memories

Breakfast was uneventful and Lila and I got away with me changing and spilling the milk. I will need to replace it somehow before Mrs. Stevenson notices, but I think that will work out fine.

I now help wash the hands of all the little children here and then it’s off to clean the orphanage and take care of what’s needed on the farm. The county took an old farmhouse and turned it into an orphanage. They figured children could learn to harvest and be self-sufficient this way. The town I was brought to was rural and small which I didn’t mind since I didn’t want the lab people to find me.

Flashbacks hit me once more.

“We have to split up, it’s the safest option.” Andy urges me. I look at Julia and Ryan with tears in my eyes.

“No, we need to stay together. The big man even says we are the most powerful ones together.” I sob.

“Maddie, we will see each other again.” Brooke smiles at me, tears streaming down her face, “We all know how to find one another if we need to but Andy is right, we need to split up. “I touch behind my ear and sigh heavily.

“Go milk the cows!” Mrs. Stevenson’s angry voice draws me out of my thoughts.

I sigh but quickly move, grabbing the milking bucket, “When you’re done, come find me.”

I nod and walk toward the barn. We have three milking cows here: Bessie, Sharon, and Lola.

“Good morning, ladies, “I coo at them. They moo at me, and I giggle, glancing back at the house. I grab the stool and start with Bessie first. I can tell she’s relieved as I empty her udders. Being in the barn is peaceful.

Soon I finish and Lila finds me, “Joshua is hurt, hurry!” I run quickly and follow her to the chicken coop. Joshua has fallen and his knee is scraped. I smile gently at him and help him up, “Let’s get you cleaned up.” Tears fall from his eyes, and I carry him inside. Joshua is only 5 and the smallest.

I clean his cuts and scrapes and another flashback hits me.

“Maddie, it’s okay.” Colt soothes me as he cleans my wound.

“It hurts,” I whisper, looking at the huge gash in my arm.

“I know. I overheard that they are trying to see if we can heal by ourselves. That’s what the new drug is they have been giving us.”

I look at the needle mark on my arm and sigh, “It’s not working.” Colt sighs and dabs my blood again, “No, it’s not but I got you.” He says, placing a bandage wrap on my arm. I glare at Ryan. He was the one to run the blade across my skin, cutting me open but he looks at me and my face softens; he didn’t have a choice.

We had NO choices in the lab.

“Maddie, it hurts.” Joshua’s small voice brings me back. I smile at him, “It’s okay, I got you.” He smiles at me, and I dab the blood, cleaning his wound and placing a band-aid, “See, good as new.” He nods and I place him down from the bathroom counter, “Now go finish collecting the eggs.” He giggles and runs out of the house.

“Maddie!” Mrs. Stevenson’s shrill voice calls my name. I take a deep breath and walk in the direction of her office, “I told you to come to see me when you were done with the cows.” She glares at me.

“Sorry, mam Joshua was hurt. I was fixing his scrape.” I begin but she hurls her empty coffee mug at my head. I duck in the nick of time, and it crashes to bits on the wall behind me, “You need to do as you are told! Did I tell you to give Joshua first aid?!”

I shake my head, looking down and she continues to yell at me, “You have no idea what the real world is like, child! It is going to eat you up and spit you out! You are doomed for this world; do you hear me!?”

I keep my head down, accepting her yelling; there is no arguing with Mrs. Stevenson; I have no choices here either.

She then walks toward me, and I stiffen but she lifts my chin with her finger and makes me look at her, “You know, you could stay here.” She tells me.

My heart stops, “Here?”

She grins, “Yes, I could give you a job. You could earn a wage and help with the children.”

I have no words and she taps the back of her whip on the floor, “Think it over. I don’t think you can survive this world you are so weak.” She tells me with pity. I nod and she points to the door, “Your dismissed. Finish the chores and then I need you to go to town.”

“Town?” I ask and she nods, “Yes, you poor idiotic child. I have some shopping I need you to do.”

“Of course, Mam,” I say and walk out to finish my chores.

If only she knew I wasn’t some weak child. We were bred in that facility to be killing machines. They experimented on us to create the best army in the world. Werewolves were still not known about in the normal human world, but in the world of science, we were lab rats.

I walk back outside, and Lila looks at me, “Will you stay?” she asks.

I stare at her, “Maddie, you are the only one who truly takes care of all of us, I don’t know what we’ll do when you leave.” Tears fill her eyes.

I wrap my arms around her and hug her tight, “I don’t know yet, Lila. I thought I would be free of this place.” I admit.

She hugs me even tighter and nods, her tears falling on my shoulder, “I know but we need you too.” She whispers.

I nod and she lets go of me, “I need to finish cleaning the sheep pen.” She says, wiping her eyes and turning around. I sigh as I watch her. Maybe I should stay, they do need me.

My plan was to find the others when I aged out. I miss them so much, but it’s been 9 years. I am sure we all have our own lives. We had to make our lives in this world without one another for safety.

I touch behind my ear and trace the skin that holds my lab number, 1001. I wonder what 1002, 1003, 1004 and even 1005 (Colt) are up to.