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 Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:31 pm
The corner of his mouth curled into a smile. Red man, huh? At least she didn't call him 'Fido'.
After Rachel spoke and asked her question, Lucas glanced toward Emelyn, then crouched down. He decided to come right out and say it. "Yes." He sighed. "Everyone who comes to the Island is the next test subject for Moreau's experiments. They adminster a shot to you, which is the first injection in the process, then leave you here in the Village." He sent another look toward Emelyn. This young girl had to have family waiting for her on the mainland. How could he tell her she'd never see them again?
One thing at a time.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 5:45 pm
"I'm sorry sweetheart. None of us are here by our own will, no." She couldn't think to say much else.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:02 pm
"I guess this is the 'treatment' I came here for," she said grimly, leaning forward and resting her head and arms on her knees. She didn't need Lucas to tell her she'd never see her family again. It was written all over their faces and it didn't make sense that the doctor would let people free, showing exactly what he'd been doing.
Rachel glanced over at Emelyn for a moment, a thought crossing her mind. That was the second time she had been called "sweetheart" by the woman who had turned into a....hedgehog? porcupine? How old did they think she was? Rachel didn't exactly mind, she was just wondering why Emelyn seemed to like the term when speaking to her. After a short period of silence, Rachel spoke again.
"So....how do we know.....? What we're turning into I mean," she amended quickly.
"And how soon?" her brow creased in thought. She wanted to know how much time she had, before...
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:11 pm
"I've been told you have the option of asking what you are turning into. Just call the labs on the intercom in your duplex." He fidgeted, his arms first being crossed over his chest, then he would let them rest limply at his sides, eventually his hands found their way into his pockets. Then it would start all over again, all the while his tail would occasionally flick behind him.
Her second question he wasn't sure on. "I don't know. It took three weeks for me." He looked to Emelyn.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:21 pm
"I don't remember," she said lamely when Lucas looked at her to answer. "It's been a while. But it's not...especially long, if I can recall." She nodded at Lucas again. "A few weeks sounds about right."
It was hard to look at Rachel. She was so small, so frail- at any moment, Emelyn half expected the gumball bones that were her wrists, and the knobs of her knuckes to pop free from her dark skin and roll across the packed dirt ground of the village proper. It brought out the mothering instinct in Emelyn- or at least, some other such instinct that could be housed under the heading of 'Want to tie her down and feed her'.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:31 pm
"Hmm....maybe I'll have to ask them..." she said quietly, mainly to herself. She didn't really like surprises, let alone unpleasant ones. At least the two people sitting in front of her didn't seem to be turning anything too bad...
If you have to turn into anything at all, she thought darkly. Whatever she had expected for her 'treatment,' it certainly hadn't been this. And a few weeks was so little time...That's all she had left to be herself? Would she be able to gymnastics anymore? All the information was finally starting to get to her, and it was almost too much to take in.
"It seems so impossible...." she finally said, rubbing her temples lightly. "It's going to take me a while to get used to the idea..."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:43 pm
Lucas debated for a moment stepping over to her and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but decided against it. It was difficult to say how she'd react to it. He didn't want to frighten her or cause her to faint for a second time. Rachel was so far the youngest person on the Island he had come across. And she also looked like she was possibly ill. What were the labs thinking? This bothered him.
"If you ever need anything you can contact me. I'm in duplex 57."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:48 pm
"And I'm in Duplex 8. And really... take all the time you need to 'get used to the idea'." She would be on the island all her life, Emelyn knew- and the longer period of denial she allowed herself, the longer she might grasp onto her previous life. Though, how wonderful was her life, that she martyred herself to live in this shruken skeleton of a body? Em only bit the lip on her muzzle, not knowing either way- how wrong Moreau was to bring her here.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:00 pm
"Thank you, both of you. I'm at the one at the top of the stairs...I think it's 76." Rachel sighed resignedly, not really wanting to think about it anymore. Normally, she would have gone ahead on the jog she had been planning on, to clear her head, but she knew better than that after having fainted.
Maybe later today, her obsessive mind told her as she pushed on the railing and stood herself up, planning on heading back up the stairs to her room, when she noticed Emelyn's expression.
"Is something wrong? I mean...besides what we've been talking about?" Rachel asked her.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:05 pm
The dhole watched her stand, ready to give his goodbyes so she could return to her room when Rachel stopped and asked her question. He turned to Emelyn.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:08 pm
"Nothing's wrong. I just don't like to see newcomers here. Under the circumstances, I wish we'd never met... Rachel." she chewed the word sweetheart, and its close companion, darling, in her mouth before she allowed them escape into the sentence.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:22 pm
"No kidding," Rachel said sourly, in response to Emelyn's comment, before sighing again. She thought she sensed that there was more that Emelyn wasn't telling her, or maybe she was just being paranoid. It wouldn't have been the first time.
"Well...thank you for filling me in on my future, guys. I'm gonna go try and straighten my brain out, and think about asking what animal they've chosen for me...Maybe I'll run into you guys around here some time?" She tried to make herself mean it, but Rachel knew that there was a good chance there would be a while before they saw each other again. This chat was an exception for her, prefering more often to keep to herself.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:29 pm
"Take care of yourself." He raised his hand a little in a small goodbye.
He also hoped that whatever animal she got was one she could live with.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:32 pm
Emelyn nodded, mirroring Lucas' statement, "Yes, take care of yourself. I'm sure I'll see you about. And really- we meant it when we said you can come to us any time."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:41 pm
Rachel smiled slightly at their well-wishes, giving a small wave in return. Maybe she would make herself go see them. She decided to extend an invitation to them as well, so they could come see her, just in case.
"Thanks, and you guys can drop by whenever, as well. I can't imagine I'll be a great many other places. Not until I know my way around a little better at least."
With a final wave, she headed the rest of the way up the stairs and opened the door to let herself in, calling back to the pair.
"Have a good day," she gave them a small smile before stepping inside and closing the door.
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