Chapter 11: Ability Control

“You’ll get lost if you wander around alone.”

Amy scolded me. I avoided her gaze like a child caught doing something wrong. Shine watched us, her expression unreadable.

My ears burned. Being reprimanded was embarrassing.

“Where were you trying to go?” Amy asked.

I hesitated. “Outside…”

“Were you feeling cooped up?”

I nodded slowly. She chuckled and patted my head. My hair tickled.

“How much longer do I have to wear this?” I held up my arm, showing her the silver bracelet.

She took my arm gently. “Just a little longer. I’ll take it off as soon as we find your home.”

An empty promise. There was no home for her to find. A girl named Jeff didn’t exist. Neither did Shine, officially.

I sighed quietly. Escaping alone would be difficult.

One day. Two days. Time passed.

Three days after our arrival, Amy started asking the same question with a worried expression.

“Are you sure you don’t remember anything about your parents?”

I nodded. It wasn’t a lie. My earliest memories were of the junkyard in District 23. I didn’t remember my parents.

Shine nodded too. She hugged me from behind. She’d become increasingly physically affectionate, which made me uncomfortable. I gently pushed her away and took a cookie.

The sweet taste filled my mouth.

“Did you really make these, Amy?” I asked, holding up a cookie, impressed. They were beautifully decorated and smelled delicious. I couldn’t focus on her questions.

I swung my short legs as I sat on the large chair.

“Jeff.”

Amy’s tone shifted. Serious. I looked up at her, my mouth full of cookie, unable to answer.

“Shine.”

“Yes.” Shine didn’t seem interested in the cookies. She broke one in half, snapping off the arms and legs of the cute cartoon character, and put it back on the plate.

“If we can’t find your home…” Amy began cautiously, choosing her words carefully.

“Will we stay here?”

My hand froze. A chance to leave. I shook my head, swallowing the cookie quickly.

“No…?”

A sudden ringing in my ears. My vision blurred. I reached for the mug of warm milk and drank, washing away the sweet taste of the cookie.

“Delicious.”

“Hmm?” Amy looked surprised. I felt a surge of confusion. I couldn’t remember what I’d just said.

“That good?” She smiled. I smiled back. Amy was nice. She gave us delicious cookies. I was starting to feel full.

“We’ll stay here,” Shine said, pushing her plate of cookies towards me.

I stared at her, surprised.

“Eat.”

“What about you?”

“I’m okay.”

I focused on the delicious cookies. Shine and Amy were talking, but the cookies were more important. I stuffed another one in my mouth. Crispy. Chewy. Chocolatey. The milk was perfect.

“Oh…” I stared at the empty plate. Where did they go? Where did they go, indeed? My stomach. I rubbed my bloated belly. I couldn’t eat another bite.

“Uh…” I slumped back in the chair, Amy’s voice a distant murmur.

“Jeff.”

Her voice was suddenly clear. I looked up.

“Yes?”

“You like it here, don’t you?” Her gaze was intense.

“I do, if Shine does,” I said, then touched my mouth. Was that my voice? Or Shine’s?

Drip. Drip.

A thin trickle of red ran down Shine’s nose. A drop of blood landed on the white tablecloth. A nosebleed? I stared at her, stunned.

“Shine!” Amy grabbed a tissue and wiped Shine’s nose. The metallic smell of blood filled the air. The tissue turned red. The buzzing in my head intensified. A strange, squirming sensation.

“It’s okay.” Amy gently plugged Shine’s nose with a rolled-up tissue.

Shortly after the nosebleed incident, we had our pictures taken. We wore neat clothes, like we were having passport photos taken.

“Why are we doing this?” I asked Amy.

She patted my head. “You need ID cards to live here.”

“ID cards?” The word triggered a flicker of memory. It grew stronger, clearer. I felt a surge of panic. I couldn’t stay here.

“Wait! Jeff!” Amy called after me, but I ran.

I ran down the long hallway, my lungs burning. I scanned the surroundings. No, no, no. It was happening again.

Bang! I burst into the room without taking off my shoes and grabbed the remote. I pressed the power button.

Beep! The TV screen flickered to life. Just in time. The opening theme song of Magical Girl Pretty Warrior filled the room. I sighed in relief, my cheeks flushed with excitement.

“Jeff!”

I turned around cautiously. Amy stood there, holding Shine by the waist. She looked relieved.

“Almost missed it,” I said, my heart pounding. I placed my hand over my chest, trying to calm down. Amy stared at me, then at the TV, her expression bewildered.

“You ran for this?”

“Jeff loves this show,” Shine said, still dangling from Amy’s arm. It wasn’t me who answered.

“Well, anyway. We got the photos,” Amy said, putting Shine down.

Shine smoothed her clothes and sat beside me.

“Want to watch, Amy?” I asked. “Want to watch, Amy.” It was a good show, even for an adult. We had snacks and drinks, courtesy of Amy.

Amy checked her watch and smiled awkwardly, then joined us.

Another uneventful day passed.

The dinnertime announcement echoed through the building. We followed Amy to the cafeteria. I blinked. What was I doing? What happened to my escape plan?

“Jeff.”

Shine’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up. Her face was too close.

“Yes?” I leaned back slightly.

“What are we eating tonight?”

The question pushed away the troubling thoughts, replacing them with images of delicious food. Pork cutlet.

“The usual?”

I shook my head, rubbing my eyes.

“No…”

“Jeff…?” Shine’s voice was laced with concern. She grabbed my hand.

“No…” The buzzing in my head intensified. Crackle, crackle. Sparks danced before my eyes.

“Ugh…!”

“Jeff?” Amy looked back, her voice sharp.

“I don’t want pork cutlet tonight!” I declared. I’d decided.

“Then what do you want?”

“Hamburger steak!” I said emphatically. I pictured a juicy hamburger, smothered in ketchup. My mouth watered.

“Me too,” Shine said.

We resumed our walk to the cafeteria. The buzzing in my head persisted.

That night, after showering, I found Amy waiting for me in the room. I sat beside her as she dried my hair with a hairdryer. The warm air felt soothing.

“Amy.”

“Yes?”

Nod, nod. My head bobbed. The warmth and the gentle touch made me sleepy.

“I want to go home,” I murmured.

Amy’s hand stilled. I continued, my voice drowsy, “I want a beer.”

A hazy memory, but the feeling was strong. A cold beer after a long day at work. A way to silence the buzzing in my head. The constant headache.

“Jeff?”

My body went limp. I fell asleep.

I felt myself being gently shaken. Amy’s voice, filled with concern. She touched my cheek.

“You drank beer at the lab?”