Animilia

Chapter 5(Lynette)

All the moving around made my arm start to hurt again. Mary must have seen it in my face. “You can lie down while talking if it will make you feel better. I also have some medicine that might help with the pain,” she said while sitting on the chair next to the couch. I might eat her food but there was no way I was taking any drugs she gave me. I lay on the couch with my right arm on the outside so I wouldn’t hurt it any more than it already did. I didn’t know what to do. Do I tell her the truth? Do I come up with another lie? Should I make a break for it? Well the last one is out of the question. I might have been fine for a bit but the pain in my arm right now is so excruciating that I felt that it might have been better to remove my arm. How was it that I was so fine just a few moments ago and now it feels like the wound is being pounded on?

Before I could sort out my thoughts, Mary said, “I want you to understand that I’m not trying to pressure you because I’m one of the bad guys, but because I care about you. I hope that if I know the truth then maybe I can help you more.”

“There’s no way a human can help us,” I whispered. “What do you mean by ‘us’ and why call me human when you are too?” she asked with her head tilted. Is she really human? How in the world did she hear me? Whatever, whether she is human or Animilia or angel or whatever doesn’t matter. What matters is what I tell her. But before I talk about that, “Why do you care so much about me? I mean, you already know I’m not normal, so why care so much, why not just throw me out? Why didn’t you just give me away to Dr. Flower?”

“Dr. Flower?” Mary looked even more confused. I guess I can at least tell Mary about her. “Dr. Flower, the woman you met at the door. She’s a scientist that test on animals and humans. She has a science group called Garden who helps her in her projects. She called me her daughter but we’re not related in anyway. I’m just one of her projects,” I told her. My arm was throbbing. I closed my eyes to try and forget the pain. I felt a cold hand on my forehead and slapped it away on instinct. “You have a fever. Should I go get you some medicine?” Mary asked already starting to walk to the hallway. “You still didn’t answer my question,” I yelled. She stopped and turned to me.

“I’m not going to leave some teen girl alone to suffer if I can do something to help. It’s just the way I am. Normal or not doesn’t matter, as long as you need help, I’m willing to lend it. As for giving you to Dr. Flower, if you don’t feel safe being with her, then there’s no reason for you to be with her.”

“What if I don’t feel safe being with you?”

“Then as soon as you’re better, you may leave. I’m not going to lock and chain you here. It’s your choice to leave or stay.”

“And if I choose to stay?” What am I saying?!

“Then you are free to stay as long as you want. I don’t mind having another member of the family, especially someone as cute as you. And I bet Chris would be happy to have a little sister,” she said with a smile. She then turned and went on through the hall. Why would I ask something like that? There’s no way I can stay. I need to get out of here as soon as I can, but with my arm in this condition, I wouldn’t even make it down the block. When Mary came back with a bottle of medicine, I knew this wasn’t going to end well.

“All I have right now is Advil so I guess we could try this and hope for the best,” she said while reading the side of the bottle. I sat up and put on my best ‘feeling well’ smile. “It’s fine, I feel a little better after lying down,” I exclaimed, trying to convince her without causing a unnecessary fight. She didn’t even bother to take her eyes off the bottle when she said, “Please dear, and just lay back down before you collapse.” I frowned but did as she said. “How old are you exactly?” Mary asked. “Eleven,” I lied. “Come now, you must be older than that, how about fifteen,” she said already getting the pills out. Okay, I’m convinced that there is no way this woman is a normal human. Getting my age right just by looking, its trickery. “But what if I’m not, then you’ll overdose me,” I tried to convince her.

“If you want to leave so bad then you better tell me your right age so I can give you the right amount of medicine to feel better,” she scowled. I sighed; Lowell is going to have my head if I live to see him. “Your right, I’m fifteen.”

She gave a blank stare and finally said, “Oh yes, I’ll go get some water for you.” She gave me two pills and ran to the kitchen. Should I really be doing this? What if she’s lying and this is a drug to knock me out? I shook my head. I don’t have a choice. Dead or not, I’m not getting anywhere in this condition so what do I have to lose….other than my life. I popped the pills in my mouth and swallowed them down before Mary even got back. When she did she handed me some water and sat back in the chair she was in earlier.

“It’s a daytime Advil, so hopefully it shouldn’t put you to sleep, although I think you need some rest,” she said. “If you wanted me to rest, then why didn’t you give me the nighttime one to put me to sleep,” I said already feeling a bit better. “If I did that, then you probably would have thought the worst of it and never believe me,” at least she’s smart, I mean of course she is.

I closed my eyes for only a second and next thing I know a loud crash of a window breaking makes me jump to my feet. Mary and I run to where the crash was heard to find a teen boy standing in front of a broken window with glass all around his feet. The boy turned to us. I was astonished. “Lynette,” Lowell said in a deep voice. My teammate has finally found me.