I added ice to my cola and stuck in a straw. The large plastic cup was almost too big for my hands. The cold, fizzy drink was perfect.
“Is it good?” Shine asked.
I nodded, a happy smile spreading across my face.
Amy led us to the gymnasium.
“Are these them?” A man with messy hair stood inside, looking listless. Late twenties, maybe. He ran a hand through his hair and approached Amy.
She handed him a file. I caught a glimpse of it: my name, my picture, a brief description of my powers.
Shine’s grip on my hand tightened. I looked at her. Red lines appeared on the whites of her eyes, the tendons in her forehead standing out, distorting her delicate features. She stared at the man, the buzzing in my head growing louder.
“Shine?” I asked, worried. No response.
The buzzing intensified, followed by a sudden pop.
“Hmm…” The man rubbed his forehead, frowning, as if he had a headache. He looked at me.
“You’re Jeff?”
I nodded.
“And you’re Shine…” He picked up Shine’s file. His eyes glazed over for a moment.
“Twins, both with electrokinesis?”
“I guess so,” I said, looking at Shine, confused. She wasn’t an electrokinetic. What was going on? Hadn’t Amy tested our powers…? A memory flickered, then faded, replaced by a mental fog. The buzzing returned.
Thud.
Shine collapsed beside me, blood trickling from her nose.
“Shine!”
Amy quickly pressed a handkerchief to Shine’s nose. The white fabric turned red.
“It’s okay.” Shine frowned and pushed Amy’s hand away.
“Shine seems tired. Let’s do this another time,” the man said.
Shine sat down on a metal chair to rest. I looked at her anxiously. She smiled weakly.
“I have to go. Send them back to their room when you’re done, and make sure they eat,” Amy said to the man.
He looked at us with an annoyed expression, sighed, and nodded. “Fine.”
Amy seemed dissatisfied with his response. She bent down and whispered, “If he does anything strange, tell me immediately. Okay?”
“What if you’re not here?”
“Scream.”
“Is he a bad person?”
Amy’s face contorted. She hesitated, then nodded. “He’s… strange.”
She hugged me and patted my head. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant. I felt Shine’s gaze and quickly pulled away.
“See you later.” Amy left the gymnasium.
“Now then…” The man smiled. He looked around, then flopped down on a nearby mat. “Time for a nap.”
I stared at him, bewildered. He opened his eyes. “This won’t take long. Go play with a ball or something.”
I fiddled with my empty cup, the ice melted, the straw making a gurgling sound. I deliberately sat beside him and sucked on the straw.
Slurp. Slurp.
He frowned.
Slurp. Gurgle. Slurp.
“Are you doing that on purpose?” he asked, his eyes still closed.
I slurped louder.
Slurp.
He opened his eyes and glared at me, annoyance etched on his face. He sighed and sat up. “Fine.”
I put the cup down. Whatever he had planned, I had to cooperate if I wanted to leave.
“It’s a simple test. It’ll be over quickly.” He pulled out several small bracelets. “So, you can’t use your powers at all right now, right?”
I nodded, touching the suppressor on my wrist. I hated the cold metal.
“Okay, then…” He removed the bracelet. I felt a surge of power, a rush of freedom. Blue sparks crackled at my fingertips.
Click.
My power was suppressed again. A new bracelet, this one blue, not silver. I’d never seen one like it before, even at the lab.
“What is this?” I asked. The sparks were still there, but weaker. I couldn’t summon any real power.
“Interesting, isn’t it?” It was. It still suppressed my powers, but it felt… less restrictive. Like a small vent had been opened. I flicked my finger, sending out a small spark. It left a scorch mark on the floor.
He wrote something on his clipboard. “Is it uncomfortable?”
“No.” I nodded, scanning the room again. The gymnasium was large, but windowless.
“What are you looking at? Is it that fascinating?”
I didn’t know how to answer. Why had I been staring? I couldn’t remember. I’d just felt compelled to.
“I guess so,” I said, nodding.
He scratched his cheek with his pen and held out another bracelet. He removed the blue one. My power surged, unrestrained. Sparks flew.
He quickly clasped the new bracelet on my wrist. My power subsided. This one felt even less restrictive. I looked at him, intrigued.
“What is this?”
“I’m seeing how well you can control your power.”
I nodded, touching the bracelet. I see. I was supposed to be unable to control my power.
“See that target? Try hitting it.” He pointed to a large target on the wall.
I flicked my wrist, sending a bolt of blue electricity towards the target. The air crackled. The center of the target turned black, emitting a thin wisp of smoke.
“Have you had combat training before?” he asked.
A faint memory surfaced. Hebrum had tested my powers once. I’d lost control and damaged some equipment. I’d received some training after that, to prevent further incidents.
“At the lab,” I said.
He paused, his face darkening. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
“Huh?”
“So, you were rescued from the lab.” He smiled sadly and made a note on his clipboard.
I sat beside him, waiting patiently, my eyes still scanning the room, mapping escape routes. But I couldn’t find the entrance.
“Mister.”
“Don’t call me ‘Mister.’ Call me Victor.” So, that was his name.
“Victor.”
“Yes?”
“I want to see Shine’s file.”
“Shine’s?” He rummaged through his papers and handed me a sheet. “This?”
I quickly took it. Shine’s information: name, estimated age, a picture of her face, identical to mine. And a blank space where her power should have been listed.
I glanced at Shine. She was dozing, her eyes closed.
“This…” I pointed at the blank space. “Is this a mistake?”
Shine had been tested, in the dome. Amy had been there too. I was sure of it. But I didn’t remember seeing Shine use any powers. Had I fallen asleep?
Beep. The buzzing returned. My vision blurred.
I turned my head. “Shine…?”
She stood beside me. When had she gotten so close? I hadn’t heard her approach.
“Jeff.”
“Yes…?” She handed me the file.
“Jeff. This isn’t a mistake.”
“Yes…”
Her face contorted, her breath coming in ragged gasps. I reached out, concerned. Our hands met. Hers was warm.
“Give it back to Victor.”
I nodded and returned the file. He took it without a word and started writing, filling in the blank space. Then he slumped over the desk, his pen rolling to the floor.
The small sound startled me. I stood up. “Victor?”
“I must have been tired,” a voice said.
“Shine?” She stood behind me, her arms wrapping around me.
“Shine, when did you wake up?”
“Just now.”
Her warm breath on my neck made me shiver.
“That tickles.”
She giggled. I wriggled free, my gaze fixed on Victor, slumped over his desk.
I felt a sudden compulsion. I picked up his pen and walked towards him.
“What are you doing?” Shine asked.
“I want to draw,” I said, a mischievous smile spreading across my face.
I started doodling on Victor’s face. Then I got bored. I put the pen down and lay down on the mat. It was firm, yet soft. Shine lay down beside me.
We looked at each other and smiled.
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How cute are the “twin sisters”!!!
Thanks for the chapter