Entwined Souls

4//Human Experiments

"Welcome to the Paranormal Research Institute, thank you for volunteering to help with this next test," Dr. Charles Colins said. He shook hands with the middle-aged man. They walked into an small room with a table in the middle and a single chair in it.
The next stop Dr. Colins took was in a small room decorated with pink curtains, furniture, toys, and a sign on the door that read "Ellie."

"How's my favorite girl?!" Dr. Colins asked. He was in his mid-thirties, and looked very jolly. He reminded Ellie of a ginger, thinner hipster Santa Claus. Complete with a beard and bowler hat. Ellie loved Dr. Colins, and vice versa. What she hated was the terrible institution she had been cooped up in for the last 2 years.

"Don't you mean how's your favorite lab-rat?" She sassily remarked. He let out a chuckle and sat beside her on the floor. She stared at his arms, covered with lovely artwork in permanent ink. She began to draw on her own with a blue marker.
"I know what you're thinking, and no, you can't get a tattoo until you're 45," he laughed. She smiled at him and stuck the marker in her pocket.

Ellie held his hand as they walked down the hallway, something she'd never done with any other person. She didn't feel protected in the hands of anyone else other than Colins. They arrived at a black door, a room beside the one he other man was in. He settled her down in a chair and left the room. She looked into the two-way mirror, only seeing herself.
"Hello, El. Can you hear me?" Dr. Colins voice from the speaker in the back corner said. Ellie nodded her head.
"Okay El. today all I want you to do is answer my friend Kathleen's questions."
"Hello, Ellie!" A female voice pitched in. Ellie hated everything about Kathleen. The look of pity she gave whenever walking past, how much she flirted with Dr. Collins and didn't understand it was never going to happen, her annoyingly mom-ish name, her face, every inch of her was despicable. Almost everyone she met was like Kathleen, or her parents; they thought she was an innocent little girl, or a freak.

"Can you do that, El?" Dr. Colins asked.
Ellie once again nodded her head looking into the mirror.
"Okay, Ellie we'll start with the basics. Can you tell me how old you are?" Kathleen asked.
"You know how old I am," Ellie said confidently.
"Just answer the question-" Dr. Colins interrupted before the mic went back to Kathleen.
"11," Ellie said folding her hands in her lap. She rocked back and forth. The chair was uncomfortable.
"Thank you. Next, there is a man in the room to your left, on the desk he has a deck of cards. He will pick one up now. Can you tell me which one he picked?"

Ellie once again silently nodded.

A card trick? What are we, magicians?

"Zero, just go into the room and show me what card she picked," Ellie whispered.

It's the 7 of hearts. You're welcome. I wonder what the others are talking about.

"Her eyes," Kathleen began. "They're glowing."
Dr. Collins ignored her, eyes fixed on Ellie, ensuring her safety.

"Zero, come back," Ellie said. She felt him fill her up again. "7 of hearts," she finished.