Mindless

Chapter Twenty-One - 046

My actual, literal brain hurts. I realized something right before they put me down, though, that if they decided to hurt 022 I wouldnt be able to do a damn thing about it because I'd be fast asleep in a medically induced dreamland. So I fought, but of course Kay sedated me and then I don't remember anything.

So now I'm kind of angry. Go figure.

Especially because when I went to see luna, Kay gave me a warning. An actual warning.

"She's a little..." She twirled her finger at the side of her head and crossed her eyes, as if not speaking the words crazy were somehow better. "Somebody gave her too much of the sedative. We have her confined in there and she's perfectly safe from herself, but..."

At that point I barged past Kay, silently fuming and needing to see 022.

022's head now rests on my shoulder as she twirls a piece of her hair arodun her finger and makes these weird sounds, almost like something one book I found-- they called it a song. I don't know what to do.

"Did you know that Kay put a needle in my arm?"

"I did. She was worried about you, 022." When she frowns I'm concerned that 022 will see, see that this isn't my real face or my real thoughts and I need her back here, because I can't handle anything happening to 022 ever. She has to be alright.

Instead, she insists to me that her name is Luna.

"Luna? Where'd you get that idea?" I ask, cracking a small, sad smile.

"It's just my name!" She insists. "And you're called Eden!"

Kay, who always seems to have a sense of when someone's sick or injured, bursts through the door right before darkness floods my vision.

...

"Hi, my name is Eden, I'm six years old and my favorite animal is a tiger," I say. The next student in the circle goes, saying thier name, age, and fovrite animal. Ms. Betty wants everyone to get introduced to each other now, but I don't care about all the other students in the circle. All I see is one girl.

Her caramel hair is long and curly, pulled into one polytail on one side of her head but low down to her neck, like sideswept hair held in place. She wears black leggings, fuzzy brown boots, and a dark green knit sweater with pockets and a hood. Her huge, round, bright green eyes survey the classroom, one eyebrow perfectly arched when the kid next to her sticks his index finger right up his nose.

I cant stop looking at her. She seems to sense my gaze and turns to me, emerald eyes twinkling as she surveys my expression, wondering why this random kid is staring at her. When it's her turn to speak, she says in a musical voice with a hint of a southern drawl, "I'm Luna. My favorite animal is a horse. I'm six years old... younger than you all."

I need to stop staring. I can't.

...

It's just a flash and I'm back. But, stars, I remember.

Kay's looking at me like I'm crazy. I ask her how long I was out and she says just long enough to hit my head on the floor and to startle Luna into a new song, this one more sinister sounding.

"Is this an aftereffect of the surgery?"

"What just happened?"

"I remember. I remember a memory that I shouldn't have, ebcause this isn't right."

Her frown deepens. "You people--" she says, barley hiding the annoyance in her voice, "--every one of you, are going to get me into trouble. You guys are the worst security leak I've ever had. Come on, let's go to Yuli."

She shouts for the 'shadow' girl again. Like before, the girl appears. Her dark hair is smudged with red and cut into a slant, and today she doesn't wear a uniform. Actually, her outfit kind of resembles a training outfit, but with heavier armour.

"This better be good," she says, eyeing me and Luna. I laugh.

"Good?" I ask. "If you're totally sadistic, then yes, this is great. Now please, someone take me to Yuli and get this girl," I nudge 022... Luna, "something to cancel out the sedatives."