Dark Matter

Chapter Six

"One more time, I swear this is the last."

I sigh, lifting my arms to let the darkness ooze through them. The puppet in front of me moved, a last minute installment just to test my abilities further. If only Julian knew how many tests I have passed already.

I move my hands to guide the darkness with them. In all honesty moving my hands was never necessary. In the facility they taught us how to fight with our hands incapacitated. Yet my need for dramatics always showed itself, and I often moved my limbs along with my powers, not only to frighten the enemy, but to satisfy my own ego.

I let go of the darkness and within seconds it hits the puppet, reducing it to nothing more than shards of wood. Wood, Julian clearly doesn't know my capacity yet.

"Well done, yet again you surprise me." I turn to him scribbling down observations down in his book. The gesture reminds me too much of the scientists and I have to look away before my anger overtakes me.

"I think you have earned a break." I turn to see him shutting his book as he offers me a seat. I walk towards the chair tentatively, but accept the water bottle he offers me regardless. As I chug down the water greedily, I feel his eyes on me the whole time.

"What?" I wipe my mouth in a manner I dearly hope is ladylike. Yet for some reason he doesn't bother to correct, merely sighing. I can guess what's bothering him, and it has to do with me.

"I know you're concerned with the state of my escape"--I gulp down some more water--"and the location of my facility and basically everything about them, but I'm afraid I can not be of much help in this case."

"Do you remember where it was?" He moves his chair closer to mine unconsciously, another sign of his eagerness to find out the truth about my kind.

"Julian, I barely escaped, and I wouldn't have even been able to do even that if not for the dark night." I put down the bottle next to the legs of the chair, busying myself with balancing it.

"How is that related? You told me your powers have nothing to do with light." Naturally I'd assume accusation in his voice but I hear none of that, just sheer curiosity.

"The night is not the source of my powers." I twist my mouth in search for the right words "You could say the darkness is an inspiration, merely an inspiration, I don't know how to describe it, it feels like an ally." My eyes find Julian's, which are clouded with confusion, nevertheless he nods, urging me to continue.

"They never let us learn more than we had to--which wasn't a lot. And even then I wasn't the most informative among our section." I take a deep breath, trying to rid myself of any and all memories of my fellow subjects. "But even I knew we were built for war, made to endure extremely high levels of radiation, made to endure Naercey." I don't stop to inhale until I'm finished talking. I don't think I could continue if I stopped, even for a second.

Julian remains silent, taking in each and every one of my words. I wonder how he sees it, the world. I wonder if he asks himself the same question about me.

"Mare will be here in a few hours." His words break the silence between us in more than one way.

"Rest until then," He gets up from his chair, squeezing my shoulder as he walks past "You've earned it."

***

Tapping my foot on the floor can not begin to let out the nervous energy I'm holding. Julian's words regarding resting echo through my head and I know I've made a mistake. Wasting the precious time I could rest for pacing aimlessly is unwise, yet nothing I do lately seems to be wise. Julian's already told me she's alive and well, but I won't believe it until I see her.