Magic Children

Chapter 5 Lyons Public Defense Research Facility -17 years earlier - Arthur

By seven pm, most of the scientists have gone home. By nine, it's just us and the night guards out at the front gate. Of course, we are in cells.

The cells are something like seven feet by five. Just enough for a cot and a toilet. Because I don't usually cause problems, Dr. Cutter lets me choose a book or if I'm very good a toy to keep with me overnight. But today I was not very good. Not only was I reading minds without permission, but I didn't do well on my practice in telekinesis either so I got shocked three times before bed and no shower and no book. I haven't seen Sam since lessons outside, but I did read his mind.

The first time I read Sam's mind without permission was his first night here. I confessed the next morning that I just wanted to make sure he wasn't too lonely or anything and I said I was sorry I wouldn't again. I was just excited to have a friend. He just smiled his gentle Sam smile and said it was okay. That I could read it anytime I was lonely nothing much interesting happened in there anyway.

I think it's interesting. He has a nice mind it's calm and quiet and he sees the world through a different lens than most people. Like it's more romantic and interesting for him than anyone else. I like it there, in his picture of the world.

Tonight he was sad though, because he got knocked over, and we didn't get to chat. I am teaching him to respond back to me, but he's not great at it and they tend to shock us if they think we're staring off into space too long.

So now I'm alone in my cell. Being lonely and cross I didn't get a book or anything. And the radio is off. We have a radio linked to all our cells, but they only let us listen to it if we're good and we weren't especially good today. I could turn it on, I've manipulated it before and gotten quite good scanning the channels. Once, I turned it on to the wall guard's channel and I did get shocked in and trouble but Dr. Cutter did laugh and let me tell Sam how I did it and have him try. He couldn't do it.

I don't want to turn on the radio though, because I don't care to listen to it. I would rather read something or have a toy. Once, Dr. Cutter let me have a puzzle to play with. I took it apart and put it together ten times overnight, all while lying on my bed and it spread out on the floor. Then I never got another 'cause they wanted me doing that in the day while they are watching.

Also, I'm hungry. Dinner was fifteen minutes instead of twenty because of my behavior and it was meatloaf and I hate that. And it's a little cold in here and no one returned our blankets from being washed. They were supposed to, but they got behind after the lockdown because Angel tried to get out. So now I'm cold and have no blanket to wrap up in.

All in all, I'm minorly inconvenienced and bored and have no Sam.

I'm going to break out and steal some food.

I frown at the camera, focusing on the electricity flowing to it. It fizzes out then explodes a little. I do the same with the one in Sam's room—what about Angel? Should I include him? It is his first day, I'll read his mind and see.

He's in pain. And crying. They had him on the Chair and they've been shocking him all afternoon and he hurts everywhere. He wants his mother to be sitting there stroking his hair and telling him it's all right. He misses her so much his heart hurts.

Looks like he's coming too. Sam won't like that. Maybe I can convince them to be friends. I'll just go get Angel first then Sam can't argue.

I put my hand on the door to my cell, fiddling with the lock. The tumblers turn and click into place and I'm out. So are the camaras in the hall. Blood drips from my mouth and I wipe it on my sleeve. I don't really care if they see it in the morning. They'll know I put the cameras out. I'll be on the chair for this if they even suspect I let Angel out.