Children

Chapter 2: Remember

An awful, painful feeling swelled in my throat as her glossy, cold eyes landed on mine.

A familiar, heartbreaking feeling ran through my skin as I remembered.

I remembered her and the way she made me feel.

I remembered how afraid she made me, and how she hurt everyone I loved.

I remembered how she tore my happiness-- my family apart bit by bit-- thinking all of it as some big game.

I remembered the torment, and the torture, and the fear she forever burned into me from living at this place.

I remembered what hell was really like--and who ran it.

But something was different.

Mommy's eyes didn't leave mine, and I could feel my body and soul shrivel up into itself as my legs stopped moving. I stopped moving.

I didn't dare breathe, and my heart pounded in my ears as our eyes locked together. My now crystal blue irises watered, and I suddenly felt as though I was going to die.

This is it Harper. This is your time to go. You were caught.

Remember--Mommy chooses her children. You aren't her child--not anymore. Young Harper is--not Number 737. She is going to kill you. You are going to die. You won't be able to save them. You didn't die here the first time, or at the facility--now is going to be your time. You are going to die, you are going to die, you are going to die--

Mommy's mouth slowly began to twist into a smile. I couldn't move.

I'm breaking a rule. I'm out of my room. I miss Anna. I miss Carson--I want to see them before she kills me. I want to tell them the way out. I want to give them one last hug before I really die. I want to tell Kai that he's amazing--I want to go back to Kai. I want to go back. I was going to die, I was going to die--

Mommy smiled up at me, but she didn't move. I could feel tremors rush through my spine as I looked down at her silent as smiling figure. I swallowed uneasily, the thoughts that have been swarming around me finally setting in.

Harper, something is different.

I winced as Mommy brought her hand up, only to slowly wave at me. I raised a confused and wary brow, but my heart didn't stop pounding.

The way Mommy's smile was gentle and sane, and the way that the insane woman made no threatening action towards me scared me even more than if she really was trying to kill me.

I took a shaky breath, quickly blinking away my fearful tears--but I refused to face away. I couldn't--and I didn't know if Mommy was just waiting for the right moment to strike or not. I didn't know if she was just waiting for me to turn my back to take me to my grave.

But something is different, Harper. Something is off. Something is not the same as it was before.

"Shouldn't you be in your room, like all of Mommy's other children?"

I froze, swallowing a shaky lump of horror. My legs twitched--however my legs still refused to move.

But even with her words, she didn't seem angry or psychotic or mad. She didn't even seem like Mommy, considering the fact that she still looked decently normal. Something was not only different about her, but about this entire place.

"Mommy is making a game to play, so you should be in your room, right....Sister?"

My heart dropped,