𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃
( chapter six )

☂︎︎

"𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄, 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐄?"

"Vanya's apartment." The boy replied, looking up at the building.

"O-kay." Alora dragged out. "Why?"

"I need to talk to her." Was all he said before putting his foot on the ladder leading up to her window.

"No, no! What are you doing?!" She hissed, looking around.

Five stopped and looked down at her, "Climbing?"

"You look like a rapist or something, get down!"

He jumped back onto the ground and looked at her. "What do you suppose we do then?"

She stared blankly at him, brows raised. He grabbed her arm and in a flash of light, they arrived in Vanya's living room. Alora flopped onto the couch, bouncing on it slightly.

Five went to the window, closing it and complaining about how she doesn't have any locks.

"This couch is ugly-" Alora started before the door swung open with a creak and Five turned on the lamp next to him. "-hi, Vanny!"

"Jesus!" She gasped, holding her hand to her heart.

"You should have locks on your windows." Five said calmly.

"I live on the second floor."

"Rapists can climb."

Vanya stared at him for a moment before saying, "You are so weird." and closed the door.

She sat on the couch next to Alora and looked at the two. "Is that blood?"

"No, jam." Alora answered before looking down and seeing her shirt stained with blood. "Nevermind."

"From what?" Vanya asked, concerned for her two siblings.

"It's nothing." Five brushed her off.

"Why are you here?"

Five sighed and looked between Vanya and Alora. "I've decided you two are the only ones I can trust."

"Why me?" Vanya asked him while the other woman sat there.

"Because you're ordinary." Alora kicked Five in the shin, making him correct himself, "because you'll listen."

Vanya nodded and got out her first aid kit and some ointments to clean up Five's wound. He rolled back his sleeve and Vanya winced slightly. He started to tell the two woman about what happened when he jumped and got stuck in time. "Do you know what I found?" He asked them.

"No."

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." He paused. "As far as I could tell, I was the last person left alive. I never figured out what killed the human race, but... I did find something else. The date it happens."

"When?" Alora asked, on the edge of her seat (figuratively speaking).

"The world ends in eight days. And I have no idea how to stop it."

Vanya's mouth was open and Alora's eyes were wide. Of course as soon as she gets out of the coma, she dies a few days later.

"I'll put on a pot of coffee." Was all Vanya said before doing so.

Well, shit Alora thought to herself. She remembers the exact day Five disappeared. Not knowing when he was going to come back. Her and Vanya preparing sandwiches just in case he did. Then her father asking her to try and find him...

Grace rang the bell to signify lunch was starting. She had just put on Herr Carlson, the record Reginald liked to listen to during mealtimes. The kids, who had been anxiously awaiting lunchtime, came down the stairs almost immediately, finding their seats and standing behind them.

Alora was sat in between Klaus and Ben, across from Diego and diagonal to Five. Shortly after, their father joined them at the table and ordered them to sit.

The dug into the delicious meal of chicken, mash and vegetables that Grace had prepared for them. Everyone was doing their own thing, as they were prohibited to speak during meals. Allison and Luther were exchanging flirty looks, Diego was carving patterns into the arm of his chair and Klaus was rolling a cigarette, chewing on the bread he stole from Alora. Ben was reading a book (also stolen from Alora, not that she minded- the book was quite boring). Alora was levitating her peas and putting them onto Vanya's plate.

Five was glaring at their father. He stuck his butter knife hard into the counter, making everyone look at him and Alora's peas drop which then rolled onto the floor.

"Number Five?" Reginald asked, annoyed at the interruption.

"I have a question." He spat.

Here we go.

"Knowledge is an admirable goal, but you know the rules. No talking during mealtimes. You are interrupting Herr Carlson." Reginald continued on with his food. The kids, besides Alora who was madly shaking her head at him, went on with their food, uninterested.

Five threw down his utensils, ignoring the girl. "I want to time travel."

"No." Reginald called, his voice slightly echoing in the room.

"But I'm ready. I've been practicing my spatial jumps, just like you said." He stood up, the chair scraping against the tile. He blinked next to the old man. "See?"

"A spatial jump is trivial when compared with the unknowns of time travel." Reginald spoke wisely. "One is like sliding along the ice, the other is akin to descending blindly into the depths of the freezing water and reappearing as an acorn."

Okay, what?

"Well, I don't get it." Five muttered somewhat disappointed.

"Hence the reason you're not ready."

Five looked to Alora who mouthed a big fat 'no!' at him, Vanya also shaking her head. He looked back to his father. "I'm not afraid."

"Fear isn't the issue. The effects it might have on your body, even on your mind are far too unpredictable." He said, not even looking at the young boy. "Now, I forbid you to talk about this anymore."

Five started walking away, Reginald calling after him, which he promptly ignored. Everyone looked up. "You haven't been excused!"

Five ran out the door, leaving a shocked room. "Come back here!" Reginald called.

Alora got up, her chair also scraping the floor. "Number Seven, you sit right back down this instant! You can't go after him!" Reginald scolded her.

She sat down out of fear, glancing at her concerned siblings before ducking her head.

After the hours turned to days and the days turned to weeks, her father called her up into his office one night, her siblings 'oohing' like she was in trouble. Was she in trouble? She hadn't done anything wrong.

Her father was sitting at his desk with Pogo on one side of him. Alora felt intimidated, as she always did around her father. "Number Seven!" Reginald barked.

"Yes?" She spoke tentatively.

"You aren't in trouble, Miss Alora." Pogo spoke softly, nodding at her. The girl breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come with us." Her father got out of his chair and led her into a room she had never seen before. He ordered her to sit on the chair and then he and Pogo hooked her up to a machine.

"What is this?" Alora asked, trying not to move.

"Do you remember our lessons? Where you find other people using only your mind?" Reginald asked, sitting across from her, leaning his arms on the table.

"Yes." She replied, wondering where this was going.

"I want you to find Number Five. See where he is." Alora's breath hitched. "Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Pogo handed Reginald a picture of Number Five, the one they used for the paining on top of the fireplace. "When you're ready." He waved her onward.

The girl closed her eyes, focusing on the image of Five in her mind. She opened her eyes and was still in the room, Reginald looking at her. "Focus, Number Seven." He spoke.

Alora closed her eyes again, taking a deep breath and imagining the boy. She opened her eyes again and all she could see was darkness. This was going well.

"Number Seven? What do you see?"

"Darkness." She answered, her voice echoing throughout the void space.

Reginald nodded and wrote something in his book. The process was working, soon she should find out Number Five's whereabouts.

Alora walked forward, her footsteps echoing softly. After a few minutes, she didn't think it was working. Maybe he was dead? She teared up thinking about it.

"Number Seven." Reginald called out, his voice growing faint and she walked on.

"I- I don't think it's working." Her voice trembled. "I can't find him."

Reginald sighed in disappointment and Pogo bowed his head, worried for the boy they were looking for. "Very well. We will try again tomorrow. Get out of there." He removed the device around her head.

Alora closed her eyes, calming her breathing. She opened her eyes and was still surrounded by a void. She repeated her process, her breath trembling.

"Number Seven!"

"Dad- I can't! I'm stuck!" She cried, whirling around, trying to find his voice.

"Try again!" He spoke loudly.

She did. Multiple times, her eyes flying open but no, still darkness. What was happening??

Hours and hours trying that night to get out of her own head. Days, nights, months and years. Every attempt was unsuccessful. Why? She didn't know. Her father had some theories, which he didn't care to share with the girl.

Her siblings gathered around the girl, whose eyes were closed in the outside, calm and quiet. On the inside she was freaking out. Will she ever get out? Was she going to be able to live her life? Get married? Have kids? Be a painter? Grow old with someone she loved?

Only time will tell. The only way she could communicate with anyone was by focusing on them, and finding their voice. They came to talk to her everyday, after missions and before bed. Vanya and her spent the most time talking. She played Alora violin and read stories, described the children who were growing older, their features changing.

How did she survive? It was like she was paralysed in a hospital. Grace blended up nutritious food with a straw which was a little hard since she couldn't move her body in the outside world.

Grace turned on the radio each morning and turned it off at night, the girl memorising song lyrics and singing them to herself when she got bored.

It was a long time for her. At least Five had something to look at. Not that she was comparing their experiences.

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