I’m coming, keep fighting Alyahs, this is our chance to have both of you safe.”

                “Hur-ry”

That should make Him happy. Before she could step back into her water the other one started beating her way out from the inside. She relaxed before she damaged her and let her out.

I can’t keep letting her take over I’m stronger than this. I could feel the other one inside me waiting but I didn’t wait. Three punches later there was a hole big enough for my hand in the metal curtain. I reached out and ran my fingers over the wall before hastily pushing the button.

I ran into another room away from the water where the other her had more control and started opening metal cabinets that lined the walls. I grabbed every bottle, jar, and tube and the other one only resisted once. I chose that one and read its label. It simply said protectant. I unscrewed the lid, tossed it away, and started spreading the lotion like protectant all over my body. Even on my eyelids and through my hair and even more sensitive spots that stung a little but I had already guessed what the protectant was for so I didn’t care.

Grabbing a pair of scrubs I yanked them on and stalked out into a brightly lit hallway. I looked left and saw no one. Then I looked right and a face was suddenly too close to mine. My fist flew out but the sandy haired man blocked it and grabbed my arm violently, bringing me close.

                “Up again, Alyahs?”

My other fist arced upwards but he blocked that too. However, he wasn’t quick enough to catch my knee before it had made solid contact with his groin. He dropped my arm and I ran with the wildness of a doe being hunted.

                “Roe stop her.”