Subject Zero: Mirrors (Book 2)

Chapter 26: Seeing Through Your Eyes

Friday, May 24, 1985
8:00p.m.
Cabin, Bluebell Forest

Third Person's POV
Liam, still in Zero's body, was still kept tied up in the shed, with her head drooping as he stared at the floor, seeming almost lifeless. Everyone was in the shed with him, talking amongst themselves.

"Alexandria, what do you think?" Norman asked after he suggested an idea of his. "Could it work?"

Alexandria shrugged her shoulders. "That's well thought out, but unlikely to happen."

Norman and Rei sighed.

Mizuki turns and faces Liam. "What do you think? Do you have an idea?"

Liam just shook Zero's head slowly. "...No. I don't have any ideas."

An awkward Anne asks, "So what's the plan now?"

Anne, Naomi, and Tui just looked at each other and shrugged.

Alexandria tried to think of any idea. But when she couldn't, turned to Liam/Zero. "Could you please let us talk to Zero?"

Liam finally raised Zero's head and says, "...You all just don't seem to understand. I don't know how to let her talk to you. If I did, I'd do it already. There's no reason for me not to. But there's nothing I can do." He slowly shook his head and shrugged. "I've basically already taken control of most of her mind and body, she's just stuck in it."

They had all turned to him, standing in silence.

"This is something she needs to figure out."

Jesper and Mizuki sighed, as they and everyone else were either trying to stay patient or come up with suggestions. Then Anne got an idea, but didn't say anything about it before she sat down in front of Liam/Zero. Liam just stared down at her with an awkward blank expression on her face, feeling a little puzzled but curious.

"Do you remember when we met?" asked Anne, talking to Liam as if he were Zero. "You got hurt in my front yard, so I brought you inside the house. I remember you were so scared."

Everyone had gotten quiet, seeing what she was trying to do.

"You told me your name matched tattoo you have: Zero. I thought it was weird, but cool at the same time. After that, I gave you just some Nilla Wafers, and you ate half of the box in, like, five minutes," Anne giggled, then she softly smiled. "I'm glad you trusted me enough to not run off that night when I was sleeping. You had the chance, but you didn't take it."

Liam stared at her, not knowing what to say. So he didn't say anything.

"Remember that day," Norman says, which caught Liam's attention, "when we were in my basement, it was the night... we found Klaus. I told you that I was sorry, since we didn't treat you like a friend, but more like a... A dog. Something that was helping us." He looked at her with a sympathetic expression. "I asked if we could start over... I asked if we could be friends. You said yes... And after all this is over, all of us can finally get to know each other."

"...I know I want to," said Klaus. He felt overwhelmed when he saw Liam look at him. "You... You didn't even know me then. You had no idea who I was, but even then, you still wanted to help me..." He took a deep breath, admitting a thought he dreaded thinking about, "As much as I try not to think about it, it's true; I... I wouldn't... be here, if you didn't find me. You... You saved me."

Alexandria was looking at the kids as they spoke, and when she looked at Liam, it looked as if he was on the verge of tears, like it was Zero trying to show herself. Alio sat down next to Anne's left, hoping what everyone else was hoping.

Jesper kneeled down next to Anne and Zero. "Please talk to us. ...When- when I'm with you, I feel like a kid again. These past few years have been hard, and no offense to you guys, but I never really felt like I was a kid, like I was living my childhood," he admitted. "But then we met you. And I don't know what it is — your personality, the fact that you're... like me? I don't know what — but whenever I'm with you, I feel... whole. I feel like I'm out of that dark cave I've felt trapped in for so long, the kind of cave that forces me to shut people out."

There was no response or reaction. But Zero looked like she wanted to say or do anything.

"Please come back," Jesper mumbled. "The doctors are gone. Papa is gone... We don't have to worry about the bad people looking for you anymore. When this is over, you- you can eat as many Nilla Wafers as you want... And we'll be able to live normal lives..." He looked at her, in hopes Zero would say something.

Naomi and Norman looked at one another, then turned back to Liam/Zero and Jesper. Everyone was hoping for the same thing.

"...We're all here for you, Zero," said Alexandria. "Talk to us, please."

Jesper mouthed the word "please" over and over again as he stared at Liam/Zero. Norman had a feeling he was getting his hopes up, and Rei was holding his arm. Alio and Anne looked at Jesper, then at each other.

Liam/Zero closed her eyes for a brief moment, and when she opened them, her scleras were still pitch black, but she now had her brown irises back. Zero/Liam gazed down at Jesper, just seeing the hope in his eyes. And after a moment of complete silence, Zero says, "I think I know how to find it."

Everyone had a strange feeling when she said those words. Although Liam is in her body and therefore sounds just like her, they knew it was Zero speaking.

"Find what?" asked Rei, furrowing her brows.

Zero looked at her. "The source..." She glanced back and forth at everyone else. "The reason." She quoted, "'Everything he was trying to forget.'"

{ End of Chapter 26 }

"They'll never know how I'd stared at the dark in the room, with no thoughts, like a blood-sniffing shark."