Chapter 14 Part 4: Ability Control

Victor woke up just before lunch and took us to the cafeteria.

People snickered at him.

His face was covered in colorful doodles.

He seemed oblivious, his eyes still heavy with sleep.

He didn’t seem to care about the stares.

“What do you want to eat?” he asked.

“The same as Jeff,” Shine said, as always.

I felt a subtle pressure.

I sat at the table, swinging my short legs, acutely aware of their reduced length. I felt a strange unease. Was I wasting my time here?

“Jeff.”

Shine’s voice broke through my thoughts.

I returned to the important task of choosing lunch. No regrets. I studied the menu.

“Pork cutlet, please.”

The usual.

The familiar shape and taste.

But the sauce was different.

Not the same as the lab’s.

It wasn’t about which was better.

It was about the unfamiliar taste.

My fork stopped mid-air.

“Aren’t you going to eat anymore?”

I turned. Shine sat beside me, as always. Beside me.

No, that wasn’t right.

I picked up my fork and took a bite. It was good, but something felt off.

“Shine.”

“Yes?”

“Have you always sat next to me?”

It was a silly question, but I needed reassurance.

I fidgeted, my fingers trembling.

The girl in Shine’s eyes looked back at me, her gaze filled with worry.

“Yes.”

Her reassuring smile calmed my anxieties.

It must have been this strange place making me feel uneasy.

I was just a carefree little girl again.

“Kids.”

Victor’s voice startled me.

It was strained, laced with disbelief.

Shine and I looked at him.

He was examining his face in a small hand mirror.

Covered in doodles: stars, moons, everything I considered pretty. It looked quite impressive, actually.

“Did you do this?” he asked, pointing at his face.

I looked away.

“No…”

The lie came easily.

I’d seen a TV show about how children lie instinctively to avoid trouble. I touched my lips. I watched Victor, my heart pounding.

A sudden blow to the head.

“Ow!”

Thump!

My head rang. I clutched my scalp, tears welling up. People stared.

“Don’t do that again,” Victor said.

I nodded quickly. He looked angry. Shine did too. Her eyes narrowed, her gaze fixed on Victor. Her lips moved, a barely audible whisper that somehow filled the room.

Then, silence. The endless buzzing in my head cut off abruptly, then reconnected.

Chizz. Click.

The scene changed. Victor was gone.

“Victor?” I looked around. Shine took my hand. It was small and soft.

“Victor’s tired,” she said, her face expressionless. If she said so, it must be true.

I nodded dumbly. “I’ll tell Amy when she gets back.”

“Yes, you should.” Shine patted my head, echoing my words. I still felt uneasy. Was it because my pork cutlet had disappeared? My tray was gone.

“Let’s go back and eat snacks.” Shine pulled me along. I touched the empty table, then slid off the chair.

We left the cafeteria, hand in hand.

“We won’t see Amy for a few days.”

“I know, Jeff.”

“We can watch TV all night, then?”

“Yes.”

“And no brushing our teeth!”

“If you want.”

I was excited. A night of TV, cola, and snacks. I quickened my pace. My footsteps echoed in the hallway. Shine ran to keep up. I memorized the layout as we ran. Still no exit.

I suddenly stopped.

“Jeff?”

“Shh.” I put my finger to my lips. This was my chance. Amy was gone. No one to watch us. A chance for what, I didn’t know. But it felt important.

I pressed myself against the wall, like a spy in a movie, and started exploring.

“Jeff, what are you doing?”

“Be quiet, Shine. This is important.”

She fell silent and followed me. People laughed as we passed. Laugh all you want. Let’s see how long it lasts.

My heart pounded as I navigated the hallways, reaching an area I hadn’t been able to explore before, blocked by Amy.

The lights were off.

Few people were around.

Beyond this darkened section, the hallway was brightly lit and crowded.

“That’s enough for today…” I turned back. Shine looked at me, puzzled.

“Jeff, what were you doing?”

“Looking for the exit.”

“Why?”

“To go home.”

She fell silent. We walked back to our room.

I grabbed a bag of snacks, my footsteps echoing in the quiet room.

“Jeff.” Shine’s serious tone made me pause.

“Yes?”

“Have you been trying to leave?”

“Yes. I’ve been exploring the hallways.” The admission came easily. I had to give her the answers she wanted. Buried memories flickered to the surface.

“Why did you stop in the dark hallway?”

“I don’t like the dark.” I remembered District 23, before my powers manifested. A dark, frightening time. Begging for food in the shadows.

“Are you scared of the dark?”

“I guess so…” My mind felt hazy. Wasn’t it more than just dislike?

“Jeff. The outside is a scary place.”

Scary. Scared. Dark. The outside was dark. I shouldn’t go outside. The thought settled in my mind, heavy and unshakeable.

Shine sat beside me. She touched my cheek. “Jeff, you’re my family.”

Of course I was. I nodded dumbly. Shine. My precious family.

“I’ll protect you.”

Family. I’d never had a family before.

“Does family protect each other?”

She nodded. I smiled. My mind felt clear. “I’ll protect you too.”

Shine smiled brightly, a radiant smile that suited her name.

And then, I woke up.

“Whoa!” Shine had hugged me, knocking me backward. I’d been sitting on a pile of plush toys, so the fall wasn’t bad. We untangled ourselves, laughing.

The TV was still on. No one had turned it off. Amy had asked Victor to look after us, but he was nowhere to be found.

Evening came, and still no Victor.

“Shine.”

“Yes?” She looked away from the TV. It wasn’t time for my cartoons, so she’d chosen the channel. A boring news report.

“Victor isn’t here,” I said, putting down my crayons.

“Hmm…” Shine lowered the volume. The news anchor’s voice faded.

“He probably won’t be coming.”

“Really?” She stood up and stretched, a cute little ooh escaping her lips. She checked the time and took my hand. “Let’s go eat.”

We were starving. The snacks weren’t enough. At this rate, I’d end up as round as Hebrum. I put down the crayons, noticing the colorful streaks on my hands.

“I’ll be right back. I need to wash my hands.”

I ran to the bathroom.

I couldn’t reach the sink.

I climbed onto the step stool Amy had provided. My reflection stared back. This small, unfamiliar face. I grimaced.

“This is weird.” I rinsed my soapy hands and touched my face, kneading my soft cheeks. “Weird. Weird.”

“What’s weird?”

“Oh… Shine.”

“Jeff, let’s go eat.”

I hopped off the stool, ignoring Amy’s warning about the slippery floor. Amy wasn’t here.

“Just the two of us?” I took Shine’s hand.

She nodded and led the way to the cafeteria, opening the door with a flourish. I knew the way now.

We went straight to the ordering kiosks, bypassing the tables.

I had to jump to reach the screen.

We took turns jumping, giggling.

We collected our tickets and went to the counter. Our trays were too high.

We flagged down a tall man passing by.

“Excuse me, can you help us?”

He scratched his cheek, then handed us our trays. Our hands were full. I bowed my head. “Thank you.”

We carefully carried our trays to a table. I was suddenly grateful for Amy’s help.

“I hope Amy comes back soon.” I didn’t like this feeling of helplessness. I missed her.