Anarchic || Peter Ballard || Henry Creel

001

"Papa, can I come out of here today," I looked at Papa as he opened the door, hoping that after so many days in this room, I would be able to walk around at least.

"Good morning Madelyn, sleep well," he asked as he gave me a hug. His white lab coat brightly shining in comparison to his dark hair.

In my rush of desire to stretch my legs, I have forgotten his own desire for manners.

Cringing at my own forwardness. I responded as he wished.

"Good morning Papa," looking him in the eyes as he pushed some of my hair out of my face.

"Can I go out today Papa," he smiled at me but shook his head no.

"Not today Madelyn, we are going to be having someone special arrive today," tilting my head to the side. There are never visitors.

Everyone new here is just a new employee of Papa's, what is so special about them?

I'll just figure out another way out.

I looked down in my lap feigning his words made me disappointed.

"Well, I must be off Madelyn," he looked at his watch and back up at me.

"Yes Papa"

As he turned around and left the room, I saw one guard standing there as he closed the door.

I turned and sat on my bed waiting until I heard the locks turn knowing he was gone for certain.

Closing my eyes, I opened my mind to the room.

With my eyes closed, I felt around the darkness in my head until I found what I was looking for. I could feel the mental connection pass underneath the door and travel into the mind of the guard.

Seeing his thoughts flood my brain, I began to shuffle through them. Anything I could use.

The image of a gun in his hand shooting at someone far away is the clearest image of them all. Throwing the others away from my mind, I focused on just this.

The trees surrounding him shaded him away from the building his gun was aimed at. He is purposely aiming his gun at the women and children in the building.

That's not very nice, is it?

Derek.

I know what you did Derek.

Don't worry.

I won't tell anyone.

His panic is beginning to sink in. I can feel it.

His goosebumps rise on his arm underneath his uniform.

I just want to walk around.

That's all I want.

Will you let me out?

Please.

Before much more time passed, I started to hear the locks click open making my eyes do the same.

With the door open I can see Derek. His eyes are wide and his face is slightly pale.

I tilt my head to the side with a small smile still cross-legged. Raising my right hand slowly, his eyes immediately went towards it and his own went towards the gun in its holster.

I teasingly wiggled my fingers closing my fist and his eyes went to the back of his head as he passed out onto the tile floor.

He'll be fine, maybe a headache, but so will I. Annoyingly I haven't been able to figure out a way to utilize my abilities without getting a headache afterwards.

Placing one foot on the ground after the other I stood and walked over the sleeping guard. The off-white long sleeve I am wearing surpassed my hands and covered them. My hands are always cold anyway.

My bare feet were also cold yet just relieved to be out of that blasted room. Between the lights, walls, and floor the whole hallway seems very clean. I have walked these halls more times than I can count over the years yet it is always the same.

Never changing.

I am one of the few who lived here on a permanent basis. Even Papa left in the evening after saying goodbye.

As I walked, I knew I was being watched by the cameras. I knew that in a minute or two some of Papa's men would be running down to bring me back to my room or even Papa himself.

The tile is starting to bug my feet and I feel better now. The rooms I passed always are shut with no activity behind any of them. The quietness of the building is indeed something  I do like to take advantage of instead of residing in fear, I welcome the feeling of being alone.

Not even Papa can understand me, it doesn't matter how many tests he does to "better understand." He will never actually comprehend how active my head gets hearing all the thoughts of the people in the room. Over time, I have learned how to block out the signal of everyone else.

Before though, the overlapping signals is what started my time here. My papa says seeing me in tears is the worst so he brought me here to fix it.

Yet, even if I did cry to leave he wouldn't do that either.

Ironic.

Walking back, something felt off, different.

Wanting to know why. While I walked the feeling only raged on more and got stronger and stronger the more I neared the final hallway before mine. This was where I was taken for lab requests. Nobody is actually in the hallway yet the strong energy is hard to ignore.

"Hey!," the sudden voice yelled out to me. I have been so into the void of mysterious closeness that I hadn't realized the multiple minds in the area around me.

Instead of going back to my room, I ran.

Towards the energy.

The door is three down on the left.

I can hear the loud footsteps behind me, but I ignore them.

Barging at the sight in front of me confused me and intrigued me at the same time.

A boy lay on the medical bed, hooked up to multiple wires, and Papa stood there but his eyes were now on me.

"Madelyn," Papa's ever-soft tone remained but his voice was blocked by the shock of the person in front of me.

He's the energy.

I can feel it.

I took a step to get closer before I was grabbed by harsh hands that dragged me backward.

I began to kick and yell, for them to get off me. The sound of a taser was heard and connected to my side. My body jolted with the electricity and pain entered my entire body.

"Enough, " I heard Papa raise his voice at them.

And the pain stopped. My heavy breathing and the beeping of the heart monitor and the only two sounds in the room, before Papa spoke.

"Madelyn, what are you doing out of your room," he looked down on me. Disappointment raining off of him but I don't care.

"Energy"