Chapter Four

"So, today I think we should decorate up your room." Alexsandra said during breakfast the next morning, "You've been here for nearly two weeks and your room is still in the standard style."

"Whatever you say." I said, taking a bite of my banana. It's been two weeks since my first training session, and I think I've been fitting in quite well. Alex and I are "inseparable" as Jace puts it, and we all go hoverboarding together quite often. The only person I can't seem to get along with is Bailey. She just glares at me whenever she sees me. I decided not to take it personally for now, and to just let it be.

"Great!" Alexsandra said, "First I think we should go shopping for supplies, because no offence, but your craft stock is kinda sad."

I laughed, "None taken."

"Actually," Frank said from behind me, "Dr. Morsie would like to see you, Sage."

I would've jumped a week ago, but now I was used to Frank sneaking up behind me. He seemed to like it when people were scared of him. "Why?"

"Well gee, I'm sorry to say that I do not know. Why don't you ask her yourself?" Another thing, Frank didn't like me. At all. I rolled my eyes at his back as he was walking away and Alexsandra laughed.

"Well, I guess I gotta go see what Cath-- er, I mean, Dr. Morsie wants."

"Alright." Alexsandra sighed, "I guess we're just gonna have to go shopping later."

"Don't you dare try to guilt trick me, Lex." I said, standing up and walking toward the door, "It's not like I have a choice!"

"I'm not guilt tripping you." Alexsandra, "I'm just stating the facts!"

"Whatever you say!" I yelled back. I walked down the familiar halls until I reached Cathleen's office. Strangely, she was waiting for me outside.

"Good morning, Sage." she said, "I suppose you are wondering why I have you here so early in the morning. Well, I was too excited for this next session to wait. Shall we get started?"

Something about her excitement scared me. "We shall." I said anyway. We walked into her office and the first thing I noticed was the pure black vial sitting on her desk. lack, the color of fear. I took in a breath, That vial contains Fear Three.

Lex has told me about the serum. She got to Fear Three and got so scared that she had a panic attack. She had to go all the way to the beginning. Now she hasn't even gotten past Fear One.

"Ah," Cathleen said, "I see young Alexsandra has told you about her experience with the Fear Three serum. Well, let me just tell you that if you are afraid of the serum the effects of it will be greater."

I took the serum and popped off the cap, "I'm not afraid of any old serum." I said, and drank the whole bottle. It was like drinking hot tar. It tasted like blood and iron.

"Ready?" Cathleen asked, and pressed the cursed button on her holograph.

I woke up in a dark room. I couldn't see my hand if it were placed right in front of my face. It didn't bother me though. If anything, it was comforting. I knew these simulations. Nothing would happen if I didn't do anything. I started walking blindly in one direction, hoping that there was nothing in this room.

Suddenly, a blinding light flickered on spotlighting a desk. I walked up to the desk and realized that there was a single object sitting on it. A pistol. I stared at it. Am I supposed to be afraid of this? I thought, picking it up, 'Cause I'm not.

Just then, another light flickered on, this time illuminating a chair. Sitting in the chair, tied down so they couldn't move, sat a terribly familiar woman.

"Mom?" I muttered breathlessly. I was about to run up to her, when I felt something cold press against my temple. "Shoot her." A rough voice said. I froze. This seems terribly familiar….

"Do I have to go to school?" I had asked. I was seven years old at the time, still in elementary school. This was when we still lived in California.

"Yes you do." my mom had said, "If you want to grow up to be a smart capable woman you have to be well educated."

"I don't want to grow up a smart capable woman." I moaned, "I want to live with you forever!"

My mom just laughed, "You will be sick of me within three years! Trust me, the moment you turn eighteen you'll be out of this place in a jiffy."

Just then, the door was busted open. A man wearing all black and holding a gun burst through the entryway. My mom stood in front of me, holding out her arms to shield me.

"Margaret Cordell," The man said, in a low gravelly voice.

"Stay away from us." My mom had said in such a confident voice. I am still envious of her confidence.

The man pointed his gun at my moms head, "Surrender yourself and I'll let the child live."

My mom took a sharp breath, "Alright." She said, almost like it hurt, "But if you harm even one hair on her head--"

"I get the gist." The man had said.

My mom took my hand, "Sage, sweetie, I need you to go with daddy. Stay in your room until he gets back okay? Be good for him."

"What's gonna happen to you?" I asked. I could see tears in her eyes, even though she was smiling at me. "I'm gonna be alright." She had said, "As long as you stay safe, got it?"

I nodded, then walked in the direction of my room. But before I could make it, the man grabbed my arm and yanked me towards him. I yelped and struggled against him but it was useless. I could feel something cold pressed against my temple. I had seen the look of fear in my mother's eyes. "I said--"

"'Not a hair on her head.'" the man had said, "But I see one problem with that. I am the one with the gun aren't I? So I make the rules. Sit in that chair." my mom had obeyed, though hesitantly. She pulled out a chair from the table and sat in it. "Now," The man said, "put your hands behind your back." My mom did so.

The man walked up to her and quickly tied her hands. I looked into her eyes. She looked solemn but determined. I didn't know why.

The man came back and pressed the gun to my head again. The next thing I knew he had put another gun into my hands. "Shoot her." he had said. I looked up at him, "What?"

"You heard what I said," He had said, gesturing to my mom, "Shoot her!"

I knew how to shoot a gun. My parents had given me lessons in case of an emergency. I looked into my moms eyes. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she nodded. She wanted me to live. She would die for me.

"Mom." I had choked, tears streaming out of my eyes.

"My baby." She muttered, "Live. Do it for me, okay?"

I positioned the gun in my hands then looked up at the man. He didn't say anything, just pressed the barrel of the gun harder against my temple. I had taken a shaky, tear soaked breath, pointed the gun at my own mother who closed her eyes, "I love you." she muttered, and I pulled the trigger.

"You heard what I said, shoot her!"

I opened my eyes. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. My mom was still sitting in the chair. She was now leaning forward, "My baby," she was saying, "Live. Do it for me, okay?"

I closed my eyes again, "I love you too, mother." I whispered. I thought of the serum I just drank. I thought about how it tasted like blood. Blood and iron.

In one sudden movement, I jerked around and pointed my gun at the man. We both fired at the same time. A hole ripped in his black shirt and blood started trickling out of it. He fell backwards and landed with a thump on the ground.

I sat there, expecting me to die or for the simulation to end. Nothing happened. How am I still alive? I thought to myself. I looked at my hands and jumped. They were made of iron!

"How did I--" just as the words left my lips, the iron slowly changed back to skin like nothing ever happened. I stared at my hand for a moment, then thought of iron again. Nothing happened.

I hummed for a moment. How did I do it before? I thought of the taste of iron, how it reflected the light and the silvery color of it. Then, I focused all my energy on my hand, and right before my eyes, it shifted into iron.

"Woah." I said, holding my hand up to the light. It was mesmerizing to watch the silvery material move simply by my command.

"Try turning into something else." Cathleen's voice echoed through the room. I stared at my hand and focused on wood. Slowly, the iron faded to the brown of my wooden hand.

"This is a cool power." I said to Cathleen, not positive if she could hear me or not. For her reply, she must've ended the simulator, because I was being shoved through a funnel again, and soon was sitting in Cathleen's office.

"Well done Sage." Cathleen said, taking off her dark glasses. She seemed to be holding back a smile. I guess I pleased her with my worst fear. "You did it. You passed the worst simulation. In fact, you passed the whole simulation faze. You can start to develop your power now!"

I stared at her, "All ready?" I asked.

"Yup."

"Wow." I said. Something about this seemed off. Aiden and Jace didn't even have their powers yet. The only people to have gotten their powers were Olwyn and Dario. My gut twisted at the thought.

"You are officially the fastest tester I have met."

"Thank you." I said, standing up. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to go tell my friends."

"Actually," Cathleen said, "Do you mind not telling young Alexsandra yet? I know you're best friends, but I need you to keep quiet. Can you do that?"

I felt light headed, but forced a casual stance, "Sure. I can do that."

"Thank you Sage." She said, looking me in the eyes and smiling. "I think that you will do good on the field."

I nodded then ran out of the room. The world was swimming just like my thoughts. I don't know why, but I felt extremely uneasy with today's training session. The visions of my fear simulator kept on playing in my head, not making it easier to think. I didn't know where I was going until I crashed into Dario in the halls. I was just outside the dining hall.

"Sage!" Dario said, grabbing me by the shoulders to keep me from toppling over. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

I nodded, avoiding eye contact. Why was I freaking out like this? Take a chill pill! I commanded myself. "Yeah, I'm good." I said, "I, uh, I just need some time to, er, to think. Alright?"

Dario looked confused, but nodded and stepped aside so that I could go to my room. I walked down the hall, feeling his eyes on me the whole time. The moment I turned the corner I started to sprint. Stupid fear simulator. I thought, Why are you doing this to me? And why do I have a fear in the first place?

I opened the door to my room, and ran inside. Ugine looked up at me from where he was laying on the ground, his eyes reflecting the light streaming in. I ran to the bed and shoved my face in the plushy covers, my dog jumping up and snuggling next to me, sensing something was wrong. Don't think. I commanded myself, If you think then you'll replay what just happened then you'll start crying then you'll be a mess.

I fell asleep right there with those thoughts rushing through my head.

"Sage! There you are! Where were you?" Alexsandra said, running up to me.

"Taking a nap." I yawned.

"Taking a--" Alexsandra blundered, "Why on earth were you taking a nap when there is so much room decorating to do!?"

"I was tired." I shrugged, looking over her shoulder at the table full of food, "What's for lunch?" Alexsandra looked dumbfounded as I walked over to the table and started shoving sandwiches in my face.

"What did Dr. Morsie want?" Alexsandra asked timidly, walking up to the table.

I looked at her. She was fidgeting with her sleeve. She looked worried, almost like she could tell what I was about to say. I swallowed then turned to face her. "Cathleen wanted me to finish training." I said plainly.

Alexsandra looked horrified, "You mean--"

"That I did the Fear Three simulation? Yeah."

"And…. did you succeed?"

I paused, watching Alexsandra's face and the scared look she wore. I couldn't lie to her. She's my best friend, and it would ruin her if she found out I lied. "Yeah." I said, "Yeah I did."

Alexsandra looked relieved. "Congratulations!" She ran up and hugged me.

"Yeah, but you can't tell anyone, got it?"

Alexsandra's face fell. "Why not?"

I bit the inside of my cheek. I was telling her too much. I had a bad feeling about lying to Cathleen. "I just want to be the one to tell them okay? But seriously though, don't tell a soul!"

"Alright, fine." Alexsandra said teasingly. She tried to hold a pouty face, but caught my glance and broke, bursting into laughter. I shot her a weird look. "What?" She asked, "I'm just so happy for you! I haven't even passed humiliation two yet."

"Yes you have." I said, giving her a playful shove.

"Well, I have, but I'm stuck on it now."

I sighed, "You can do it if you tried. I believe in you.

Alexsandra gave me a sad smile, "I know you do." Suddenly she perks up, "Well, now that you're here for good, let's go shopping for somethings to decorate your room with!" I laughed as she grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room.