The Experiment P.8

Lydia gasped as a man stepped into her room. His short brown hair was spike in the front, making him seem younger than he probably was. The stranger was in a navy blue suit, with a white shirt under it.
"Hello, Lydia Evans."

Lydia looked up at the man. "Who are you?"

"Me?" the man chuckled. "I'm Jonah. I put you here. I watched you drown. I saw you outrun that forest fire. I'm the genius behind this whole project."

Lydia gasped, taken aback by this news. She took a few steps back.
"Why are you here?" she asked cautiously.

"Why are you here?" Jonah fired back.

Lydia looked down at her shoes. "I..I don't know.." she said finally. "I was with my mom and my dad...."

Lydia closed her eyes as she cherished the memory of her last day with her family.

"Lydia, wake up!" her mother had yelled from downstairs. Her mother, 45 years old, was petite with luscious brown hair and green eyes.
Lydia slowly got out of bed and hobbled down the steps. She set herself down at the table, a plate of bacon, eggs and sausage in front of her.
"Did you sleep well?" her mother had asked.
"Never better," Lydia had said cheerfully.

Lydia's father came out of his bedroom, clean and shaven. He was a handsome man, only 46, with black hair that always looked scruffy and bright blue eyes. That's where Lydia had gotten her eye color. She had alway loved her parents, unlike other children. They were her bestfriends. Besides Rio.

Rio and Lydia ha been bestfriends since birth. They were inseparable, like the sister Lydia had always craved.

"Finish your breakfast, Lydia." her mother had scolded her. Lydia obliged and even took a second helping. Lydia's parents kiss her goodbye and then headed to work. Lydia went up to her room, as usual, to listen to music before Rio came over to play.

But then something strange happened.
Lydia felt an invisible free pull her off of her bed and drag her out the door. She had cried out as she was slapped in the face and told to keep quiet. "We won't hurt you," they said as they carried her far away from her home. The last thing Lydia remembered was seeing Rio walking to her house, unaware that nobody was home.

And then Lydia blacked out.

Lydia could still smell the aroma of eggs and sausage and bacon, making her mouth water. She could still remember being carried away from her home as if she was some sort of doll.

Lydia snapped back to attention. "My friend said you're keeping us here and that you can see our dreams."

Jonah looked shocked. How had this girl gotten that crucial information?
Lydia could probably see the look on his face. So Jonah knew he had to play it cool.

"Your friend is right." Jonah shrugged, walking towards Lydia. "But don't listen to your friend. If he says there is an exit, he's wrong. You can't get out of here, Lydia. You're trapped. Until we get all the data we need. There's no way out."

Lydia's eyes grew wide. She could be here for years like Gavin.

Jonah sensed Lydia's sorrow. He gave Lydia a pitying look as he started to walk out of the room.
"Oh, Lydia," he called after him, "if you do dream again, be sure to dream that you're still alive. Because if you don't, well.."

Jonah chuckled as he walked out of the room, leaving Lydia in a disastrous state.