The girl in the arena

The Color Of Your Eyes

We sat on my plush bed as Alice brushed my hair for the thousandth time.

"You're like an angel! I've never seen such a pretty girl with white hair, only old women with too many cats." I let out a small chuckle as she ran her fingers through my hair once more. We were quite the contrast, her jet black braided hair next to my pasty white hair sprawling down my back.

We talked and talked until we had no more topics for conversation. I was formally introduced to Molly, which may have been the most confusing introduction of my life. We eventually drifted to talking about our lives before we came to the manor.

"All the old men said I was made for stealth and execution, do you know what that means? No one here will tell me."

Stealth and execution? Dear God, she's only a child.

"Hmm, I don't know, but as soon as I figure it out, you'll be the first on my list to know." Lying to a child was among the worst feelings I had ever come to know.

She huffed out a breath and continued to play through my white locks until there was a series of quick rapping on the door.

"Come in." The door easily swung open, revealing Sophia's ever-present smile. She scanned the room, from the large bed to the closet, and nodded in approval.

"I do hope you are settling in well, I know it can be an especially hard change." I gave a small nod and smile as an affirmation. "Come now child, you must take your medicine, then it's off to bed for you. You have your studies in the morning."

"W-will I finally learn what "stealth" and "execution" mean?" Alice excitedly stumbled over her words as she was suddenly at Sophia's side. "Oh! I didn't tell her!" She turned her freckled splattered face back to me, black hair gleaming under the lights of my room. "I have a r-resp-" she looked to Sophia for assistance.

"Little Alice here has a respiratory issue, she has to take her medication morning and night, to keep her breathing regulated. When she gets too excited it tends to act up, like now." I nodded my head and shifted to see Alice panting for breath, clutching Sophia's thigh as her small legs seemed on the brink of giving out.

Without another word, Alice was picked up and taken to be given her medicine, leaving me alone for the first time in my new room.

I threw my head back on the plump covers, letting my fingers explore on their own. My mind couldn't seem to focus on my surroundings as I tried to figure out why I was here.

Why would one person need almost one hundred modified slaves? And to just keep them here for free?

I rolled from my bed and ambled over to the closet, skimming my hands over the large assortment of clothes, fixated on distracting myself from the problem. I slipped a pair of smooth sleeping shorts on, paired with the most simple shirt I could find and stood in front of the body mirror.

How long had it been since I got a good look at myself?

I took off my glasses and thoroughly looked myself up and down once more. My eyes, wide with excitement were almost popping out of my head, and my face, pale and shocked, had found a new tint to it.

I subconsciously smiled, tearing myself away from the mirror and back into bed. The moon shone its brightest rays through my long window, lulling me to sleep like a spell.

~~

I awoke to dim rays of light caressing my face. I sat up, my bedsheets a mess around me as I thought about the day.

Do I stay here? Is there somewhere I should go?

I swung my body off my bed until I was sitting at its edge, feet dangling inches above the floor. I sat like that until my legs went numb, and the sun has risen higher in the sky, illuminating my room tenfold with bright white light.

I was in the middle of putting on a dark pair of jeans when I heard a disturbance at my door.

"It's Christian, do you mind if I come in?

I stumbled, tripping along the floor as I scrambled to find a shirt to put on. "Just a minute!" I threw on a shirt, and ran to the door, almost knocking Christian over.

"I could give you some more time if you're not ready..."

"No, I'm ready, what did you need?"

"it's not what I need love, its what you need. You can't just show up here and not have anything, especially not a name." A name?

Sophia's office was a dark mahogany and smelled deeply of citrus. She greeted me with her trademark smile as she directed me to sit across from her desk.

"Before I just jump right into then is there anything you would prefer to be called? A name you would prefer? You can take your time, I understand its a big ch-"

"Jade. I-it reminds me of your eyes, a really pretty color. I don't remember what my old one was anyway..." Sophia's mouth popped open at my interruption, forming a small perfect "o".

"I love it, it suits you well, Jade." Her gaze stuck to mine for much longer than needed as I tried to decipher the message in her eyes.

We stayed like that until Alice burst into the room, all smiles and sparkles in a flowy yellow dress.

"Sophia!Sophia! Rachel taught me more math today, so now, I can count even higher! Almost to 500!" Alice was full of breath, a sign that she had her medicine I suppose.

"That's fantastic little one! I'm very proud. Our new arrival has just remembered her name, would you like to be the first to hear it?"

"Oh! Yes please!"

"My name is Jade, Alice." The name rolled off of my tongue naturally, as if I had been saying it for an eternity.

"Ooh! Such a pretty name. A pretty name for a pretty lady. I can't wait to tell everyone!"

~

By midday, every person in teh manor had known my name, all thanks to Alice. Being recognized was fantastic, now that I had a name and wasn trecognized as the "new adoptee". Even at dinner, having the conversatiosns were much more fluid.

That night, stood at my window, starign at teh almost bare trees, and sighed in contentness before I crawled into bed and drifted into the most peaceful slumber I can remember having.

What do yo uthink of her name?

Do you like Sophia and Jade's relationship?

What do you think of poor baby Alice?