Chapter 7 Part 2: Resistance

“How old are you?”

A woman with a kind smile waved at me. Who was she? Why was I here? I felt a cold sweat.

I’d been kidnapped by the terrorists from the news. And now I was having a one-on-one interview. I clutched a small teddy bear they’d given me.

“Twenty-five. I mean, twenty-four.”

The interviewer, a man, scratched his cheek. My answer wasn’t what he expected.

My voice trembled, but I wasn’t lying.

“Hmm…” He wrote something on a document.

My palms sweated. The teddy bear became damp. He continued his questions: name, address, etc.

“What about your parents?”

“They’re both gone.” The usual silence followed, then the apologetic look. I hated that.

I frowned, hiding my face behind the bear. This small body’s emotions were too easily displayed.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” It was. Just uncomfortable. I wanted to go home.

“Can I go back now?” I was starting to get scared. They hadn’t threatened me, but I didn’t know when the torture would begin. I didn’t have any useful information.

“No!” he said sharply.

I flinched, almost dropping the bear.

“Sorry. Did I scare you?”

I shook my head. I answered his questions as best I could: favorite food, daily routine, etc.

“I usually stayed in the lab.”

“What exactly did you do there?”

“Slept. Ate. Read.”

He sighed deeply. Had I said something wrong? I was telling the truth.

“Okay. Your name is Jeff?”

“Yes.”

“Who gave you that name?”

I didn’t know. When did I start using that name? I couldn’t remember. It just… happened.

“I don’t know.”

“Hmm…” He seemed deep in thought. He twirled his pen. I watched it, mesmerized.

“Do you like your name?”

It was the name I used. I had no opinion on it.

“Yes. Everyone calls me that…”

“I see.” He smiled. A friendly face, working for a terrorist organization. Terrifying.

I shivered.

“Did your twin also spend most of her time in the lab?”

I started to answer, then stopped. A familiar mental hiccup. Like hitting a speed bump. My thoughts shifted, unbidden.

“I should ask her.” Shine didn’t like people knowing her name. I needed her permission.

“Okay. See you tomorrow, Jeff.” He gathered his papers, dismissing me.

I stood up hesitantly.

“A nice lady will be waiting outside. Follow her. She’ll take you to your sister.”

I walked towards the door, the teddy bear swinging in my hand. The candy stuck to its head fell off and rolled into a corner.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

“Hello?”

A tall woman stood there, a small smile on her face, amusement in her eyes. I felt intimidated.

“Hello,” I replied softly. The same voice as the woman who carried Shine from the lab. It was her. She’d worn a mask and suit then, but now I could see her face clearly.

I dropped the teddy bear.

“Come with me,” she said, picking it up and handing it back to me.

Her voice was gentle, but there was an underlying authority that made me obey.

I followed her through the large building. It was crowded, filled with smiling, carefree people.

“I’m Amy,” she said.

I was too distracted by my surroundings to respond.

“What’s your name?”

“Huh?” I looked up at her. She’d stopped walking, waiting for my answer.

“Jeff.”

“Jeff?”

“Yes.” Was my name that strange?

I saw my reflection in a wall mirror. A small girl, clutching a teddy bear, long white hair, a nervous expression.

Oh. That’s why. It wasn’t a name for a girl.

“Okay, Jeff. Let’s be friends.” She extended her hand.

I remembered her blasting a hole through the reinforced glass with a beam of light from her hand. I shivered, imagining that hand piercing my body. I took her hand cautiously.

Her eyes narrowed. She squeezed my hand gently.

“Let’s go.”

She led me to a small room. Shine sat on the bed, staring at the wall. She turned and looked at me when I entered.

“Oh…” I whimpered.

The room was horrific. Covered in dolls. The bedsheets were a nauseating pink. A sweet scent filled the air. An aroma diffuser sat on the desk. “Calming,” it claimed.

“I’ll be back for you at dinnertime. Have fun,” Amy said, leaving.

The door closed, but wasn’t locked.

It was the first time I’d been alone with Shine, without the glass barrier. Too close.

I sat down on a large teddy bear in the corner, sinking into its plush fur. It could double as a sofa.

“Hi…?”

Silence. Shine didn’t react. Or so I thought.

She suddenly stood up and walked towards me. I squeezed the teddy bear, a sense of unease creeping in.

She stood before me, looking down, then pressed herself against my side. The teddy bear tipped over.

She was very close, still staring at me.

“Um…” My voice was barely a whisper.

I tried to stand, to escape her intense gaze, but she grabbed my arm. I fell back onto the teddy bear.

She did nothing else. Just held my arm and watched me.

Time passed. I didn’t know how to react to her unusual behavior.

I started dozing, lulled by the soft fur of the teddy bear and Shine’s warmth.