August 16th, 1995
The ghosts of the house were scary. That's what Four thought, at least. They didn't scream, (well, not all, some screamed, those who had violent deaths) but they said things that scared Four, he wanted them to leave.
Four wanted to have the powers of any of his brothers, they were much nicer than his.
He would like to have the powers of Two, he could throw things at One and never miss!
Five's powers were cool too, he could go wherever he wanted in the blink of an eye, even though he was still practicing and had already appeared in the bathroom while Four showered in the bathtub. It was funny, Five covered his face and started yelling at Four to put on clothes, and Four just laughed, saying it was he who went into the bathroom.
Four would also like to have the power of Three, he could get whatever he wanted! But he didn't think he'd use it on people, he didn't like it when Three forced him to do things, so it wasn't very cool, but it had advantages!
One had the simplest power, in Four's opinion. It seemed cool, of course, One had super strength, but it wasn't mystical and fun like the powers of his other brothers.
Of all his brothers, what had the coolest power was Six. He had little tentacle friends who came out of his belly and played with them. Six loved playing with blocks with the tentacles, they were very fun and friendly! Four liked them a lot too, and they liked to tickle four, it was weird, but very funny.
Four would like to have any of his brothers' powers, he hated his. The ghosts groaned and said things, they wouldn't let Four sleep and when he finally fell asleep, he had nightmares about the things the ghosts said.
Four thinks he may have been cursed at birth, because how did he have these horrible powers when his brothers had fun powers? There had to be something wrong with him, because if nothing were wrong, he'd have fun powers too!
The screamers were here. They were here and they were screaming and screaming and Four wanted them to be quiet!
He had a curse, his powers were a curse.
Four! Four!
Help me!
Four! Save my son!
He killed me, Four! He killed me!
When I get my hands on you, you'll see what real pain is!
Four! FourFourFourFourFourFourFourFourFourFourFour
Four opened his eyes, panting. His eyes watered and he turned to stick his head on the pillow and cry until he slept again but found the air.
He wide his eyes, finally realizing his situation. He was levitating two meters above the bed.
Four screamed.
August 16th, 1995
Number Four woke up floating on the ceiling of his room this morning. I ordered Number One and Number Three knock him out because Four wouldn't come down. That's a development, Four is showing to have more powers than all his brothers. Next week we'll start working on his levitation, this can be useful in future missions.
October 5th, 1995
"Focus, Number Four!" Ordered Dad. Four gave a grunt of exasperation.
"I can't!" Said Four, looking at the floor with a pout.
"If you can't, how did I see you levitate to Number Two and Number Six this morning?" Asked Dad, one of the eyebrows raised, the red notebook with the number '4' engraved on the spine in one hand, a fountain pen in the other.
"I don't know!" Yelled Four, looking at his dad his fists clenched beside the body.
"Well! Think about how you felt! Do it!" Ordered Dad, writing something in his notebook. Four boiled with anger.
"I DON'T KNOW HOW I DID IT!"
CRASH!
Four looked wide-eyed at the glass of water in pieces on the floor. The glass had somehow flown from where it stood at a table next to Dad and hit the wall by itself. Four shrank, looking at Dad. He would definitely think of a way to blame Four for what happened and he would be punished.
Contrary to what he thought, Dad seemed as interested as he was when he found out Four had levitation.
"Interesting" Dad said, Then he wrote something down in his notebook. Four has wide his eyes.
January 21st, 1996
Number Four does not show many advances in his control over ghosts, his telekinesis and levitation are distracting him from his other powers. This can be a problem if not contained.
February 1st, 1996
Free period.
"Six?" Called Four at his brother's bedroom door.
"Um?" Six didn't raise his eyes from the book and Four approached, sitting on the bed in front of his brother, who was leaning at the head of the bed as he read.
"I want to show you something" Four replied, taking off his shoes and sitting on the bed cross-legged in front of his brother.
"Not now, Four, I'm reading, show Two" Said Six, turning a page of the book without looking at Four.
"Two is in special training, you know that, so we have some free time"
"Seven then"
"She's in her health care class in the infirmary with Mom"
"Five?"
"Writing on the walls again, dangerous to interrupt"
Six agreed with the head, marking the page, and closing the book, placing it on the shelf.
"What do you want to show me?" Asked Six, putting his elbows on his knees and resting his head on his hands. Four jumped on the bed up and down, excited.
"I can levitate to the ceiling and use my telekinesis to erect multiple objects at the same time!" Said Four with a broad smile, ignoring the bad memories of how he learned to do it in training. It was normal, after all, it was training, there was no point in him feeling uncomfortable about it, was there?
"Really? That's so cool!" Exclaimed Six, joining the animation of Four.
"Yeah, look!" Four looked around the room, selecting a variety of objects in Six's room.
He levitated toward the ceiling, crossed legs, while making notebooks, books, and pens float around him. Four looked at Six with anticipation. His brother looked in amazement, but his hands were around his stomach. Four frowned and his concentration broke. He fell back into bed, objects falling to the ground. Dad said that one day he would levitate and use his telekinesis without having to concentrate all the time, but he still couldn't do that.
"Is everything okay, Six?" Asked Four, worried. Six was no longer smiling, looking at his stomach.
"They haven't played with me since last week's special training session I had with them" Explained Six, shorty. Four had not realized this but knew that his father was waiting for Six to reach a certain age before starting training, when in the others he started as soon as he discovered their powers. He knew six's first training had begun in October of the previous year, weeks after their birthday. How did he not realize that his tentacle friends were no longer playing with his brother anymore? Was Four too excited about his powers to notice that Six no longer came to his room to play with his tentacle friends?
"What happened?" Asked Four, and reached out to Six, but his brother moved away.
"Dad made them k–kill a rabbit last week. They didn't like it. We used to be doing strength exercises and stuff. They weren't enjoying it very much but were interested in the idea of getting stronger to lift heavier toys. But Dad forced them to k–kill another animal. They're different now, they're angry. They hate Dad"
"Don't worry, Sixey! They're gonna show up, they love me!" Four unconsciously floated a few inches up and Six laughed, Four soon accompanying him.
November 24th, 1996
Number Four is still afraid of ghosts and claims that they yell at him and say scary things. I'm afraid I will execute plan 3 eventually if nothing changes. I'll try a few last times with Number Four in his especial training, but it won't be possible to continue that way with Number Four afraid of his powers and distracted by telekinesis and levitation.
May 7th, 19977
Four shrank in his chair, in the dark of the room other than by two small candles in front of him. Suddenly, the noise of the lock echoed, and the door opened, bringing some light, and shadowing the figure of his father, who came in and closed the door, walking to sit in front of Four.
The boy was in his special training, the others in his free time while Four was trapped in this room with his father and the screaming ghosts.
"Number Four, how many ghosts are in this room?" Dad asked. Four obediently looked around, not wanting to be punished, and began to count the ghosts.
Four preferred his levitation and telekinesis training. Even if he didn't like training his other powers, being locked in this dark room with candles, incense and screaming ghosts was scary.
"There are eleven ghosts, sir" His father, as always, had his red notebook in his hand, quickly taking notes with his fountain pen.
"Describe the nearest one" Ordered his father, continuing to write in his notebook. Four swallowed in dry and looked at the nearest, which gave a particularly loud cry toward his father.
"He's wearing the remains of a suit, he has white hair and he's got broken, cracked sunglasses in his eyes, I can't tell you the cause of death, but he's covered in blood" Reported Four, quickly swerved away at the ghost's increasingly loud screams, now that he had realized that Four could see him.
"Huh, interesting" Said his father, looking briefly in the direction that Four was looking before and returning to write "Make him visible"
For the next two hours, Four tried unsuccessfully to make the ghost visible, getting a slap from his father on the cheek when he whimpered that he couldn't. At the end of special training, Four ended up on the ground curled up in a ball and covering his ears while all the ghosts of the room plus several others who were attracted by his attempts gathered around him, screaming and screaming.
He barely heard his father sighing and mocking in disappointment.
June 10th, 1997
I'll unfortunately execute plan 3 in the coming months. It is a pity, Number Four could be the most powerful of his brothers and brothers, right behind Number Seven. Wasted resources.
September 28th, 1997
Four tried to hold the smile, but when Dad turned to talk like Pogo, he left it appeared on his face. He didn't realize that he was levitating with happiness a few inches from the floor until Five pulled him down by the sleeve of the exercise suit.
"Four, stop, Dad will see, you can save that happiness for later" He whispered Five hastily, his hand tightly on Four's wrist.
"But I'm soooo excited, Five, we're going to get names on our anniversary! It's so close!" Four whispered back, and Five opened his mouth, about to respond with what would surely be an unpleasant comment when Dad turned and stood in front of the six children in line, who immediately straightened in reflection.
"May I ask, Number Four, what is so important that you feel the need to speak at the beginning of a group training session?" He asked Dad, and Four shrank almost imperceptibly, being noticed by Five, who was very close. Allison didn't seem to notice.
Four didn't want to be punished two days before his birthday. What if Dad decided he wouldn't get a name after that? He wanted a name! He didn't want to be Four!
"Sir, I'm the one who caught Four's attention, sir, it's not his fault." Said Five, and Four struggled not to react and get serious in front of his father, but internally he was shocked.
It wasn't new that Five was protective of his brothers, and always tried his best to distract father when someone something wrong, especially Four. When Four asked him why he did it, Five replied "You may be an idiot sometimes, but I know Dad takes it hard for you and... I just want to protect you, Four, you're my brother, besides..." at that moment his voice subsided to a whisper "I never said that before, but... I'll always protect you, we're family". Four had been very moved when Five said this, and had tried to give his brother a hug, who walked away and said "If you mention it to anyone, you're dead, Four" then disappeared in blue light.
In spite of all the 'I want to protect you', Four wasn't sure if Five was serious, who would like to protect Four? All his siblings thought he was annoying, even Six had said that, though much less than the others.
So, Four was surprised when Five protected him again.
"Extra training session tomorrow at 5:00 P.M, Number Five, and no dinner for you today" Dad said, and Five nodded. Dad seemed pleased and then said "Number Four, Number Three, come to my office after training" Said Dad, and Four wide-eyed, looking panicked at Five, who seemed surprised and confused, and for Six, who wide eyes panicked for Four "Now move! Level 3 training session!"
Later, after training, Four and Three headed to their father's office. Two had patted Four on the shoulder and said "It's go–gonna be okay, F–Four. I–If D–Dad d–does a–a–anything, I–I'll k–kill him!" Four thought it was cool, but he wasn't sure Two could do that. Five had also said that everything was going to be fine. He didn't hug Four or give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder like Two, but that was Five, he didn't initiate displays of affection.
Anyway, this had done little to reassure Four and while he and Three headed to her father's office, Four couldn't contain the nervousness, Three seemed sad and guilty, she sure knew something Four didn't know.
Three knocked on the office door and the two came in after Dad called them.
His father was sitting in his huge chair, Pogo by his side with a sad expression, for some reason.
"Number Three, Number Four" Dad said, getting up from the chair and approaching the two children, stopping in front of the two. He looked at someone behind them "Grace, come"
Four turned around, spotting Mom, who entered the room and stopped near Four, smiling strangely at him. In front of him, Three seemed nervous and the guilt on her face intensified, but Four didn't understand why.
"Grace" Dad's voice was serious, and Mom's smile seemed more forced. Pogo, now next to Three, with his hand on the girl's shoulder, looked sadly at Four.
Two hands took Four's arms and held them hard. Four looked back, confused. Mom looked at him with her ever-present smile, but that seemed more tense.
"Mom, what's going on?" Asked Four, nervous, looking at his father, who was stood next to Three and Pogo.
"Don't worry, hun', it's going to be okay" Assured Mom, but it did not calm her nervousness and Four swallowed it dry. In front of him, Dad said:
"Number Three, do it" Three didn't move, looking about to protest, but Dad gave a look at her, which made her take a step forward, her head down.
"Three, what's going on? Why are you sad?" Asked Four, despair and confusion beginning to arise.
Three raised her head, looking at Four. A tear flowed down her left cheek, and she still perished sad and guilty, but there was a determination in her eyes that wasn't there before.
"Don't worry, Four, it'll make you feel better, I promise, you'll progress with your powers and you won't get distracted, you will no longer be afraid of ghosts when you progress, it'll be all right" Three seemed to be saying this more to herself than to Four, who wide-eyed, finally realizing why Mom was holding him and why Three was there too.
"No, no, no Three, please don't do this!" Begged Four, struggling in Grace's grip, but she was much stronger than him, being a robot, and her grip increased. In desperation, Four began to fight as much as he could "Three, please don't! I–I promise I'll never bother you again if you don't do it!"
"I'm sorry, Four, but Dad said this is going to help you, I just want to help, I swear. And if making you forget your telekinesis and levitation is the only way to for me to help you, I'm going to do it" Three explained, but Four shook his head, tears running down his cheeks.
"No, Three, please! You don't get it! Telekinesis and levitation are all I have! Without them, I have only the ghosts! Three, don't do this, please don't!" Said Four, continuing to try to escape Grace's grip, to no avail.
"Number Four! Shut up! Number Three, do it!" Screamed Reginald and Four continuing crying, muttering, and shouting 'no' and 'please' to Three, who was also crying, but trying to assure him that everything would be fine "Number Three!"
Three looked at Reginald before turning around and looking into Four's eyes, who still struggled and begged her not to do so. Three was still crying, and gave a sad smile to Four, stroking his hair, before opening her mouth and say:
"I heard a rumor that you forgot you have telekinesis and levitation"
September 28th, 1997
Today I called Number Three and Number Four in my office and executed plan 3. I had Number Three rumor Number Four with the following words:
"I heard a rumor that you forgot you have telekinesis and levitation"
It was the only thing I could think of doing. Number Three believes the rumor is temporary to help Four not be afraid of his powers with the ghosts and move forward with them without distractions. I'm not going to refute her.
Fortunately, with his telekinesis and levitation out of the way, Number Four will focus on his other powers.
In the present time, Klaus screamed and cried with the memories passing through his mind, The Handler laughing beside him.