Chapter 9 - Check In Margot's POV The door sealed shut behind us with a heavy , mechanical clang , locking us inside a stark , white - walled processing room . : The space was eerily clean , the air thick with the stench of antiseptic , like the kind used in medical clinics . A long metal table sat in the middle of the room , its surface reflecting the harsh , fluorescent light above . Along the back wall , a row of lockers stood beside a cabinet filled with neatly stacked supplies everything from medical kits to folded garments . There were no windows in here . No exit except the door we had just come through . I swallowed hard . Officially trapped ? Maybe ... - Cara shifted uneasily beside me , her gaze darting around as if searching for an escape route herself but she too wasn't going to find one . - - The older man in the lab coat who I now assumed was some kind of doctor or official in this strode toward the metal table and placed a clipboard down with a sharp clack . He then turned to face us , his eyes scanning us like we were specimens under a microscope . " You'll answer a few questions before we begin , " he said , his voice even and emotionless . " This is standard procedure for all participants . Understand ? " I nodded stiffly . Cara crossed her arms but gave a half - hearted shrug . " Good . " He picked up the clipboard . " Names ? " " Margot Belle , " I said quickly , my voice sounding surprisingly firmer than what I felt . " Cara Owens , Cara muttered after . The man ticked us off on the list , seeming satisfied , before he scribbled something down . " Ages ? " " Both eighteen , " I answered before Cara could . Another scribble , " Medical history ? Any conditions we should be aware of ? " He tested , raising a brow . " No , " we both said in unison . 1/4 3:11 pm P DD PS Chapter 9 - Check In He nodded , checking something off from his list again before his gaze lifted back to me . His sharp , assessing eyes locked onto my face . More specifically , onto my eye . I knew what he was staring at before he even said anything . The faint , yellowing bruise around my left eye - a reminder of what I had left behind ... I tensed instinctively , waiting for the question to come ... The doctor narrowed his eyes . " How did you get that ? " He pointed with his pen towards my face , as I swallowed . Cara stiffened beside me . I felt her shift , ready to jump in and spin some kind of lie , but I beat her to it . " It's nothing , " I said quickly . " Just an accident , that's all . " The doctor didn't look convinced . " Be specific . We don't need any trouble causers on this experiment ! " Iclenched my jaw . " We don't want any trouble . I only tripped , " I said bluntly . " Fell against the edge of a table and it caught the wrong spot . " His eyes lingered on me for a long moment , like he was weighing the truth in my words . Then , without comment , he reached for a drawer in the nearby cabinet and pulled out a small , round compact case . He tossed it onto the table in front of me . " You'll need to cover it , " he said simply . I blinked , astounded . " What ? " " The bruise , " he clarified , tapping his pen against the clipboard . " We can't have you walking around looking like you just stepped out of a street fight . It might create ... unnecessary assumptions with the inmates . " I hesitated , staring down at the compact case . It was some sort of peachy concealer or foundation . Cara let out a scoff , repeating what he wanted . " So you're forcing her to cover it up with makeup ? " The doctor arched a brow . " You're required to present yourself professionally . It's non - negotiable , " - I felt the weight of his words settle in my stomach like a stone . This wasn't about me or my past it was about our presentation . About making sure I , and everyone else involved , looked presentable for the prisoners . 2/4 3:11 pm P DD Chapter 9 - Check In I swallowed down the bitterness rising in my throat and snatched up the compact case . " Fine , " I muttered . I popped it open , revealing the small mirror and creamy powder inside . The shade was close enough to my skin tone , probably something generic they had on hand for situations like this . I dabbed the sponge into the product and swiped it over my bruised skin- cringing as it was still overly tender . It almost felt like erasing a piece of myself ... Like covering up proof of something I wasn't allowed to speak about ... When I was done , the bruise was masked completely . I looked somewhat alive and normal again . The doctor nodded approvingly . " Yes , much better . " Cara muttered something under her breath that I didn't quite catch , but I could feel her anger radiating beside me . The doctor turned to the cabinet again , retrieving a small stack of folded garments . " Now , " he said , placing them in front of us . " You'll need to choose a uniform . " Cara and I exchanged a confused glance . " Uniform ? " Cara repeated . " What kind of uniform ? " The doctor didn't answer immediately . Instead , he motioned to the garments as though it were obvious . There were several packaged colours - grey , blue , green , red , purple ... pink . " You may select your colour preference , one to make you feel more comfortable in the compound . " he explained in a bored tone . " Once you do , it will be registered to your file and assigned to you for the duration of your stay - providing fresh sets to change in to and so on . " My brows furrowed . " What's the difference between them all ? " " Nothing . The choice is purely aesthetic , to remind you that although you'll be in with the prisoners , you aren't one of them . " He states . Cara sighed , " So what ? Is this like picking teams at summer camp ? What's next , matching lanyards ? The doctor didn't react to her sarcasm . " Just choose a damn colour ! It doesn't even matter that much ! " He hurries us on , checking his wristwatch impatiently . I glanced down at the options again . Something about this felt off . The idea that the colour's were 3/4 3:11 pm P DD Chapter 9 - Check In : ། meaningless didn't sit right with me . There had to be a reason for it . A code . A ranking system . Something . But we didn't have much choice . I hesitated only a moment before reaching for the pink uniform . Cara eyed me like I had lost my mind . " Pink ? " Sure , the bright colour was a bold choice amongst the others , but it was the only one I felt drawn to ... I gave a half - shrug . " If I'm gonna be stuck in this for a while , then I might as well wear something I don't hate ." She rolled her eyes and grabbed the lilac purple uniform . " Fine . But if this color thing secretly means we're assigned to some kind of weird experimental torture group , I'm coming for your ass . " I barely cracked a smile . The doctor noted our selections , then gestured toward the door we had first entered through . " You'll go back through there , to go freshen up and change . Your personal clothing will be stored safely for the duration of the project . " I wanted to scoff at that , as though we cared much for our raggy clothes . They could shred them for all we cared . " Are we finished here ? " Cara questioned the man , as he seemed to turn towards a computer system - ignoring us completely after that . - " Yes , the man that brought you here will sort you out now - go out of the only door you can ! " He waved us away , swatting the air as though we were flys who were annoying him ... Cara rolled her eyes , and without another word , we took our uniforms and stepped back out of the room . Whatever this experiment really was ... I'm sure we would find out soon enough ... But I now felt uncomfortably nervous for whatever awaited us both ... Chapter Comments 23 Write Comments < SHARE Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!