𝙽𝚘𝚝 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝙶𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚘𝚞𝚛

      I woke up in a laboratory, realizing that I had been crying in my sleep. I had cried most nights since I'd been told Emmaline had drowned.

This was the third time I'd woken up in the laboratory. They would inject me with something, and I would be in a horrible amount of pain for about three hours. Then I would stop feeling altogether.

They only did it once to the other kids. But they said it wasn't working on me. I didn't know what was supposed to be happening.

     I noticed Max writing something down while my father messed with a vial of silver liquid. I turned my head and saw my mother next to me.

"Mommy, what's going on?" I whispered, scared to speak too loudly and upset my dad.

"It's okay, baby girl," she promised, stroking my hair. "You're going to be okay."

"Aurora, you've been through this before," my father reminded me. "You'll be fine."

"This is the last time," Mom decided, looking at my father now. "If it doesn't work this time, we'll leave her alone."

"No, that's not how this works, Leila," Max spoke up. "I don't understand why this isn't working."

"She and Emmaline had a very strong connection," my mother pointed out. "They could communicate without speaking. Just like she does with Aaron."

"She's forgotten Ella," Dad said. "After two rounds, she forgot Ella. So after this, or maybe just a few more rounds, she will forget Emmaline as well."

      I felt my lower lip trembling with fear. I turned to my mother, my eyes wide with desperation. Why wasn't she stopping him?

      My mother began to cry, and while she tried to hide it, my father noticed. He sighed in frustration, turning to her.

"Leila, if you're going to cry, get out," he warned her. She wiped her eyes, standing up.

"Don't leave me!" I begged her, tears finally forming in my eyes. "Make him stop. Please, Mommy."

"It's okay, Ro-Ro," she whispered, kissing my forehead. "You'll get through this, and then you won't even remember."

"I'm scared," I confessed. I wanted to grab her, but my arms were strapped down.

"Get out, Leila!" my father commanded, causing us both to flinch.

      The needle was suddenly in my neck, and I barely had time to scream before the pain silenced me.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

      I sat at the table with my mother for lunch that day. I was told that a girl named Juliette was coming over to join us.

     There was a knock at the door, and my mother stood up, walking over to it. She answered the door and pulled the little girl into her arms.

      The little girl burst into tears as they pulled away, her face going red. I watched her curiously.

"I'm Mrs. Anderson," my mother told her. "But you can call me Leila if you want." She nodded, wiping her tears. "Aaron, take her upstairs and I'll make you kids some snacks."

      The two of them went upstairs and my parents both came back to the kitchen. My mom came over to me and leaned down, kissing my head.

"Mommy, why did you hug her?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows.