The Girl With The Crimson Eyes

2: Old-New Enemies

Remnya

The wail of sirens invaded the evening, along with the murmur of adults and the cry of children. The hallway resounded with the steps of those who rushed outside to witness the scene. Remnya remained hidden in the darkness, contemplating the consequences of her actions over and over. The crack of Butter's skull still echoed in her head and sent shivers down her spine.

If the adults learned the truth about her nasty ability, they would lock her in the basement, deeming her unstable and dangerous, which meant no one would ever adopt her. Moreover, if the books Zeo had shown her spoke truly, she would be sent to The Eugenics Center of Crysalton, an infamous facility in the big city for misfits like herself.

Her dream of having a family would crumble like a sandcastle.

Remnya clenched her fists and leaned against the cracked tiles of the bathroom, burying her head between her knees. Her eyes burned, but no tear could escape from them; she had promised not to cry ever again.

"Rem?" a soothing voice whispered from the doorway.

"Zeo?" Remnya answered, springing from the floor.

Zeo rushed into the bathroom and turned on the light. His eyes had swollen up, and blood had dried on his lips. "Are you okay?" he murmured, scanning the damage the fire had done to her clothes.

Remnya scowled and nodded, crossing her arms to cover her exposed belly.

Zeo lowered his gaze and bit his lower lip. "It wasn't your fault, Rem. I am the dumb coward who caused all this." A tear trailed down his cheek.

"It's not your fault!" she shouted, narrowing her eyes. "If those jerks had never hurt you, this would've never happened! It's their fault!"

"But—"

"I don't wanna hear no more!" She glared at him and bared her teeth. Zeo flinched and nodded. Turning the light off, Remnya approached the doorway and hesitatingly peeked outside. "Where's the old hag? If she finds out about this . . . "

"Don't worry, Rem. She's busy giving explanations to the police right now."

Remnya swallowed and stared vacantly at the dirty wet floor, wishing Butter recovered soon. As much as she disliked those boys, she never wanted to hurt them.

Zeo placed his hand on her shoulder. "Know that no one mentioned you out there, not even Santi. When they arrived at the scene, Liam was the only one to blame."

"That stupid jerk." Remnya let out a sigh and shook her head, wondering why everyone hated them so much. Zeo was kind, polite, and harmless, so Remnya assumed she was the issue. If anyone deserved to be adopted, that was him, not her. The sole thought of leaving him behind stung the depths of her heart.

"Oh, right!" Zeo exclaimed, interrupting her gloomy train of thoughts, and ran to retrieve a bag he had left by the door. "I brought you clean clothes. I took them from the laundry."

Remnya inspected the bag and then looked at Zeo's tender smile. "Thanks . . . " She pushed the self-hatred into a corner of her soul and rushed to change before the caregivers noticed their absence.

They hid the burnt clothes in a trash can and headed back to the dorms. Crossing the main hall, Remnya observed the green flash of the ambulance reflecting on the cracked walls. Her face turned pale like a ghost, but she hid it under a scowl.

As they passed in front of the infirmary, Remnya grabbed Zeo's hand, stopping him. "What are you doing, Rem?" he asked, widening his eyes.

"You're hurt." She scowled, staring at the trail of blood sliding from the corner of his mouth, and then dragged him inside.