GRANDMA

I looked around in a daze and no small surprise. I had grown up in this house so naturally I had birthed curiosity of what grandma's forbidden chamber looks like. Imagining it in different appearance each time. Each imagination worse than the last; from medieval styled room, to sometimes princess like pink room, or even asian decor. But mostly I imagine the room to be a mad scientist's lab or a dark stinking chamber. Why else was it forbidden to even come close to it in the first place if it wasn't to hide something illegal or embarrassing right? How wrong was I.

How could I have ever imagined this? To put it simple, it looked too mundane for me to have imagined it. A modern office. It was well lit, fine chairs and couches furnished the room, paintings hung on the walls here too, but abstract paintings of nature or symbols. A closed door that probably led to the bedroom was at the side but I spared it only a glance before concentrating on the woman behind the desk at the other side of the room.

The elderly woman looked to be in her 80s. She has short half brown--half grayed hair mixed together, but also had a solidness to her, a strength you would usually not expect from someone her age. She was wearing an immaculate black business suit that looked expensive, designer no doubt. Her steel grey eyes fixed on me, cold, indifferent and intense. But she did not look severe or cruel, just stern. "HELLO Grandma," I said surly.

"Sit," She nodded. I could not gleam a thing from her expression. I sat at the chair opposite her, clenching my fist and taking a deep breath to calm myself. "We haven't met since the divorce, what, four years?"

The question caught me off guard. "About right,"

"That's quite a long time; How have you been Samy?"

I looked up at her, I could not hide the hatred in my eyes. "Well enough,"

"Well," she coughed. "And your mother?"

"She's.... found a way to cope."

"Good, good. Do you remember that Christmas your father played Santa?"

Say what? "Ah, um... Yeah..., He couldn't shut the kids up," Her small talk made me reflexly want to lower my guard down, but I caught myself in the last munite and grimace. Honestly my feelings are a mess at the moment. I bit my lip and held my tongue.

"He panicked cause Dorothy wouldn't stop wailing, he never tried to...."

"Grandma," I cut her off. This is the first time we have met since everything went shit and this is what she wants to discourse? Some Christmas I don't give a fuck about? "What happened? Why did my parents get divorced?" I knew some tit bits of information of course, but I didn't know the details. My mother had known Sid is dad's daughter from the beginning, yet the divorce was because of my father had cheated? What had happened?

Grandma shook her head, her eyes distant. "There are some things you are not ready to know."

"But..."

"No buts," she gave me a stern look. I realized she had somehow played with my emotions as she saw fit since I entered this room; by not outright interrogating or chastising me, she had made me lower my guard that I was comfortable enough to ask her for something. She made me want something from her only to take it away. I bit my lip and glared at her. Her eyes softened for a moment and she sighed. "Do you know why you are here?"

"Because you wanted to see your beloved granddaughter?"

She lifted an eyebrow. "Besides that?"

"Not a chance I guess," I sneered. Well this wasn't worth the shot.

She tactically ignored my response. "You fought your sister, little Samy." Her voice was soft and kind.

"Who told you that?"

"I have my methods."

"Well, you don't have to answer," I sneered. "Sid, that fucking bitch, I fucking knew it!"

Grandma sighed. "If I told you it wasn't her would you believe me?"

"No," I shook my head. Does she really think I am stupid?

"Yeah..." She shook her head too but in disappointment. Or sadness? "Anyway, there are consequences,"

"Consequences?" For some reason I wasn't afraid anymore. Maybe it was the adrenaline, I was in fact looking forward to it. What is she gonna do, switch me? Ground me? Make me apologize? Nothing could ruffle me. I am 18, an adult. Worse case I cut off from the family.

[If only I knew...]

"I am not a monster Samy," Grandma smiled. "But I gotta do what I gotta do, as they say. One day you'll probably be the one sitting on my side of the table, passing punishment to someone else in the family, and you'll understand..." She pulled the drawer under the desk and took out a cigarette and a lighter. Lighting the cigarette up, she pushed the drawer back.

Grandma took a long drag and an equally long puff. She gaze up at the ceiling, her eyes distant, her face melancholic. Even under the wrinkles you could tell she was a very beautiful woman. "I have killed people Samy," she puffed.

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"What!?" I croaked automatically.

Grandma looked at me. Her eyes earnest, demanding my every attention. "This family, we are not what we show everyone. We are killers and liars. We do everything to keep and expand our power; we are a parasite to this country and its people. At that we are its greatest heroes too."

I frowned. "What do you mean Grandma?"

"We are a small country in north America, sharing borders with two world powers. Even if the US and Canada are not conquerors, survival is a difficult affair."

"What's that got to do with me?" I hate politics.

Grandma smiled mirthlessly. "Having strange dreams yet Samy? If you are not, you'll soon. You are hardly special you know, you are not the only one in our illustrious family's history or even the world to be so 'exceptional' the world can't contain you. You'll blow up at the rate you are going.

"And how do you I know? Aggression, strange dreams, heightened physical and mental abilities are a few symptoms of... exceptionality. You came on with a hamstring today I hear, healed already hasn't it?" Another cloud of smoke bloomed above her.

I was starting to get scared by all the personal information she's throwing. My hamstring has healed? Yeah I didn't feel any discomfort since I arrived here, even climbing the long stairs, while initially I could only limp. But most importantly, how had she known about that in the first place? I asked that question.

Grandma snorted as she continued smoking. "I have people watching you, always had."

I could feel my skin crawl in horror. "W... Why?"

She smiled. "Protection, I am not a monster Samy,"

"I am finding that hard to believe the more I am hearing. What are you gonna do to me?"

"You are afraid finally?" She laughed briefly. "There's a training camp for people like you, like us, exceptional people, to cure aggression."

"I don't understand, are you trying to send me to jail or something worse?"

"Worse?"

"You know," I spread my hands. "The asylum."

"It's just a school Samy," Grandma rolled her eyes. "You have potential, Camp will help you develop it to something else. Besides, I attended it too. Do I look like someone that has been to an asylum?"

"Do you want me to answer that honestly?" I deadpanned.

"Shoo," she tossed off the cigarette and waved her hand. "I don't want to hear. You won't be alone by the way, Sid will be coming with you."

"Sid? She's getting punished too?"

"She fought too," Grandma nodded.

I started laughing. "This is precious. Now I wish I am going."

Grandma gave me a strange look. "You are most definitely going,"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Yeah? Come on grandma, you know you can't make me if I don't want to. And I don't want to, your sells pitch was kinda stupid if I am honest."

"We'll see about that," She smiled in amusement.

Her reaction bothered me but I pushed it out of my mind. What is she gonna do? Grab me and hurl me to whatever shithole this school is? "Are we done here?"

"We are,"

I rose to feet. "Good bye grandma!"

"Goodbye Samantha," she muttered sadly, more to herself. I shuddered, but pretended like I didn't hear and quickly left.

Dad wanted me to stay for dinner but I refused for obvious reasons. First I was desperate to escape this house after I expressed I am not accepting grandma's punishment, secondly I can't stand most of the people in this house, and thirdly, I'd rather eat leftovers than whatever they have on the table today.

Despite the food scarcity I bet they have a feast everyday, that totally does not tempt me, really.

On another note I was pleasantly surprised for the second day in a row to find mom at home. She was lounging on the couch watching her favorite show and looked up at me as I entered. "How did it go?" She asked.

"Were you worried about me?" I teased.

"Is not a crime is it? So?"

I shrugged. "Grandma said..." I hesitated. What should I tell her? I sighed and decided to tell the truth. I sat beside her on the couch then stared at the TV. "Sidney was the person I fought yesterday,"

"Figured,"

"Figured?"

"Yeah," mom sighed. "You are usually rational till it involves your sister."

"My sister? Don't you mean that thing?" I air quoted.

At the reminder of how she refers to Sidney since the divorce, Mom rolled her eyes. "Maybe I am getting over the divorce, your dad chose Grace over me, big deal, but it's not really the end of the world; I am moving on, maybe you should too Samy."

I frowned, my head spinning. "Move on, from what?"

"You know, hate and blame and vengeance?"

"How could I? How.... When I don't even know what happened. My parents are divorced and I don't fucking know why,"

"I guess I am asking for too much..." She sighed. "What were you saying about your grandma?"

I pursed my lips but decided to let it go. By experience I know no matter how hard I hit this wall I am not going to breaking it. "Yeah... Grandma says she's gonna to send me to some training camp..... What's wrong mom?"

Mom's face had paled like she's seen a ghost. "Training camp? Did she say Camp!?"

"Yeah, what's this about? You're freaking me out."

Mom sprang to her feet, her face solemn. She paced up and down the room. "Samy, I am going to make a phone call, please don't go anywhere, wait here for me."

I gawked at her. I have never seen mom this serious in years. I could tell this was more serious than I thought, but how? "Sure," I nodded.

I sat alone in the living room staring at the television. Balling my fist, I breathed deeply trying to calm my nerves. The noise from the TV was very annoying but it also distracted me. I fell into deep thought regardless.

"Come here Sam," Mom's voice pulled me from my thought. I looked to see her poking her head from the kitchen. I didn't even know when she walked past me. With heavy legs I walked into the kitchen. "Here," she handed me a glass of wine.

I downed it in one swing, thankful for her consideration then stared at her waiting for answers

"Did your grandma tell you anything about the Camp?"

"Just that it's for people like me... To cure aggression."

"You know nothing then," Mom frowned.

"Obviously,"

Mom ignored my snappish retort and went on. "The Camp... Camp, is a secret place, not much is told about it. Not many to ask," her eyes set on me. "Hmm.... It's said to be a special place that trains exceptional children... Teenagers."

"Train them in what?"

"Combat, academics, and to enhance themselves... don't know, as I said, not much is told." She shrugged. "But one thing I know is it has a very high mortality rate. Like sky high, not many survive the years there."

"How many years are there?"

"Don't have it," Mom said. "One graduates according to progress."

"Well, poor Sid, thank god I am not going,"

Mom bit her lip. "About that... You know your grandma ordered this...."

"So what?" I scoffed but frowned as I noticed the dizziness. It was growing quickly, soon the world started spinning around me. My eyes widened in horror as everything clicked. I glanced at the glass cup. "What did you do?"

Mom had the decency to look guilty. "Your grandmother's orders cannot be disobeyed by the likes of me."

I staggered away from her. "It was why you were home? To drug me?" I could feel the tears in my eyes from the betrayal. I only took a few steps before I collapsed.

"I am sorry baby," Mom said. Then everything went dark.

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