"Her or me?" A tear rolled down Michelle's puffy cheek, "You have to make a decision."
For Michelle, life has always been about control- control in the studio, in her friendships, and even in the secrets she hides. But with an unexpected pregnancy...
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I open my eyes, suddenly realising that I don't know where I am. My eyes continue to close due to how drowsy I feel, but I try my best to open them.
I'm able to make out a blank ceiling above my head, and in the distance, I hear voices and murmuring. There's a noise coming from beside me— a sharp beep that doesn't stop. I try to turn my head to identify the cause of the noise, yet everything feels stiff.
I groan in discomfort while everything around me becomes clearer, and I'm able to make out a voice close to me, and I suddenly realise who it belongs to.
"Ah... you're awake!" I hear Phillip's voice.
It causes me to awaken suddenly, and I jolt up in shock, pulling my body up so that I'm sat upright.
I look around the room, and in a panicked voice, I ask him, "Where- where am I?!"
"You're safe. That's all you have to know."
He chuckles. "It's nice to see you up! We were all getting worried; you'd been out for an hour! We thought you were never going to wake up."
"Where am I?" I repeat.
"Like I said, you're somewhere safe," He tries to assure me
I begin to panic, pulling at the many wires that are hooked up to me, connecting me to machines to my left.
I hear his voice: "Not even a thank you?"
"A thank you?" I don't look at him. Instead, I continue to dramatically try to unhook myself from the machines. "I- I don't even know where I am."
He finally reveals where I am. "You're in the lab; you're fine."
I finally meet his eyes. "So you're just gonna keep me here? Is that your plan?! You're just gonna lock me in here and throw away the key?!"
"Lock you in? Michelle, you're free to do whatever you want. You can get up, walk around, and do whatever makes you feel comfortable."
"Just- just let me go."
He begins to take a few steps closer to me, and I feel even more uncomfortable. He says, "Michelle, I wish I could. But believe me, it's in yours and the baby's best interest to stay here."
"You're crazy."
"Crazy?" He chuckles slightly and then begins to express other delusions. "You know, I'm trying to keep that baby safe. You think I'm the bad guy, but there are so many people out there desperate to get their hands on that child. And they don't have good intentions. They'll use her and make her life a living hell, and you'll never get to see her ever again."
I struggle to believe what he's saying. "You're lying!"
"I wish I was..."
He continues to ramble on about things he believes. "The baby is special, whether you want to believe that or not," he says. "I'm trying to keep her safe from the people that'll use her abilities for the wrong reasons. I'm trying to put her in a safe environment where she can learn who she is without feeling scared and confused."
