Inside the Palisade Read Online Free PDF

won’t hurt.” Her tone is detached, almost robotic, as she grabs for my arm. I try to pin it into the corner, out of her reach.
    “It’s just that I hate needles.”
    “You don’t have to watch.” She grips my arm and pulls it closer, causing a line of blood to seep from the jagged cut. She dabs something cool and moist across my shoulder. An antiseptic wipe. The sharp point of the needle pierces my skin.
    “Try to relax.” Her voice sounds like it’s coming from far away, even though she’s right next to me. I want to protest but my jaw muscles have gone slack. I glance at her, but I can’t makeout her features anymore. Everything is blurry. Rho’s strong arms brace me as she lowers me onto the bench, raising my legs so I’m lying flat. She arranges my arms by my sides. I want to cry out, but I’m too tired.
    I don’t know if I imagine her whispered words before I drift off. “I’m sorry. Delta is my friend. I have no choice.”

Chapter 5
    “Hey! New girl! Are you awake?”
    I blink. Eveything’s fuzzy. I’m lying flat on my back, barely able to make out the gray tiled ceiling overhead with vent work snaking around the edges. I ache all over, my limbs heavy and sore.
    “Hey! Are you alright?” The stranger speaks again, her tone high-pitched. “You were screaming. Did you have a nightmare?”
    I turn my head toward the voice, but I can’t see her. I try to roll on to my side, but I can’t move. Something’s pinning me down. I try to fight it off.
    “Easy, easy.” She’s closer now. “Don’t worry, sweetie. They tucked you in a little too snug, that’s all.”
    A girl’s face sharpens into focus. She hovers over me, loosening a thick pile of blankets from my chest. A rush of cold air invades my lungs, causing me to cough. The girl braces my shoulders and assists me to a seated position, slapping me too hard on the back and causing another spasm to rip through my lungs. When I catch my breath, she grins to expose a set of shiny white teeth, one of them chipped in the front. Her mousey blonde hair, untidily gathered at the nape of her neck with a bright red bow, is streaked with something sparkly and silver. “I thought you’d
never
wake up. What’s your name?” Her volume is a bit much, but at least she’s friendly.
    “Omega.” My voice croaks from my dry throat.
    “I’m Ace.” The grin widens.
    “Ace?”
    “It’s Alpha actually. Alpha See. But I don’t answer to Alpha, okay? When are you due?”
    “Huh?”
    “The Big Event. You’re not showing, so you must have a while.” Her voice is even louder, like an excited child.
    I look around. The room houses only two cots, a wall mirror and a small metal closet with sliding doors. This girl, Ace, smells soapy and clean. She’s clad in a dark robe, streaked with the same silver as her hair.
    “Do you like it?” She fishes into her pocket and pulls out a glitter pen. “I can do you too.” She brandishes the pen in my direction, but I cower away, reaching protectively for my braids. That’s when I realize my hair has been brushed out, falling in silky waves around my shoulders. It feels like even the split ends have been tidied up.
    “Hey, I don’t bite!” She moves in closer with the pen, before stopping short. Her mouth drops open. “Wow, that’s amazing!”
    “What?” I raise my fingers to my cheeks, feeling for bruises, or other signs of trauma.
    “Your eyes! They’re unreal!”
    My lenses.
    Instinctively, I reach for the case in my pocket, but it’s missing. In fact, my whole uniform is gone. I’m wearing a pale robe over a scratchy flannel gown. My real eyes are exposed to anyone who comes in here. I twist my head away but the girl grasps my chin and pulls me to face her. I scrunch my eyelids shut, but it’s too late. She’s already seen enough. She pulls my face closer. I can feel her breath on my skin.
    “How did that happen?” she asks. “One’s gray and the other’s—”
    “Green. I know.” I open