I wake to the sound of Nanny knocking on the door. Evidently someone opens the hatch because a hiss of air escapes the pod and Nanny's footsteps approach my bed. "How are you feeling?" She asks. I freeze; Nanny's voice is different. I inhale and the slight hint of vanilla confirms my suspicions; the woman standing to the side of me is not Nanny. "I'm okay," I whisper. I attempt to remain calm by balling my hands into a fist, but my long nails pierce my skin. I cry out in pain and slump onto the pillow. Not-Nanny sets down my plate and rushes over to me, making sure that I'm alright before reaching for my plate. In her syrupy voice she urges me to eat. My stomach churns but I take a bite of the cold mush I call my dinner. While I eat she clips my nails to the skin. I can feel the blood dripping out of my fingertips onto the bed, but Not-Nanny doesn't seem to notice. "A visitor has come to see you," she says when I finish with my food. I smile, thinking of Orchid's small laugh and her happy voice. Instead, the person who walks into the room is Mina. Her heavy footsteps fall across the metal floor and I perk up, still happy to have someone other than Not-Nanny in my presence. "I'll leave you two alone," Not-Nanny says, picking up the plate and exiting the room.
The room is silent, and I'm glad that Mina is the one who decides to break it. "I'm sorry...I overreacted," she starts, slowly walking towards me. I nod my head and she continues. "I guess I was just jealous of your roommate; I -I thought that you had moved on. I thought you didn't want me as a roommate anymore. I thought you didn't want to be friends."
I laugh, breaking the tension. Mina laughs along with me and we're smiling by the end of it. "So...we're still good?" she asks, hope evident in her voice. I nod my head eagerly and stick out my hand. "We're good, so long as you're okay with Orchid being our friend too."
To my surprise -but relief- Mina takes my hand and gives it a firm shake. I grin and pat the spot next to me. "Anything new you wanna talk about?"
YOU ARE READING
Beneath the Blind Sky
Ciencia FicciónFor years, Charlotte has been living under a blanket of lies. And now that she knows the truth, it's up to her to save everyone.
