Extraordinary. If you get called like this your entire life, this word quickly loses its meaning after a short while. However, you yourself stay valuable. At least, that is what I thought.
I thought we were like this because we we were different. Zwei and me. We have been told that we are special. We were special. We are special. Special and valuable. For them, at least.

One doesn't have to be blood-related to feel like a family. The given love and shared feelings were the same for all livings beings. Although, not the same blood flowed in their veins. There was just one question: What if this love, this happiness was fake? Of course, this wasn't the case with us. They loved us. Zwei and me. That is what I thought, at least.

"Eins?", Zwei's high voice spoke next to me.

With colored pencils, she drew on the white sheet of paper in front of her. Even though the pencils were colorful, this world wasn't.

"Yes?", I responded, forcing my thoughts back into reality.

"Do you think that all the stories about our creators are true, Eins?"

With her forefinger she pointed at the book which I held in my hands.
Thinking about her question, my thumb stroke the big printed white headline – "Humanity".

"I don't know, Zwei. Our creators were strange, for sure. According to this book, the humans themselves had a creator named God. God himself had no creator. Can you even imagine this?", my voice was full of excitement and incredibility.

Examining the book, Zwei cocked her head.

"Does that mean that our creators are also "Gods"? At least for us. Why didn't their God have a creator? Who was God to begin with?", she asked, her head full of questions. Then she stopped. Melancholy was written all over her face as she looked up to the grey labor ceiling.

"More importantly: Where are they? The humans. Why are only we here? Why did they disappear?"

It hurt, seeing her so sad. I couldn't answer her questions, even though I really wanted to give her an answer. These questions weren't even answered in the history books. She shouldn't' be sad because of this. I interrupted her quickly, before she could answer any more questions:

"I don't know. Einstein said, we wouldn't have to worry about this. He and the others will take care of this. Don't worry. As Nightingale always says: We've got us." I only repeated things that I have been told. Nothing more.
It seemed these words were successful. Zwei appeared to be more cheerful than before. She pushed a strain of her light brown hair behind her ear and her sad expression disappeared. Instead of being depressed, she gave me an inquisitive look. Quietly, she whispered:

"But I sure would like to know."

"Me too."

After a while of silence, she dedicated herself to the white paper in front of her. Happily she drew with her colored pencils, as if nothing happened.

"Hey, do you know where Einstein is, Eins?"

Without looking at me, she sharpened her pencil and gave her self-drawn eagle a satisfied look. I remembered once I saw her drawing. Once, she read a book about humans and this animal appeared in the same chapter. Too bad this living being didn't exist in our world anymore. Well, not in the same form as it was written in the books, at least. "Extinct species", one could say. In the future, if we are not around either, will we be also called like that? I wonder. Who would note down the demise of our race? Nobody did it for the humans, our creators, so why should this be the case with us?

"Professor Einstein said he first would have to analyze and evaluate our test results.", I didn't even understand the meaning of what I've just said. Just like I didn't understand why we had to take these tests. In fact, he told us that the reason was that we were special but what was it that was so special about us?

"What's with Nightingale?"

"Maybe she is preparing more tests for us?", I guessed, " Or she is doing preparations for our lessons."

"I think her lessons are boring. We always have to answer the same questions, over and over."

Zwei made a grimace, just thinking about it. The point of her pencil broke and with her tongue making a clicking sound, she began to sharpen it again.

"I don't like her lessons either.", quietly I admitted and pointed at the book in my hands, "Instead I would like to read all day the books about our creators. It's much more interesting."

Before Zwei could even answer, somebody pressed the doorhandle. A short moment later a person appeared in the doorframe. Her thin shoulder-length hair covered part of her face. She wore a white tunic, under her left arm was a clipboard with a ball pen – material for the lessons. With one of her at least ten centimeter long fingernails she pointed at me. Then, slowly, her finger moved to Zwei.

" ... Special children. Time for class."

This scenario wasn't something new for us. Sometimes we had to change the room, in order to even do our lessons. Although in this case, our questioning lesson was normally combined with tests. Another test, even though the last one was just one day ago, was unusual.
Out of the corner of my eyes, me and Zwei exchanged glances. Simultaneously, we both stood up. First Zwei went through the door where the nurse quietly watched our movements. Like an attentive dog she watched us set foot on the corridor behind the door. The sound of the slamming metal door could be heard.
Sighing, the nurse took Zwei's right and my left hand in hers.

"Come, Eins, Zwei. Class ... begins."

Holding both of our hands, she guided us through the long corridor, so we both walked next to her: Zwei on her left side, I walked next to her right side.
When passing by, I looked at the seemingly infinite long window. Behind the glass I could see many machines. Some of them even shined. My eyes even spotted capsules, syringes and any other test devices one could imagine. We used the highest technology possible here. Thanks to professor Einstein.

I was used to it. Seeing these things. I wasn't afraid of them.

The thing I was rather scared of was what I saw in the reflection. How Nightingale rushed down the hallway with me and Zwei at her side. Innocent kids like us. Zwei with her curly light brown hair, the dark pullover and then there was me: mussed dark brown hair and a black shirt with long sleeves.

We both obediently walked besides Nightingale who was at least three heads taller than us. However, we were different from her. Mainly, because of our looks. If I were to quote Einstein, it could be said that Zwei and me looked "human". We were different. "Special.", like Einstein had stated. We believed him. The proof was written in the books I've read. I've always wondered why Zwei and me resembled our creators even though we were told that we were not human. We belonged to another race, also called "Felonies" or "Sinners". I didn't know why we were called like that. In the books of our creators, there was no mention of our deeds – neither good nor bad ones.

Stubbornly, Nightingales reflection focused on leading us through the rest of the corridor's darkness. Her scarred, stitched face contained no emotion. Still, her bony hand held onto my tiny children's hand tightly as if she didn't want to let go of me, in case I tried to escape.
Even though I really liked Nightingale, I always thought about the books I've read once I examined her face. Every time I looked at her, one particular word crossed my mind.

"Monster."

Yes, that word truly fit her appearance and personality. Sinners just didn't look like them, they also behaved like them.
I never knew why I only realized it at that moment: Zwei and I lived in a world full of monsters who took care of us. Who loved us. Who thought we were "special". I really would have liked to believe their lies. They only needed us to keep their own race alive. Monsters. And I knew that one day, Zwei and me would become just like her.

-----

Originally, I had planned to make a full story out of this. However, I decided to scrap the idea due to logical faults and deficits in my planned story. One day, maybe I will continue with it. This is why this just remains a short story, at least for now. I'm sorry for any logical discrepancies.

I hope you enjoyed reading nevertheless.

Sincerely,
Krisha_Grim