Simple Talents

Chapter Six

It's been three months since I last wrote.

I'm probably ten now. Or that's what they tell me at least. I am test subject 503. Mom is 502 and Dad is 501. I haven't seen them since April 26th 2006.Not since we'd been captured by T.E.A.R.S. labs. They school me, or what they think is schooling, giving me a small television with one of the technicians studying me and saying words into a mic. I don't know how I even kept this. Maybe they'll study it later or something. That train took about two weeks and they did tests and... stuff for the rest. They cut my hair and my arms and poked me with needles and other things. And I'm so scared! What will happen to me? I heard from my door that they think I'm a good specimen and should be put into experiment R.A.W. by next year. I don't what that is and I don't like it.

"I had to grow up so fast... so fast.The world was so horrible, but I still wrote. And I kept it for all that time. Just under one year later I had escaped. July 28th 2007." She flipped to that date,

                I found out what's going to happen to me. They're going to make me have a baby.The guy on the TV said so. He says that first they're going to probe my brain and use chemicals to make me want to do things. I don't get it. But I'm not staying long enough to need to. I got my talent a while ago and have been practicing when nobody is looking, even the cameras. I'm a total surprise. My 'classes' in math (problem solving) have taught me how to come up with backup plans. I need to get out of here! I need to get out of here tonight.

That night was the most fear-filled night of her entire life. She hadn't written about it until she knew she was safe. She didn't want to flip to that date. February 13, 2009. She had practised her talent all day when she knew no one watched. Tried small things when she knew people were. A new person had appeared on the television that day.  A woman.  She had told her that Ami would be leaving soon.

That was the perfect time to execute her plan. They would come in and drug her. They always had before. This time shouldn't have been any different. She would float up to ceiling when the door slid open. The men would become confused, before door closed, she would fly through near the ceiling undetected. It would be 5 seconds with no time for errors. At that point, she would have to run as fast as she could looking for a fire exit. Then it would be; Escape, Run for Canada, Find school, Get help.

But they never came in. Shortly after the woman's image had faded, five vented holes opened in the ceiling. She cried as the world became spotted black and purple. it was like looking into an oil pool... quietly the images' edges became the only thing discernible; then finally complete and utter darkness enveloped her, like a warm fuzzy blanket. She never had a chance.

-

Benjamin kept his eyes closed until he hit the bottom of the pool. He tried to open them in the blood, but found it stinging his eyes, so he firmly clasped them again. He felt along the bottom, searching for Ria and Sara. He was automatically breathing through his gills and knew that he could easily die. But he couldn't let Sara or Ria die. He couldn't. He wouldn't.

After what felt like forever, he came across a long braid, Ria's body soon followed. He risked opening his eyes for a moment, but only saw a blob, Ria. He quickly checked behind him, eyes burning, and saw another blob, shaking and hiccupping through the blood. Someone else was drowning. Sara. He had to choose. He couldn't carry both, especially when one of them was a vampire surrounded by their addiction. He had no time. He had no time.

-

Rannolia couldn't stop crying. She had killed three people because of a joke. Ria had been down for too long, Sara would probably have started drinking uncontrollably, and the fish was breathing in blood right now. It was hopeless.  Pointless. Relentless. She just couldn't change it.  Mr. Galepski walked up to her and started shouting something,