Subject R - ON HOLD

chapter 9

He ate it!

Ohmygosh!! I'm thinking, gawking at him like an idiot as he picks out more pieces of walnut from his little pile. He's eating! Actually eating something! He hasn't eaten since we've got him, which is practically a week! And none of the others got him to eat! An image of Helena's smug face flashed through my mind and I'm suddenly grinning. Haa!! I got him to eat!! Bahaha!

When I come back to earth from my little Inner Party, Subject R is looking at me with this curious expression. I blush a little and give him another smile, just plain happy. He suddenly beams right back at me, a gorgeous bright smile that knocks the breath out of me. Awww, those dimples...

He picks out the last of his walnut from his pile, and then casually hands me the nutcracker. I take it from him, and then watch as he starts to scoop more nuts up from the little bag between us.

The rest of the my visit with Subject R continues with him pinching nuts between his fingers and eating the contents. I occasionally crack one or two for myself, but I'm honestly not too hungry and I know that he must be starving. He's quick and precise as he eats, almost methodical. He had a preference for the hazelnuts and almonds. He'd eat the walnuts, but with less enthusiasm, and the pecans he pushed off to the side. The face he made when he first tried one was priceless!

When he was beginning to get to the end of the nuts, I wondered how long I was supposed to be in here. It feels like I've been here at last fifteen minutes, maybe twenty. What do I do now?

As I watch him take another walnut and snap it in his fingers as if it were a Styrofoam peanut, a little fear tingles up my spine. It takes him no effort to crack the shell, and I've never seen anyone do that. Ever. How strong would he have to be to do that? I eye his biceps, slightly flexing as he brings a piece of nut to his mouth.

He could probably pop me off pretty quickly.

The tingle of fear grows as I remember how I'd felt, somehow, that he would kill me if the nutcracker had been some kind of trick. How had I done that? I peeked at Subject R, happily and casually popping another hazelnut in his fingers. Or, I think, watching his blue eyes, how had he done that?

I'm reminded of the conversation during the meeting earlier today, when Mrs.Feng had been pushing the possibility of him being able to have some kind of mental abilities. He has to be able to do something like that. There's no other explanation. My fear grows quickly, but so does my curiosity.

There's suddenly movement in front of my gaze, and I gasp. Subject R is leaning forward, his face maybe half a foot from my face. He's blinking at me with that cute little smile on his face. I force myself to smile at him. His smile widens, making his dimples pop out (or in?) and his eyes crinkle a little at the corners.

"Sis-ill-ee."

My eyes almost bug out of my skull.

He just said my name! Holy crap!!! He just said my name!! It's the same choppy-ish way he'd said it before, but he just said my name, without any persuasion by me!! Excitement bubbles up and I find myself beaming back at him, unable to control myself.

"Yes! Yes! Cecily!" I gasp, almost unable to speak.

Subject R grins right back at me, propping his chin into his hand as he rest his elbow against his knee. "Sis...Sisill-ee..." He repeats, this time getting closer and closer to the right pronunciation. I nod vigorously and I see him suddenly chuckle a little.

"Cecily..." I say slowly, trying to calm myself down. He'll get creeped out if I don't relax!!

His bright blue eyes meet mine squarely and my breath catches. There's no exuberance in his gaze. He seems happy, yes, but, smugly so. I take in his relaxed, casual posture, the way he's looking at me as if I'm some kind of child to entertain. What? I think, suddenly bewildered. I can't tell if I'm suddenly feeling something else again, or if it's my own intuition flickering.

Subject R's smug smile sends a chill up my spine, and I just know that my intuition is deciding to work right now. Why does he seem so pompous and proud? I wonder, studying him. He's in a different world, a different dimension, locked up in a padded cell. What on earth could he be so cocky about?

"Cecily."

He spoke my name so clearly, his deep-toned voice almost loud in the near silence of the holding cell. I blinked at him in astonishment as his lips curved into another cocky smirk, his eyes dancing with more ego and also something that looked like satisfaction.My fear tingles through me again, and I find myself swallowing. I nod stiffly.

Subject R grins at me, maliciously, and I suddenly feel victory.

That isn't mine.