October 2019

For two weeks now, Ánh would enter the lobby, look around, wait for ten minutes, and then give up. Today is no different; Abigail is a no show. She doesn't pick up the phone or answer any texts. More than worried, Ánh feels abandoned and alone for the first time in years.

Sông có khúc, người có lúc. She keeps repeating the proverb trying to believe it. Rivers have meanders, human life has phases.

Determined to change her situation, it's time to make new friends. The dormitory seems like the safest bet. But as she enters the living rooms, and hears people laughing and looking at her, right away she assumes that they are making fun of her.

In fact, they aren't even acknowledging the girl, but as she gets more anxious, and draws attention to herself, then people will either get worried or just find her weird. Either way, she always ends up running away and secludes herself as much as she can.

After several failed tries, she gave up and found herself a new hobby to occupy her day after the classes. When she hid in the bathroom, she heard some older students talking about the deviants' forum. Accessible only by invite. Ánh is set to find her way in without needing anyone else.

The older girls' obsession with her grew. They follow her around most days. All wearing the same outfit. The newest humans' trend. One makes her drop her things, kick it to another while commenting how dirty everything she owns is.

Emily Roberts passes by. Ánh hopes that she'll help her. Even though they aren't friends, Emily and Abigail are, and that should matter. Emily's also the most popular girl in the Institute, whatever she says is obeyed, her being the world's most powerful deviant and all. All she has to do is tell them to back off.

Ánh looks at her, but Emily ignores her. Instead, she greets her classmates and uses her ability to throw one of Ánh 's books against the wall.

Only when Ánh is by herself, in her room, does she let the tears out. Abigail used to be her safe haven, but not anymore. She holds it in throughout most of her day, and even smiles whenever she video calls her parents.

She keeps focused on entering the deviants' forum. Even with her enhanced intelligence, she's still struggling to find her way in. Her side effects are the most severe she has experienced until then, but it doesn't stop her from continuing to push her ability to the limit.

I won't give up.

Her eyes twitch uncontrollably. It's already six in the morning, when the impossible happens. She's in. The first thing she notices are the several posts signed by the movement for the liberation of rights of deviants. The terrorists that she's seen on the news.

***

One month has gone by, and Ánh decides that, no matter how hard it seems in her head, she has to ask Emily about Abigail.

Emily leaves the Institute with Aminu. She sees them in a distance and walks faster to catch them.

"I just don't understand, you know? You don't need glasses. Why use it?" Aminu repeats the question thinking that Emily hadn't heard him the first time.

"Aminu, for heaven's sake! You have no sense of fashion with your ridiculous clothes. I mean," she points to his hoodie, "what is this? A stupid dog?"

"This is art! It's by an artist named-"

"Please don't! Stop boring everyone to death with the rambling. This technique, this artist or whatever else you obsess over. You just don't get it", Emily stops immediately when Ánh steps in front of her.

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"Emily..." Ánh looks at the floor instead of meeting her eyes.

"Why are you talking to me?" Emily rolls her eyes.

Ánh's foot taps, her eyes are twitching, Emily notices this and laughs.

"Have you... spoken... spoken with..." her voice trembles.

"God, this is ridiculous! En, get out of my way." Emily pushes her aside.

"It's Ánh!" Aminu says and begins to snap his fingers. He puts his cheap earphones in his ears.

For a second, Ánh smiles, she can't normalize her breathing, but Aminu's words give her some strength.

"Abigail! Have you... spoken with her?" she raises her voice a bit.

"Of course! Every day... Haven't you?" Emily laughs.

Every day... She just doesn't want to talk to you... Ánh's shoulders give in.

"Oh, don't worry, En," Emily looks at Aminu and sees that he's looking away and snapping his fingers, listening to his music. "She's alive and well in South America. Lucky her!" she laughs again.

Emily couldn't piece together why she lied. Truth to be told, she hadn't spoken to Abigail for a while now, but her parents said that the Parkers mentioned her being there on some volunteer program.

***

At the Parkers' mansion, Rebecca opens the door to Abigail's room without knocking first.

"Abigail, aren't you going to the Institute today?"

Rebecca looks around the room, Abigail lies on her bed with the curtains completely shut, she hasn't showered in several days, the food that Kateryna brought has been returned the same. According to Zach, she hasn't left the room for three days now.

"I'm sick," she says without facing her mother.

Rebecca gets closer and puts her hand on Abigail's forehead. She doesn't have a temperature.

"I'll call in a doctor," Rebecca starts to leave, but her daughter slowly moves to look at her and she stays.

"Mom, can you get me an amplifier? I'm sure that if I just use my ability that I can get better and be out of this bed in no time. Please." She shivers.

Haven't you used your ability enough, Abigail? Rebecca fakes a smile.

Abigail's first ability, when she turned seven, was the mental loop. She can create on another person's head a scenario that she desires. The fatal flaw gave her another ability, emotional control. For years now, whenever a "wrong emotion", that's how Abigail puts it, shows, she uses her ability to replace it with the right one. Anger turns into excitement. Sadness into happiness. She'd do it at first only once in a while. But now it was the norm.

"An amplifier? That's something that I can get you. I'll take care of it."

As soon as Rebecca leaves the room, she knows what needs to be done. Her and Mark both agree that enough is enough. Abigail has used her ability irresponsibly and isn't in control of it anymore. They develop a plan and call in several favors.

***

"Mr. and Mrs. Parker, thank you so much for welcoming us to your home. This is the analyst that I told you about, Padma Bhatt." Saif Ahktar and Padma enter the Parkers' mansion, behind them several people carry boxes.

The Parkers asked Saif, the head of the lab at the Institute, for a solution. A guarantee that, for as long as necessary, Abigail couldn't access her ability. He told them there wasn't anything that he could do, and they reminded him that they are the Institute's biggest sponsors.

Saif told them about a developing project, still being tested and that he wasn't sure of its repercussions. They thought it through and decided to accept it. They couldn't take Abigail's self-destruction anymore. Because he had too many things on his plate, Saif assigned Padma to be full time on the control room that they were installing.

A few days later, Rebecca enters Abigail's room, she stands there dressed up, searching for her phone to head out.

"I have the amplifier you asked for. But it doesn't seem necessary anymore."

"It is. Right now, I'm okay, but with the amplification I could hang on a littler longer and prevent another slip." Abigail hugs her.

Rebecca shows her the way to the amplifier. Abigail enters one of their living rooms, Rebecca shuts the door behind her, lights turn on and where once were expensive paintings, a grand piano, and hundreds of books, now there's only a bed. Even the door to the bathroom is locked.

"What's this?" her eyes widen.

Her parents, brother, Saif, and Padma can see her on the screens. There are several cameras installed on the room. Abigail looks around noticing them.

"Abigail, we need you to stop using your ability, please." Mark begs through a communicator.

"Dad, I will, ok, it's just I wasn't feeling good. I was very sick."

"You experienced side effects. If you counter those with more ability use, it will only get worse," Saif explains.

Abigail keeps looking around the room, this time for an escape, but even the windows are blocked.

"Just a few more hours. Dad, please. It's still very painful if I don't use the ability. I won't use it after and let the side effects wear off... I... I promise."

Rebecca and Mark look at each other. Mark shows Zach out, and Rebecca orders Saif to turn on the machine. As soon as he does, a wave of shocks goes through Abigail's body.