✅ Younger Than You Think?

"6: Rest stop"

"Like a gorilla!" Iriña's mum laughed and parodied an overzealous salute, coffee cup still in hand. A couple of drops splashed down on the table, but it was clear the drink was empty now. Iriña laughed at the impression, and at the joke, but most of all she was happy that she could spend some time with her family. It seemed like it had been months since both parents were off work together, and she'd advanced so much in that time. Learning faster than the average kid was a strange experience; she was vaguely aware that since their last family outing at Christmas, she had covered more than the last two years of high school.

She was wearing a grey pantsuit now, one of her favourite purchases from the trip to Titansville. It didn't look like anything a toddler would wear; more like a serious businesswoman who would tolerate no nonsense from anyone, even if her height happened to be closer to three feet than four right now. She always felt good when she could find clothes that weren't too childish, as if her fashion sense cared more about her mental age than how long she'd been in the world. And today had been a big success; the back of the car was packed with every outfit she would need when she started at law school.

"Kampai!" she cheered, finishing off the joke, and swallowed the last mouthful of her own coffee. It was a strange flavour; she wondered if the barista had put some kind of flavoured fruit syrup in it by mistake. It was possible; the guy didn't look like he'd spent a lot of time learning his job. They were at a rest stop halfway between Titansville and the highway now, where picnic benches overlooked a beautiful mountain pass, there was a hiking trail leading into a wildflower-filled woodland, and a trailer served burgers, sandwiches, and coffee with a strange but still nice aftertaste to hungry travellers.

"You ladies both ready to hit the road again?" Dad asked, and Iriña nodded. "Want a bathroom break first? That's a big coffee for such a little girl."

That was enough to make her stick her tongue out, but she knew he was only teasing. And he was right, of course. She might think like an adult, but she was still a child. Her bladder was tiny, and her coffee had to be decaf at all times because of the way a full jolt of joe would hit her immature adrenal gland. But did he need to use such condescending language to describe the ways in which she was weaker than most of her peers?

The toilets were in a little brick building with a door on each side. There were five cubicles in the ladies' half, one of which always seemed to be out of order. Iriña tapped the doors open until she found the cleanest, and then slung her backpack off her shoulders and set it on the grimy floor. She did her best to make sure that the parts that were on the ground were all on the outside, where she wouldn't end up touching them. The bag, like her school bag, was designed for use as a step. In this case, it allowed her short legs to reach the toilet seat unaided, which was still a big deal for her. Maybe next year, it would be less of a worry.

She heard her mum's voice, and turned around for a second. She heard a couple of expletives, the bang of a wooden cubicle door being flung back suddenly, rapid footsteps, and the sound of vomiting. Mum wasn't well, it seemed.

"Sorry baby," she called. "I think I ate something bad. I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."

Iriña looked at her mum's feet, sticking out of the cubicle. She knew there was probably nothing she could do to help, but hoped that mum would get better soon. Whatever it was. Iriña didn't feel sick herself, so she hoped that there was nothing for her to worry about. Then she noticed there was somebody else in here, even though there had been nobody else at any of the picnic benches around the trailer. A hiker, maybe? She looked kind of like a teacher; the stern kind that weren't so fashionable now, and all the kids hated.

"Are you okay?" the stranger said, and took a couple of steps towards Mum's feet, obviously worried about a stranger in trouble.

"I think she just–" Iriña started, before she was interrupted by something soft but firm in her mouth. Plastic, round, and flexible. The woman had one hand on Iriña's shoulder, and another over her mouth. It took a few seconds to realise that the intrusive object was probably a pacifier, pushed into her mouth by somebody she didn't even know. She reached up and tried to pull the woman's hand away so she could speak, but found that she didn't have the power. With two arms against one of the strange woman's she couldn't get even an inch of movement. It was like fear had stolen half her strength. She tried to shout, to get her mother's attention, but she was also trying hard not to swallow as she found her mouth filled with some kind of thick goop. Perhaps the pacifier had been dipped in syrup or something, but she couldn't think of any way it should have been able to carry so much stuff. It was bitter as well, the kind of flavour that she would have to fight not to spit out even in normal times. It tasted like grapefruit, a flavour that wasn't unpleasant in itself but was weird and overpowering when it arrived by surprise.

"You look nervous," another voice spoke softly, and she realised there was a man in the ladies' toilets as well. He was dressed smartly, but the threat in his low tone was almost tangible. "You should go take a nap, leave your mommy to sort herself out."

Iriña carried on trying to struggle as two pairs of hands lifted her off the ground. She couldn't make a sound, and her mouth was filled with a tingling sensation. She could feel her tongue going numb where the weird stuff coated it; and her lips were useless like her fingers had been that time she broke one and needed a local anaesthetic. She did her best to spit the substance out, to do anything but swallow it, but as the tingling spread she knew that was getting harder. She tried to turn her head and the whole world seemed to spin round. She felt nauseous, weak, and dizzy. She didn't even know which way was up as they carried her towards the edge of the woods; and when she tried to remember what had happened next, there was a complete blank in her mind.