Beyond Control

Chapter 29

For a few days, Kaysen came in to chat with me, but I made the chat sink into a dull and awkward conversation. Even then, he would still stumble into the observation and have a conversation with me.

By now, I'd already figured out the experiment being conducted inconspicuously. They were reporting on my weird behavior which had changed ever since I woke up from the dose.

Till today, when he came in to have another one of those awkward conversations, he brought something with him. More specifically, someone with him.

The door opened, and I anticipated just the same person who came in every other day for the last week. I noticed a second person trailing in after Kaysen but I didn't bother to spare another glance at whichever worker was it who just came in.

"Here she is," Kaysen began, which I knew wasn't directed to me.

I heard heavy footsteps as if it belonged to a man with shoes made of rocks and nails.

Not long after the silence, a man with a deep voice spoke, "Nice to meet you, Crystal."

That voice almost grabbed my attention utterly, but I managed to take control of myself when my head was halfway turning to where the guests were.

I ended up moving only my gaze to them instead of acting as if those words aroused my actions.

When I looked closer at the two men standing before the observation window, I realized that the two shared indifferent face features.

After a few recalls of my childhood memories, I recognized the other man who looked just like my 'father' in the old photo books that my mother showed me. But he seemed a bit older and his face was more wrinkled compared to those times when he and my mother were still young couples.

"Crystal?" The man spoke again, as if hoping for me to grant him my attention, "Would it hurt to come meet with your father?"

I turned to the window finally and pushed myself to my feet after a sigh.

Gradually, I plodded towards the window whilst testing on their patience, but it seems that my presence and good health was enough to cover up their impatience. When I reached the window, I positioned myself where I stood last time, placing my hands before me in a ladylike way.

My face expressed no emotion at all but I could feel my heart skipping beats and my blood boiling. I stared at my father's face which I have not seen before other than through pictures.

By looking at that face, I felt extremely uncomfortable when I began recalling my mother calling that man my father.

"This is your father," my mother had told me before when she showed me the photo album father gifted her on their fifth month dating anniversary.

Looking at the man before me, I have no idea whether to be angry or pleased that he'd arrived at last to visit his imprisoned daughter.

"I see Marie didn't feed you enough with that job of hers," said the man.

"Perhaps it was your colleague's problem for not providing enough food." I responded to his statement.

He broke his gaze away from me and turned to his son, then proceeded to speak something which can't be heard outside of the observation room. I saw Kaysen nodded, then his gaze bounced to me in a stare as if the man had spoken of something negatively.

"So, Crystal," the man returned his attention back to the conversation, "What do you think about Marie, your mother?"

"A caring woman who did her absolute best for her daughter," I answered.

"Even after she sold and abandoned you for her own health?" The man questioned.

I remained silent after that, not knowing what's good to respond with.

Until he spoke again, "I need you to know this, Crystal," he began, "your mother kept you with her because she knew that I would do anything for my daughter's good health, and she kept you so she can always feel as if she has something I don't.

"You have a purpose if you'd come with me, but she changed your fate."

I glared at him then at my surroundings, "The fuck is the purpose of this?"

"Let me tell you-" the man began again but I broke him off.

"You spent money to get your daughter back in your hands just to lock her up. Is this what you've planned since the start?"

The man sighed, patiently waiting for me to finish speaking and said, "My plans are coherently made,

"You have a purpose here, since you are special, my child," he said, "What you didn't know is on the night when you were brought back after your birth was when the first experiment was conducted in your life.

"The start of your experiment was 18 years ago,"

I stood still against all urges to deny those statements that are likely to be false.

Thinking, does this relate to all those unreasonable nightmares I have?

"You are my daughter, Crystal," the man said again, "I wish for you to live with us as a family,

"Inform your brother when you're ready. You may roam free in your new home after that."

The man nodded at me one last time and took his leave.

Meanwhile, Kaysen, who had stood leaning against the wall for the whole time, came forward with something in his grip.

"When you're ready," Kaysen mimicked his father's words.

He opened the transport tunnel on the door and threw in something as heavy as a rock. It hit the ground with a thud, grabbing my attention as I realized that it's another bracelet.

"Wear it," he demanded and I did, since I didn't want him catching a clue of that new weakness of mine.

It isn't as heavy as it seems to be, but he insisted that I return the old bracelet worn on my hand.

He sent a signal to the old bracelet using some sort of device and it fell off with a click.

After switching the old silver bracelet into the new black one, he leaned close to the window, as if wanting to whisper a secret.

"When you're ready," he spoke again.

However, this time it sounded like an ominous warning rather than repeating what the man was saying, as if it had an alternative meaning.

The silence was then broke off by a click. It didn't take me another second to realize that it was a test being conducted on me.

I felt a slight sting on my arm, which I assumed to be an electrical shock since I couldn't tell what caused the sudden pain. It was only a mere sting, the pain I got to handle. I flinched for a while and turned back to Kaysen.

He stood there with an auspicious grin, as if having accomplished a lifetime goal.

It was a test, he looked at me as if he knew all the secrets I've been hiding behind the expressionless face I wear ever since I lost my influence.

My fist clenched on its own as I began shaking. Concerns rolling down the back of my head as I thought of what can happen after they realized that I'm no longer a successful experiment to them.

Will they kill me? Or will they conduct the experiment again using me?

"I guess your freedom is under me then," he says, "and I say you reject father's offer."

My eyes widened, then bringing myself closer to the window I shouted, "That was supposed to be my decision!"

I bit my lips as tears began blurring my sight, I shouted again with a brittle voice helplessly, "I wanted to be a part of this family!"

To that he responded, "Father," he said as he revolved around, walking towards the door after picking up his stuff, "Crystal says that she-"

At this point, all I could do was beg him, "No, please! I'll give you anything-"

The light turns off and he finishes up his sentence, "she will not return to a broken family."