0 0 1 ━ [ 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 ]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟶: 𝙰 𝙿𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚂𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙

One sat on the linoleum floor with her back against her door, glazed eyes staring forward at the empty air before her. She was devoid of all feelings and senses, save her hearing. Her ears were alert for every footfall, every utter, every pen drop. This was her life now. Listening.

Lately she had begun to hear new sounds from the other side of her door: other children. She hadn't seen them, but she knew they were there. Papa had found more.

One ran her finger along the red and swollen lines on her wrist, tracing the new tattoo they had given her: 001. The screams of other children had told her that she was not the only one to receive the painful permanent marks. She wondered what numbers they had been tattooed with.

The clicking of shoes echoed down the hallway and One tensed as they got closer to her door. Would they stop? She let out an audible sigh when the clicks passed, but was caught off guard by an accompanied sound: crying.

One hated using her powers but her curiosity overwhelmed her and she decided to finally give her ears a rest and rely on a different sense for once: sight. She opened a small portal into the hallway and was met with the back of Dr. Brenner's white coat.

He was holding something in his arms but One had a difficult time seeing it from the position of her portal. Itching to get a better look, One closed the first portal and opened a second one closer to Dr. Brenner. She had opened it too close though and Dr. Brenner turned on his heel to face it when he heard her breaths coming from behind him.

One jumped back when his intense dark eyes flooded her view. But what was even more surprising than the look on his face was what was bundled up in his arms...

A baby.