Hellbound - 001/Henry Creel/Peter Ballard

004

I wake up from my own screams. Papa stands in front of me, studying me as all the lights in the room flicker violently, but this time I cannot control it. My power is not my own, it feels strange and uncontrollable. My weapon is directed against me and I cannot do anything about it.

"Calm down Five." He says in a bored tone as if this is just standard practice.

Did the others go through this too? Were they forced onto a chair for hours and got shocked time and time again? Is this punishment for disobedience? Or is this another way of training?

I have too many questions and no answers for them.

"Get me out of here." I tug on my restraints but all they do is tighten against my wrists and ankles. I cannot wiggle free out of this chair and the realization comes fast enough for me to be completely hopeless.

"I am afraid I cannot do that." He looks down at the device in his hands, and another shock passes through me.

My body writhes and a burning hot flash surges in me. It's fast but not painless. This time the shock doesn't knock me out, it is not as merciful. It shocks me and awakens me further.

Why is Papa doing this?

"Papa please." My chin trembles at the after-effects of the shocks.

"I am sorry Five, I have to do this."

He grabs the device again, increasing the intensity of the energy and thus the strength of the future shock but before he can shock me once more I whip it out of his hands and onto his floor with just a glance.

Using my powers is still surprising to me and my eyes widen at the sight of the device shattered on the ground, a result of what I can do if provoked. I did that on my own, I can do that and so much more if someone hurts me again.

A satisfied smile displays on my face, but Papa looks terrified. This is what he was trying to do, wasn't he? Make me use my powers by hurting me, remove my blockade with trauma.

"Do not shock me again." I say sternly, not hearing another word of his.

He pauses and looks at me, but this time I feel that he is really looking at me. He is no longer looking at the Five he has known for so many years but the Five that's been hidden under the layers all these years.

I look down at my buckles and up at him again, hoping that he got the message. Torture won't extract more power out of me, just resentment.

Prisoning me in my own body won't have any results, I have been already prisoned inside myself and the only thing I want is to run free without any hurdles blocking my way.

"Get me out of here." I need only look at him before he comes to my side and unlocks the leather restraints. I keep the smile that wants to burst free hidden, not wanting to show the giddiness I feel.

For the first time in my life, I have accomplished something, finally, I am being heard out even if it takes violence to do so.

"Five, you need to behave from now on, you are no longer a little child without special abilities. I know this is all new to you but you cannot continue doing this." He lectures me but I don't listen.

"You shouldn't hurt me either but you are." My courage has reached new limits and I keep surprising myself.

"I am not hurting you, this is a procedure that all your siblings went through and you should too if you want to be able to control your ability and use it accordingly." He sighs. "Your telekinesis is now running wild like an untamed animal but I have to shape it into something more usable and less dangerous."

I lower my head in shame. I rethink his words and even though it doesn't make sense he is partially right. Hurting me is not the way to achieve whatever he wants to achieve, I no longer want to feel pain. I have had enough of it.

"Your power is your weapon and if you don't control it, it will turn against you and kill you." He makes me stand up and we walk to the other end of the room towards a table with little marbles on top of it.

A few days ago I would've hated the sight of them, I resented tables filled with items that I had to move but now I cannot wait to take one quick glance at them and make them all hover above the table.

"Now Five, I want you to make a shape, any shape out of these marbles using telekinesis only." We both sit down on the chairs and I strap the heart rate meter on my arm and turn my head to the marbles.

I furrow my brows and concentrate on each little glass ball and try to move it but in a sudden blink they all end up moving at the same time, clashing against each other and spilling out on the floor.

Your power is an untamed animal.

I now understand the weight of his words. I can use my ability but it's running wild like I am, too excited to be contained and too chaotic.

I lift each ball one by one on the table with my eyes and try again to form a shape out of them. I place one ball in front of me and focus only on that one. It moves slowly inch by inch but as hard as I try I feel a headache building up and liquid running down my nose.

I wipe my hand against my upper lip and look at my bloodied hand.

"Papa? What is happening to me?" I look up at him with widened eyes, my chin trembling.

"Don't worry Five, that is a normal reaction to overworking yourself. Let's take a break for today. You can go back to your room or the rainbow room." He smiles at me slightly and ushers me out of this different and weirder training room.

We walk down the corridors hand in hand, Papa nodding at the guards moving past us and I cannot hide my desire to see Henry walking down these halls and look into his sapphire eyes once again.

"Papa, where is guard Henry?" I ask, hoping that he doesn't shut down my question.

I know that Papa dislikes mine and Henry's friendship and strictly disapproves of it but I am too excited to care and too impatient to tell him all about my powers.

"I don't know. He must be where he is most needed."

His vague answer gives me no clues and I cannot help but wonder if something happened to him.

What if someone heard him talking to me that night in the infirmary? What if he's in trouble because he was trying to help me.

"Oh okay." I whisper, disappointed.

We take turns and walk down the corridor where mine and my siblings' rooms are located. Each door holds a card with our names on it, mine being right next to Four's and Six's rooms. As we walk down One's room I wonder who might have slept in there. There hasn't been a One in all the years I have lived there. The names started at Two and ended at Fourteen. One has been nothing but a legend and a horror story that my siblings made up when days were too boring to bear.

We reach my room and Papa opens the door and guides me in. "Oh and Five? No more exploding lights please."

I laugh at his remark and fall on my bed. Staring at the same ceiling but now my life has changed completely.

The door opens again with a creak. "Yes, Papa?" I say without looking at him but when I earn no response and I look up at the person standing on my door frame. 

Henry.