Lights Out

The gentle humming lulled her from the black oblivion of sleep to the waking world. She ran a hand gently over the thin sheet that covered the mattress she was laying on as her conscious reawakened from the sleep she couldn't remember taking. As a matter of fact, she couldn't remember anything after her last class. The sudden thought startled her, she flew to a sitting position causing her head to spin as her eyes desperately tried to focus in the blackness surrounding her. The pounding of her startled heart hit her ears like a freight train as her breathing followed the erratic rhythm. Her brain frantically reached for any clue as to where she had awoken to but the never ending darkness offered no answers.

She took a deep shaky breath before slowly swinging her legs down from what she assumed was a bed. The cement floor was ice cold and she gasped at the impact. With her arms out in front of her, equipped with nothing but her sense of touch to navigate this foreign terrain, she fumbled her way to the nearest wall searching for a possible light switch.

When her hand skimmed the cool plastic switch, without thinking she flipped it blanketing the room in light. The light burned her tired retinas as she squinted to take in her surroundings. To her right was a wooden door, plain and unremarkable but to her its existence was like winning the lottery. She scrambled to the door, tripping over her own feet in the process. Her hand wrapped around the cool metal of the doorknob and she yanked as hard as she could. The sturdy wood never even shuddered against her blow.

"Hello? Hey! Someone?" She huffed as her palm slammed onto the worn wood of the door.

She sighed as the overwhelming silence bore down on her and she turned in defeat to take in the space she was inevitably stuck in. Four wooden walls void of decoration except for a singular window which did not appear to lead outside next to a glass door surrounded her, the grey cement floor under her feet caused chills to run down her spine as she realized she had never seen this place before.

How she got here, she couldn't remember. She had been right before, she had awoken on a bed or more specifically a cot. There was a small table covered in old magazines and a book shelf on the opposite wall and near the door that wouldn't open, hung on the wall, was an old timey box TV. The likes of which she hadn't seen since her elementary days. She made a beeline right for the glass door, her heart sinking when she yanked on the unmoving glass.

Disappointment weighing heavily on her chest she bit down on the fragile skin of her lip as she spun around searching for any clue as to where she was. The girl slowly made her way to the window in the wall opposite of the wooden door. She peaked through the clear glass but to her dismay the room beyond was clouded in shadows. With a heavy sigh, she wrapped her arms tightly around herself, a calming mechanism she had adopted as a child.

Hours passed as she waited impatiently for something to happen, she had eventually given up on finding an escape route and settled to just sit on the cot with the unremarkable hospital sheets. The gentle humming that had been so soothing was now gone, replaced by a whooshing sound that rattled within her exhausted head making her nauseous. She gazed anxiously around the room before catching the slightest glint out the corner of her eye. She slowly stood from the cot, her arms crossed protectively over her chest as she shivered. She gasp when a tiny lens moved just slightly as she made her way over. It was a camera, she was being watched. Someone was watching her, the realization rocked her to her core.

She made her way back to the cot as a new wave of anxiety washed over her. The room was colder than she remembered it being and she shivered again in a feeble evolutionary attempt to warm herself up. She watched as a puff of white smoke flashed in front of her vision as she sighed. It was definitely colder than she remembered.

Her heart leapt to her throat as the room shrouded in shadows on the other side of the glass shone brightly with the light of life. The girl was moving before her brain could even process what was happening, she found herself in front of the large rectangular window. She watched as a boy frantically pulled at a wooden door, when he finally realized that the thing wouldn't budge he reeled his leg back before striking the wood.

It was blatantly obvious that he had no idea how they had gotten here either but the simple presence of another human being somehow eased her anxiety.

"Hey! Hey!" She called, but the boy didn't move a muscle, "Damn it," She grumbled before yelling louder. How could he not hear her?

Finally, with an open palm she hit the glass over and over again hoping that her blows would make any sound, even the faintest of vibration would feel like a win. She watched as the boy jumped, the sudden sound of her fragile hand hitting the thick glass startling him. He whirled around and once his eyes met hers, he bolted in her direction. His mouth frantically moved as he spoke words that she couldn't hear.

"I can't hear you," She sighed but obviously in his panic he hadn't come to the same realization that she had, so one last time her palm came into contact with the thick glass separating her from the only other human who could sympathize with her in this moment.

"I can't hear you," She spoke louder but she doubted that the extra effort would make a difference.

He stared at her while realization set in and he shook his head as he glanced around his own room that was identical to her own. They needed to communicate, they needed to work together. She thought for a long moment. She gasped as a thought flashed through her mind's eye and she held up a finger signaling for him to give her a minute. The girl spun around quickly and the boy panicked as she retreated from their shared window. She wanted to tell him that she'd be right back, that she had an idea. She wanted to ease his anxiety but she had no way too. She moved to the table covered in magazines and she snatched one up into her grasp before grabbing a pen from the cup sat perfectly in the middle of the table.

She ran back to the window and held the magazine and pen up proudly. She made a slight motion for him to follow her lead. His eyes grew wide as he nodded his head before spinning around. Once he returned, she watched him exhale a deep breath as he held up his own magazine, a weak smile blessing his features. She offered a small smile in return but she knew it had to have been less than believable.

She held up a finger, "Hi," She ground onto the page on top of a celebrity's face that she didn't recognize before showing the boy on the other side of the glass.

"Hi," He sprawled back. His handwriting was atrocious and she found herself worrying that her plan wouldn't work.

"I'm Sicily," She continued, regardless.

"Michael," He offered with a small wave.

Michael had to have been at least six feet tall, which meant he towered over the smaller brunette at her meager height of five feet four inches. His sun kissed skin, no doubt made that way by the unforgiving California sun, was a stark contrast to her porcelain complexion and was an even starker contrast to his dirty blonde hair.

Sicily waved back as the box tv on the wall started to sound an alarm similar to the one that played during tornado warnings. The two spun around as the thing continued its audible assault.

"Psychological experiment 402 commencement: A test of limits. The US government thanks you for your service," The mechanical voice repeated the same line for a second time and Sicily relaxed slightly.

Her mind flashed back to last week when her favorite professor, Dr. Winters, offered her a whopping 20% in extra credit to participate in a national level psychology experiment. She would have been stupid to say no. She had felt honored at first, he had explained that they were looking for physically fit and mentally gifted participants but now she couldn't help but feel uneasy. That still didn't explain how they had gotten here.

Michael turned towards the girl, he was much calmer now and he blessed her with a dazzling smile as they nodded in sync.

"I feel stupid," Michael ground onto the magazine as Sicily shook her head, a shaky smile blessing her features.

"Me too," She assured as the blaring on the tv stopped.

The two turned just as another message played, "Please follow all instruction. Failure to do so will result in "Lights out". Task 1 of 24: Locate the puzzle in the room and complete it. You have a time limit of 90 seconds," The female voice rang out and the two looked at eachother. That was it? Complete a puzzle. The brunette turned to look at the boy who shrugged, his easy smile never faltering.

"Find the puzzle," He etched onto the thin paper of the magazine before holding it up mockingly and the girl laughed, though he'd never know.

The two slowly made their way around their rooms. Sicily started by stacking the magazines searching for the puzzle under the mounds of paper there. Michael started with the bookshelf, quickly losing focus as he carefully read the titles neatly typed on the spines of the books. His long delicate fingers skimming their old leather spines.

The clock ticked down menacingly as the two took their time examining the room. Before long the clock hit zero and the same alarm blared, louder than before, both participants desperately tried to cover their ears.

"Failure to meet goal," It blared twice as if once wasn't enough to create an awful ringing sound that vibrated through their skulls.

The two frantically looked at each other. This should have been an easy task, Sicily quickly cursed herself, she should have taken it more seriously.

"Punishment sequence commencing now," The voice promised as the overhead sprinkler system kicked on causing freezing cold water to drench the participants.

The sudden surge of cold water caused them both to scream as the mechanical voice rang out, "Lights out," Just moments before the lights cut out, blanketing the room in darkness. Sicily panicked as the awful whooshing sound turned into a screeching sound so loud she thought her ear drums would burst. The room got dramatically colder as gusts of freezing cold air filled the space and she realized for the first time that the whooshing sound had been an air conditioner.

"What is happening?" She gasped, quickly turning her attention on the window separating her and Michael.

She couldn't see the boy, his room too went dark. Hoping he was okay, she fumbled her way back to the light switch. She flipped the switch bracing herself for the intense fluorescent light that never came. She flipped the switch yet again, nothing. Panicking, she tried the switch not once, not twice but three more times but the light never returned. She took a shuddering breath as she shivered intensely.

She shuffled towards the cot, her soaked clothes clung to her skin and she shook violently. She quickly ripped the thin sheet from the cot and wrapped it tightly around herself trying her best to fight off the cold air surrounding her. It felt like forever before the lights turned back on, long enough for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

When the lights flashed back on both participants rushed to their shared window. Michael's face was flushed, as sweat clung to his forehead.

"Are you okay?" He mouthed and she nodded quickly,  motioning back to him. He nodded as well.

Sicily snatched up her magazine, "Did your room get cold?" She scribbled out, before holding it up pointing at the page. She shivered but she could feel the room slowly warming.

For a moment Michael looked confused and he shook his head, "It's so hot in here," He frowned as he held up his own magazine.

The siren started blaring again as both people turned to look at the screen, "Repeat of task 1 of 24: Please locate the puzzle and complete it. You have a 60 second time limit. Please begin," A large 60 appeared on the screen as it quickly began to count down the seconds.

The two people looked at eachother panicked before they sprinted across the room desperately trying to keep the lights on. Michael flipped the table shuffling the magazines as he desperately searched for the puzzle.

Sicily looked around frantically. It wasn't in the pile of magazines nor on the bookshelf. She flipped the cot and she gasped as she looked at the tiny children's puzzle. Snatching it up, she ran to the table, swiping all the magazines onto the floor quickly before dumping the puzzle out onto the table. She rushed to finish the 15 piece puzzle before taking a step back so the camera could see her work.

"Task complete," The monotone voice rang out and Sicily looked towards the window at Michael who looked panicked at the tv as it rattled off words that Sicily couldn't hear. Then his lights went out and she gasped.

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Time passed as Sicily sat comfortably in her room, guilt rattled her core as she worried heavily about Michael. Then his lights clicked on and she rushed to the window. He looked at her wide eyed as the tv issued their next task, "Task 2 of 24: Find a three syllable word hidden within your room. There is a 90 second time limit."

Before Sicily could even recover from the shock of seeing the golden haired boy again. Michael took off towards the book shelf ripping one of the books from its home. His cheeks were flushed, his blonde curls clinging to his forehead desperately. As he held up a book titled, "The inferno within."

Sicily watched the whole thing as if it was in slow motion. "Task Failure. Lights Out," The tv blared as water rained down around her before her lights flickered out blanketing the world in darkness.

——————

As time passed she found herself watching Michael as he paced the room. He was looking more and more irritated as time went on, he gestured his hands as he spoke to himself. He was quickly becoming unhinged.

Task after task the two compeated, both desperately trying to keep their lights on. Task 24 had come and gone long ago but every hour on the dot another task would blare for them to complete. The girl had lost track of the days now was it 4 or 5 since the tasks began? She couldn't remember. The lack of natural light was disorienting. The hourly siren made sure that they got little rest. Food and water were provided through a chamber in the wall though neither of them had eaten much in the last few days. Michael no longer spoke to the girl avoiding the window, though she could feel his eyes on her when his lights would go out.

As Sicily's light flashed on for the last time. She felt drained.

The alarm on the tv blared as she whimpered. It was all too much, it was never ending.

"Final Task," The thing promised, "Incapacitate the other participant by any means necessary."

Sicily paled, what did that even mean? The glass door clicked open that was separating their room, right before the lights went out.

"Not again," She whimpered, "Michael?" She called out, she couldn't see a thing.

The screeching of the air conditioner drowned out all sound. She spun around trying to make out anything in the darkness. Then something hit her with such force that it knocked the air out of her as the two tumbled to the ground

"What the.."

"Im sorry, I'm sorry," The male voice repeated over and over again as the girl fought against him.

"Get off me."

"I can't."

His hands wrapped around her neck as he squeezed down on her windpipe. She tried to pry his hands off but it was no use. She quickly moved to flail her hands desperately trying to grab ahold of something.

The brunette's hand closed around the object on the floor and without thinking she plunged it into the boy. Something warm covered her and she screamed as she quickly shuffled backwards, she hadn't realized a pen could make such a nasty wound. While he was distracted she used all her might to kick the boy from on top on her. Michael screamed as he pulled the pen from his thigh as the brunette sprinted through the glass door and into Michael's room.

"Sicily!"

The girl pulled herself under the cot in Michael's room squeezing herself as tightly into the corner of the wall as possible. She could hear Michael's irrational ranting as he stumbled about looking for her in the dark.

She took a deep calming breath, he hadn't even realized she left her room yet. Regardless of her fear she crawled out from under the cot stumbling quietly towards the book shelf. She needed something heavy. Michael had lost it, though she didn't want to hurt him just knock him out for a while, that's all. She reminded herself of that over and over again as she picked up the metal paperweight sitting as a "decoration" on the book shelf.

Sicily grasped the thing in her tiny hand feeling the weight of it but before she could change her mind someone grabbed her from behind hurling her down onto the floor.

"Michael, stop!"

"You stop! You stop! You heard the monitor. I have to, I have to," He repeated the last statement over and over again as he wrapped his hands around the girls throat again but this time she was prepared. Paper weight in hand she brought the metal down onto the boys skull. A sickening crack filled the air before the boy fell limp on top of her.

"Task complete. Psychological Experiment 402 has now ended. The United States government thanks you for your service."

She whimpered as she crawled out from under the still boy. Awful noises were coming from his throat but it was quickly drowned out by the high pitched squeal of the air conditioner.

She made it to her feet when suddenly the air began to feel thicker. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, each breath triggering a fit of intense coughing. She tried to stagger towards the door before tumbling down onto the concrete floor, hard. She could feel the blood leaking from her busted knees but at the moment that was the least of the girl’s worries. Light seeped from under the wooden door that led to freedom for the first time since Sicily and Michael had arrived, it was so close but so far. She desperately tried to keep her eyes open but before long she found herself returning to the oblivion from which she had came.