“Someone’s been doing her homework,” he mused, pressing a bit harder in a section of my belly. I batted his hand away, and he withdrew. “I’ll answer your question with a question.” He paused, “Would the answer change your mind about me?” The calm response without any doubt always infuriated me, as if he had skill in just how to get under my skin.
“Not really, but call it professional curiosity.” I shrugged as he entered a bit more data on the screen, and I wiped my stomach down.
“As you should knowlittle tiger, I come prepared for everything. Her name is Casey, she has become a pet project ofmine as of late. Are we proceeding with the procedure?”He was typing something on the computer.
“Ah the famous doll making?” I slid off the exam table, walking towards the woman who seemed strangely familiar, but I couldn’t place her. I felt his hand grip my arm before I could come within five feet of the woman. Staring into his cold green eyes, he gave me a warning shake of his head.
“Leave my things alone and we won’t have a problem.” Lucas’s voice was a low, threatening sound. A smile danced on my lips as I contemplated my words.
“She seems lonely? Do you sing to her like you did the young girls back then?” His lips parted, some unspoken thought, and then he corrected his features. Something about the woman made my stomach tighten, and I glanced back before staring at Lucas. There was a sickening moment of violence that flashed in his eyes. I knew it was playing with fire, trudging up our past like that. We were, of course, a different kind of creature back then. Two people surviving in a world meant for destruction.
“Get out Mrs. Summers.” He forcefully walked me through the doors of his facility and deposited me on the street.
“Always a pleasure doctor.” I mock-saluted as I clicked the beeper on my car keys. A creeping thought nagged its way through my brain.A girl. Would I be able to care for this one? Would she grow up with a loving sister?
19
G-R-E-E-N
“Spelling bee you say?” Scar sat cross-legged, looking at me sideways as the light reflected off his chain. He was missing when I woke up last night, and his shirt was covered in specks of red when he returned. I didn’t ask him about it though, Reyna said it was rude to ask people about their appearances. I missed her.
“Yes, Miss Stefanie says the whole class would be able to get a pizza party if we did well,” a smile crossed my face, and then it fell. “Do you think I’ll be able to see them again Scar?”
He looked funny before shaking his head. “I think you will see them again one day, trouble,” he tried to smile, but it looked like he was pushing his teeth out in a strange way. A giggle bubbled up my throat, and he resumed his grumpy look.
“My name’s Gabriella.” I said, my face still bruised from the awful man’s slap. And a pout settled on my face.
“Didn’t ask.”
“Okay…” I looked down at the layer of black dirt; if I moved it a certain way, I could create letters in it. I started spelling out the colors I knew.
B-l-u-e
R-e-d
P-i-n-k
I started writing one of my favorite colors next
P-u — I stopped and looked up.
“How do you spell purple?”
“P-u-r-p-l-e, think of a cat purring, it’ll help you remember. Why do you call me Scar?” He had his hand on his chin as if he were in thought.
“You remind me of the lion from the movie, and your eyes are the same. Green. I never met anyone with green eyes before, Uncle Cole has gray eyes, Reyna has brown eyes, and Mommy has eyes like mine. You must be special.”
“That’s uh— thanks. You shouldn’t tell the truth so easily trouble.”
“Why not? That’s what Reyna and Miss Stefanie said was best.” I crossed my arms over my chest, staring at him.
“You’ll be better off not telling them. The bad people. Lie to them, don’t ever give them the chance to take advantage of you.”
“Is that what they did to you last night?” I didn’t mean to ask, but curiosity crept in to fill the gaps between what I saw and what I understood.
“They were not kind to me. You going to tell me what happened to your face trouble?” He sat back against his wall; the chains rattled as he settled.
“The bad man smacked me,” I spoke low, not ready to face the consequences of my own actions.
