Reese

The tears rolling down my face were understandable but embarrassing to say the least, as the three others inside the van showed not an ounce of emotion. The two adults would occasionally throw sympathetic glances in my direction while mumbling to themselves, while the small boy from earlier chatted to the uniform man. They were all going to die. I knew the fancy building and lawn were all just fronts for the true horror that awaited them. We were all going to die, and only I knew it.

"Why you sad?" the small boy asked me with a tilted head, his dark eyes were filled with hope and excitement. "Don't be sad. Mommy says that we will meet friends like me and you."

He was right. We would meet others like us, but at the cost of being torn from limb to limb, perhaps to be studied. I could not tell him that though, not unless I wanted to risk listening to a crying child the entire way there. Instead, I used the sleeve of my sweatshirt to wipe my eyes and say, "Missing my family."

That was until I remembered not everyone could understand me; not like my friends, not like my family. My hands hung in the air as I tried to think of how to respond but they ended up falling to my lap as I looked away more devastated than before from the boy's confused face. The interaction made me feel more alienated from my own kind.

"She said she misses her family," one of the other adults in the van translated. My eyes looked over at him in thanks, he nodded back with two buck teeth peeking through the lips.

"Oh." It was like the thought never occurred to the boy that going to this place would mean never seeing his mother again. His face morphed into one of thought and I could not help but think of how at his age, the teachers at my elementary school would have to pry me from my father. Oh, how times have changed. "Mommy said that it is like summer camp. When the doctors make us better, then we go home." A kid shipped off the summer camp every year, it all made sense.

"And if I don't get better?" The man translated it for the boy, but now I could feel the eyes of the two other adults in the van. They knew the answer to this question, but no one was going to say it, especially not in front of the small boy.

"You will." He smiled, then his face dropped as he looked above me, almost a nervous tone in his voice. "Can I pet?"

The word pet would almost have made me gag, if the boy was not so young. I was not an animal. However, I knew the boy was simply curious just like my cousin Edward. Always asking to pet things to satisfy his curiosity. I gave a small shrug, lowering my head. Small hands touched the tips of the ears then towards the back. It was a quick exchange and I pulled away with a searching look on his face.

"You are very pretty, just like my mommy," he told me, with a nervous smile, the sudden bashfulness on his face was amusing despite the situation. Placing a hand over my heart, I nodded to him in thanks before turning away.

The kid was going to die and I was not sure how to stop it.

***

The journey was long, and I found myself sleeping half-way through it because what else was there to do. She had found herself chatting with the others, introductions making their rounds along with a few facts that she mostly forgot. The translator man, Reid, had been shifted a few weeks prior to the official 'outbreak' and knew ASL due to being a ASL teacher at her rival school. He made a show of chanting her rival's chant and she just rolled her eyes playfully. The man next to him, whom she had already forgotten his name, had been shifted for the past couple of months. This helped confirm her suspicions on the place they were headed too. Tatum, wanting to be a part of the conversation, allowed us to know that he was a boy one day, then a dino the next. Oh and that he was five and more than half years old and loved dinosaurs.

Tatum gave a dramatic roar as he hopped out of the van, with me in tow. His lizard tail swung while his arms were bunched up, before standing straight back up and giving a wave to the two adults still inside. "That means bye in t-rex!"

The adults gave a small wave while I just stood there, unmoving. I was not sure where they were headed, but I at least thought they would be with us. Now, we were at the mercy of adults who hated us and if given the chance, they would probably kill us. I could not see through the TSAC man's helmet but I was sure that was what he thought. Why else would they be here?

The boat ride across the ocean was long. The waves would rock the boat, making it my head spin and my stomach turn. If I had eaten anything in the last few hours, it would have been fish food now. The adults in uniform remained unaffected by the tossing and it only fueled my displeasure for them, even though they offered me medication for it. I refused to hold even an ounce of sympathy or gratification for them. Turning away, I lay on the bench and stared up at the sun wishing it would rain sun rays from the sky.

"Reese," the small boy's voice squeaked in my ear. Tatum's face was inches from mine and his big brown eyes were wide. A toothy smile broke out as I sat up. "Look! Look! Reese! Look!" His finger pointed near the front of the boat, where the three other kids and teenagers stood awaiting. The other three had been on the boat when Tatum and I had gotten on, apparently the mishap where she got separated from my family had delayed their departure time. The thought had made me smirk when I heard.

The island was just as I remembered; paradise for unsuspecting kids and teenagers.

How many kids have they managed to round up? And what for?

"Yeah, why are we here instead of a hospital?" Another teenager asked aloud. I pressed my lips tight at how another one of my thoughts managed to slip outwardly again. If only my brain could actually brain and figure out how it worked, oh the amount of power I could use against all these unsuspecting guards right now. I could watch them crumble at my command and force them to turn this ship around, maybe have them jump off into the middle of the ocean while at it. But no, the entire car and boat trip here, none of the mind powers wanted to work, until now with stupid-ass questions.

I thought that they would ignore us, like they had been doing for most of the trip. I nearly did a double take when one of them answered, "We've had quite a few kids that have been here for years, only just now has the faculty surged with kids. The doctors here are the best ones, and a space like this helps the healing process as well."

My mouth twisted in a frown at the officer's response. Was it a rehearsed speech or did the officers truly not know? I thought to myself. Who was I kidding, they definitely knew and they would not keep me trapped here if it meant my family was still out there.

"Why you mad?" Tatum asked, pulling on my hand. His small fingers enclose around my fingers. His black coiled hair blowing with the sea breeze as he looked up at me.

My hand instantly started to sign but I paused and resorted to doing 'easy' sign. I pointed to the buildings and showed a more dramatic angry face. Tatum immediately understood by pulling my hand to his cheek.

"It will be fun! You can play with me and will be mad no more," he informed me. His lip sticking out in a pout and did not go away until I sighed dramatically and gave him a thumbs up. He jumped up and down with an exciting squeal, making some of the other people on the boat turn worriedly.

The group was led off the boat and onto a dock that held a few other boats that were roughly the same size. Three new guards were there awaiting them at the end of the dock. "Eleven year olds and younger will go with Ned," the officer from earlier on the boat announced. Ned wore no helmet which was unlike the others. His face was soft and eyes warm, giving him an overall youthful and trusting appearance, perfect for naive kids to trust. I tightened my hold on Tatum.

"I'm five," he said proudly to her, holding up his five fingers.

I nodded, despite already knowing this.

"Are you six?"

I shook my head, eyes still focused on Ned.

Ned caught sight of little Tatum, still chattering away in an attempt to guess my age, and smiled at him, then me. I did not like his smile. He walked over and looked down at the boy, who now just noticed someone towering over him. "My name's Ned, I'm going to take you to meet some friends." His eyes drifted up to meet my narrowed ones, almost challenging him to steal him away. "He'll be in good hands."

"I want Reese to come. She is my friend," he informed him, looking up at me then back at him. I picked him up, his face confused but accepting in the movement. I hold him close as Ned holds his arms out. I shook my head at Ned, as he asked me to hand him over, the other guards started to shift in their stance, ready to move at a moment's notice.

Tatum pulled back and placed a hand on my cheek. "Don't be scared." He did not understand, but how could he? My eyebrows furrowed together as I looked at his face again, memorizing every detail while searching my mind for the dream I had not that long ago. It had never shown him taking the blows of the torture, just him entering the van. Standing here now, disobeying, the guards so close to their weapons, maybe letting him go for now would stop the torture from coming. Setting him down, he smiled before turning to Ned. I nodded and hung back with the others, as the younger kids were whisked away.

Tatum pulled away momentarily and gave a roar, it was slightly different from the one back at the van. "That means, see you later, in T-rex."

I gave him a heart with my hands and a small smile. My stomach turned uncomfortably and I could not help but think I should not have let him go so easily.

***

"Please come in and sit," a short stature man greeted from the entrance. I walked in the room, which was a doctor's office, and I spun around just as he shut the door. His face was round with a big, friendly smile while he glanced up at me before his face fell. "I'm not here to do a test on you, no no. I'm here to have a conversation. Please sit."

He strolled by me and I glanced at the door again. It was unguarded. I could run, the short doctor would not be able to catch me. The doctor called for me once more and I looked back at him. He sat in his rolling chair, his fingers just itching to type away at his computer. I looked at the door once more before stepping away and to the seat. My eyes went to the old landline next to him and he seemed slightly amused at my gaze when I looked back at him with full attention.

"Let's start with names. My name is Dr. Teddy Williamison and I am one of the many doctors here at this academy," he said. "I have been here for the past couple of weeks and hope to help find you all a cure."

"The adults, what happens to them? Why were the teens separated from the kids? Why hasn't the news found out about 'this' if it has been happening for years? What exactly kind of test-" My hands were moving so quickly. Every burning question that has been lingering in my mind, spilling out to this doctor. I knew he would not answer the questions truthfully, but I wanted to know anything. Skip the damn introductions.

The doctor's face morphed into panic, his eyes transforming from my face to the hands. His hands reached out to mine. "Oh, slow down!" My hands stopped, he stood up looking perplexed. "A language barrier was not what I was expecting to be dealing with today." His fingers snapped after a second and he grabbed a piece of paper. "You do understand English, correct?"

My initial thought was to play dumb. It could be interesting to see what type of techniques the faculty would need to come up with to figure out what language I was speaking. It was an amusing thought, one that brought a smile to my face, in thinking of making their lives difficult. In the end, I shrugged.

"I'll assume that means somewhat. Don't worry, we have excellent language teachers here to help with your English," he assured her.

Fuck, that was the last thing I wanted, I thought to myself.

He slid a piece of paper my way followed by a pen. "You'll write down the answers to my questions for now. You can write, correct?" He barks out a laugh, not even giving me a second to answer his question. "Of course you can. Your father was pretty strict growing up, making sure you have perfect As. Don't have to worry about those here."

Was he... stereotyping me? The fuck. The nerve to shove the pen up his asshole and rip him a-

"I can see I touched a nerve, I apologize." He bit his lip and clasped his fingers together. His entire face immediately sobering up. "I've been told I need to lighten the mood and make small talk with the youth. I'm not very good at it, I'm afraid."

My face remained impassive to his apology, not accepting such an excuse for his behavior.

"Let's just start over and skip small talk," he told her and got ready to type once more. "Let's just start with a name."

I scoot forward, grabbing the pen in one swift motion. I began writing my questions and slid the paper to him. My arms crossed, I leaned back waiting. I, too, want to skip introductions and get right down to business. He read all the questions and then placed the paper down.

"Quite curious are you? How about we play a game?" His small eyes glinted in the light. "I'll answer one of your questions in exchange for one of my questions."

I, with no hesitation, stuck my arm out. He took it.

"I like your style. I'll answer one of yours first, how does that sound?" He leaned back in his chair, the swivel chair squeaking. I placed my arms folded on the desk waiting as he inspected the sheet once more, this time more thoroughly. "The adults went to the adult-only faculty that is located closer to the city. There they will be treated by doctors that specialize in adult patients whereas we are pediatricians."

Still it did not make sense why they were separated, nor why we were placed on a remote island if the adults just got sent back to the city. Additionally, why were they all in the same car to begin with. If it was true- which it certainly was not- the gas bill had to be ridiculous to be driving away from the city and then back. No, the adults were somewhere else if not already dead.

"I can tell you are not satisfied with my answer. Unfortunately, it is the truth whether you want to believe it or not." He went back to his computer, waiting once more. "I'd like to start off with your legal name again."

She scribbled it down for him and she watched as he entered it into the computer. "Beautiful name. Was Sun-ja a family name?"

Reese's eyes went to the paper then back to him. "Nothing gets past you. Very well. I'll answer yours now." He smiled and inspected the paper once more.

The doctor seemed to choose the simpler, more safe questions when it came to her turn. Most of the answer seemed bullshitted and things she could not prove unless she found a way to get off the damn island. However, he always seemed to skim over the separation of teens and kids, hardly ever mentioning the younger kids in any of his answers. Reese took the paper once more and pointed to the question, he frowned.

"Do you have a younger sibling? If so I can assure you that they are being well taken care of," he informed me, getting ready to stand from his seat. His arms reached out to take the paper but I held on. It was my turn anyway, I wanted this one answered before they threw me out for the wolves to eat. His eyes were sharp as I refused to let go until the paper tore in half from the game of tug. I stood up in a flash, seizing his short arm that was close to the landline and neither of us moved. His expression changed, I expected one of anger, maybe even fear but again it was one of amusement and curiosity.

My body tensed as he talked without worry, "You're an interesting character, Reese. Lots of untamed fire that I can sense will get you into trouble here. Most who ended up in my office are scared or angry, but not you. There's something you aren't telling me, but secrets don't last long here." His other hand twists past her and she lets go, immediately knocking the phone off the table, but he did not go for the phone instead his pocket.

The door opened not a second later and a guard barged in, man-handing my body to keep me still. My eyes followed him as he walked around the table as he continued, "The younger kids haven't shown signs of their 'powers', usually that sickness doesn't manifest until they reach puberty. I know you're lying about not having it yet, every teenager has one including you. He'll get it out of you, he always does to those who don't know."