Goodbye
“Oh god. Is that them?”
“The black van with tinted windows surrounded by people with guns? Darling, I think it’s them.”
Eudora’s parents uneasily parked the car several yards from an armed guard. Her mother turned to look at her daughter in the back, fast asleep in her car seat. She began to sob.
“We’ll visit her, darling. This is what she needs,” her father grabbed his wife’s hand. “They’ll teach her how to control it.”
“Control what?” she choked through sobs. “Her gift? Her powers? We never gave her a chance. We can help her! She’s our daughter, Ron!”
“That’s enough, Lorraine. Look, she’s waking up.”
Eudora opened her big brown eyes. She looked at her mother who was blowing her nose into a McDonald’s napkin.
Her parents told her she was going to kindergarten.
“Are you going to be a good girl for mommy and daddy?” Her father’s voice quivered despite his efforts to hide it.
“Is this kindergarten?” Eudora asked her parents. Her father looked to her mother who stopped wiping her nose to nod.
“Yes,” he replied.
After many tears and goodbyes, Eudora and her parents went their separate ways.
The child was greeted by Dr. Liberty who was excited to finally meet the mutant she had heard so much about.
“How was the hotel?” the doctor asked.
The family decided it would be best to leave a day early so they could do the trade-off in the early morning. It would be another day’s drive from the meeting location to the facility.
“There was a swimming pool.” Eudora said.
“That’s great! I’m glad you had a good time.”
“We didn’t.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Well, hopefully you have a better night tonight. We have a bed all set up for you.”
After a half an hour of riding in silence they pulled up in front of a tall gate covered in wires.
“Danger! Electric Fence!” several signs read.
“Where are we?” Eudora asked.
“This is our airport. It’s much faster to take the plane.”
The gates swung open and the cars drove through. Eudora held her breath, worried they might be electrocuted if she even moved an inch.
“The electric fence only shocks trespassers,” Dr. Liberty chuckled.
“An electric fence has no brain and therefore can’t measure a person’s intentions to trespass,” Eudora corrected.
“Why are you scared then?” the Dr. teased.
And to that she had no answer.