Doctor Porter's office was in the New School, three levels below ground. Charlotte had only visited her office twice in the last three years. The cold, grey corridors were deserted, as she finally knocked on the heavy wooden door of the doctor's office.
"Come in," came the reply, as Charlotte pushed open the door.
Doctor Porter was scanning over some paperwork, as Charlotte stepped into the warm and bright office. Her lips twitched as she read, her brow furrowed behind her thick-framed glasses. She was young in comparison to much of the staff, closer in age to Charlotte than she was to Elmhirst. Her hair was such a bright and over-exuberant crimson that it made her look even younger than she was. Her lab coat was too big for her petite frame and she always wore high-heeled shoes to appear taller.
"Charlotte, it's wonderful to see you," Doctor Porter beamed, stepping forward and hugging her. Charlotte froze, a little shocked, but managed to smile as Doctor Porter stepped away from her.
"Thank you Doctor Porter," Charlotte said. "I hope I'm not interrupting".
"Not at all - and I have told you before, when it's just the two of us, call me Ashley. I can't stand all the formality".
Charlotte nodded and did as she was told.
"Now what can I help you with?" Ashley Porter offered her a seat opposite her desk.
"Doctor Port... I mean Ashley... I need some advice about the upcoming exhibitions".
Ashley beamed, nodding. She folded her hands on the desk between them, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she smiled.
Charlotte furrowed her brow and forced herself to continue. "I need to use my alterations in the games when the patrons are here, but I can't. I can't control them and if I can't control them..." she trailed off, panic rising in her throat.
"If you can't control them you will be left here," Ashley sighed. Charlotte wanted to correct her and tell her that she would be killed, but she couldn't say it.
"I don't know what to do. I knew this year would put pressure on me, but now I am head girl and Alexander is refusing to work with me. He says I am too dangerous, which is ridiculous because he doesn't even know what I can do," Charlotte complained in a rush.
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as the words spilled from her mouth. She couldn't seem to stem the flow, all her worries spilling onto the floor before them. At let she trusted Porter.
"When was the last time you tried to use your alteration?" Ashley asked, leaning back in her swivel chair.
"I don't know. I'm usually focused on not using it - willingly it has been years. Sometimes it overpowers me, but I have managed to pull it back in time. When I am angry or upset it becomes harder to subdue - it takes over and it's all I can do to hold on to it. I feel physically sick after - headaches and nausea. It drains all my energy".
She paused to read Ashley's expression but her instructor just seemed interested in what she had to say.
"Yesterday during training it woke because I was so focused on attack with the hand-to hand combat. It could smell the fear on my opponents and it became so difficult just to hold on. Then when Dr Elmhirst appeared with Monsieur Desmarais and his son, I almost lost all control. It wouldn't have been worth my life if it had attacked them".
Charlotte found she was almost pleading with the doctor to help her. She needed to learn to control it, and soon as possible. If it was possible at all.
Ashley clicked her tongue and contemplated what she had said. She frowned a moment and went to the filing cabinet behind her, withdrawing a file marked with Charlotte's name.
YOU ARE READING
Altered
Science Fiction'They wore uniform grey, their expression hard and distant, their muscles taut with expectation, as if at any moment they were ready to lead an assault, to carry out orders, to kill, to die. And yet they were. Kingston had trained these children to...
