I hadn’t slept. I had spent the entire night sitting on the edge of my bed, alternating between sobbing violently, and mumbling angrily to myself. All hope of having a normal friendship with Eric had been eradicated. I wasn’t really experienced in the subject, but it seemed improbable that any sort of relationship could be reconciled with someone whose marriage proposal I had brutally rejected. Though it pained me, I concluded that Eric was mentally unstable, most likely from growing up in The Facility. He seemed to have lost his grasp on reality. I would have suggested talking with a therapist, but I had a feeling that Eric wasn’t quite fond of psychologists anymore...
I stared at myself in the mirror, the somewhat pretty reflection from the day before completely replaced with that of an emotionally and physically exhausted monster. I ignored the sound of my new alarm chiming, alerting me that I should have been getting ready for the party. It felt as though my world was collapsing around me, and I had no way of holding up the walls.
A professional-sounding knock came from my front door. I dragged my feet, hoping with every part of me that it wouldn’t be Eric. Through the peephole, I saw William’s harsh-looking face. In opening the door, I was able to see a medium sized box in his hand, wrapped skillfully in penguin-adorned paper.
“Happy birthday, Angela,” William said with an insincere smile, reaching the present out to me.
“Thanks, William,” I said hoarsely, throat raw from bawling. I gently placed the gift on the coffee table, gesturing for William to have a seat in the chair.
“I didn’t want to disturb you last night, you looked very upset. Are you alright?” William asked, failing at his attempt to sound concerned.
“No,” I said, a little shocked that I was being honest with the man who had held me captive for so long.
“Do you… want to talk about it?” William asked, obviously inexperienced in the art of being social.
I glared at the strict, old man across from me, his hair slicked back as always. Spotless suit and shoes, matching his spotless ego and sense of superiority.
“Okay. I’m sure you already know that Eric proposed to me last night,” I said bitterly.
Genuine shock spread across the man’s face.
“Er… no. Young Mr. Stein approached me a few days ago and made a request that we did not monitor your evening together last night. He said it was going to be very special. I assumed… er…” William stumbled over his own words. For the first time ever, I witnessed him blush.
“What? Oh, William! Come on!” I screeched, cringing in repugnance.
William cleared his throat, quickly relieving himself of his own sudden embarrassment. He uncomfortably shifted in his seat, adjusting his suit jacket keenly.
“Well, er… did you accept his proposal, then?” William asked, composing himself.
“Of course not,” I retorted, crossing my arms hastily. “He’s not even eighteen.”
“Yes, but with the permission of his parents...” William began technically.
“No, it’s not even that. Eric is… was my best friend. I don’t think of him like that. Anyway, he was really upset. I just… I just sort of ran out on him,” I explained, even more surprised that I was continuing to be honest with William.
“I see,” he said distantly. It seemed as though William had begun thinking very intently about something, but I had no idea what. “Well, I’m sure everything will turn out just fine.”
The amount of craftiness that had suddenly flooded William’s voice was very concerning. I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to imagine what could have possibly been going through his head.
“Would you like to open your gift?” William asked, simulating kindness.
“Shouldn’t I open it at the party?” I asked confusedly.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to The Village, today. Very busy,” William explained, acting somewhat suspicious.
I retrieved the present from the table in front of me, carefully pulling at the corners of the neatly wrapped paper.
“I remembered that you’re quite fond of penguins,” William said, proud of himself.
“I was when I was ten,” I countered in a hushed voice, too low for his old ears to pick up on.
“What was that?” William asked sincerely.
“Yes, very fond. Love the little buggers,” I said with a fake smile.
My eyes lit up as I removed the top of the box, revealing a shimmering, deep blue dress. I picked it up by the shoulders, allowing the ruffled bottom to fall all the way down to my feet.
“Blue is your favorite, if I’m not mistaken,” William said, looking thoroughly fulfilled by my delight.
“It’s gorgeous, William. Really, thank you. It’s a very sweet gift,” I cooed, momentarily forgetting my general loathing of the man.
I held the dress up to myself, the bottom fanning out gracefully as I twirled.
“You’re an adult now, I figured it might be time to supply you with a more mature wardrobe,” William said, returning to his professional demeanor.
I smiled in thanks as he stood, brushing out a few invisible wrinkles from his suit. I was taken aback as William’s behavior shifted slightly, his eyes landing on the glinting stone dangling from my neck. I stepped back out of reflex, as he reached for the necklace, then tentatively allowed him to examine it.
“Isn’t that lovely,” he said in a devious tone.
“Al gave it to me,” I clarified. My words instantly brought an expression of discreet joy to William’s face.
“Did he, now? How very kind of him,” William said, letting the stone drop back to my chest. “I believe it will go quite well with your dress.”
“Yes.” I nodded timidly in agreement, still a little nervous about William’s strange reaction to my necklace, as he moved toward the door.
“Would you be so kind as to try it on for me?” William asked. It would be easy to interpret the request as creepy and off-putting, but the expression in his eyes was sincere. William and I may never have gotten along well, what with the whole ‘him keeping me captive and running tests on me’ thing, but he undoubtedly felt connected to me in some way. Not necessarily a paternal connection, but has at least thought of me as some sort of pet he had raised from a baby; the baby was all grown up.
I smiled and retreated to my room, towing the heavy lump of blue fabric on my shoulder to prevent it from dragging on the floor. In pulling on the dress, after changing out of my frumpy pajamas, I witnessed something I hadn’t expected: I transformed into a beautiful woman. My reflection from the previous day didn’t hold a candle to what I was looking at now.
The sleeves rested securely on the very edges of my shoulders, with sequins crawling down the entire bodice in a leafy pattern, perfectly catching the rays of blue and purple cast from my necklace. Sheer, lacy fabric flowed freely from my waist all the way down to the floor, trailing elegantly behind me as I moved. The back was open, held together by a jeweled strap across my shoulder blades, and revealing how little advantage I had taken of the Light Therapy Room. I barely recognized the woman in the mirror. She was dignified and polished; she looked like a princess. It seemed impossible that I was gazing at my own image.
“Angela? Is everything alright? Doesn’t it fit properly?” William called from the other side of my bedroom door.
“No,” I whispered, voice catching in my throat. “No, it’s... perfect.”
I pulled on a pair of plain, black heels—the only fancy shoes I owned—which barely peeked out from under the long gown. With a preparing breath, I slowly pulled open the bedroom door.
William’s face lit up for a fraction of a second, before returning to its usual, rigid state. I thought I saw his eyes go watery, but I may have been mistaken.
“I’m glad we were able to get the size correct.” William cleared his throat. “I apologize for not being able to participate in the celebration today. I really must be going.”
“It’s okay,” I said calmly, the bottom of the gown flowing gr
acefully behind me as I walked him to the door.
“Please tell Alvin happy birthday for me, as well,” William said, shutting the door behind himself without a second look back.
“What?!” The word found its way out of my mouth a moment too late, having already been disconnected from William by the door.
Happy birthday to Al? HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AL?! Gears cranked rapidly in my head. Pieces of fabric whirled around me, as I clasped both of my hands over my mouth to stifle a gasp. It couldn’t have been. It couldn’t have been! Could it have been? No. It couldn’t have been…
I glanced at the little green numbers on the microwave. It was already two o’clock. The party would be starting in half an hour. Shaking myself out of a trance, I rushed through my front door, wobbling clumsily down the hall; I was less than qualified to wear heels. I danced eagerly in place, repeatedly jabbing the small elevator button with the down arrow on it.
It felt as if I spent a million years inside the elevator, waiting for the doors to open to The Village. Shock, excitement, and exhaustion whirred around me like a vacuum, making it very difficult to breathe, and even more difficult to refrain from fidgeting. My knees wavered, my hands shook, my feet tapped, and my teeth chattered; if I hadn’t been able to narrow it all down to fatigue and anxiety, I would have thought that I was having an epileptic episode.
Synthetic light warmed my face as the doors parted to reveal a bustling street, covered by a large, white tent. As if they could have possibly needed protection from the weather. Small, blue and white twinkling lights lined posts and poles, chairs and tables. The smell of charcoal and cooked foods invaded my nose, simultaneously causing my eyes to water, and my salivary glands to ooze. Children shrieked in delight as they weaved uncaringly between the legs of adults. A large banner reading ‘In Honor of Angela Dawson’ hung a few feet above my head, rays of light bouncing off of the glittering letters.
I was stunned. All of my previous birthday parties had been similar to carnivals. The sight in front of me reminded me of something one might see at a fancy wedding, or a particularly joyous funeral. Instead of the usual shorts and sandals, everyone wore suits and fancy flowing dresses, shiny shoes and expressions of aristocracy. I had no doubt that this was going along with William’s mention of my becoming an adult, therefore more mature. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed. I had been looking forward to throwing darts at balloons, and eating meats and cheeses on sticks. I had already concluded that I did not like the idea of being an adult.
I rapidly searched the crowd from my place by the elevator, until my eyes were finally met by those of the deepest oceans. I didn’t care that my line of sight was temporarily disturbed by unnoticing Facility employees; it was as if I could see straight through them into Al’s soul, as he made his way closer to me.
“Happy birthday, Miss Dawson,” Al said with a quiet smile.
I was unable to force words from my mouth. I was unable to move. In fact, I was unable to do much of anything, except stare into Al’s icy eyes. Eyes, which had already completely regrown brows above them. Eyes, which emanated kindness, honesty, and loyalty. Eyes, which grew wide with understanding as to why I was staring into them like a creeper. Eyes, which, I was absolutely certain, opened to a vast, white room when they fell asleep.
‘Careful,’ Al’s voice rang inside my head.
“Happy birthday to you, as well, Mr. Waldreck,” I said, squinting my eyes with silent accusation.
At first, I had been overwhelmingly excited to know that I was so close to someone of my own kind. My head had instantly filled with questions that made my body feel as if it would cave in on itself if I didn’t get the answers. How many others were there? Why were there only six of us in my Energy Room if there were more of us? What exactly were we? However, my excitement had quickly turned to anger mixed with worry. If Al was telepathic, why didn’t he just tell me when he arrived at The Facility that he was like me? More importantly… why was he even there?
“Happy Birthday, Angie!” I heard Paula shout from somewhere in the crowd, forcing me to plummet back into the world outside of my head.
It took me a moment to pry my eyes away from Al, and to plaster a cheesy grin across my face.
“Thanks!” I exclaimed, nearly toppling over as the woman tackled me with a hug.
“You too, Al,” Paula added quickly, before taking hold of my hand to drag me down the street, where I received many random ‘happy birthdays’.
I clumsily glanced behind me, making sure that Al was following us. I didn’t want him to leave my sight ever again.
“Happy birthday, sweetie!” Emmy cried joyfully, giving me a kind hug as Paula and I reached our destination of the largest table at the very back of the tent.
“Thanks, Emmy,” I said, gratefully accepting her gentle hug. “Where’s Eddie?”
My question brought a tinge of sadness to Emmy’s eyes, but only long enough for her to try to hide it with a smile.
“Oh, I’m sorry dear. He’s been under the weather lately. He just wasn’t feeling up to coming out today, I’m afraid,” Emmy lied.
“Maybe I should go see him. Is he at the house?” I asked worriedly.
“No! No… he… doesn’t want to see anyone. He just wants to rest,” Emmy said. Another lie.
“Okay, well… tell him later that I hope he gets better soon,” I said tentatively.
“Oy! Everyone gather round! Our birthday girl is here!” Paula bellowed at a volume that would make even a police-siren cringe.
“You too, Al. Get up here,” Emmy encouraged, waving Al behind the table.
Al and I shared a look of utter embarrassment, as the sea of bodies turned toward us, beginning to sing a very shaky and out of tune version of ‘Happy Birthday’. We both gawked in amazement as Paula’s co-chefs wheeled out a giant cake. It was the most incredible edible thing I had ever seen. Using her mystical culinary powers, Paula had managed to design a cake to very closely resemble the icy towers I had created on Al’s first day at The Facility. Weaving through the frosty stronghold were unmoving flames, which looked as if they could actually burn down the tent. Across one of the flames, in shimmering silver glitter, were the words ‘Happy Birthday, Angela,’ with ‘And Al’ scribbled in some sort of edible marker just below them.
The tears welling up in my eyes took me by surprise. The smiling faces of the crowd singing to me, the love emanating from Paula and Emmy… I certainly didn’t have a normal life by any means, but at that point in time, I considered myself lucky. I wrapped my arm around Al’s, feeling the need to stable myself. He did not object, only continued staring at the magnificent cake before us.
We applauded, smiled, and laughed as everyone finished their song in unison, ending on a much better note than it had begun. I protested against the idea of cutting into the cake; it seemed like it should have been against the law to destroy something so beautiful, but Paula insisted.
Together, Al and I took to the cake with a large knife, slicing through the center of one of the flames. The crowd cheered, and a thought brought even more tears to my eyes; I imagined reliving a similar moment someday with Lakin, at our wedding. I covered my tears with a smile, even though I realized that day would probably never come. Al must have read my mind, because he gave me a very strong and comforting hug, while Paula took over cutting the cake, claiming that we were ‘doing it wrong.’
“There will be a day when everyone is happy,” Al promised with a whisper in my ear, “but that day is not today.”
Over Al’s shoulder, through blurred watery eyes, I saw a face full of even more sorrow than my own. Eric stood alone, in the middle of the street, staring at the sight of myself in Al’s embrace. I considered running to meet him, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. The boy turned, dropping a small wrapped box as he walked away from the tent; away from our friendship forever.
“Hold your bloody horses, there’s enough for everyone!” Paula shouted from behind me, motivating me t
o pull myself out of Al’s arms after drying my face on his shoulder.
“Everyone get your cake and find a seat. We’ll do presents in a little bit,” Emmy said in an unexpectedly demanding tone.
Al and I took our seats at the main table, nodding and smiling as people wished us both happy birthday before grabbing their plates of cake. I poked at my little edible ice tower with a fork, revealing a deep royal blue color on the inside.
“Blue velvet,” Paula said with a wink.
The cake was as delicious as it was beautiful, smooth and creamy with chocolaty undertones; I could almost feel my arteries hardening as I ate it. I wished that Lakin and the others could have shared the party with me. I wondered how they were celebrating their birthdays. Lakin was probably working. Lyla was most likely giving herself a five-finger discount on some new clothes. Joseph’s dads probably organized a big hoopla, not too different from my own. Bryant was probably sleeping so he could spend the time with Nadia.
“Hi, Angie! Happy birfday!” A small squeaky voice announced, coming from the direction of a pair of big brown eyes, which barely reached above the table.
“Thanks, Jenny,” I chuckled through a mouthful of cake.
Jenny was a young girl who lived in The Village. She couldn’t have been more than six years old. A year or so earlier, a couple of kids had been teasing her one day, when I was walking to Eric’s house. I basically scared the crap out of them by saying I was going to turn them all into bearded dragons. Ever since then, Jenny had looked up to me. I wasn’t really fond of kids, but she was an exception. On more than one occasion, she had mentioned that she wanted to grow up to be ‘just like me’, and was certain she would be able to manipulate elements. I couldn’t help but adore her.
“I made you dis!” Jenny said excitedly, long, blonde hair waving as she shoved a piece of paper across the table.
I picked up the drawing with admiration. It was of, what I was assuming was, Jenny and me with blue and red streams projecting from our hands, and giant smiles on our faces.
“Aww, thank you! This is the best present ever,” I said, hugging the portrait against my chest.
Jenny’s eyes lit up as she giggled, before thanking Paula for her cake and running off.
“That… was adorable,” Al said, a soft smile spreading across his face.
“She’s a sweet kid,” I choked, forcing back more tears as I realized the young girl with her entire life ahead of her, would spend it within the walls of The Facility.
The remainder of the day was spent as festively as it could have been. Al and I thanked people as convincingly as we could for the socks, and the random knick-knacks that were available in the store. He did receive a new coffee pot, which was pretty convenient. Emmy had ordered in a bunch of new clothes for me, probably derived from William’s suggestion. Some of the girls from The City, who were a few years younger than me, gave me makeup; I wondered if that was a hint that they thought I needed it.
I was appreciative for everything I was receiving, but none of the gifts even came close to the drawing Jenny had given me. It was from the heart, and that’s where I would keep it.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Quake