It was morning again and my punishment had been completed.
The rules said that I could only get up and leave my room at 6 a.m., and since I didn't have a clock in this room, I didn't know if I could leave yet or not. So I decided to wait a little longer for the sun to rise to make sure I didn't break any more rules. Nanny had told me that if I broke any more rules, she would have to punish me more severely, and I really didn't want to continue being bored alone in this room.
As I was putting my notebook in a drawer, I heard someone knock on the door. I turned to open it, but as soon as I got close to the door, it opened to reveal a woman I hadn't seen before. She was a little taller than me, but her looks were more mature. If I had to guess her age, I'd say she was about 24 or 23. What was most striking about her were her eyes. They were large, but they had no irises or a structure similar to of a conventional eye. They were completely dark, like two spheres of the darkest black I had ever seen, and without pupils. Within that deep black, dozens or even hundreds of smaller lights of different colors shone. These lights moved, dimmed, or increased in size, always changing independently of everything else.
I stared at her eyes for a while, mesmerized by the dancing lights, as sometimes happens when you watch a Christmas tree for a long period and become entranced, until she looked away.
- You shouldn't stare at my eyes for so long, - she said in a playful voice.
Immediately afterwards, I felt a little dizzy, as if I had been slightly dazzled, but nothing out of the ordinary. Not compared to the dizziness I had felt the day before in Thing's room.
I was about to ask her who she was when she beat me to it.
- My name is Destiny, and I'd prefer you not ask me what my power is, - she said calmly, slowly, without much emotion. - Sleepy told me everything about you, and starting today, I'll be in charge of watching you so you don't break any more rules. -
That last part annoyed me quite a bit, not necessarily against this girl, but it meant that now I was going to be watched all day long and that all understanding was worth little or nothing.
I don't think I'm the only person who doesn't like being watched constantly. It's not that I planned to do anything wrong, but the feeling of being watched and feeling somewhat controlled are not the kind of things I really like.
- So you're going to follow me around everywhere I go? - I asked.
- Exactly, but it will only be temporary, so I hope we can get along during this time, - she said calmly as she smiled.
I didn't know exactly how to react. I couldn't tell her to leave, but I didn't want her hanging over my shoulder all day either. How frustrating.
It didn't matter, I had no choice but to accept it because Nanny had already told me that if I broke another rule, the punishment would be worse.
- Oh, that's right, - she said without changing her tone of voice. - I brought something for you. -
She grabbed a plastic stool with a cushion from the other side of the wall.
- What is that supposed to be? - I asked.
- It's a stool. -
How irritating. I hate it when people answer like that. Obviously, it's a stool. That wasn't the point of my question.
- But why are you giving it to me, and what would I want it for? - I tried not to sound as irritated as I really was.
- It's so you don't sit on someone else's chair and accidentally poison them. -
- Sure... -
How humiliating, am I supposed to carry that bench every time I want to sit down? Besides, the suit should be more than enough, right?
Things were only getting worse for me.
She was still standing on the other side of the open door without looking at me. She hadn't turned to look at me since I opened the door, nor had she done anything to try to enter the room.
Maybe she's afraid of poisoning herself.
I approached her and she backed away, leaving me a clear path to leave the room and confirming my thoughts.
I was hungry and just wanted to eat breakfast as soon as possible so I could take another pill. Destiny had said she had to follow me, so I guess it doesn't matter where I go. It's not like I planned on breaking any rules anyway, so this felt incredibly unnecessary.
I was heading straight for the dining room when I heard her cough. I turned around and she pointed to the stool. Reluctantly, I took the stool and continued on my way. She didn't say anything and just followed me to the kitchen where, as I expected, Nanny was preparing breakfast. Everything smelled so good that I wished I could try whatever she was cooking.
However, I knew that if I tasted it, it would probably taste like medicine or something similar.
- Hello, dear, - Nanny said as she continued her work. - I hope last night was better. I know you're still not used to the flavors, so tell me what you want me to make for you. -
- Anything would be fine, - I replied, already discouraged, thinking about the bitter taste I would have to take.
- Take a seat, I'll have it ready in a moment. -
I walked towards the table when Destiny stopped me once again.
- Wait, - she said, raising her voice. - Let me get something before you sit down. -
With that, she hurried out and returned with a folding table that I assumed was behind the dining room. She moved some chairs away from the table and placed the plastic table in front of it as if it were an extension.
- All done, - she said, somewhat flustered from her movements. - Now you can sit at that end of the table. -
How humiliating. First the stupid stool, and now a stupid plastic table. I think these are less of a protectives measures and more ways to make me look ridiculous.
- Is this necessary? - I asked.
- I'm sorry, sweetie, but it's for the safety of the other kids in the house, - Nanny shouted from the kitchen.
I let out a sigh of despair as I took my seat on the stool in front of the plastic table. Destiny sat across from me, but at the real table, so we weren't really close. It was just the two of us since Nanny was in the kitchen, and I didn't really feel like talking to her, so I decided to focus my attention on other things.
The dining room was still impressive because of how big it was, but mainly because of how empty it felt. It's similar to what happens when you're alone at school. You know the place is designed for many people, and when there's no one there, it feels so empty that it's a little uncomfortable.
There were at least 30 large tables, most with about 10 chairs, but all of them were empty, and if it weren't for the sound of Nanny's kitchen and the elevator music, this place would be not only empty but completely silent. At the back of the room, tucked into a corner, was a kind of statue of a huge chair and table, and apart from that, the white tablecloths and a few paintings, there wasn't much decoration to help liven up the place.
Finally, after a while, Nanny brought me breakfast. It was a chicken sandwich with toast and cheese that looked delicious. Unfortunately, when I ate it, it didn't taste as good as it should have.
- Don't you like it? - It wasn't Nanny who asked, but Destiny.
- It's part of my power. It's not really bad, but I can't taste it, - I said.
She turned to look at me for the first time since entering the room. I looked away from her eyes so I wouldn't get dizzy again. I looked back at her plate. It was a bowl of cereal, nothing special, except that she had added apple, banana, and strawberries.
- Why did you did it? - she said calmly after a moment. - What made you break the rules? -
As if I had to answer that, what kind of change of subject was that?
- I'd rather not talk about it, - I said, somewhat surprised.
- Then how about we talk about something else, - she said as she ate some of her cereal. - It's always exciting when someone new arrives because they always have something new to tell. -
Despite trying to sound cheerful, I wasn't really succeeding. I'd rather she stopped trying altogether because all she was doing was making me more uncomfortable.
- Are you a CP too? - I asked.
- Yes, I'm a cursed one just like you. -
That means age doesn't really matter then. This house is for all the cursed ones.
- How long have you been in the house of the cursed? - I don't even know why I bother to continue the conversation when I'd really rather eat in silence.
- About 16 or 17 years, more or less, - she said calmly as she put another spoonful of cereal in her mouth.
I was quite surprised by that answer. Sixteen or seventeen years, that was more time than I had been alive. That meant she might have been in this house even before I was born.
- You know, if you have any other questions, I can answer them, but only if you agree to answer some of mine too, - she said calmly.
I would really like to ask her some questions, but I don't understand what she might want to know about me.
- All right, I accept, - I said before continuing to eat my sandwich.
- Perfect, very well then, it's my turn. Where did you live before you came here? -
- I lived in a shelter city on the west coast of the country. I'm not sure I can tell you its name. -
- That's fine then. A shelter city. You must have met hundreds of people with powers before you came here. -
What could I ask her? I have to be careful with my questions because if I ask her something too direct, she might tell me she can't answer it. It would be best to ask her things that indirectly tell me what I want to know.
- Were there more damned when you arrived? -
Nice. If she answers this question, I'll be able to get an approximate number of damned in the house, assuming there are between two and three damned per year.
- Actually, when I arrived, I was the first cursed one in the house, along with Bad. -
So that would be about 3 damned souls for 17 years, which would be at least 51 cursed people. Are there really that many CPs in the house?
- All right, my turn, - she said, unaware of what I was doing on my own. - Have you made any friends in the house yet? -
If I handle this right, I might get her to tell me some other thing.
- I don't know, - I said, trying to sound a little discouraged. - I haven't really had much time to talk to the others, and I haven't seen many people around here either. -
She nodded.
- Don't worry, it's normal, - she said. - You'll probably meet most of them at dinner, but since you were grounded, you couldn't attend yesterday. -
That's true, I think Sleepy had mentioned something about me probably meeting the rest in at dinner.
All right, it's my turn. I have to make sure this question counts, just in case she wants to end the conversation after.
- What are the rest of them like? -
Regardless of her answer, I can change the question.
- I think it's better if you get to know them on your own, - she evaded the question.
- Hey, we had a deal, - I said in a playful tone.
She closed her eyes, looked up for a moment, stopped eating her cereal, sighed, and finally answered.
- I guess everyone is different in their own way. -
That answer doesn't help me at all.
- But I was referring to their powers and stuff, to find out if...-
- It's like I said, they're all very different, you'll soon realize that, but don't worry, you'll be fine. - She didn't let me finish. - Tell me, what did you like to do before you came here? -
- I liked superheroes and comics, - I said, a little embarrassed. - I know, it's weird for someone from a shelter city to like superheroes. -
- I see, you're really very different too, - she said with a somewhat forced smile. - I'm sorry, I thought you wanted to know about the others' powers for other reasons, but you really like those things, don't you? You'll get to know them. I'm sorry I can't tell you mine, but trust me, it's better this way. -
As she said this, she finished her cereal and I finished my sandwich. I stayed at the table for a moment, deciding what to do next. While I was thinking, Nanny brought me my pills and filled my glass with water to wash them down.
The stuff you can do in the house so far is watch TV, use the computer, sit on the couches. I remember there was a library or something like that. I also think Sleepy mentioned some board games, the gym they mentioned yesterday, the yard, but they told me it would be best not to go out for now, and the computer.
The latter was what interested me the most. If I could use the computer, maybe I could send a message to my parents and find out how they are, or maybe they sent me a message. I don't have my cell phone, so I haven't really heard from them in the last few days.
I got up and decided to go to the computer area, but as I was heading there, Destiny's "discreet" cough reminded me to take the stool with me.
I finally reached the computer area to find the first problem in my way. Strong