text: Lyrica stopped for a moment to take in her surroundings before continuing to follow the guides. She was only there for a quick look at her living quarters for the upcoming competition, then she would go home to tie up loose ends. Sleek silver walls covered in vines is all she could see. There were no bright direct lights or fixtures, just a soft glow that lit their path as they continued walking. It was unusual and slightly unsettling but she tried to kept her mind carefully blank, knowing if she started doubting she would back out. And she needed the fame this project would bring. Finally her guides stopped in front of a metal door, blank as the walls surrounding it, though free of greenery. With a touch from the guide, the door swung open. She nodded her thanks then stepped inside. The door promptly shut behind her. She whirled around, a slight needle of fear forming but relaxed again once she saw there was a handle on the inside. This room was only a slight contrast to the hallways. Warm, cream walls rose up around her, while scalloped white lamps emitted a brighter but still soft light. There were no pictures or windows or other furniture however, just 3 beds covered in white pillows and sheets placed around the edges. She was surprised to see 2 women already there, lounging on a bed each, talking quietly. As she approached they stopped and turned their attention to her. "I'm just here for a quick look." Lyrica said smoothly to their questioning eyes. "I still need to pack and bring my things." The women nodded, then promptly turned back to their conversation. Though she was close, Lyrica could not hear what they were saying. They seemed content to ignore her so Lyrica turned, making her way to the other bed,where she carefully sat. Doubts once again started forming. This lock in challenge had come out of the blue. She had seen no advertisements or announcements that she could remember, her manager had simply come to her one day and told her she was chosen. Getting her career off the ground had been difficult to say the least. She had yet to play a single show or been offered the chance to record. This was it as far as Lyrica was concerned. If she didn't get any interest after this she'd need to move back home, to her grandmothers imposing Victorian era home and marry the old man who had been courting her for only weeks, yet had taken liberties and.... She shuddered and pushed the thoughts away, locking them deep. She would make it. She had no choice. Lyrica barely remembered standing and opening the door to leave but soon she was standing outside, blinking in the bright sun. How had she found her way out without the guides? She dwelt on the confusion for only a second, then shrugged it off. "That's what happens when you think too much!" She murmured aloud, then began striding away not looking back. Part 2 "This is your last chance." The ominous words hung in the air between the two men, seated and looking at each other intently from across a broad silver table. The one who spoke stared at the other man, unmoving, as though waiting on the answer to an unspoken question. The other sighed and ran his hand over a large 4 way jagged seam on his head. "But of course. I have control this time. There will be no accidents JJ." A small half smile briefly appeared, then faded. "I know the warning signs now. We have containment procedures. We will get the information we need." The other man still stared ahead, saying nothing. Finally after several minutes he stood, his eyes tracing the seam on the other mans head. "You know what will happen if you can't. No matter who you once were there will be only one option." He stood and turned, pressing on the silver wall behind him with two fingers. A door swung open but the man hesitated a minute more before stepping through. It closed quietly behind him. "No mistakes." The seamed man whispered to himself, before pressing on the opposite wall and exiting the room. Part 3 A slightly spicy smell wafted up to Lyrica as she filled her bike basket with her purchases. The store she stood in front of had just what she needed, though she'd had to ask for entrance to the back. Satay was mostly forbidden, though if you knew where to look it was easy to find. She had covered her shady purchase with several jars of pickled peppers, her grandmothers favorite. It was the only way to hide the smell and would perhaps earn her at least a lukewarm welcome back if the lockdown challenge didn't go as planned. She was due to check in in 1 hours but couldn't shake a feeling of unease, as though she was missing something. She still couldn't completely remember her exit earlier from the room to standing outside the facility. As though she had blinked and appeared. "Maybe it's the satay...no!" Lyrica shook her head then hopped on her bike, taking off quickly on the rough gravel of the parking lot. She'd never had any side effects before and it helped her write her songs. Being stuck in a room for a week was the perfect opportunity to put pen to paper and think of something new. As she pedaled her thoughts drifted again. She'd never seen a building like it before. Come to think of it, she couldn't recall ever even seeing it. The location was a place she'd passed a few dozen times, so if it had been there before there was no way to miss it. Then again she was usually focused on her destination, career, or pushing away other unpleasant thoughts. A misplaced building was the least of her concerns. Deciding the risk was worth the reward, she turned her mind towards home, hoping the peppers filling her basket wouldn't betray her lack of confidence to her grandmother. This was her last chance and she had to believe this would be the start of something wonderful. Part 4 When Lyrica arrived, she once again followed the guides, struggling to keep her mind blank. To occupy herself as she walked, she studied the floor, noting it was made of the same silver material as the walls, sprinkled through with green circles instead of vines. It wasn't enough however and she became aware of a feeling of being watched. Eyes turning upwards, she looked around for cameras but could find none. The guides backs were turned to her as they walked ahead, almost gliding. It suddenly occured to her that she'd never seen their faces. They were always turned away from her. She shook her head again, muttering to herself. The challenge hadn't even started yet and she was losing it. So what if she didn't know what they looked like? That's not why she was here. They soon came to the same wall as earlier and with another light touch from one of the guides, the wall sprang open. Lyrica squared her shoulders and walked past the guides into the room, turning to thank them but the door closed before she could even face them. She noticed the handle had been removed this time. Sighing, she made her way to the only open bed. There was nowhere to put her bag so she stood for a moment, looking around again. The two women from earlier were there, sitting straight up in their beds and looking at eachother, though not speaking. As she watched, they slowly slid down and seemed to fall asleep instantly. Suddenly, she felt drowsy too. The worry from earlier must've drained her. It's not like she had anything to do. A nap would be pleasant... The bag she was carrying slipped from her hand and she was asleep before her head hit the pillow. JJ watched as the last woman fell asleep. It was time. He beckoned to the seamed man who stepped beside him, turning his gaze on the unknowing women. "Are you in? Can you see?" JJ tried to keep his voice even. The slightest bit of emotion could mean disaster at this stage. He could not afford what would follow if the seamed man detected it. "Yes. The ones this time are particularly creative." A small smile filled his face then vanished. JJ suppressed a shudder at the smile. "I will seal the door and leave you to it then. Do not dissapoint us." He stepped away, intent on leaving when the seamed man spoke again. "Get some rest." The slightly cheerful tone made JJ shiver. He quickly walked through the door and closed it behind him. This had to work or it all meant nothing. The seamed man continued staring at the women, then began tracing his fingers down the lines of his head. Suddenly the women were writhing as though in pain though no sounds left their mouths and they continued sleeping. The seamed man began humming an old nursery rhyme to himself, a smile filling his face. "Merrily merrily life is but a dream. " Part 5 Lyrica awoke suddenly. Her dreams had been full of her home, the old man who had been courting her and the last disastrous visit before her manager had called her about the lockdown challenge, as usual. This time though therr had been a man with a seamed head she'd never seen before who terrified her. Her head and body throbbed painfully as though she'd been in a fight, just as it did everytime she woke up in this place. She had no idea how many days had passed. The lockdown was only for a week but it felt like a month already. Her roommates were never awake when she was. It was lonely but a small relief. If they were awake she'd be tempted to ask them if they too felt as though they were being watched, even in their dreams. If the seamed man had appeared to them as well. If every waking moment felt exhausting. She stood and stretched before reaching for her bag. It was the perfect opportunity to take some satay and write. Lately though it felt as if all her creativity had been slowly dissappearing, replaced with a blank void she couldn't seem to shake She popped a large wad in her mouth and let it dissolve on her tongue. The only way the dreams would fade and she would feel awake was with this. Feeling her fingers start to tingle and her mind race she settled down to try to write when a loud thud startled her. It sounded like it came from outside the door. But no one else was supposed to be here except the guides. Another loud thud had her scrambling from the bed. She looked over and noticed the other 2 women were awake now and looking at the door too. "Do you know what that is? Is it maybe time to go?" Lyrica asked the women. They didn't respond, only looked at her, then back at the door. Another thud, louder this time seemed to shake the whole room. Fear began filling her as a small dent began to appear on the handleless door. The guides always opened it with a touch of their fingers, so who would breaking in? A metallic scraping started accompanying the thudding and the dent grew bigger. Full of terror, Lyrica began yelling at the door, "Whose there?! Is this some kind of trick for thrills? I didn't agree to this!" She turned to the other women again, and was shocked to see they hadn't moved. She realized something was terribly wrong. They were acting as though they couldn't see or hear anything. Their eyes were open but glazed, their chest rising and falling at a slow, steady pace as if they were still asleep. Because they were asleep she realized. As soon as the thought formed the door burst open, revealing sleek metal figures with seamed faces. She instantly knew they were the guides and tried to scramble away but there was nowhere to go. A metallic hand wrapped around her wrist and vines appeared from nowhere, snaking up her arm. Despite her terror she began to feel drowsy. "You were supposed to be sleeping this whole time" The whispered words made her jerk her head up to stare at the seamed face of the guide who'd whispered it. "This would all have been much more pleasant without your satay." The last sentence sounded almost sorrowful. The last thing she saw before sleep took her were the faces of the 2 women still in bed. They were smiling. Final Part JJ ran, knowing he was out of time. He'd been foolish, thinking that he could trust the seamed man. That some remnant of his old friend and partner had remained after the change. His thirst for knowledge had led him to allow unspeakable things. He'd watched as the newest girl was taken away and knew that his friend had lost control. He skidded to a halt outside a piece of wall thickly covered in vines, staring in horror. He couldn't have made it here. Only he knew the location. The vines parted, revealing a room with a table in the middle, covered in broken straps. The seamed man gestured to the edge of the table, grinning widely. "Please, sit old friend." He still stood, working through his options. He had none. The fact the man was up and walking meant only one thing. "How long?" He asked. "Before you left the room last time." The seamed man replied with a broad smile. "I felt your fear and your curiosity. It was all I needed." JJ sighed. "The girls?" "They gave me all the energy I could need." The seamed man ran his fingers over his head. It slowly began to split, a hum filling the room. JJ fell to his knees. There was no one he could warn, no one who would come if he called. He realized he was asleep and had been for some time. The seamed man had tricked him, gotten into his mind and manipulated him like the test subjects. That meant everyone else in the facility was at risk. It was too late. The seamed mans face began to change until JJ was looking at himself. He began to feel drowsy as he watched his doppleganger stride past him towards the door. "Sleep now JJ. You are so very tired. I'll take it from here.