Imagine, being smothered under wet, hot, blankets.
They are so heavy, it's almost impossible to breathe. Pressed up hard against your face, drowning you under a suffocating weight. That is what it felt like being in Zero's presence for so long.
Her scent smoked out the entire cabin. Every inch of it had soaked up her overpowering aroma, making it impossible for me to stay in there for any longer. Yet, she made it impossible for me to leave.
Only one place in the entire cabin spared me; the shower.
Crisp water poured over my bowed her, and it had never felt so good. A bar of scentless soap had been placed on a small holder, and I scrubbed every inch of my body with it. Discomfort, abruptly followed by annoyance, overcame me when the faint scent of lavender filled the air.
Well, faint to anyone without my sense of smell.
I'd been in here for ages. Zero had been sitting outside the door since I entered, silent but present. She either didn't know the impact her scent had on me, or didn't care. It was irritating enough for me to stay under the spray of water, long after the heat had vanished.
But knocks on the door, abruptly ended my peace.
"What do you want?" I didn't even hear Zero rise from the floor. I snapped the shower off, stepping out of the tub, and towards the door, "My sister is in the shower."
Thanks to the steam filling the room, it made it impossible to tell who was there. It was only when I heard an indignant scoff, that I knew it was Freddie. A frustrated grunt left me, as I started to rub myself dry with the towel.
"We need dinner." Freddie announced, a waver in his voice. He cleared his throat, as if it were something lodged in there that had caused it, "I- we made plans to eat. I'm here to pick her up."
Stop speaking, Freddie. Every word he said was laced with uncertainty, feeding Zero's thirst for fear. I could smell his without even needing my nose, and felt my heart racing in my chest as I hurried back into the same striped dress.
"She can have her food delivered here." Zero drawled, not missing a beat. Her tone like ice forged from frozen disinterest, "Just like mine. Feel free to join us, if you really want to."
All my movements stopped, and so did my breathing. I begged that Freddie wasn't stupid enough to step through the door. Just stay outside, is all I wanted to scream, stay safe out there. I knew she wouldn't harm me.
But I couldn't promise other's that same mercy.
Ripping the door open, I found Zero watching Freddie with a sadistic smirk. She knew exactly what she was doing, especially when it came to him. Freddie's gaze was uncertain, he remained a few feet from the threshold, but moved forward when he saw me.
"I promised him." I broke Freddie's spell with a warning flashing through my mind. Forgetting, of course, that Zero could easily catch onto it, "I'll be back soon."
Zero looked amused by my attempt to spare Freddie from her, "You don't want to eat with me?" She looked genuinely disappointed by that. Her jaw tightened when she speared Freddie with a scathing look, placing blame.
"I need to see the other's." I tried to keep my tone assuring. Keeping my mind clear of the truth. If she saw how badly I needed away, who knows what she'd do, "You know they're important to me."
Her light brow furrowed, because she didn't understand why. However, my words done nothing to remove Zero from her position. To anyone else, it just looked as if she were leaning against the doorway, instead, of what she was actually doing.
Blocking the exit.
"So am I." Zero reminded me, cocking her head. A frown marring her almost immaculate features, "Or, don't you want to spend time with me, little sister?"
The question hung in the heavy silence. Suspended above our heads like a spear waiting to drop, and I could already feel the pressure. Freddie's eyes darted between us, his fingers curling and releasing over, and over again.
Oblivious to the tension thickening in the room, Zero cocked her head at me. Turning her back towards Freddie, an obvious insult. She didn't find him a threatening enough Splice to feel the need to keep both eyes on him, and I felt the punch like it was to my own gut.
Tendrils of thought slipped through the backdoor of my mind. Of course, I wanted to spend time with Zero. She was the only one who truly knew who I was, Zero was who I needed to find my true self.
Every answer, to all the questions; were in her.
"You should stay here, Selene." Freddie's voice was thick, like the heavy words were being pushed from his tongue, "I need some food, so I should head..."
His thick brows lowered in confusion, and he rubbed a hand against the back of his neck. Looking like he was ready to leave, but unwillingly to. Slowly, he stepped backwards to turn around, and my own head bowed in thought.
I couldn't leave her here. She'd already been alone in a cage for years, no one to be beside. Isolation like that can kill a wolf, should it continue.
A screech suddenly erupted from Zero. Her hands flew to the metal collar around her head, and I released a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. Feeling a discreet grasp around my mind loosen, until the weight evaporated, as if it had never been there.
"Enough of that shit, Zero." Hayden's voice penetrated the foggy air, making me blink, "Six; move. Before she has you listening to her singing lullabies."
Furiousness flourished across Zero's features, "Don't leave, Selene!" Her hand grabbed my ankle, her expression desperate, "There's nothing there that's important anymore!"
What did that mean? My attention flitted towards Freddie in question, "Nothing important?" I repeated, sharpness in my tone, "What does that mean?"
Hayden laid an annoyed look down on Zero, "It means someone needs to behave." She snapped, a warning clear in her tone, "This is a holiday home compared to what I have in mind for you."
"Please," Zero's laugh sent chills down my spine, the coldness in it was threatening enough, "Whatever you think you have, is nothing compared to what I've faced. But, you are more than welcome to take a shot."
Hayden looked like an avenging angel at the doorstep. Her thick hair was tied back behind her head, dark eyes trained on Zero. The tension between them sizzled like hot coals tossed in icy waters. Even battered with a purplish bruise formed around her eye, Hayden still looked strong.
"What part of probation," Her voice was a strained growl, aimed at Zero, "Do you have a hard time grasping?"
Zero bit down quizzically on her lower lip, "I guess it's the part you were announced to be my warden." She drawled, a mocking poison dripping from her lips, "If your gloried father couldn't contain me, what makes anyone think you can?"
A challenge hung in the air, dominating the cabin. In Hayden's hand was a small electronic remote, it looked harmless enough. A smooth slip of thin black metal, however, her thumb hovered over a built-in button, inching closer until her skin touched it.
"Don't!" I snapped, before she could press down. Hayden's gaze snapped to me in confusion, "You'll just agitate her. Zero, it's only dinner. You know I'll come back."
Something crossed her features, her grip loosening around my ankle, "You're too kind to them." She sighed, pulling herself onto her feet, "Soon, you'll see why that's a mistake."
I thought she was going to block my path when she stepped in front of me. Surprise swelled through me when her face came so close, I thought our lips might touch. Her oceanic gaze bored into mines unwaveringly, making the same tendrils of doubting thoughts ghost through my mind.
"My sister." She murmured, leaning her head against mine. Her finger curled in my hair, tugging it, "You'll come back, as soon as you've finished eating?"
It wasn't a request, but she disguised it as one. Her head cocked with a hopeful expression, and Hayden cleared her throat, "She'll be back, when she's back." She stated, leaving no room for argument, "Six, let's go."
"I'll be back." I tried to assure her, and my nose twitched. Zero's nails had bit into the palms of her hands, "I promise."
Stiffly, she stepped aside. Her gaze latched onto me until the door cut her off from mine, and I closed my eyes. I did not prepare myself for this, why did I think I would be okay with it? Freddie was in a soft silence, brows furrowed in thought.
"I tried to fight it." Hayden muttered, giving the door a distasteful glare, "Little bitch belongs in a cell, where she was supposed to be in the first place."
Behind us, an unmistakable scream of resentment rattled from inside the cabin. Followed by something smashing against a wall, no doubt the lamp that had been settled by the couch. Hayden gripped my shoulder, forcing me to keep moving.
"How'd she do that?" Freddie finally blurted, threading his fingers through his hair, "I mean, you felt it too, right? Like, a hand in your head, pushing buttons and playing with the controls..."
Sympathy towards him exhaled through me, "She's good at that." I credited, realizing how stealthy she was about it.
Had Freddie not mentioned it, I would have forgotten Zero's attempt at manipulation. I should be angry at her, but how could I be? All she wanted was to spend time with me. Still, it didn't mean I was okay with it.
"You look better." Hayden commented, dropping her hand when she felt we were far enough away, "Last time I saw you, you were bleeding and unconscious in a medical cot."
She opened her mouth, but decided against whatever she was going to say. Freddie cleared his throat, "About what she said about the guys," He began, hesitation in his tone, "Things haven't been great, around here."
"Ain't that the truth." Hayden muttered, eyes narrowing at anyone who looked at her too long. When the area became more populated, I noticed how people regarded her with odd stares, "How are you adjusting to all this, Six?"
She was the only one who called me by my Subject name. familiarity made me warm to it, but hostility laid under it. Like a snake in the grass that was willing to strike at any time. I didn't want to be known as a piece of property owned by the government anymore.
But I knew she didn't mean it like that. Hayden's gaze on me was only concerned, her hand resting on her hip under her leather jacket. Its brown shine had dimmed from age, and was now dark with cracks in the material.
By something beyond reason, my eyes rolled upwards. Above us, the sky was a clear stretch of bright blue. No clouds were there to cast down shadows of shapes, all that could be seen was an endless strip of azure beyond the eyes reach.
"I'm here." Is all I could think of saying. I don't even know what it meant, but I could feel the words, "I'm still here."
Sometimes, there are answers to questions that lead to more puzzles. Don't ask me what was channeling through my mind, because I didn't know. All I knew was that there was a bird in the sky, it was a white one.
Wings stretched wide as it cut through a blue surface, and all I could think was; when was the last time I saw one of those?
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A/N
Hey, guys!
So, I know I said I would update weekly but I couldn't hold back. Especially because I know I left you guys waiting for ages for an update. So, I'm throwing in another chapter this week.
Hope you guys enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment! You know I love hearing from you all.
- EmbracingYou