Chapter Twenty-One

                                    

                                          
A/N: A day early this time :) Woo hoo! I'm excited to be heading to K-Day's and to a Three Day's Grace concert! :) 
The edge of my vision was fuzzy, the colors within gray scale. I was standing in the hall of the cave, just before turning the corner. The girl was already there, her features shadowed. A woman stood outside the bars, facing the girl so I couldn't discern who she was.
The girl must have just been placed inside. She must have been pushed in instead of carried while unconscious. On her hands and knees, the girl turned herself around so she was facing the woman outside the cell. She didn't bother to stand as she glared.
"What do you want?" the girl demanded, showing none of the fear I could sense.
The woman laughed. "That's a stupid question."
"You want my abilities."
"Well, of course."
"Why? Being able to control weather is useless."
"Not when you don't have abilities of your own. At least it's something."
"You won't get away with this. I know you. Everyone does."
"You assume you'll be found with the ability to talk," the woman said in a sing-song tone. "There are many ways to keep you quiet."
The girl's blue eyes narrowed to slits. "You can try. Even if I can't speak, I can write."
"Then I guess there's only one way to ensure you remain quiet."
The girl's gaze moved past the woman, her eyes widening in surprise that quickly turned to relief. She hurried to stand and rushed to the bars, curling her fists around two. Her face pressed so close as she tried to push it through, I imagined she had vertical marks on both her cheeks.
"Help me!" she pleaded. "She's psychotic! Please! Let me out!"
The woman laughed again, tsking. "Oh, dear. They are here to help me, not you."
The girl let go of the bars, her face going slack. Her arms hung at her sides as she stepped back slowly, shaking her head. "No. No... I—you... No."
The woman laughed and watched the girl continue to step back until she reached the back wall of her cave, then slide down to sit with her arms wrapped around her knees and her head on her forearms. The girl's shoulders shook.
"You'll have to wipe her memory or kill her," the woman said, turning her head slightly to the side to speak to whoever had come up behind her. It wasn't enough to determine who she was, and a moment later she was looking forward and laughing again. "I don't care which you choose."
The woman's laughter was joined by a much deeper, less maniacal one. The sound lingered as the vision faded. My eyesight cleared the fog from the edges and color became distinguishable again. I shook my head to clear the lingering sound, blinking rapidly until the girl in the cell was once again in my focus.
"Are you okay?" The girl leaned forward, watching me.
This time, I laughed and gave a noncommital shrug. "By most standards? Definitely not."
"You checked out or something."
"It happens." I held her gaze for a moment, then inhaled and looked down to focus on the clock. "I'm pretty sure I should be asking if you're okay. How long have you been here?"
"A few days."
"Have you eaten?"
"A power bar or two."
"You can't remember how many?"
"There were broken into pieces and didn't have a wrapper."
"Do you have water?"