The Facility

Cassidy woke to near darkness and a very dry mouth. She rubbed her eyes as she yawned, and then stretched.

Getting up, she ignored her protesting bladder to instead go to the sink. Turning it on, she cupped her hand and took a mouthful of water, swishing it around to get rid of the fuzzy dryness, then spit it out.

She took another handful and drank before turning off the water and shuffled to the toilet.

Pulling her clothes down, she sat and called for the lights, expecting to look down and see the worst. Instead she was surprised to see she was nearly blood free.

Apparently, she over-taxed herself and it was only a temporary thing.

She changed the pad just to be safe and then decided on a shower. Collecting her clothes and towels, she showered and dressed, not surprised to find Peg waiting at the sink for her, brush in hand.

Cass walked over to her and faced the mirror.

Peg took the towel off the girl’s head and began drying her hair more while she talked.

“So how are you feeling?”

“Better. Not so tired,” Cass answered truthfully. Rudi’s words came back to her about giving just enough info to get by.

But with Peg?

While she did not want to just open up to Peg, she did not want to really lie either. She was conflicted.

Peg nodded. “I brought you lunch. I figured you had to be hungry after sleeping so much.”

“It wasn’t that long… was it?” Cass asked looking up into the mirror at Peg.

Peg continued to rub her hair and said, “Hon, you’ve slept the better part of two days.”

This surprised Cassidy. Normally she slept maybe seven hours, eight max, a night. Even through her so-called “growth spurts.”

At five foot two and a hundred pounds at twelve, she wondered where the growing part was. It was not her height or weight. Nor her chest, she thought sadly.

Peg sat the towel down and brushed Cass’s hair. The girl closed her eyes and imagined it was her mom brushing it.

Normally Cassidy did it herself, but every so often her mom would come in after her shower and brush her hair or even just randomly come and do it, as she sat doing her homework.

If she were not focused on her work, they would talk, usually about what each did that day.

Cass realized with dread that she would miss that.

Opening her eyes, she looked into her own eyes reflected in the mirror. They were still red, although Cass thought, maybe not quite as red as she last saw them.

She also saw the shine of tears she was holding back. Cassidy vowed that those responsible would pay for what they had done.

Peg’s voice pulled her out of her thought. “Any particular way you want it?” she asked.

Cass just shrugged.

“How many bands do you have on your wrist?”

Cass held up her arm and saw Peg smile knowingly because she had put them in her hair.

“Two. Good start, but reach up and grab another,” she instructed.

The girl did, adding it to her wrist, then Peg parted Cass’s hair down the middle and started braiding a section at the front, starting at the part.

Getting to the end, she put the band around it and repeated the process on the other side, wrapping the end and pulling both braids back, adding the first to the second one’s band.

She gathered up Cass’s loose hair and banded it, tucking it in the two bands so it all met.

“There. Now time to eat,” Peg said and led Cass over to the table. She sat down opposite Cassidy as the girl took the cover off the tray.

Cass’s stomach rumbled at the smell that wafted up from the grilled cheese and tomato soup.

“I brought you ginger ale in case your stomach wasn’t up to food. Hopefully, you like ginger ale. The sandwich and soup are kind of plain, but easy on the stomach as well.”

Cass nodded and slowly ate the food while they continued to talk.

“Will I ever get to meet any of the other people being held here?”

Peg raised an eyebrow at the question.

“I mean, I can’t be the only one here. There must be others. Aren’t there?”

Peg watched the girl as she ate. “There are others here. Some your own age even. I imagine you will see them around, but usually there is not much interaction. It could be… dangerous,” Peg finished.

“Dangerous? We’re kids, how dangerous can we be?” Cassidy asked around a bite of grilled cheese.

“Well, let’s see,” Peg replied with a finger held up to her lips. “We’ll focus on you. A wisp of a girl who could pick up objects twice her size and do what with them? Throw them? Slam them into other objects?

“Ever given any thought as to what you want to do when you grow up? How about assassin?”

Cassidy gasped. “W-what?”

“Think about it. You could get into places with no weapon, then use what is around as one. A nice dinner – until the steak knife is stuck into a heart or neck. Or someone on their penthouse balcony is pushed or pulled over the railing. A car driving down a windy road suddenly has the steering wheel yanked to the side, causing the car to go crashing over the side.

“I don’t know if you could actually do any of those things, but if you could and found yourself needing money or something, would you? Could you?”

Cassidy had paled somewhat and whispered, “No.”

“Then you’re a special girl indeed Cassidy Gray. You might be young, but I imagine you’ve heard the saying ‘Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ You may my dear, have the absolute power. If you never choose to wield it or choose to use it for good instead of bad, then the world might be a better place. Or at least not really different. But if you should ever decide to use your talent for bad – for evil – then just try to imagine the consequences.

“Don’t try to imagine what you could do; it would be easier to think of what you couldn’t do.”

Peg paused to let it sink in.

Cass looked up from her plate and into Peg’s eyes. “And what do you guys here want from me? To help the world or to rule it?”

Cassidy might have been young, but she could still see the flicker of emotions go through Peg’s face before she stilled it. She recognized concern, frustration, and even amusement before Peg’s features flattened out into an emotionless mask.

“All I’m concerned about is your well-being. What they do here, well, depends. Some might want to find ways to prevent your talents from working. Others might choose to investigate how you became special.”

Cass held Peg’s eyes. “And Hugo? He seems to be the type who wants to use me as a weapon. Well, me or if not me, a way to reproduce my power so he can use that,” Cassidy said matter-of-factly.

Peg held her gaze for several long seconds before finally closing her eyes. “You may be very well right,” she replied softly.

Cass did not acknowledge the admission and continued eating.

To fill the silence Peg said, “There’s some new music for you and the others. You might find something you like.”

Cass looked at her to acknowledge she heard but said nothing as she continued eating.

“Are you going to sleep more?” Peg asked, trying again for conversation.

“No. I think I’ve slept enough for now. Hopefully, I will sleep tonight,” Cass told her.

“Okay. In that case the doctors are requesting to return you to testing. If you’re up to it.”

Peg looked away, and then added, “Tomorrow morning.”

“Fine, but I’m not going through that again. Not like that,” Cassidy said bluntly.

“I-I understand. They should too. Doctor Oshiro doesn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“And Dr. Tanaka?” Cass asked.

Peg gave her a shrug. “He’s more concerned with results, not he’s not in charge.”

Cass finished, putting her spoon down and pushing the tray away towards Peg.

The nurse’s face changed again, conflicted.

“What?” Cass asked.

“I need… to take some blood. To make sure you’re okay.”

“Is that all?” Cass asked suspiciously, but still holding up her already bruised arm.

“All that I’ll use it for,” Peg replied.

An evasion that told Cassidy the truth.

Peg came around the table and quickly and efficiently withdrew some blood, putting the two tubes into her pocket.

Taping the cotton ball to her arm, then she told her to put pressure on it to help reduce the bruising, Peg then took her tray and headed for the door.

Pausing before she left, she said, “Get some rest and don’t overdo it tomorrow.” Peg did not wait for a reply before leaving.

Cass the let the pressure off her arm. Bruising did not really matter; who was there to care about what she looked like? The bruising would go away eventually unless they kept taking blood.

The blood itself did not really concern her either. If the scientists found out anything important maybe it would mean she could leave. Or they would not need her, and she would not have to be subjected to all of this.

She sighed and touched the surface of the table to activate the computer within.

Cass searched the music by date, showing the newest additions at the top. Among the new additions were a little of everything: Luke Bryant, Bruno Mars, a group called Krewella and her beloved Lindsey Stirling.

She was happy to find all three of her albums there, so she queued them up and started playing them. Cass danced over to the restroom, then danced over to her bed, grabbing her book from the table next to the bed.

Sitting against the wall, she listened to music and read until the music stopped.

Looking at her watch, more than three hours had passed, and it was nearing dinner time, so she continued reading until Peg came with her food.

Peg was quiet, dropped off the tray and left without any real conversation.

Cass ate and then went back to reading. She finished the book and looked at her watch. It was late and time for bed.

Cass got up, raised the bookcase and swapped out the book she finished for another before lying down and turning out the lights.