Do It For Your Papa

2.5K 55 0
                                    

October 31, 1970

"What number are you trying to reach?" Peter says as he sits down next to me. 

"Five."  I say as we watch the puck fall. It zig-zags to the bottom, missing five and landing in the seventh slot.

"You know..." Peter begins to say, then brings his voice down to a small whisper, "You can just use your powers and make it land in five." 

"But Papa says no abilities in the Rainbow Room." I whisper.

"Jo, Papa isn't here. What he doesn't know, won't kill him." Peter smirks.

"Good morning, children!" Papa says as he barges through the doors, causing Peter to quickly stand up.

"Good morning, Papa!" Three and I say back.

"Happy Halloween, Two and Three!"

"Happy Halloween, Papa!" We say back

"Two, would you mind joining Dr. Owens and I in the exam room?" Papa says holding his hand out to me.

"Yes, Papa." I say standing up and walking over to him. I take his hand once I reach him. 

Papa and I leave the Rainbow room and make our way to the exam room. 

"Can me and Three go trick-or-treating?" I quietly ask Papa as we walk down the hallways.

"Of course you can. But first you both must finish your tests."

"Can we wear costumes?" I ask excitedly.

"Costumes?" 

"Yes, Papa. Costumes. You know, like ghosts and witches."

"Hmm... Ghosts and Witches." Papa drags out. "Well, we'll just have to be patient and see, won't we Two?"

"Yes, Papa." I respond a little sadly as we get closer to the exam room."Can Peter trick-or-treat with us?" I ask without thinking.

"No, Josephine, Peter cannot go trick-or-treating with you and Three." Papa says sternly as we come up to the exam room door.

"But why?"

"No more questions, Josephine." Papa says as he opens the door and pulls me inside with him.

"Yes, Papa."

**

"Two?" Papa asks from behind me. "Are you listening?" He says as he places a glass of water on the table, in front of me. 

Papa has already placed wires on my head and has set a strange man's picture in front of me. I can't stop staring at it. Mainly because I'm worried about what Papa wants me to do. Papa pulls up a chair and sits down next to me.

"That man before you..." He says. "I need you to find him."

I pull my knees up to my chest. I've never done this before. 

"Hurt him... like kitty?" I mumble from behind my knees.

"No. No, I don't want you to hurt him." Papa says as he brings the picture closer, to the edge of the table. "I want you to listen to him."

"Listen?" I ask confused.

"Yes." He says beginning to rub my back comfortingly.

"I want you to listen to what he says and repeat his words back to me. Just like those nursery rhymes we do before sleepy time." Papa says as his hand moves from my back to my hand. "Do you think you could do that for me? Do it for your Papa?"

"Mmm-hmm." I say to him.

"Good." He says smiling a little. Papa then places a hand on my back and encourages me to sit up, which I do. 

Papa's hand doesn't leave my back as I close my eyes, focused on finding the man. My mind takes me to the hallway and I begin to follow the man's voice.

"Begin." I hear as I get closer to the end of the hallway. "Amulet. Frigid." The voice continues. "Evolve." The voice says as it leads me to a room at the end of the hallway. The man from the picture is inside, holding a piece of paper. "Airplane."

"Two?" I can barely hear Papa say to me. "Repeat the words." 

Instead of repeating the words, I take control of the speakers in the entire lab and broadcast the mans voice through them.

"Apricot." The strange man's voice comes through the speaker in the exam room. "Peninsula. Game. Enchantment. Mouse. Balloon."

"Sir." I faintly hear Dr. Owens say to Papa. "It's coming through all of the speakers."

"All of them?" Papa asks in astonishment.

"All of them, sir." Dr. Owens confirms.

"That's it, Josephine. Good girl." Papa says happily. "Good girl."

002 - Steve HarringtonWhere stories live. Discover now