Night and Silence - Polly's Story

The back story to Polly, one of the founders of the Renegades.

I suggest reading this back and forth chapter by chapter with Aidan's backstory. That's how they were written. :3

"Isotope Zero-Seven-Five-Nine?"

My eyes blinked open.
"How do you feel Zero-Seven-Five-Nine?"

My mouth moved silently.
"Zero-Seven-Five-Nine?"

"Who's there?" I asked in confusion.
"Hello? Zero-Seven-Five-Nine, can you hear us?"

"Of course I can! Where are you?" I hesitantly questioned. "I can't see you!"
A sharp snap sounded next to my ear and I jumped in surprise, looking for the source.
"Say something Zero-Seven-Five-Nine."

"I am talking!" I exclaimed. "Why can't you hear me?"
"We've got another dud," another voice announced with disappointment. "You know the orders."

"A dud? What do you mean a dud? Where am I?"
Now the first voice argued back, "She can obviously hear us! We haven't even tested her powers yet."

"She can't even talk. And from that film over her eyes, I'd assume she's blind, too. You know our orders. We have to terminate any fluke Isotopes."

"Terminate?" I'm shouting now. "Blind? Can't talk? I'm talking perfectly fine! You can't terminate me!"
"Calm down Zero-Seven-Five-Nine." A hand rested on my shoulder. "Nothing is going to happen to you. Listen Doctor, we haven't even conducted the tests yet! What happens if she still has her powers and you terminate her? Heli0n is not going to be happy with you if they find out that you terminated Zero-Seven-Five-Nine."

Now I was silent. My life was in this stranger's hands and I had no control. I needed desperately to hear what he said, which was practically impossible over the screaming that was apparently all in my head.
The Doctor sighed heavily. Nothing was said for a long time.
"Fine. We'll test her. But if she doesn't show signs of significant potential, we terminate her."

I sat up suddenly in my bunk bed, smacking my forehead against the metal bar above me. With a silent groan, I threw my feet off the side of the bed and rubbed the pain away. I would probably have a massive bruise on my head for the next few days, so I was grateful that my long, strawberry-blonde hair had bangs to cover any marks.
That was the fifth time I had relived my memories in the past week. These nightmares were getting ridiculous. How many times would I be forced to experience the panic I had felt during my first few minutes of waking existence?
When I had been created, my body was about eight years old, a little young compared to other Generation 2 Isotopes, but thankfully I was created early enough to grow up at the same age as my peers. It wasn't like that made a difference, though. Most G2s still avoided me because, well, why would anyone want to waste their time trying to carry a one sided conversation? That didn't really bother me, though. As it was, I usually preferred a little solitude.
I felt around for the clock on my nightstand. I was lucky enough to receive a standard clock with hands rather than the normal digital clock. I gently felt the hands of the clock, making sure not to move them. 1 o'clock. I assumed it was still the middle of the night from the soft snoring I heard above my bunk. Above me, my only friend slept as soundly as ever.
Hesitantly, I crawled up onto her bunk, glad that I was small and didn't disturb her sleep. Her breath was deep and even and I found my own slowly matching the steady rhythm. I froze as I tried to make a decision. Usually, my bunk-mate enjoyed it when I used my power. I didn't want to bother her, though. On a whim, I extended my hand and rested it on her wrist, plunging into a place I could hardly imagine.

Opening my eyes, I sucked in a breath of excitement. It was always breathtaking to have my sight was returned to me in dreams. I looked around, trying to figure out where I was.
A crooked smile spread across my face as I realized I was in my friend's very favorite place. It was the Rec. Room at our base, filled with G2 Isotopes after a long day of training. The room was packed tighter than a tin of sardines. Foosball tables were surrounded by rowdy teens a few years older than I was. Instead, I made my way over to my own age group. In front of our old, little TV was a dingy couch with no more room on it for a flea. Amongst its occupants were brown haired boy, blonde twins, and red haired girl laying across the three boys' laps. They were all close to my age, between ten and twelve years old.
With a shy smile, I walked over to join them. I wasn't sure at all why I was nervous. The only other real person in this dream was currently having her brilliant hair stroked by a blonde, athletic boy. "Hey Moll. I couldn't sleep," I explained as I perched on the arm of the sofa. "Hope you don't mind…?"
If it had been my dream, I certainly would have minded. Three boys? Only Molly would find it normal. Molly was always hanging off of boys. Well, in real life it was really just one of the twins, Eric. Unlike his brother, he was a complete pig when it came to girls, which is naturally why he and Molly worked perfectly together. Molly herself was irresistible, so I couldn't really blame Eric for losing it around her. There wasn't another Isotope on base with hair as fiery red as Molly. She was eleven and had matured earlier than any of the other girl Isotopes probably would. Molly could easily pull off being fourteen and she did, too, as often as she could. The older G2 Isotopes even talked to her. She was the envy of all the girls.
Especially me.
While I was only ten, I also looked nothing like my age. I looked seven. I was short, petite, and completely flat chested. My big brown, if not glazed over, eyes only added to my innocent appearance. My long, straight strawberry blonde hair was almost always pulled back with a ribbon that Molly would do for me every morning. She always liked to tell people I was her little sister, which I couldn't decide if I loved or hated. I would have killed to be as beautiful as she was and have her as my little sister, though. I sighed quietly as I dismissed my jealousy.
With a grin, Molly scooted over onto the farther twin's lap. There was never any real way of telling which one it was. "Polly!" she squealed with excitement. "Come sit down! Eric's lap is free!" Eric was free? Molly was so gross.
I blushed and scoffed. "Psh. Shut up Moll." Even in dreams I was way more reserved than my outgoing friend. Molly was always the center of a crowd. As serial number 0757 (0758 had been terminated), we were bunked together and became friends quickly. Molly didn't really mind that I was mute. In fact, sometimes I think she took pleasure in it. There were few things she enjoyed more than her own voice. Which, I must admit, I rather loved about Molly.
"Oh come on, Poll," Molly teased as she threw her arms around her twin, who I assumed was Sam, since she had offered me Eric.
The brown haired boy sitting closest to me, Allan was his name, offered his lap and smirked lopsidedly in a very non-Allan fashion. "You know, your fantasies are kind of terrible," I admitted to Molly as she necked her twin.
"Yeah?" she laughed as she paused to look at me. "They're my fantasies, though." Sam's hand snaked its way up her thigh, causing me to grimace and look away with embarrassment.
"Are you sure this isn't a bad time? I can leave whenever I want."
"You know you can't wake yourself up without waking me up!" Molly corrected me. "And you had better not wake me up yet. This is a good dream!"
"I can see that…" I mumbled meekly. I looked around the room for anything to avert my attention from the hormonal exchange happening next to me. My eyes landed on the TV. For the first time I noticed it wasn't actually playing anything. It was just static. I groaned and stood up. No surprise there. All the detail in Molly's mind was obviously going towards something other than background visuals. "You know, I feel awkward. I think I'm going to go see how far I can get out of the room."
"Ah come on, Polly! That's no fun!" Eric whined as he grabbed my hand and pulled me into his lap.
I shoved his hands away from me as they wrapped around my body. "Hey! Get off of me!" I grunted with annoyance.
"Oh Polly, relax!" Molly suggested as she stopped to look at me.
"What do you mean relax?" I snapped as Eric snickered and held me in his lap. "Your buddy here is going to rape me if he gets his way!"
"No he's not! It's a dream. Nothing bad is going to happen if you don't want it to."
"What are you talking about? What do you call nightmares, then?" I knew firsthand that you couldn't just wish the bad guys away. I'd tried it plenty of times. How could Molly just suggest nothing bad would happen to me in a dream if I just didn't want it to? She couldn't really be serious.
"It's lucid dreaming," Molly explained with a laugh. "You mean you haven't heard of lucid dreaming?" She was obviously in disbelief judging by the look on her face. "You'd think the girl with the power of dreams would have figured out lucid dreams already," she said to herself with exasperation.
"Well, could you hurry up and teach me? Eric's hands are trying to get up my skirt!"
"You know, you really should thank me. How many girls can say they've made out with Eric?"
"Like every girl on base without standards!" I spat with annoyance. This was getting unreasonable.
Eric made a face that screamed hurt puppy. "Ouch. That hurts my feelings," he said sarcastically.
A second pair of hands rested on my shoulders and I glanced to Allan nervously. "Just relax! We're not so bad."
"Molly!"
"Fine! Fine!" Molly growled. In one swift movement, she rolled off of Sam's lap and onto her feet, examining the four of us on the cramped couch. "Now, Polly, do you want to get to second base with any of these boys?" she asked simply.
"No!" I shouted as I tried to push Sam off of me now, too.
"Really?" Molly asked in surprise. "None of them? I mean, there's two hot twins. Or, if you aren't into that kind of thing, there's Allan."
"Molly!"
"Jeez, sorry. Sorry. Anyways. What you're going to do is stop them."
Well, that was terrible advice. "S-stop them?" I stammered. "Is that all you have to say?" I shot her the angriest glare I could muster.
"Well, I don't know how else to explain it. You know you're dreaming, right?"
"Of course I do"!
"Well, then you have control. Things don't have to be normal in dreams! They don't need to make sense. It's all in your head!"
"This is your dream, though!" If it was all Molly's dream, then why wasn't she stopping all this nonsense? I couldn't control other people's dreams. I could only walk through them…right?
"Just try it!"
I squeezed my eyes shut. This was ludicrous. It was impossible. It was insane. It was preposterous. It was working?
I opened my eyes in confusion. Only a moment ago I had felt six hands pulling and tugging on me in three directions. Now…I looked around. I was sitting alone on the couch. "Where'd they go?" I asked in a stupor.
Molly clapped her hands slowly. "I'm not going to lie. That was really freaking impressive. You say you've never tried this before?"
"Why?" I asked with puzzlement. "What did I do?"
"Well, you made them go away," Molly started. She walked over to the couch and rubbed a smudge of ash on the fabric. "From the looks of things, I'd say you vaporized them."
"I vaporized them?" I gasped in astonishment.
Molly nodded with a satisfied smile before she sat down next to me. For a minute or two we sat in silence. The sounds of the older G2s playing Foosball in the background were the only sound as we mulled through our thoughts. "You know, you didn't have to vaporize them," Molly sighed. "That was turning into a really good dream."
I chuckled to myself as I sat back in satisfaction. "You're nasty. The twins? Really?"
"Are you kidding? Have you seen them?" Molly exclaimed.
"No!" I shouted as I shoved my friend playfully.
"Oh, well, you know what I mean! They're hot!"
"Oh shut up Molly! You're such a perv!"

And that was how I spent the rest of my night. I never really realized how special that evening was until later, when I discovered that lucid dreaming wasn't just a handy little skill I had picked up on. It was a power and a force to be reckoned with. I didn't know that then, though. I was only ten. If I thought I was talented then, I had no clue what my future held in store.

"And she's your bunkmate?"
My tray had been cleared of all meat and I was now pushing around my overcooked vegetables. It was dinner time in the North American Congress (NAC) Heli0n Base. Children and teens were seated in a cafeteria-styled setting; lunch tables stretched across the room and were filled with Isotopes. Well, Generation 2 Isotopes. Generation 1 Isotopes were privileged enough to eat in staff rooms, considering they made up a bulk of the staff, anyways.
"Well, yes, but she's my little sister."
Molly was going off again. She had dressed me in her very cutest outfit, a black skirt and white turtleneck, and adorned a large red ribbon in my hair. On Thursdays, she would sit with the older G2s and always brought me along to make her look older.
"No way!" a boy a few years older than me countered. "Except for the twins, they don't make us siblings. And they were accidents! You're totally full of it!"
"I am not!" Molly retorted. "They used some of the same DNA in us! Our eggs were donated from the same woman! That makes us siblings."
"Half siblings maybe. You don't even look the same!"
"What are you talking about? Our eyes are practically identical! Just like our noses!" A soft smile spread across my face. I knew for a fact that Molly's eyes were green and deep set while mine were brown and almond shaped. I also knew that my button nose looked in no way similar to Molly's sharp features. She was such a liar, I think she believed her own stories.
"Well," a new voice said behind me. "I think she's as cute as a bug's ear!" The boy who owned the voice had a heavy southern accent and rustled my hair as he sat next to me. My face was bright red as I fixed my bangs self consciously. "What's your name?"
I looked to Molly to answer for me. "It's Paulina. I named her myself," she replied with annoyance. I could tell it bothered her that another boy thought I was the cute one.
"What's the matter?" he asked patronizingly. "Cat got your tongue?"
I swallowed my mushy carrots and cleared my throat.
"She's mute," Molly whispered. That situation just got awkward. I hunched over my tray and wished I wasn't squeezed between the humiliated boy and my annoyed friend. Nobody said anything. I realized quickly that there wasn't anything left on my tray and I had been aimlessly scraping at plastic.
"Wait a second," the first boy's voice broke the silence. "So…you're bunkmates. And siblings. And you named her? There's no way! You're totally a liar! I knew it!"
"No! They almost terminated Paulina!" Molly barked with anger. "When we first talked, she told me she didn't have a name! The scientists had forgotten to give her one! So I gave Paulina her name instead!"
"What?" the boy laughed. "You say talked? I thought you just said she was mute! You're totally full of shit."
"She's a dream controller dammit!" Molly screeched. "We talked in my sleep!"
Although the conversation had taken a deadly turn for the worst, a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. Of course, I'd never let Molly see it. She would kill me. I wasn't smiling at the situation, anyways. It was the memory of my first encounter with Molly.
For as much of a liar as Molly was, she had told the truth about one thing. She had given me my name. Everything she had said was the truth. The scientists had overlooked giving me my name. Amidst all the excitement of discovering their "dud" creation had actually possessed a very unique power, they had completely skipped over their important duty of naming me.

I looked around meekly in wonder. "Wow…" I said distantly. An endless meadow stretched out under a baby blue sky. Fluffy, shape shifting clouds lazily made their way through the atmosphere above us. Flowers of every color covered the ground, all of them perfectly formed. "Your dream world is beautiful."
A young Molly twirled around in surprise. "Who are you?" she asked defensively. "I'm an Isotope! I swear! If you come near me, I'll turn you into a frog!"
"You'll turn me into a frog?" I questioned. "Your power is to turn people into frogs?"
The nine year old girl frowned and crossed her chubby arms, shaking her curly red hair and glaring at me. "No! So far I can turn people into frogs, birds, and any rodent!"
I raised my eyebrow, but said no more. "I'm a dream walker. They just brought me to your room. We're bunkmates now, I suppose. I felt I should introduce myself wile I could."
Molly's face softened as she realized I was a fellow Isotope and not an enemy to her perfect world. "Oh! Well, why didn't you say so?" She waltzed over to me and shook my hand with excitement. "I've wanted a bunkmate for weeks! The boy who was supposed to be my bunkmate ended up getting terminated because his power was to create bubbles. Poor kid. I'm Molly! What's your name?"
"Zero-Seven-Five-Nine," I answered instantly. Hearing my serial number repeated so many times during the tests, the number had become imprinted in my mind like a branding iron on a cow.
"Zero-Seven-Five-Nine?" Molly countered. "That's not a real name. What's your real name?"
"I already told you. Zero-Seven-"
Molly's heavy sigh cut me off mid sentence. "Don't tell me they didn't give you a name?" The way she tapped her toe with her hands on her hips reminded me of an impatient waitress. Even then, two years ago, her face showed exactly what it was thinking. In this instant, absolute annoyance played out across her squinted eyes and pouting lips. I wasn't quite sure when I would have ever met a waitress. I had never been off base before, but an image came perfectly into mind. I assumed it must be a part of my programming.
"Zero-Seven-"
"Well, that's just not going to do!"
"Sorry…" I responded compliantly, folding my hands behind my back and looking at the ground.
Molly stroked her chin and walked around me. "Well, we're going to have to give you a name, aren't we?"
I smiled widely as I turned my gaze to her. "Really? You mean I don't have to be Ze-"
"No!" Molly asserted. "You won't ever have to go by your stupid serial number again!"
My grin widened. "Perfect!" I clapped my little eight-year-old hands together in excitement.
"Now," Molly continued as she walked around me, observing my every feature. I fidget in my spot as she took me in. "Let's see…" she mused lazily. "You kind of look like an Abigail. No, no, your hair says Candice." She stopped walking around me and stared me in the face. "But your eyes say Paulina."
"Paulina?" I asked in perplexity. "But that sounds like a guy name!" I furrowed my brows and looked away.
"No it doesn't!" Molly argued in a gleeful tone as she spun around me on her tip toes. "It reminds me of a ballerina!"
I crossed my arms across my chest. "I don't like it! Why can't my name be Abigail?" It had such a beautiful ring to it. It sounded so proud and majestic and virtuous. Paulina sounded like the name of an ugly little dog.
"Your name's gonna be Paulina and there's nothing you can do to stop it!" Molly sang as she danced around me. "It's too late. I already decided!"
Now I was getting angry. I didn't like that name one bit! While it brought visions of sugar plum fairies to Molly's mind, I found the name trashy and repulsive. "Why can't I choose my own name?"
"Because. Paulina is so cute!" Molly chirped as she perched on a rock.
I sat down in a rage on the ground. I was too angry to say anything. Turning my back to the childish girl, I muttered curses under my breath. That stopped her dancing pretty quickly.
"Ah come on," she cooed as she made her way to my side. "Don't be like that. Why don't you like the name Paulina? I think it's a gorgeous name. Besides, it was the name your eyes gave me. They always say name a girl after her eyes. It's the window to the soul you know."
I exhaled a deep breath and look at the apologetic girl sitting next to me in the grass. "You really think so?"
"Of course," Molly agreed seriously. "Why else would they say it? A beautiful name to go with beautiful brown eyes."
I frowned and stared at some invisible point in the distance. "This isn't what my eyes are normally like, though."
Molly tilted her head at my words. "What do you mean?"
"Well," I began slowly, unsure of what to say. "The reason I came to you in a dream to introduce myself is because I can't do it in real life."
This, of course, only confused the poor girl more. "What are you talking about? If it's because you don't have a name-"
"No, no. It has nothing to do with that." I stopped my speech and turned my gaze to Molly, analyzing her, trying to decide how I should tell her. Obviously, I needed to tell her. This wasn't just information you could hide or cover up. "I'm blind," I blurted out.
Molly's face looked more confused than I expected it to. "Well, why would that stop you from introducing yourself?" she asked to my surprise. I expected some sort of response like "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I had no idea!" Not another question.
I decided not to beat around the bush with this one either. "I'm also mute. They almost terminated me. I got lucky with my power though. First Isotope to have any control over dreams. Who knew?" I chuckled nervously and crossed my legs.
Now Molly's face looked like it understood. "I see."
We sat in silence for a while. Little did I know that would become a common scene for the next four years of my life and would usually be followed by a completely off the wall statement.
"So, I still like the name Paulina," Molly stated with a smile creeping across her face.
"No! No!" I laughed pushing Molly playfully. "I really don't like that name! Can we please call me Abigail? I could even be Abby if that's too many syllables."
"Well, what about I call you Polly?" Molly suggested. "Your name will still be Paulina, of course, but that's the bargain. Take it or leave it."
We locked eyes and in an instant I knew she was serious. This was the best I was going to get. "Fine!" We shook hands on it and lay back in the flowers, staring at the clouds above us.
"You know what's funny," Molly pondered aloud. "Our names rhyme."
I nodded and giggled. "Polly and Molly. I like the sound of that."
"Well, that's a first," she teased and poked me. We giggled on the meadow for what seemed like years as we got to know each other. I had to hand it to Molly. She really could dream up a perfect place.

"Sure she is," the first boy agreed sarcastically with a furious Molly. "Right guys?" The other boys at the table all laughed in agreement with the exception of the still silent boy who had sat next to me.
My face burned madly in frustration and embarrassment. I silently gripped Molly's hand and she stood up instantly. "Alright, let's get out of here. These IDIOTS don't deserve our time."
As quickly as I could, I got up after my friend and hurried after her as she led me away from the laughing table of teenagers. "Don't worry about them Polly," Molly assured me in a hushed voice as she fast walked us out of the room. "We'll show them someday. You'll knock them all out with just a touch and I'll turn them into the piles of crap they are."
There was no holding back the smile that spread across my features. I loved Molly and her crazy ideas. She always knew how to cheer me up with her angry pep talks. I squeezed her hand to communicate my feelings of gratitude for the protection.
"Don't worry about it Polly," she assured me as she led me down the hallway. "That's what best friends are for, right?"
I nodded my head. We were a team. A pair. A dynamic duo. Molly and Polly would always be around to take on a new day.
At least that was what I thought.

Training was always filled with chaos when it came to the young Isotopes. Burning rooms, disappearing teens, flooded corridors, and rampaging technology was considerably normal around the training facilities. Everyone always looked forward to Thursdays the most, though, because while the rest of the week was filled with simple exercises and stamina training, Thursdays were the day for displaying what you had accomplished. Molly and I had nicknamed them "Show-Off Days" and, essentially, they lived up to the name.
Today was really no different than the hundreds of Thursdays before. Our small group was safely tucked away in our large, warehouse-styled exercise room. A tall ceiling as well as cement floors and walls served perfectly for these kinds of days. Currently, Molly and I were sitting on a bench watching the twins flaunt their power.
They were always the best in our group by far. Molly's power was lacking to put it kindly and I could only show off my power to somebody who was asleep, so usually I just didn't present. Our groups had been determined from creation based on potentially good teams. Potentially, we had two telekinetic twins, who also shared a psychic bond with each other, a girl who could turn you into anything she could imagine, and a deceivingly handicapped girl that could make your nightmares become reality. Potentially being the key word.
Unfortunately, Allan had shown no signs of a developing power and it was rumored that he had been terminated. It had been years since we had seen him and he was really only a distant memory to most of us in the backs of our minds. I missed him, though. Even if he had tried raping me in Molly's sick fantasy dream land. Nobody could blame him for that, of course, was never real. But he certainly hadn't been the first Isotope to disappear and he wouldn't be the last, either. We were all sure of that.
Applause erupted suddenly from Molly. Eric must have done something cool, as usual. The twins always had the best displays and everyone, including our instructor Clayton, always looked forward to what they were going to do.
Their abilities worked perfectly with each other. Being able to move things without ever touching them allowed the twins to do plenty of multitasking. Not to mention that their telepathic connection with each other let them plan and execute their every move in perfect synchronization.
I nudged Molly, silently asking her to give me a recap of what had happened.
"They just totally took down Clayton!" she whispered, barely able to contain her excitement. "It was crazy! Sam knocked Clayton's feet out from under him with the broom that had been sitting in the corner and then Eric tackled him! It was simply fantastic!"
A happy smile shone on my face. At least they were doing great. Molly had chosen to go first today and it had proved to be a total embarrassment. She had attempted to turn one of her many "volunteers" back into their human form. For the last three weeks the lab assistant had been living as a lab rat. From what I could understand from the twins' conversation, it didn't work at all. It was something along the lines of not being fully formed or inside out or something equally disgusting. Needless to say, I was lucky I couldn't comment on the pitiful exhibit of quote unquote improvement.
"Paulina," Clayton started as he obviously caught his breath. "Do you have anything to show us this week?"
I shook my head vigorously "no" before a smirk spread across his face.
"Paulina, I figured it out," Clayton laughed to my dismay.
I frowned and blinked my eyes, clearing the false blindness from them. "Really? Already?" I hopped off of the bench as the G2s around us showed their confusion.
"It took me a good while," the older man said with a proud smile. "It was Molly that ruined the whole thing."
I observed her closely. She looked pretty normal to me. "What was it?" I asked with curiosity.
"Well, first off; she would never attempt to turn an animal back into a human. Mostly because I doubt she could even make it change into something as disgusting as that half-rodent, half-human, all-bloody carcass. She only makes things smaller so far. Second; she didn't wear that shirt today. Today she wore one that looks way too large on her and hangs off her shoulders. Third; simply fantastic? I highly doubt her vocabulary would allow her to say anything that sophisticated."
I sighed heavily and dropped my shoulders. "Dangit. I really thought she wore her blue tank top today…" I groaned heavily.
"Your display with the twins was perfect, though," Clayton added to try and brighten my mood. "That was exactly what they would have done, too. Brava. If Molly hadn't have been here, I never would have guessed I was dreaming the whole thing in a million years."
Clayton's words of encouragement put a smile right back on my face as I strolled up to him. "Shall I wake us up, then?"
He nodded as he extended a hand, allowing me to thrust us through the ground at lightning speeds and back into reality.

Our group clapped with enthusiasm as Clayton and I reemerged from our sleep. Clayton was sitting in his office chair and smiled as he stretched. My face lit up as my friends praised my work.
"How'd it go?"
"Did he buy it?"
"You guys were asleep a long time."
"What was it like?"
"Tell us how it went!"
"Ok, alright you guys. Slow down! One at a time," Clayton laughed groggily. He straightened as he continued on to admit, "It went well. I didn't even figure out I was dreaming until the very end."
Another round of cheers rose from my peers.
"Finally!" Molly exclaimed as she grabbed my hand. "I've been wanting to see you present for, like, ever! Well, I mean I know what you can do, but you never get to present on Thursdays and I felt you were missing out and-"
"Dude, that was totally awesome!" Eric cut in with his thick Canadian accent. "I didn't know you could control what happens now! That's so freaking awesome!"
I couldn't help but blush as the compliments poured over me. Sam even spoke up to tell me he was happy I could finally show Clayton how good I was. It was always surprising how different that boy was from Molly's fantasies. Usually, the teen was reserved and let Eric talk for him.
"I certainly have to agree with everyone," Clayton spoke up over the commotion, trying to quiet us as he spoke. "You certainly get a good score." He laid a hand on my shoulder with pride as I was glowing with joy.
"Wait you score us?" Molly asked nervously.
Clayton laughed heartily and the twins snickered. "Of course not. I'm just kidding," he assured the paranoid adolescent.
Molly seemed skeptical, but her wrist began ringing and ended the conversation. I could hear Molly fiddling with a few buttons and the voice of a woman was heard. "Isotope Zero-Seven-Five-Seven, please report to Room Six-Zero-Three for mission briefing immediately. That is all."
I could practically feel everyone in the room raise their eyebrows in wonder.
"You're going on a mission?" Eric spoke up first, proving it was his personal goal to end all awkward silences.
Molly shrugged and giggled. "I guess so! I knew they'd realize how useful I was eventually."
"Be careful Molly," Clayton warned quietly. "I'm sure it's just something small, but be careful. I wasn't even briefed on your mission."
"Of course I'll be careful!" Molly scoffed as she began throwing her goodbye hugs to everyone. She got to me last and squeezed me as tightly as I assumed she possibly could. "Be a good girl, Poll!" she ordered in a sing-song voice.
Of course and shoved her playfully for patronizing me. Being 13 and 14 was way different than being 8 and 9. She snickered as she rushed out of the room in excitement.
As I smiled and waved goodbye to my friend, I never would have imagined it would be the last time I heard her laughing.

I opened my eyes, laying in bed and listening to the sounds of my room. The slight ticking from my old mechanical clock set the rhythm for my breathing. The sink in our miniscule bathroom dripped a few times rapidly, but then stopped just as quickly. Something was out of place.
It was nearly impossible for me to decipher what was setting me on edge. Everything sounded fine. I didn't hear anything out of the ordinary at all. Sitting up quickly, I froze and intensified my hearing.
Nothing. Nothing struck me as odd. I didn't hear footsteps, or a slight brush of fabric, or even breathing. I frowned as I realized that had been exactly what was amiss. The bed above me made no noise whatsoever. A heavy sigh escaped me as I realized Molly was still gone on her mission. She had left five days ago and, thanks to my sensitive hearing, I had woken up to say goodbye. The memory of hearing her setting out clothes for me for the next few days still warmed my heart. Even as she was preparing to leave on her first real adventure, her first priority was making sure I'd be fine on my own.
"You sure you'll be fine on your own, Poll? I can get them to bring you a roommate for the next few days! I'm sure they'd let you stay with the twins. They'd take good care of you!"
I shook my head vigorously "no", knowing that Molly was more than reluctant to leave me on my own. I knew she meant well, but I could never stay with the twins. Try as I might, I could just never get that visual of the almost-gang-rape scene out of my head. It wasn't their fault…well; it may have been Eric's. I'd heard him and Molly in the broom closets. Being blind had its benefits, like super hearing, smell, and even touch, but when you're stuck outside a closet with two horny teenagers in it, well, let's just say it's not all it's cracked up to be.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright on your own, Polly?" Molly urged me intently. "This is going to be a dangerous mission. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone. The thought of you being all alone…" Molly trailed off and sniffled, making me feel guiltier than ever.
With a heavy sigh, I shrugged and plopped down on the bed, my signal of submission to the dominant teen. It was obvious she was pleased by the clapping of her hands and the strange squealing she managed to make. "Stay right here, Polly! I'm going to run and grab the boys. They can stay here while I'm gone. I'm sure they could share a bunk or sleep on the floor or something!"
Without going into detail, that living arrangement didn't last long. Sam was relatively tolerable, but if Molly's patronizing habits had annoyed me before, Eric made me want to kill myself from embarrassment. While Molly had set out clothes for me to wear this week, Eric found it particularly satisfying to dress me himself. God only knows what the pervert chose. All I know is that it was way too short, tight, and that I didn't like him undressing me like a child. Or cutting my food for me. Or spoon feeding me at every meal. Or rocking me like a baby in the Rec Room. What was I supposed to do, though? It wasn't like I could fight him off. He was bigger than me, stronger than me, and, not to mention, had all five of his senses, not to mention a sixth sense with his brother. My power only affected people in their sleep and, until bed, there was nothing I could do. After two days of being Eric's plaything, I would have gladly given my other senses to be Molly's kid sister again.
Swinging my legs out of bed, I gingerly picked my way over to where Molly had laid out my clothes across the room. I didn't care what time it was. All I knew was that I wanted to get out of my room for a little while. Even if that meant wandering the halls at 2 am. Yes, it was against base rules, but I had long ago discovered that being handicapped gave you a certain immunity to rules.
With my fingers outstretched, I grabbed for whatever was on top of the chair, finding out that it was a mid length skirt and a blouse. If they were anything like the rest of my wardrobe, it was safe to assume that the pleated skirt was black, the short sleeved blouse white and the ribbon that rested on top of the ensemble to be red. Slipping out of my nightgown, I quickly dressed myself and headed for the door.
Like a phantom, I wandered down the silent hallways, my fingers brushing against the wall so I wouldn't get too lost. My assumption was right. It was very early in morning. The only sounds came from my own footsteps and the distant echoes of night guards who could probably care less about a small girl who was probably on her way back from the bathroom anyways.
A sudden sound caught my attention. It was far off. It was too hard to tell what I was hearing for sure. My feet stopped as I tried to get a better idea of what it was. The noise was growing closer every second. It wasn't until it was right around the corner that I recognized it. A pair of heavy breathers was rushing towards me and the next thing I knew, they had toppled me over and we were laying on a heap on the floor. I pulled myself into a sitting position as I tried to figure out what the hell was going on.
"Polly!"
"We were coming to get you right now!"
"It's Molly!"
"You have to come with-"
"Us right now! And hurry!"
The minute one of them had finished the other's sentence I knew it was the twins. I furrowed my brows in confusion. What were they talking about? Before I had time to figure anything out, they had both grabbed me by the hand and were dragging me along after them down the hallways. As we ran, I began to notice the sound of alarms blaring on this side of base. I was surprised I hadn't heard them earlier. Suddenly, I needed to know what was going on.
"We're going to the front!" Eric shouted over the now wailing sirens.
Sam tried to make things clearer for me. "Eric and I were out and then this glass just broke! It was crazy! It just shattered!"
"So we went to find out what it was outside and-"
"Molly was out there and-"
Suddenly they dropped my hands and I heard them push open a heavy pair of doors. I stepped forward cautiously, realizing they weren't going to finish what they were saying. The toe of my shoe brushed against something on the ground and my heart dropped into my stomach. I crouched on the ground and hesitantly extended my fingers to brush against the face of a human.
"We found her like this…" one of the boys said quietly. I wasn't sure which one it was. Frankly, I didn't care which one it was. All I could think about was Molly.
I frantically felt for her pulse, relief sweeping over me as a faint throb could be felt by my sensitive touch. Her breath was too shallow to feel, but I could her lungs wheeze when my ear was next to her mouth. I did the only thing I could think to do.

I opened my eyes. It was still dark. Confusion swept over me. Had it worked? I spun around to find Molly's motionless body floating in the darkness. Confusion was replaced with concern. Why was she still weak in her dream? I rushed to her side and pulled her head gently into my lap.
"Molly…" I said gently, trying to hold back the little wells of tears that were forming in my eyes. "What happened to you?"
Molly's emerald green eyes opened weakly, staring up into my brown ones. A soft smile spread across her face as she saw it was me. "Where are we Poll?" she managed to whisper out.
Without moving my eyes from hers, I made the universe a little more comfortable. I didn't need to look around to know exactly what was around us. A beautiful, star filled night sky hung over our heads. That endless meadow of flowers stretched underneath us. All of it completed with the occasional shooting star. "We're right at home Moll…" I answered, not even realizing I was crying until one of my hot tears dropped onto Molly's pale neck.
Molly's smile was heartbreaking. "I'm in Heaven, aren't I?" she asked dreamily as she gazed around her.
"Sure Moll, sure," was all I could possibly squeak out. "We're going to stay right here. You're not ever going to leave, okay?" My lip was quivering as I slowly rocked my Molly back and forth.
"Why….why are you crying?" Molly asked quietly. It was apparent that she was baffled by my behavior. I didn't know why, but I could do nothing by continue on the sick lie we were telling together.
"Because I'm so happy," I whispered as I tried to wipe my blonde hair and tears out of my face. There was something I needed to know. Something that had been clawing at my brain ever since I realized what was happening. "What happened to you?"
"There….There was a boy," she began, stopping mid sentence as she coughed away from me. As a dark substance stained the grass beneath us, I realized for the first time how dull everything was. Our world that we had created together was fading quickly. It seemed like we were in our own bubble, spanning only about 20 feet around us. Only two stars were left in the sky. "He…he could-" She coughed again. "Control…shadows."
I narrowed my eyes in confusion. A boy who could control shadows? I would let myself believe that Molly's imagination was just running away with her, but the way the she looked up at me wouldn't allow anything of the sort. Her big, green eyes brimming with tears of pain contradicted the frail smile on her face. "Is he the one who did this to you Molly?" I asked urgently.
Molly opened her mouth, looking like she had something to say. Instead she seemed to just lay there, shallow breaths wheezing through her chest. "You…you were always…the best little sister," she breathed. Had it not been for the heavy silence around us, I wouldn't have heard her.
"Don't say that, Molly!" I whimpered. "I am still your little sister! Not were! Am!"
"You know…" she continued, completely ignoring my protests in a typical Molly fashion. "If I ever did have a sister…I bet she could never measure up…to you…"
Sobs erupted from my chest. My eyes and nose run uncontrollably and hot salt water assaulted my taste buds. "Molly," I managed to choke out. "Please don't say that!"
Molly smiled angelically and murmured, "Stop crying, Poll."
"B-but we were supposed to do everything together!" I stammered. "We were going to train and go on missions and grow up and fall in love with boys and talk about them all night and have kids and tell them they were cousins and I can't do any of that without you!" My breath came in ragged gasps as I struggled to talk and control my hysterics at the same time.
Molly's smile never once faded as she muttered in a distant voice, "That sounds awfully nice," peacefully closed her eyes and exhaled her last breath.
Like a candle being put out, everything ceased to be. Molly's body had vanished from my arms. The meadow finally faded into complete darkness. I was alone.
"Molly?" I whispered hesitantly. "W-where are you?"
The silence was deafening.
"Molly?" My voice had no returning echo in this vast universe of nothing. I tried to shout louder, begging, pleading, praying for an answer. Any answer. There was nothing except me and my darkness.
I didn't know how long I was there…suffering…cursing the world…praying I would disappear just as Molly had done…It was hopeless. For an eternity, my only companion was my grief and the darkness around me. I wanted it to go away. I wanted to be back in the meadow with Molly. I wanted to frolic in the bright sunshine of midmorning. The darkness only reminded me of Molly now. Many times I tried to bring myself back. I tried to recreate those beautiful scenes with my best friend. Nothing worked. I had no control. This was not my dream. This was my nightmare.
I screamed evils to the world until I thought my throat was surely bleeding. I rubbed my salt crusted eyes until they were raw. I raced through the abyss surrounding me in every direction until the blisters on my feet bled.
I laid flat on my back, too tired and heartbroken to move a muscle. My eyes were glued above me, scanning the skyline for any signs of Molly's return. The black all around me was so complete that I couldn't tell if I was pointing up or down. I wasn't crying anymore, but the occasional whimper escaped my mouth. I didn't want to be there anymore. I didn't want to be in these dreams that reminded me of Molly ever again. Why had Helli0n cursed me with this damn affliction?
I wished I had been terminated.
I wished I had never been created.
I wished I had never met Molly and become so close to her.
I wished she had never left for her mission.
I wished Helli0n had never sent her.
I wished Helli0n had never been created.
I wished I could get revenge on Helli0n for doing this to me.