The Dark Gift

She was told it was her fault that she lived in this nightmare. She didn’t understand how or why she got her; it was blurry. All she knew was that the Bad People were gone, and she was alone with Hannah, sleeping in her crib. She held Hannah as she lay on the ground. She needed to protect her, but she felt so tired, and she awoke in the white room without Hannah. At first, she yelled for Hannah, but they never told her where to find her. Hannah needed her, and she needed Hannah; she was her big sister. The White Coats informed her that she was sick and needed to improve. She didn’t believe that at all; she felt healthy. Curling up into a corner of the room, Raven glanced at her white-patted room. She would have guests visiting and giving her food and medicine; they’d wear grey buttoned scrubs. Charles was one and her friend; maybe he could be her new father. He was her caretaker, just like a father should be. The Grey Scrubs would change often, but not Charles. Sometimes, she would leave her room and see other adults who called themselves Therapists. The Therapists would talk to her, which she liked, but she didn’t like most of their questions, and they would disappear. Then, Ms. Connors, her oldest friend like Charles, maybe she’d be her mother, and they would be a happy family. Her head shot up when she heard a sound come from the patted door to reveal two men wearing grey buttoned scrubs. She smiled when she saw Charles walk in, but another man stood behind him, whom she had never met. The man looked scared and didn’t look at her; she didn’t like being ignored. Raven wanted him to leave so Charles could be alone with her new daddy. “Hello, Raven,” Charles said with a smile, “Time for your medicine,” “Hello, Charles,” she responded. “who’s that,” “Charles, I don’t want to do this,” the man said Charles sighed, “Hugh, she’s eight,” he said, “what’s going to happen?” Hugh paused for a moment and took a deep breath, “Fine,” he said Hugh slowly and shakily walked towards her, holding two small paper cups; one held water, and the other held the medicine. Raven watched Hugh with every action he did; she tilted her head and smiled, “Why are you afraid of me?” she asked. “you’re bigger than me,” “Can I see Ms. Connors?” she asked Charles. Hugh didn’t respond but handed her medicine, and she took it, not taking her eyes off him. She opened her mouth to show him, “Was I a good girl?” she asked. Charles walked over to Raven and pulled out handcuffs, “Yeah, it’s about time,” he said Raven pointed her arm at Charles as he cuffed her, “Can you be my daddy?” he asked. Charles humoured her, “Sure, if you show me how strong you are,” he said in her ear. Raven looked at him with confusion, “What do you mean?” she asked, Charles didn’t respond. Raven was led out of the room; she glanced at Hugh, who looked away but followed close behind Charles as they walked down a long hallway. She stopped in front of a door, Hugh opened it, and she walked in. She stopped in her tracks; when she glanced around, she sensed another person but ignored it as she saw Ms. Connors. She had short blond hair and hazel eyes. The room was dark except for a lamp that hung over a table and two chairs, both across each other, “Hello, Raven,” Ms. Connors said without the smile that Raven was used to, “how are you?” Raven sat down and smiled at her mother, “I’m good,” she responded, “why’s it so dark?” “Today, we’re having a serious talk,” Ms. Connors responded Raven giggles, “Why doesn’t the person come out?” she asked. “we can all talk together,” Ms. Connors’ eyes widened at the words, “I don’t know what you’re talking about?” she asked Raven knew she was lying about the person and the reason for the darkness; she wiped the smile away from her face, “Why are you lying?” she asked in a monotone voice. “don’t be like the Bad People; I don’t like that,” Ms. Connors didn’t respond; she swallowed as she stared at Raven. She leaned forward with a smile, “Just kidding!” she said Ms. Connors finally smiled and laughed nervously, “Now we should get started,” she said, opening her notebook, “let’s continue where we left off. Tell me about your parents,” Raven said, “Why?’ she asked, “What’s to tell? I don’t want to talk about the Bad People,” “Okay, why did the Bad People hurt you?” Ms. Connors asked after she looked at her notebook “Who told you to that?” Raven asked, “I don’t like them. I don’t want you to know that. Can we talk about something else, like what’s your favourite food? You didn’t tell me that,” “Raven,” Ms. Connors said, “you can’t ignore your past,” “I don’t want to talk,” Raven said. “I like pizza; what about you?” “Did your parents give you pizza?” Ms. Connors asked “Stop talking about them,” Raven said. “What. Is. Your. Favourite. Food,” Ms. Connors looked up behind her, then looked back at Raven, “I like pizza too,” she said Raven smiled again, “We like the same things,” she said, “what about your favourite colour? I like black,” “Yellow,” Ms. Connor responded “Oh,” Raven said with a frown, “animal,” “Raven, we need to get back on track,” Ms. Connors said “Why can’t we talk?” Raven asked, “You’re my special friend,” Ms. Connors paused, then sighed, “Why did you kill your parents?” she asked Raven tilted her head, “Is someone talking to you ?” she asked “Raven, answer the question,” Ms. Connors said “But I don’t want to,” Raven said Ms. Connors took a deep breath and bit her lip, “You can’t pretend it didn’t happen,” she said “What’s your favourite animal?” Raven asked, “I like….” Ms. Connors shot up, “How can you pretend that you didn’t kill your parents?” she asked. “they took care of you,” “Ms. Connors, you don’t know what they did to me,” Raven said with rage. “Tell me,” Ms. Connors said as she sat back down, “I can help you,” “They hurt me,” Raven said with a trace of bitterness, “and they melted,” “How did they melt?” Ms. Connors asked Raven looked down at the table as tears started welling up, “I don’t know,” she said “How don’t you know?” Ms. Connor asked She looked up at Ms. Connors as tears fell from her eyes, “I just don’t,” she said, whipping her eyes. “What?’ Ms. Connors asked, “How do you not know what you did? You did it,” “Stop it,” she said. “I don’t like this,” Raven didn’t like what Ms. Connors was going through. She was supposed to be her loving mother, who would never make her sad. She didn’t want to remember seeing her parents melting before her eyes; she wanted it out of her head. She thought Ms. Connors was different than the other adults. “Raven!” Ms. Connors yelled “No!” she screamed. “stop it! I hate you!” Ms. Connors grabbed her chest, and then Raven saw black spots on her skin. She watched what happened to Ms. Connors as she fell. She screamed when she felt a painful shock, and she blacked out. ~ Raven woke up, and she couldn’t move. She glanced around, but she wasn’t in her white room. Instead, she was in a grey room, where she lay on a cold metal table tied down. Men in white coats surrounded her with needles; a man injected her, and others drew blood. “Leave me alone,” she shouted as black energy spread around her, taking out everyone nearby. The room was silent; Raven couldn’t move. She sat up, and her restraints were burnt off or rathered; they decayed. She glanced at the men, who looked as if they had been mummified for centuries in only a few minutes, and so did the room; it looked as if it had been abandoned. “Huh, powerful stuff,” said a man standing near the door “Charles!” Raven said when the man came into view Charles walked over to Raven, holding black gloves, “Let’s go, but you should wear this until we can figure out how your decay works,” he said, handing her the gloves. “you have strong power. With training, no one will ever hurt you again,” Raven looked at Charles, then a smile emerged on her face, “Can we get Hannah to?” she asked. Charles stretched out his hand, and Raven’s gloved hand took it, “Of course,” he said as they walked out of the room, leaving the decay and death behind.