Winterflame

Chp 3 : The Story

The Story

"After all of us were given the drug, the board of directors decided that we would be too strong and uncontrollable. They wanted to eliminate each and every one of us. That's when daddy saved me. When he found out, he grabbed me, because I was the first subject he could find, and ran. He escaped with me, like you did."

"You trust your daddy?" I ask, still trying to digest the story.

"Yes. He takes care of me. Never experiments on me." She answers. She looks content.

"How old were you when you left the facility?" I couldn't help but hide my curiousity.

"I was three and a half. When I was two, my brother tried to save me."

"You have a brother?!" I almost yell. "You knew he was your brother?"

"Yes. I have a brother, Danny. But I guess his name was Daniel. He was in your generation. That's why I was so happy to see you. Don't you remember? You were there when he tried to save me."

She looked at me with her bright purple eyes hopefully.

I was there? But when? I tried to remember. I thought about it for a bit. Wait. I remember. It was a few years ago. Yes, I was so young.

"Your brother strayed away from the line when he saw you. I held him back but he was strong. We were so young. But how did he know it was you?"

I finally remember the whole thing. We were returning from lunch that day when a new generation came in. Most of us didn't pay them any attention. We just finished being fed with another serving of disgusting food. A boy was infront of me. His face suddenly changed and he tensed. Before I knew it, he ran to the line of the new generation. I ran after him and held him back. He was so angry at me. The guards took him away and I never saw him again.  

There were rumours floating around the workers that he was put in solitary, the deepest and harshest part of the facility. They say he got punished. Me, on the other hand, didn't get anything. They were nice to me for a week or so, but that was it.

"He knew that I was his sister because we have a telepathic connection. He knew it was me because I was calling out to him, through my thoughts. It was something both of us were born with because our mother was an old subject, generation 4, I think."

"Your mother was a subject too?" I feel sadness and sympathy.

"She was just a host mother. My brother and I were something like test tube babies." I nod to this. "So what are your abilities?"

I shrug. "I have excellent hearing and sight. My reflexes are great and thanks to 'Project Winterflame' I have super strength and intelligence. Atleast that's what they told me. But I can fly. A side effect maybe?"

"You can fly?" I nod. She seems enthusiastic.

"So what's your ability?"

Then, something amazing happens. Amanda doesn't open her mouth and doesn't say a word, her eyes looking straight into me, but her voice was clear and crisp in my head.

This is my ability.

I almost jump. She can get into people's heads. They must've increased her brainpower to 100%.

They increased my brainpower to 100%, which means I can also do this.

With slight movements of her hands and fingers, the door shut. The lamp on the desk turns on and a piece of paper folds itself into an aeroplane and flies around the room. I sit on the bed speechless. Moments later, the paper aeroplane lands on the desk and stops moving, the lamp turns off and the door creaks open.

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In the evening, we have the best meal I've ever had in my life. In the facility, we didn't get food often, usually around only once every month, and the food was vile. We get a couple of glasses of water daily, but the water is flat and didn't really do anything. The food here is like nothing I ever tasted. Amanda teaches me how to handle the silverware and I start eating like a pig. I have a plate filled with a slab of meat with delicious sauce, some thick stuff Amanda calls 'mashed potatoes' and a portion of leaves and 'vegetables' I guess?

Things are weird between Professor Blake and I. He gives me uncomfortable glances and I glare. He still has guilt written all over his face. I realise he can't be that horrible of a person. He saved Amanda and I. He gave us a place to stay and means of survival. But he is one of them, or was. If he escaped, wouldn't they be looking for him? What has he risked to save the lives of us experiments? These are the thoughts that run through my head as I eat.

I suddenly start to feel guilty. He has helped me. Should I be hating him this way? But he is or was one of them. Can I trust him? Should I? I am soon full. I have never eaten that much before. My stomach feels like it is going to explode. My plate was empty.

After dinner, Professor Blake told me that he will enroll me to a local high school.

"I'll help you catch up with the syllabus, but I doubt you'll need much help." he said.

Professor Blake has a mini library in his house. He plans to go outside with me tomorrow, to buy necessities I assume. I am scared of this. He says he will help me with my abilities, but I don't think I can trust him ever again. He was one of them. How could I trust him?

I walk up the stairs to my room, if I dare call it mine. My mind is still on override, but it is more bearable now. I change into more comfortable clothing and slip under the covers, just like Amanda did. She is already asleep. I yawn. Professor Blake gave me a book to read before I sleep. I am scared of two things. One, I have never tried reading before, and I'm unsure if I could. Two, I'm terrified of sleeping, because sleeping is not knowing what's happening around you. Sleeping is being distracted and unaware of things. Sleeping is as good as being dead and then resurrected when you wake up.

I've never actually slept before. If I ever did, I don't think I would remember. The pain for their needles usually carry on throughout the night and it is too painful to bear. I touch my arms. It feels weird to feel barely any pain. The scars from all the needles are still obvious on my skin. I would be considered a freak. All those other 'normal' people, they wouldn't understand. They don't know what I've been through.

I begin to wonder what it would be like, to be normal, whatever normal is. I wonder what is it like to smile, to laugh, to have people you could call friends, to feel happy. All this I know from the workers of the facility. They talk to each other when they're not working. When they are, they were told to be silent. Barely anyone talks in the facility. Suddenly, I feel very lonely. I can't explain it. I've never had these feelings before. All I ever wanted to do was escape that horrible place, and I have. The question is, what's next?