Theresa

I awoke with a jolt as my phone vibrated from underneath my pillow. I turned and checked the clock on my nightstand still half asleep. It was two am. Angrily I retrieved my phone already picturing myself cussing at the genius who decided to text me this late. It was probably Holly with yet another one of her relationship crisis’s I thought as I brought the phone into view but it was an unknown number. I decided to open it anyway whoever it was they were going to feel my wrath; I have to get up at five am for christ sake.

 Still squinting I opened the text only to find out that it wasn’t a text at all, it was a picture. Confused and slightly curious I turned on my lamp wanting to lessen my sleep distraught vision and looked at the picture again. In the picture there was a mousy haired girl with big green eyes staring back at me. She couldn’t have been more than two years old. She was holding some ones hand, a man I think judging from the size of it and the long black hairs covering his arm. I knew this girl, I thought as I studied the features of her face but why would someone send me this? I rubbed my eyes once more and saw the brown teddy bear hanging limply from her other hand, it had big heart shaped eyes and another heart shape covering its belly. This registered something in the back of my mind and like a switch it all fell into place...’is that me?’ I whispered.

 Dumbfounded I jumped up from the bed and made my way to the cupboard where I kept the family albums. Frantically I searched for the youngest photograph I had of me and compared the two. In this one I was six years old, my mousy brown hair had a darker shade to it and it hung all the way down my shoulders. My eyes were slightly smaller but they were definitely the same shade of green. This can’t be I mouthed still looking at the pictures, but it was. My adoptive parents told me that our house had burnt down when I was around two years old and my parents were caught in the fire. No one knew how I got to outside to the lawn but that’s where the neighbours found me that night, I was crying my eyes out and had clung to that same heart shaped bear. That’s all I knew so how could someone have a photo of me from before that night? Nothing could be salvaged from the fire especially not a photograph...unless that same person helped me out of the house that night.

My heart rate sped up as I picked up the phone ‘who are you?’ I typed and sent the text message without even thinking about it. I had to know. After a few minutes the phone vibrated again and my heart almost leapt out of my chest. ‘You have questions, I have the answers to. Go to the park across the road and I’ll meet you there. Tell anyone and I walk. You have five minutes.’ Fuck was the only response I could think of but there was no time to think or to respond, I knew I had to find out for myself but I also knew that this might be the biggest and dumbest mistake I could ever make. I decided to go anyway grabbing the jacket I threw over the chair earlier that day I tiptoed through the hallway careful not to wake my parents even though their room was at the opposite end of the hall. I finally reached the door and unlocked it as softly as I could, there was no time to hesitate.

 Outside the air was crisp and the neighbourhood eerily quiet, the street lights cast a faint yellow light from above that made me even more aware of the complete stupidity of my decision but I cast those worries aside and made a run for it, time was almost up. I couldn’t let whoever sent me that picture leave and risk never knowing the truth. I would regret that more than anything that could happen tonight.

Up ahead the park came into view but I couldn’t see anyone. I stopped by the park’s entrance catching my breath when out of nowhere a black van pulled up beside me. Get in the guy shouted but I was frozen stiff. The door swung open followed by three figures with black masks they pulled me into the van. My instincts finally kicked in and I was shouting and kicking in every direction ‘Let me go’ I screeched but there was no reply one of them took out a white cloth and held it over my mouth and my nose. I struggled to breathe and a few seconds later I passed out.

The sound of Inaudible voices filled my ears as I slowly gained consciousness. My eyelids were heavy but a bright white light came trickling in at the bottom forcing them shut. ‘Is she awake yet?’ I vaguely heard a man say with a hint of concern in his voice. ‘No Doctor, but she’ll come to in a few minutes I’m sure.’ A rush of relief filled my whole body. ‘They’re doctors’ I thought as I struggled against the fatigue forcing my body to move. ‘My parents! .They must have found me somehow before anything bad happened. I’m safe’ I realised with a rush. My eyes fluttered open as I adjusted to the brightness of the light. It hung a few inches above my face making it impossible to see anything. Automatically I tried lifting my arms to shield my face from the light but they wouldn’t budge, I was strapped down I realized with a burst of fear. Frantically I squinted my eyes and turned my head to the sides wanting to see who and why I was tied down but all I could see was machinery, hospital machinery and bright white walls in the background. A drip stood on my left, it’s pipe went down the length of my arm and a needle peaked out from underneath the bandage strapped to my hand. Panicked I thrashed my body side to side trying to free myself from the restraints.

 ‘Calm down Theresa, we won’t hurt you’ It was that voice again I realised, the doctor. There was no hint of concern in his voice anymore this time it sounded more like an order but somehow I did calm down. It was almost immediate my body went slack and I could feel my heart steady. ‘How did you do that?’ I asked alarmed. ‘ I didn’t do anything darling you did that all by yourself’ he said sounding impressed. ‘You’re lying! My body just went limp. I didn’t decide to do anything’ I was yelling now frustrated by the turn of events.’ Who are you and what am I doing here?’ I screeched. ‘You wanted answers Theresa and I’m going to give them to you but first I had to inject you with my special serum to keep you from going anywhere okay?’ the man replied calmly ‘What serum? I don’t understand. Why can’t I leave?’ I tried thrashing against the restraints again but nothing happened. My mind was sending the signals but it was like it was disconnected from my body somehow. I was trapped. ‘You can’t leave my pet because your body belongs to me now. Actually you have always belonged to me Theresa .I am your creator’ Creator? What did he mean he created me? My parents died when I was two years old. I saw the house burn down it can’t be.” Are you my father?” I asked half whispering. “Heavens no, your parents are dead remember? I’m not your father Theresa I’m your creator don’t you get it?” ‘Of course I don’t get it!’ I said frustrated ‘What do you mean you’re my creator? If you’re not my father you’re not responsible for my existence!’ “But I am Theresa. I’m the reason you’re still alive today. Your parents brought you to me as a baby in a desperate attempt to save your life. You were diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease, a fatal degenerative disorder. I injected your body with sensors I have been experimenting with for years. It takes over the body and the mind once it has completely lodged itself in the red cells you produce and rids the subject of any illnesses. I knew it was a success after your second birthday leaving me no choice but to terminate the only witnesses to what I have accomplished. But I needed you to make a life for yourself Theresa. I needed people to trust you before I could activate you. Do you understand now?’ He was half shouting but I couldn’t focus on anything he was saying. I had so many questions my mind could barely stay on one for more than a second. What are these sensors, how were they controlling me and most importantly why was he controlling me? “What do you want from me?” I screeched as a tear started to form at the corner of my eye.”You’re so concerned with your biological parents Theresa but have you forgotten who your adoptive parents are? Who do you think lead them to you at the orphanage? This was all a part of my plan Theresa this is how it was always going to end for you and for them. You just didn’t know it yet” “No!” I gasped “You can’t make me do that. I won’t kill them!” I tried thrashing around again but I wouldn’t budge! “Oh but you will Theresa. The time for questions has come to an end for now but don’t worry I promise to deactivate my sensors once the job is done. Keep calm Theresa you’re going to lose your mind now.”I tried pleading with him one last time. Tears streaming down my face “Please don...”It was too late “Activate” was all I heard him say and then everything went blank.