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Of Virtues and Vices      

Written by Abbebe Kalu

 

 

 

~ Don’t trust them. The agents are not what they seem. ~

 

 

 

-One-

 

 

“How?”was the question that kept bothering me.

 

 How did they find me? This isn’t possible.  

 

I was feeling uncomfortable, so frustrated. I was so careful, I never told anyone.  My fingers danced through the bars of my cell as I let my thoughts settle in. I had everything so wonderfully planned out, yet I end up like this. There I sat on a short, wooden stool, blindfolded, so I couldn’t turn something to ice, or make something burst into flames with my eyes, or hands or anything- not that I could, that wasn’t my ability. 

 

 My thoughts were bouncing back and forth, from one, to the other.

 

I was in this cell because of a power granted upon me when I was just a baby, a curse I should call it. To be honest, I don’t know if I was born with the power or not. This power isn’t a gift, but a burden. 

 

 I have some creepy energy power, to make force fields, make things levitate, and maybe, if I practice enough, I could defy gravity itself completely or travel to different dimensions. Even if it sounds wonderful, trust me, it isn’t. My power is almost uncontrollable- which made me glad that I was being locked up here. This cell seemed to contain my powers. This cell was able to contain my powers- powers that could kill.

 

 My cell was small and cramped, filled with a surprising amount of dust. The chilled steel floor was also caked with dust, always making me, and anyone who entered sneeze at least twice. This had to be the most least comfortable place on the face of the planet.

 

  Finally, in frustration, I bangged my head against the wall and screamed. Those horrible people, so called, “agents” took everything away from me, which made me realise that there are far more worse punishments than death. Death would be better. I got taken away from my family because those agents thought I was too dangerous...or at least, that’s what I think anyways.

 

 It surprised me though. I was a citizen. I had rights. And believe it or not, I was kidnapped. These agents probably didn’t take permission from the government before doing what they did. This is probably an illegal mission. I’m sure that NO agents bothered to show up at my door, and inform my parents where I was, and why. My family was probably worried sick. Well, so was I.

 

 My mother had been forever trying to keep my powers a secret, and never let me even use them. And I never did use them, not once. Ok, so maybe I did use them once or twice, but I was never caught in the act. Once, I did maybe kinda fly during gym class in third grade. Our class was doing jumps, and that sort of stuff, when I jumped a foot more than I should have off the ground. A couple people gasped, but the gym teacher never saw. Other than that, I was never caught using my powers.

 

Nothing made sense. Shouldn’t there be a contract which my mom, or dad had to sign? And also, how did these agents find out? My mind was desperately trying to put the puzzle pieces together, trying to make sense of what happened to me. I was deep in thought when I heard a slight creaking noise ahead, then followed by a door slam.

 

Oh great. One of these days… I’m gonna kill myself.            

 

 “Aaah.” 

 

Buld. The head agent was in the room. 

 

“I see you have finally calmed down. It took quite a bit of effort, and some of our top agents to get you here, you know.”

 

Stone-cold silence. Still blinded by the blindfold, I made a growling sound in my throat. I imagined Buld’s face curling into a frown.  Build spoke once more. 

 

“You know Amber, it doesn’t have to be this way. If you would just cooperate, then we could discover many things together.” He paused, as if he were trying to build up dramatic effect. It wasn’t working. He continued talking himself silly, but only the last sentence stood out to me. “... And then you could be freed from the bars that hold you back. As long as you follow some rules….” 

 

I don’t need to follow your stupid rules!  I knew that my anger was soon going to take control. It always had. I always had tempers, and small tantrums when I was younger.  I’m the kind of person who would seek revenge, the kind of person that you do not want to mess with. Buld kept on talking. Buld was a tall, thin man, with dark brown hair and a deep voice. I kept quiet. If I helped them, I knew the world would discover new things, but at what cost? The world would have many more things to fear. These agents might make me misuse my powers, which could lead to global destruction. You wouldn’t understand. No one ever does. There is a dark side to my power, but I never told anyone (obviously), I’ve never even wrote it in my second grade diary. 

 

Buld finally spoke something that stood out to me again, 

 

“I want you to stop thinking of us as enemies. More as friends.” I rolled my eyes under my blindfold. What kind of a friend locks you up without letting you make any contact with the real world? Plus, I was pretty sure that these “friends” were keeping me a secret from the government. I don’t know why these crazy scientists are doing it, but one thing is clear: they were up to no good. There was a long pause, then a horrible blinding light, then blurry shapes and color. I was temporarily confused, what had just happened? It didn’t take me long to figure it out. That Idiot had just taken off my blindfold.

 

 For the first time in forever, I spoke. 

 

“ How do you know…” It had been awhile since I’d spoken. “How do you know I won’t hurt you?” There was another long silence. So many silences!  Buld looked away and poured all of his attention onto a paper he was holding onto a brown clip board. My eyes were still adjusting to the blinding light.  He grunted, then took out a pen from his front pocket and started to write. Back then, I was just a flinch away from losing it. 

 

Hey!!! I just asked you a question! I had to get a grip on to my anger, which was surprisingly difficult. I didn’t really know why I was angry, but I felt it, deep inside, building up. Maybe I was angry at Buld, maybe at myself. 

 

The silence continued to taunt me. I didn’t know what happened the next couple seconds, but I do remember this: Just as I wiped the dirt off my forehead, Buld looked up at me and spoke. 

 

“The reason I took off your blindfold is because according to these readings from the lab, you aren’t quite ready to..” he cleared his throat and continued “you aren’t capable to do any intense…. intense ‘magic’ yet.”  I didn’t know what to say. As much as I didn’t want to talk, I didn’t want to look stupid either. So instead, I tried my best to pop the dull light bulb above. It took out all the energy from me, like I had just ran a ten mile race non-stop...which, by the way, is pretty much impossible. I was breathing heavily, and felt like I was going to faint. Obviously, I needed practice, but I succeeded. The chief cried out and put his arms above his head as the little glass pieces fell to the ground. The bits of glass clattered to the ground, creating more of a mess. 

 

 In the darkness, I felt like Buld had put the blindfold on me again, and once again I could feel my senses go low as the darkness swallowed me whole.  I sat there waiting for something to happen, like in the stories my mother used to tell me before bed. Oh how I loved her stories when I was a little child! Filled with fantasy, happily ever afters, and so much hope. I waited again. I waited for a magical pink pony to burst through the solid steel walls for me to climb onto it’s sparkly pink back as we took off into the rainbow night sky. I waited, waited, and nothing happened. Because in the real world, there were no ‘happily ever afters’.

              

 

 

 

 

 

-Two-

                                                                    

 

“NOOOOO!!!” I screamed. I jerked up straight and my eyelids flew wide open. I was panting heavily, and everything was a blur in front of me. I was sweaty, my hair stuck to my forehead, and my throat felt dry.

 

I felt around in the darkness for a glass of water. The light bulb up ahead had gone out, so it was hard to see with only the moonlight peeking out of my window, even as my eyes were adjusting to the uncomfortable darkness. I realized that the glass pieces from earlier had been swept up.

 

My breath dragged in my lungs, as if I were drowning. The silvery moonlight bounced onto the walls and bars of my cell.

 

Several times already I’ve woken up because of flash backs of… well, everything. Everything important, anyway. 

 

I remember struggling, kicking, and screaming in the lab. But before that, I remember sitting in my cell, grief stricken. That’s when I had met Buld.

 

“Who are you?! Where am I? What do you want?!” I had asked, alarmed.

 

He just smirked and said,

 

“I am the head agent of this operation-”

 

“Huh?!” I stammered.

 

Build had then cleared his throat, said, “excuse me for a moment,” and left the room, leaving most of my questions unanswered. 

 

Waiting in that room, slapping at mosquitoes, I was scared. I didn’t know what was going on OR what was going to happen to me, but as time passed by, it began to sink in. This was because of my powers.

 

The next people who entered were wearing long, white coats, and white masks that covered their noses and mouths, like doctors would before surgery. 

 

“Please step this way,” One of them had asked as a tall, thin woman unlocked my cell. Stepping forward, I exited the cell, and walked out the room along with the other adults. I knew it would be no use to try to escape. Two of the adults were gripping onto my arms so tightly, they seemed to be dragging me.

 

I noticed that there were other heavily guarded doors, just like mine. Are there others like me? Or are those guards merely guarding something else?

 

Questions oozed through my head, and I was tempted to ask my own. But I was still in awe of what had just happened. 

 

“Where are we going?”

 

The adults turned to look at me, but we never stopped walking.

 

“Well?”

 

We stopped. We had reached another heavy metal door.

 

The next thing I remember was being forced onto that seat- the kind that dentists have, then drinking that water. My eyelids had felt heavy, and the idea of sleep became more and more persuasive as the seconds sped by. Soon enough, I fell asleep. My eyelids fell, and my mind went blank. But according to the arguments those scientists had when I woke up, I had only been asleep for three minutes.

 

I also remember going to bed back at home. I was happy, because summer vacation had just started. But that was the night I was kidnapped. I woke up in the middle of the night, in a sack, which was probably in a car. Although I couldn’t see, I could tell I was in a car because of the constant bumping, honking horns, and tires screeching. It took me a while to realize I was being kidnapped. Of course I didn’t start kicking and screaming, but I did tilt, so I was greeted by a smack (of a bat?) and I blacked out again. The text thing I remember is landing here. After that, Buld had explained to me that he was the chief, and that’s where I am now.

 

Buld…

 

What a strange name: Buld. It sounded almost like ‘Build’. Who had given Buld such a horrible name? 

 

Buld, Build

 

Weird

 

Unless… maybe, ‘Buld’ wasn’t really Buld’s real name. But what did I care? What did I care…?

 

 

      

 

 

 

-Three-                          

                                                                     

 

 I woke up early the next morning, remembering how the sunlight used to wash over my face back at home in my room, where everyday was a welcoming one. I forced myself to lift my head from the hard steel floor and look around. But not here. Here, in the morning, the tiny light bulb far ahead from my cell would still be glowing it’s usual dull yellow color, which could hardly be seen because of the small window in my cell, which had many bars covering it. 

 

I could tell someone had been here, because the light bulb above had been replaced, and because there was a glass of…. something, inside the cell. It was a tall glass of a slimy purplish concoction which made me gag. My brain, tongue, and half of my stomach was telling me to refrain, but the other half of my stomach was rumbling. When was the last time I ate? I wasn’t sure, but it felt like a very long time ago. 

 

Taking a deep breath of the sour air in the room, I reached out to take a sip, but then stopped. The drink had a terrible odor seeping out into the air. A strangely familiar odor... I thought for a moment, then took a sniff from inside the cup. The stench wasn’t as bad as I thought. I could smell a mix of berries and mango. I drank something like this somewhere before…….

 

I strained my mind as hard as I could.

 

Where did I drink this?

 

I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to drink this but... Yes! I remember. I remember this smell from the water some agents forced me to drink when I wouldn’t sit still in the lab. It was a knock-out poison. Luckily, I woke up in the lab just in time before they could run any important tests on me. I think. I wasn’t really sure, but judging by the expression of the scientists’ faces, I could tell that they hadn’t gotten all the information they needed.   

 

Looking at the drink in my hand, I realised that they wanted to complete those tests, so they could really discover something. 

I wondered what time it was. Usually, Buld came in for a usual morning check in, and I always pretended I was sleeping. Three checkups ago, when build entered the room, and I was pretending to sleep, I heard him say a, “Hm” like he was annoyed, which made me think, 

“Is this Buld?” I even heard him whisper, “She was just like you.”

 

Now, looking at the drink, a question formed in my head. Are there two sides to Buld?  Suddenly, I heard footsteps out the door in the hall, so I had to think fast. I looked around in panic. If I left the cup full, Buld or someone would force me to drink the potion, and if I drank it…. 

 

My thoughts trailed off as the footsteps grew louder. I had to act now, or either way, it would all be over, and my life as I know it would come to an end- even though it already had. I quickly took the glass and tried to pour about half of it out the window, careful not to let the thick, purple liquid touch the bars. The sight was revolting.

 

I was losing patience. The potion was dripping out so slowly, like maple syrup from its bottle, you know, the ones with the small spout. I was afraid I would get caught. The potion poured out so slowly, I wondered if this concoction was even a liquid at all. My heart raced as the seconds ticked by.

 

 I heard the footsteps stop, I knew that Build was out the door, because he was the only one who ever paused at the door.  We had a talk about “privacy” a couple days back. Today, we followed the same routine. Build knocked at the locked cell door, and asked, 

 

 “Can I come in?” 

 

Usually, I said, “ No”, or I stayed silent because I was “sleeping”. And if today was the same as every other day, then he would come and barge in anyways. He didn’t ask to come in today though. Good thing too, because I wasn’t going to respond anyways.

 

 I finally decided that I had poured enough of the potion out, and just as he opened the door, I realize that some of the potion had gotten on to the bars, glinting in the sunlight. Despite the fact that it had to be the world’s most easiest thing to notice, I prayed he wouldn’t notice. I allowed myself to lay on the ground, and pretend to be asleep, letting the glass roll wherever it wanted. I heard the door completely open, then slam. After what felt like a million years, I heard a voice. It was Buld, but not Build at the same time. This wasn’t Mr. nice guy anymore, I figured. Now, He was probably the kind of guy who would make you want to sink your teeth into your hand. So when I wasn’t around, or physically conscious, he was the strict kind. Ironically, that fact made me hate him a bit less, crazy, isn’t it?

 

I heard Buld talking to someone else…… although I couldn’t tell who it was. I didn’t dare open my eyes, but curiosity was pushing me harder, and harder, and the pressure seemed to be weighing down on me.

 

The only sentence I had caught was: “We can’t talk anywhere else, if one of ‘them’ caught this conversation… She can’t eavesdrop, she’s asleep.”

 

 Curiosity killed the cat.  That was my sister’s favorite saying. I’d always ask her why, and she’d say, “ Sounds good”.  

 

Finally, I took a little peek then quickly closed my eyes again. The thrill of it made my heart start pumping super- fast, like I was on a roller coaster. I felt like taking the risk again, but I didn’t dare to. Buld was talking to a teen who looked too young to be fit for this job. The boy had deep brown hair, like Buld. His bangs were covering his eyes, and his posture was very straight. I didn’t catch any other features. I wanted to steal another quick glance, but didn’t. He was probably….15 years old maybe? I couldn’t tell, but that wasn’t too important right now. I tried to concentrate on what they were talking about, but my mind would always drift back to the thought. Usually, Buld would come alone, so why had he brought someone else along with him this time? I was stumped. I realized that the position I was lying in was extremely uncomfortable, and that my left cheek was itchy. I eventually focused on to what Buld and the boy were saying, but their conversation was nearing it’s ending, so I only heard the last couple sentences:

 

Buld: “So it’s final then, we leave her here and let her think that we canceled the tests.”

 

Boy: “ Affirmative. If you’re correct, then she is smart enough to realize that we didn’t put enough poison in the first drink……”

 

Buld: “Which would allow her to wake up in the middle, or before the tests starts, yes, continue”

 

Boy: “Then we would give her a stronger drink the second time, and run the tests all over again?

 

Buld: Good. With her thinking we canceled the tests for good, she is sure to drink the second concoction. You’ll make a great agent one day. Dismissed.

 

Boy: Excuse me sir, but is this the prisoner that I am guarding from now on?

 

Buld: It may be. Now, you are Dismissed.

 

Proud of my new discovery, my body stopped tensing up so much. Just when I thought I was safe, the boy said, “Wait sir!” loudly. At that moment, I felt like time had stopped, then overlapped itself a million times, which, I know, Is still impossible. I was literally scared to death. The boy continued his thought. 

 

“I thought… I thought I saw…”

 

 I could almost feel his eyes staring into my soul. I had moved my arm, and the boy had noticed it. 

 

“Nevermind. Excuse me sir.” 

 

That sentence had made something go off in my brain. Surely he had seen me move, hadn’t he? The boy had purposely saved me, but why? As Buld and the boy started to exit the room, I kept repeating the question to myself, “Why, why?”  

 

                                                                            

 

 

 

 

-Four-
 

 

            My family had always known that I had the gift. It was due to the fact that they had  witnessed me get “cursed”. Just kidding. Actually, I was never cursed, but I was found, then adopted. My parents found me on a top of a mountain when I was about a couple months old. They couldn’t keep me, it was illegal to just keep a child you found. After further investigation, it turned out that I didn’t belong to anyone, so I was put for adoption at the adoption center when I was just a month old. That’s when My mom and dad, the same ones who found me on that mountain, adopted me, and named me Amber.  I grew up with the story, and every time my mother told me the story before bed, I would come up with a theory explaining it. one of them was that I came from the above, and was meant to do a part in this world, or maybe some disappearing, also magical parents left me there. Sometimes I would say that I was born into a normal family, but when my birth mother was pregnant with me, she got too close to radiation, and boom! I got powers! Not that I really knew what radiation was, but I wanted to sound scientific. My theories were always so needlessly complicated.

 

 Either way, when I was older, I always felt that a huge chunk of my past was lost from me.

 

It has annoyed me how over the years, questions about who I am could never be answered by my parents. They would always tell me, “I’m sorry honey, but we don’t know.”

 

To speak for the truth, I didn’t really care that much, it’s just that it would be kind of nice to know my past, and how my birth parents were like. It just that… it would be nice to know where I came from, and how I got my powers.

 

                                                                      

 

 

 

-Five-
 

 

I remember the day in second grade,  when Taylor Elizabeth snuck into my backpack during lunch time and took my diary. I know, keeping a journal isn’t… “cool”, but I was a girl who couldn’t keep a secret.  So I had to tell someone besides my family. And that journal was the closest I could get.

 

It all started when Taylor caught me writing in my journal during recess. Taylor had blond curls, a hard stare, and had a nose that pointed slightly upwards as if she were disgusted of everything in her path. She acted as if she was the boss of everything, wouldn’t let many people onto the swing set, spread god knows how many rumors, and was extremely nosey.  I was sitting in the grass, under the shade of a tree, writing in my diary, when she comes sneaking up in front of me, and grabs the journal out of my hands.

 

 “What’cha got there?” She started flipping through the pages as I shoved and pushed to get it back. “Is this a diary?” She started skimming some of the pages. “Do you keep all of your secrets in here?” She asked. Taylor probably wanted to tell everyone about what she discovered in my diary.

 

 “No! Give it back!” I replied.

 

 Confused, she looked at me.

 

“Then why do you care so much about me reading it? Does it have some embarrassing pictures or something? Wait a second... Oh! Lookie what it says here! ‘Entry one: Dear diary, I have a secret, please promise not to tell- not that you can, you’re a book, but please……’” 

 

“Hey!” I screamed “Give it back!”.  I screeched, and in the hastle of everything, I kicked her and grabbed the book. She stumbled backwards onto the wet, muddy grass and she started wailing so loud, she could’ve woken the dead.

 

“Why are you crying? I bareilly kicked you at all.”

 

“YOU GOT MY FAVORITE DRESS ALL MUDDY!!”

 

I whispered under my breath, “Serves you right.” 

 

I couldn’t care less about her unique dress, but what I DID care about was how it affected me. I blinked back a bunch of tears. I was so sure that she was going to tell on me. But whatever punishment I received was going to be way better than letting that tattle tale spill it. Even if no one believed her, I couldn’t let anyone stick their nose into my book.

 

Taylor turned into a bright red tomato as she stood up and looked straight at me. 

 

“I’m gonna tell…” She started. We were face to face, and her huffing was way stronger than the big bad wolf’s. Forget about blowing houses over, she was going to blow me down flat. She stopped huffing.

 

 “No,” She continued, her voice echoing in my mind. “I’m gonna get back.”

 

 With that, she put on a smirk and left to enjoy the rest of the period. I clutched my diary tighter and pressed it against my chest. I didn’t like her at all. After a while, the teachers started calling us in, so I rushed inside, into my classroom, put my diary into my book bag, and headed for the lunch room. During lunch, you-know-who must have decided to sneak my diary out of my bag, because when I was heading back to the classroom after lunch, I caught that sneak reading MY DIARY!  I furiously  imagined her hand slip into my bag and grasp my journal with her sparkly purple nails. I felt like stomping over and slapping her silly non- stop.

 

      Even when I got it back, she keeps asking me if what she read in the diary was true. Of course I said no, but she kept eying me suspiciously. She tried to tell everyone about my diary, but no one believed her. Well, some kids did, but luckily no adults- not that I expected any of them to believe her. Ever since then, she wouldn’t rest until she got her hands on my diary again. But she never did, not once. She also wanted revenge because a lot of people believed that she was crazy, especially her elementary friends. I sighed. Here I am now, in a cell, wondering what ever happened to her. I bet she’s shopping at the mall with her friends now that she’s in seventh grade, living her fabulous life, her perfect life. Unlike me.

 

 

 

 

                                                                   

 

-Six-

 

I woke up from another cat nap, and stretched. I was taking so many naps, just so I wouldn’t die from boredom. Now, I guess I would die from… Hunger!

 

There was a small bowl of rice and a cup of water laying in my cell. I sniffed the food to make sure there was no poison with in the food. Once I reassured myself, I ate greedily. I could kill for a cup of homemade ice cream, like me and my sister always made together back home. I licked the bowl clean, checking nonstop for any grains of rice. I really should have saved some for later, for I always get hungry, but I couldn’t stop myself. I would have given all the gold in the world just for another bowl of rice.

 

    

 

 

 

-Seven-
 

 

Summer vacation had just started when I was kidnapped. Good thing too, because that way, I won’t miss anything at school. Bummer though. I’m wasting away here doing nothing. I was going to miss all of the friend meetings, pool parties, and firefly catching. I’m going to miss out on so much! I sat up in my cell and looked around. Everything was the same, the same…. the same for me at least. 

 

My back was killing me from lounging around. I needed a break from these mosquitoes, a little exercise maybe. I yawned. I wonder if - footsteps. There were footsteps echoing outside the hall. I quietly laid my body down on the cold steel floor. 

 

Wait, I thought. Am I really going to do this again? If I was “asleep” every time, then wouldn’t Buld assume that- 

 

Too late. the door creaked open, and out came the same boy I saw last time. It was time I stopped backing out of everything. I was tired of being scared. Being scared was getting me nowhere. As soon as he entered…

 

“What do you want?” I shot coldly. I didn’t dare look directly at his eyes. He chuckled. 

 

“You don’t remember me?”

 

Confused, I slowly looked up. Then I let out a quiet gasp. He looked oddly familiar. His face looked kinda like, kinda like…. I don’t know. I guess saw him on the first day of lab testing. He must have been one of those lab workers in the lab. I realized that I was staring too long. So...

 

“No,” I replied. “What do you want?”

 

“Hmp. You probably wouldn’t remember….” Silence. “....Well then, watch this:” 

 

He barely twisted his hand, when the door flew open behind him. I jumped up, surprised. 

 

“What the...?” 

 

There are literally no words to describe the intense shock I felt. Being hit by lightning wouldn’t begin to describe it.

The boy smiled. I still was very shocked as I looked up at him. He, he could do the same thing I could, except way better.

 “I can’t believe you’re so careless, letting yourself get caught like this little sis.”

 

I had a confused expression. I wasn’t really sure what we were talking about here. Ever since I was kidnapped, I never really paid attention to what anybody said anymore.     

 

“I’m sorry, who are you exactly?”

 

The boy slightly tilted his head and frowned. 

 

 “You seriously haven’t figured it out yet?”

 

Still standing up, I walked forward in my cell and gripped the steel bars tightly. I looked into his eyes. I never thought this day would come true. Actually, to be honest, I never thought this day could even exist.

 

“I think I know,” I told him, my voice starting to crack “But it can’t be true. I just can’t believe it.” A tear slipped, creating a mixture of water and dirt as it rolled down my cheek. About to burst, I put my head against the bars. looking down, I whispered quietly,

 

 “I can’t believe I have a brother.”

 

 This boy is my blood. And I don’t even know his name.

 

The guy was smiling sweetly, and had his hands in the pockets of his hoodie when-

 

                                                                    

 

 

 

 

-Eight-                                                                 

 

“JACOB!” A loud voice boomed, then echoed in the hallway. The boy jerked up, and his eyes shot wide open, and his hands jerked out of his hoodie pockets.

 

“Y- Yes sir?”

 

Obviously shocked, the boy, Jacob, ran out the room, without saying a word to me. Just like that, he was gone. Once he, or Jacob, wasn’t in sight, I started wondering: Are my birth parents alive? With my sweaty palms gripping the bars, I sighed loudly. I’m alone. Again. But at that slight moment, when I realized I had a brother, I felt a warm tingly feeling inside. Was it… Joy? That was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time. I looked up in my cell. How long have I been in here? Only for two days, yet it feels like three months. It’s funny actually. In all my time here, not once have I thought about escaping. I have powers, so why don’t I use them? I’ve been told so many times not to use them… so I never got very comfortable using them. 

 

I stopped thinking for a moment and started to look around my cell, and the space in front of it. The dark shadows danced across the walls, telling me that the sun was about to set, and that darkness awaited. In the quietness of everything, I started focusing on one blurry detail. There was a conversation going on in the hallway. 

 

“What were you doing in the prisoner’s cell room?” Buld harshly demanded.

 

“Nothing! Nothing sir, I just-”

 

“You just what?!”

 

There was a slight pause, which Buld immediately interrupted.

 

“If this happens ever again, I will have you fired. Understood?”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

Right after their conversation, there was a collision of footsteps. 

 

Tap tap tap.

 

Great, I thought. I might not ever see him again. Unless… 

 

I smiled. 

 

I could escape.

 

I could escape....

 

 

 

-Nine-
 

 

Finally, the darkness filled the sky. The dim light bulb up ahead took over the job of illuminating the room. Several times had I doubted the idea of escaping. It was impossible, to escape. And if I failed to do so on my first try, then surely I would be locked up even more. I paced back and forth in my cell, my thoughts jumping back from one to the other again. This was way harder than I thought. How was I going to escape anyways?

 

Finally in frustration, I collapsed down and put my head in my arms.  No, I finally thought. I can’t do it. The cell has to be magic proof or something, in fact, I bet the entire building- I stopped dead in my tracks. I don’t even know how the building looks like, let alone where the building is located. When I was kidnapped, I had been stuffed in a bag, then the next thing I know… BOOM! I’m in here. So if I don’t know where I am…. Then, I realized that I truly am trapped.

 

                                                                       

 

 

 

 

-Ten-

 

 

Buld angrily stomped into his office, slamming the door close. He had spent thousands of dollars on this project, spent all that on Amber’s tests, the remote building, all for nothing. This mission was going to be a complete waste.

 

That girl is so stubborn! Just like... Sitting down at his desk, Buld looked at his electricity bill. And his water bill. He groaned.

His office was quite small. There were paintings hanging on the walls, and a laptop sitting upon his desk. The room itself was pretty elegant.

 

Buld’s money and time was slowly running out. If he didn’t get any answers soon...

 

“I have to try one more time,” Buld finally decided. “I’ve got to keep on trying.” 

 

                                                       

 

 

 

 

-Eleven-

 

 

My back was pressed against the ceiling, and my head hurt so bad. I was actually doing it! I could levitate myself in midair! It was amazing how good I could get at this just by practicing for a couple hours. I must have been very focused, I mean, really really focused, because Buld had entered the room without me knowing. And that has never happened before, not once, ever.

 

“Amazing.” He said smiling.

 

Surprised, I fell down with a hard THUD.

 

“But still needs some work,” Buld whispered to himself.

 

You have no Idea how agitated that made me. Hey! I just flew! Can YOU do that?! 

 

I dusted myself off.

 

“What do you want?” I whined, sitting down.

 

Build looked at me in an utter distaste. 

 

“You know very well what I want. I am the chief of this whole operation, so I demand a respect in your tone! Understand?”

 

I looked at him in a sarcastic disbelief. 

 

“Very well than… Sir.” I did a silent giggle, which I’m sure made Buld even angrier. 

 

 “Let me think about your offer to….what? Live a life where I have to visit you people every day of my life, just to show off my powers to some lame science nerds? No thanks, I’ll pass. And also, I know that even if I agree to participate, you won’t let me free. Do you know how I know? Because if you let me free, I could go around telling people what YOU did to me! And I’m pretty sure you, and the people working for you don’t want that, ‘cause clearly, what you’re doing to me is illegal!”

 

I finally shut up. Buld looked like he was going to totally lose it. He did.

 

Buld gripped and shook the bars of my cell and yelled at me, which looked scary considering that such a formal man would lash out to you like that. He gritted his teeth.

 

“I WILL keep you in here FOREVER if I have to! And one way or the other, you will help me!”

 

His nostrils were flaring, and his formal look had disappeared completely. I just stared back at him.

 

With that, he stood up, still angry, and stormed off, slamming the door behind him. He had thrown such a tantrum, like a five-year-old would have if you took away his rocky road icecream. But during his little riot, he dropped something: His wallet. His walled looked brown, like leather. Other than that, it looked like a normal, everyday wallet.

 

It was a good distance away from my cell, just out of reach. Almost immediately I closed my eyes and started focusing on the object. The wallet stumbled, but then slowly started drifting towards me. So I tried opening my eyes instead. Finally, it fell into my hand.

 

 Yes! 

 

Not that it was going to help me, I looked inside. And inside his wallet, was a picture that I’ll never forget. In the picture, there was a young man and a beautiful young woman standing next to each other. The man was... Buld maybe, but I didn’t know who the lady was. His wife? Probably.

 

Turning the wallet upside-down, a necklace slipped out. The string was thick and black, with golden clips at the ends. The pendant was a small heart-shaped locket. I quietly opened it with a click. One side had a small description on it, and the other had a glass covering it with a water-like liquid inside. I squinted to try to read the tiny writing. It read, “Mermaid tears”. Just the thought of Mermaids creeped me out. Mermaids were hideous, skeleton looking, flesh eating creatures with long scaly tails. Despite their horrible complexion, their tears have an extraordinary ability to heal any wound, and I mean any wound, whether it’s emotionally, physically, or mentally. Many have dedicated their entire lives to grab hold of a single tear, for this is the main ingredient to many powerful potions.

 

I wonder, how did Buld manage to get these many tears? I looked at the brown wallet, which was in my lap, to the necklace that I was gripping tightly in my hand. I didn’t want Buld to know I’ve been through his wallet. I put everything back in his wallet and slid it across the floor, which was pretty hard considering I might have needed those tears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Twelve-

 

 

Wow, I really need a shower, I thought as I sniffed myself. How long has it been since my last shower? four, five days maybe? Amazing how slowly time can pass by. 

 

I waited. I sat there. It was boring. You might think that these people could at least give you a book to read while you wait here. I knew why they were torturing me though. They couldn’t let me go, yes, but also because they wanted answers. Real bad. So, to make things clear, I screamed at the top of my lungs, “I”LL NEVER LET YOU RUN ANY OF THOSE TESTS! YOU HEAR ME? I”LL NEVER TELL YOU ANYTHING!!!”

 

After these days, I’ll never be the same again. For one, I’m not so angry anymore. I don’t get really angry for little reasons. Ok, so maybe screaming at the top of my lungs wasn’t the best example of ‘not angry’ but there was no real rage to it.

 

I waited again. I didn’t wait for anything specifically, but I was just waiting. A couple hours must have passed by when I heard a creak up ahead.

 

A man with huge ears sticking out on either side of his head (I’m not sure who he is) walked into the room with a pen, a clipboard, and a fold-up chair. He was wearing a blue shirt and grayish pants. He wore glasses, and was thinning on the top. Oddly enough, he sort of looked like a monkey.

 

The man, Mr. baldy, unfolded his chair and took a seat, looking at his clipboard the whole time.

 

Finally, he looked down at me, disgusted. I couldn’t blame him. I hadn’t taken a shower, washed my hair, combed my hair, or brushed my teeth in five days. But really, what did he expect?

 

“Are you, or are you not adopted?” He asked, ready to write something down.

 

I looked at him in confusion. Is he one of the scientists?

 

He repeated his question; “Are you, or are you not adopted?”

 

instead of answering his question, I shot out a question of my own.

 

“Why are you working for Buld illegally?”

 

Hey, it gets boring in here, so I try to keep myself entertained.

 

The man looked like he had been cursed at. I partially expected him to say, “How insulting!” in his snobby voice. But instead, he straightened his glasses and moved on to the next question.

 

“In definition, what is your-”

 

“Monkey face,” I interrupted “You look at me like I’m the alley cat, but you still look ugly, even when you’re all dressed and cleaned up.”

 

He looked at me in complete and utter shock, his jaw slightly open. He didn’t say anything though.

 

“When-”

 

“Can you just SHUT UP?!!!!” I yelled.

 

I wasn’t really angry, but I wanted Mr. Bald monkey guy to think I would get angry enough to use my “Magic powers” on him. It worked.

He stayed stiff like a statue. To scared to move. I just love it when I feel like I’m in charge. To add more dramatic effect, I levitated myself and some of my hair.

 

“ANSWER MY QUESTIONS AND STOP ASKING YOUR’S OR THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES!!!!!” I yelled.

 

The man cowered in fear, shivering.

 

“”I command- I command you to, to get down here and finish this interview!” The man weakly exclaimed.

 

“Oh! You command me? It really should be the other way around, shouldn’t it?” I smiled evilly. 

 

The man let out a high-pitched squeak and broke into a sweat. He looked as if he could melt. I stared hard at him, adding on to his fear.  Finally, he yelped and ran out of the room, leaving behind everything he had brought in.

 

I giggled to myself. That was fun! He was so scared, he even left his- The man had left the clipboard behind.

 

Actually, come to think of it… that clipboard looked just like the clipboard Buld had when he took off my blind fold. Yes, I remember him having a clipboard. Oh, wow. Now THAT was a very stupid thing to say. I mean, all clipboards look the same! Silver clip, and brown board. Either way, it wouldn’t even matter if both clipboards were actually the same. The only thing that would matter is the paper clipped onto the clipboard. 

 

Wait! The paper on the clipboard! I need to see that paper.

 

I looked across the room. In front of my cell was a sideways chair, a pen that had been hastily dropped, and the clipboard, sprawled across the floor.

 

I focused on the clipboard, in hopes of levitating it and bringing it to me. I had to see the questions they were going to ask me.

 

The clipboard skid across the floor, creating a horrible screeching sound, but I managed to lift it off the ground for a couple seconds on its journey to me.

 

I watched as it slipped through the bars, and fell into my anxious hands. I peered at the paper. It was blank.

              

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Thirteen-

 

 

Secret Home for special children. I had never heard of it before, obviously. It was supposed to be a “secret”. Probably is illegal to. I imagined only five kids in the entire school. Actually, I’m not sure if the place is a school, or just a place to stay, or even both. Then I thought, are there others like me to? Maybe even with different kinds of powers? I stared at the pamphlet.

 

It was the same day I had found Buld’s wallet, when a man had walked in and handed me a pamphlet- the same man who took me to bathroom trips. He had a straight posture, a straight face, and he was pretending that I didn’t exist. He just slipped the paper through the bars of my cell, and started to leave. I had asked him a few questions, but he didn’t respond, he didn’t even look at me. Well, to be honest, he did respond, but it wasn’t even a real answer. Our conversation went something like this:

 

“What’s this?” I asked him as he slipped the pamphlet through the bar.

 

“I am not authorized to answer that question.”

 

“Why didn’t Buld give this to me himself?”

 

“I am not authorized to answer any questions.”

 

I looked at him, annoyed.

 

“Oh yeah?” I said, now standing up. “Well mister ‘authority’, I can actually kill you, or make you crash into the wall!” O.K, so maybe I was acting a little kiddish, but you try staying stuck in a cage with nothing to do for almost three days. You get board. A lot. So I like to have some fun once in a while, like I had fun with that monkey- face guy.

 

The man finally looked at me like I was crazy. He said, “I am not auth-”

 

“No, I’m not kidding. I really can, and if I don’t get answers soon, I’ll need someone to take my anger out on.”

 

The man barely started looking a little panicky. His voice cracked a little when he spoke.

 

“I… I am not autho- authorized to-” He stopped talking, mainly because he was floating two feet off the ground.

 

“No, hey- put me down!”

 

Clearly, the man was scared out of his wits. He was kicking his legs wildly, and his arms were swaying around. His stern, straight face was gone now.

 

I focused even harder, and the results were pleasing- for me at least. The man’s feet were now pressed against the ceiling. He was upside-down. If I let him stay in this position long enough, it could kill him. I didn’t really want to kill him. Even though he was working for Buld illegally, he was a human being. He kept on screaming and yelling, swinging around wildly in fear. I felt kind of bad for him. I didn’t expect him to freak out so much.

 

The man never stopped screaming. Then Buld arrived. You could only imagine how scared I became, every part of my body becoming tingly. Then of course, that caused a chain reaction, and the yelling man quickly fell to the ground with a thud. He quickly scrambled up, slightly sweaty, and held on to Buld’s shoulders.

 

“That-” The man pointed behind himself, towards me. “That… thing, nearly had me killed!” He yelled into Buld’s face. I looked down at my feet with my hands behind my back in dismay. I couldn’t see the man’s expression, he was looking the other way, but I could see Buld’s expression. Surprisingly…. he was slightly amused, which is quite strange considering that a couple hours ago, he was yelling at me.

“Now, now, I’m sure she meant no harm,” He said, smiling. He looked towards me.

 

“Let’s not get so carried away nextime. And please, try not to scare anymore of my men.”

 

I quickly went from scared to confused. Buld spoke to that man who still looked as if he had seen a zombie.

 

“I will speak with you later. You are dismissed.”

 

“But.. but, she must be punish-” the man sputtered out.

 

Buld raised his hand, and the man fell quiet, then left, his posture no longer straight, and his eyes sagging low.

 

Confused, I looked at Buld. He was still staring at me- no wait. He was staring at the pamphlet that was clutched in my hand. I looked down at the pamphlet. The cover was black and had a normal-font title printed onto it that read, “Secret Home For Special Children”. I hadn’t bothered reading it.

 

“What’s this for?” I asked, holding the pamphlet up. He cleared his throat before speaking.

 

“Well,” He started, “Let’s be honest here. We know that you can be stubborn, and that you need a better place to stay, so when school starts, you’ll need a good education-”

 

I interrupted him.

 

“Wait, what?...... You mean to say that I’m not going home?”

 

He said nothing.

 

“I…. I am going home….right?” I asked weakly. My heart sunk down to the deepest part of my chest like a stone sinking in a pond, and I felt like I was made entirely from jello.

 

There was a long pause, as there always was when there was a conversation between me and Buld.

 

“Well of course not. Isn’t it obvious? Aren’t you the one who pointed that out earlier?”

 

Another pause. My arms were shaking, and my legs felt as if they were about to give way.

 

“So, I’m never going back?” I croaked out

 

Buld looked away, and headed towards the door. But as he did, he told me to read the pamphlet. He didn’t even look hurt. He didn’t act as if he was ripping a family apart. He acted as if he were just taking candy from a baby. For once in my life, I wasn’t angry. I felt… troubled, sick at heart, as if every atom in my body was going to break down, like I was going to cry, and fall down to my knees. And I did. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Fourteen-

 

 

I cried. I cried and cried and cried some more. I don’t remember ever stopping. My back hurt so bad from sitting against the wall, and there were now visible trails of tears across my cheeks. 

 

I had to escape, no doubt about it now. But how? I couldn’t make the bars of my cell explode. I couldn’t just walk out of the building.

I looked at the small window. I could never penetrate the heavy bars. I could never even fit through the window itself. I was sure that the only reason the window was there anyways, was so I could get some air, for there was no air ventilation in here, and there was an air-tight door blocking any entrance of air. 

 

I still kept on trying to piece together a plan while I was drowning in an ocean of tears. I obviously couldn’t use magic. My magic doesn’t work on this stuff…. I think. But even if it did, it would take months, even years of practice to make my magic strong enough.

 

After what felt like forever, I finally notice a couple small pieces of glass scattered across the floor, glistening in the dim light. I wonder if those glass pieces are from me popping the old lightbulb.

 

Hey! Maybe if I used some of those glass pieces, and chipped away at those heavy metal bars, in a couple months….

 

I shook my head. I could think of a handful of reasons why that would never work. 

 

First of all, I don’t have a couple months, I have a couple days. Second of all, even if I had that much time, those bits of glass pieces would never do any damage to the bulky bars. Lastly, all of the glass pieces in this room combined would never put so much as a scratch to the bars.

 

What was I going to do? I finally forced myself to stop crying as I stood up and stretched, listening to the slight crackling sounds my back made. I yawned. I was feeling so sleepy, even though the sun was halfway through the sky. As I drifted off to sleep, I kept on reminding myself: They’re going to make me stay at that home for ever. They want to know things from me. I can’t tell them- I don’t remember why I can’t tell them, but...With that, I fell asleep.

 

 

 

 

-Fifteen-

 

 

I had the worst dream ever that night. No, not a dream- a nightmare. I dreamt that Jacob wasn’t really my brother, that he was just working with Buld to get something out of me, to get some answers. When Jacob had showed me his powers, it was just an illusion. The door back then had never really moved by itself. And that “conversation” in the hallway I had heard was just an act. Everything that was relating to Jacob was an act. The brother thing, the powers, both conversations. It was truly horrid, considering that Jacob was my only hope then.

 

I also had another dream. I dreamt that I was back at home, that I finally came back home. Oh, what a happy dream it was! Everyone was so happy to see me again. I was greeted with hugs and kisses. My mother almost fainted, my sister was hugging me and promised to never let go, and my dad was hyperventilating. Everyone was so happy, and were shooting so many questions at me. Tears of joy were pouring through my eyes. The dream was amazing- beyond words.

 

I almost cried when I woke up, realizing that it was just a dream. I almost cried when I realized that the only time I’ll ever see my family again is through my dreams.

 

 

 

 

 

-Sixteen-

 

 

I realized that Buld’s wallet was still lying on the floor, longing to be notice and picked up. There was now a slim layer of dust covering the old leather. There was a slight temptation begging me to take the wallet and use it against Buld, who surely would want it back. Not for the money- but for the picture and tears. I still didn’t figure out how and why he had that picture and those tears.

 

As hard as it was to resist, I didn’t take the wallet. I’m not a monster. Not like Buld.

 

I looked at the pamphlet. I just abhor things like this, things that are hidden from the government. Like this operation holding me here. I wonder why they do it. What if it isn’t for science, like they say it is? What if it’s for something more… personal? I never read the pamphlet, and I wasn’t planning on going to anytime soon. 

 

I wish I had a plan to escape. The real escaping part- I mean really being free- was already planned out. I would find a way to expose Buld and the people working for him. But I couldn’t expose anybody, not stuck in here. That’s the part I’m working on. Another part I’m working on is how exactly I’m going to expose these people. That’s also still a flaw in my whole master plan.

 

I looked at the pamphlet again. Then to the wallet. From the pamphlet to the wallet. 

 

Once again, I was bored.

 

Suddenly, I heard a creak out the door, in the hallway. 

 

Probably Buld, I thought in disgust What does he want now?

 

I stared hard at the heavy, thick metal door, as if I were trying to melt it. Then, a boy who looked too young to be fit for his job poked his head through. It was Jacob!

 

“What are you doing?!” I hissed at him, as he quietly crept into the room. “You could get fired!”

 

Jacob looked at me like he was worried about something.

 

“I had to warn you.” he snapped back

 

“Warn me about what?” I asked. I had way more, way better questions to ask him, but I kept them in.

 

I just looked at him. What could he possibly need to talk to me about? I already knew I was going to go to an illegal home. My head was throbbing, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted answers so bad. No, I needed them. So, I brought up a question of my own: “Why do you work here?”

 

“Wha- ...Huh?”

 

“How did you find this job, if this ‘government-hidden’ mission is so secret and all?”

 

His jaw hit the floor, as if he didn’t know what to say.

 

“uh…”

 

Obviously, he hadn’t expected this interruption. Finally, he responded.

 

“Well.... I wanted to free any people who would get imprisoned here, and of course I wanted to see you again, and…. You know what? Never mind. Now is not the time for this conversation.” His answer was stressed, and sounded like a question, like a student trying to give a reasonable answer to his teacher. He was rushing so much, that his one sentence sounded like one word.

 

Fine... I thought, not really feeling it was fine. The only reason I let him off the hook was because he could get fired if he didn’t hurry up.

 

“What did you need to warn me about?” I asked, standing up.

 

“Look, Buld is planning on doing terrible things to get you talking,”

 

“Like what?”

 

He gave me one of those worried, adult looks.

 

“He’s gonna try to get your parents involved.”

 

I just kept staring at him.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“He could kill them.”

 

I froze, temporarily speechless. I wasn’t sure if I even heard him right.

 

“He would… He would do that?” I stammered.

 

Jacob backed off, as if trying to calm me down. “He probably won’t, but… it’s still a possibility.”

 

What made him think that Buld would do that?

 

What made me think that Build wouldn’t do that?

 

I looked down at the ground, letting everything sink in.

 

 

 

Abbebe Kalu is a 15-year-old writer from Nigeria who loves to read, write, and whittle wooden figurines! Of Virtues and Vices is her first long fiction piece, and she hopes to write more in the future!