Creative Melting Pot

[Are they playing the music in your room or mine?]

A groan escapes the back of my throat as I prop myself up by my elbow. I squint up at the small speaker mounted on the wall – its black metal the only splash of color in the otherwise dull space. The sickeningly familiar tune of the piano and violin finally hits my ears and, after a few seconds of concentrating, I realize their noise is slightly muffled.

[Yours.]

[I know. They just expect me to ask.]

I let out a dry laugh before flopping back on the mattress and throwing the thin sheet over my head.

I’ll never understand why my brother insists on being so compliant with the people at this…whatever it’s supposed to be. It’s been over a month since our parents let several men in lab coats take us from our home, and I’ve yet to see any of them brandish any sort of weapon that could harm us. And even when they do withhold things like food or water when we misbehave, it’s never for more than a day or two. We’re clearly more valuable to them alive, so why not take advantage of that and plot an escape?

[Because then we’ll never know why we’re here in the first place. I know you’re just as curious about it as I am, so don’t say you’re not.]

I smirk against my pillow. 

[You know, you’re a pain in the ass to share thoughts with sometimes.]

Even though I couldn’t see his reaction, I’d like to think that that at least got a smile out of my twin.

[And just because they aren’t hurting us now doesn’t mean things couldn’t get violent if we stop going along with these tests. I mean, they already know we can see and hear the same things \without having to be in the same room. What’s to stop them from seeing if one of us feels pain if the other gets their arm chopped off?]

[Then I guess you’d lose an arm.]

[Please take this seriously, Wallace.]

My nose instantly scrunches in disgust. I’ve always preferred nicknames to my full name, so it’s no surprise my brother uses it whenever he feels I need to be scolded.

[I am, I am. Fine. Since it’s so important, I’ll keep playing along with this. For now. But if they actually ever try hurting one of us, we’re not sticking around. End of story.]

[Thank you.]

[Yeah, yeah. Now go back to sleep, nerd. I don’t hear anyone walking around outside, so it must still be early.]

[I will. Goodnight, Ace.]

[Night, Will.]

A beat of uncomfortable silence, a feeling of slight guilt beginning to twist in my stomach.

[…You know I’d never let anyone hurt you, right?]

[I know.]

[Good. Because I mean it.]

Phantom relief washes throughout my entire body and, a few minutes later, the presence that’s always lingering in the back of my mind fades. Safe in the knowledge that Will is now back asleep, I let my own eyes slide shut once more. After all, tomorrow will most likely be full of more pointless tests, and I can’t let my brother upstage me just because I’m tired.