"Wakey wakey…"
"…rise and shine!"
Eighteen was awakened without ceremony.
After she had sat with Cassie sobbing violently for a few hours Cassie had managed to ease her into sleep.
To this moment Eighteen found it unbelievable that she had let herself get that way.
She'd been reduced to tears like some wide-eyes school girl.
She had never let herself get like that in her whole life.
Nor her previous one.
Eighteen remembered how she'd sobbed loudly and the way the tears had flowed down her face staining her clothes.
Eighteen had always found this kind of raw emotion in herself unacceptable.
She had no idea but she'd always been like that.
As Faris dragged apart the curtains letting in the light Eighteen grimaced averting her eyes.
As she fixed her eyes on the blanket covering her knees she allowed herself a bitter smile.
That night she had dreamt during her the little sleep her fitful night had permitted her.
this was something she'd thought was well past her.
Her brother had always denied that he had dreams claiming that they were for the guilty.
Funnily enough the dream had been about the past life she had shared with him before they had had their humanity torn away from them.
Dreams were rare to her these days and she had cursed mentally when she had been woken by the others since this one had allowed her a glimpse into her lost life.
Eighteen supposed that in a strange little way she'd always been little more than a machine.
Perhaps it had been because her brother had treated with scorn whenever she'd let her female nature show when they were children.
However much she'd tried to toughen herself up he had always seen her more as a woman than as his sister.
In the end she had found an unusual way to try to get his approval.
Eighteen had begun to deny herself.
Feeling give him cause to love her more she had not allowed herself her woman-ness.
She'd denied herself her tears any gentleness.
She had denied her feelings.
Now she had no idea how to see herself and the more she thought about it the less inclined she felt to try.Eighteen had lost touch with her true self long before she and her brother had come into contact with Gero.
All that sadist had done to her was to erase the very last traces of her humanity.
In seeking her brothers approval and in Dr Gero's manipulation of her Eighteen knew that she had become a ghost.
A ghost of crumbling stone.
"Come on!"
Eighteen had been thinking enough to fill volumes but actually her thoughts had only filled the time it had taken for Linaly to wake her up and Faris to yank open the curtains.
There was no more time to think as Faris pulled her out of bed and Linaly placed a hand between her shoulders pushing her through the doorway.
Her nostrils twitched as she arrived in the living quarters but she did so with pleasure.
Cassie was at the gas cooker turning over fried bacon in a pan.
As Faris and Linaly walked in Eighteen took a seat and took a moment to study Cassie from behind for s moment or two.
"Breakfast anyone?" Cassie asked without turning her head.
"Please." Faris chirped as she and Linaly dropped down next to Eighteen on the sofa. "What is there?
"Anything so long as you like bacon." The bacon in question sizzled as Cassie dropped it on its other side. "With milk or without?"
Finishing the cooking of the meat Cassie placed enough on plates for three helpings.
With a plate in each hand and a third balanced between them she trotted over to the sofa.
As she took her plate Eighteen noticed that she had only made enough for she Linaly and Faris.
When she mentioned this Cassie simply replied that she wasn't hungry.
Cassie gave Eighteen an enigmatic wink and giggled inwardly at the startled blink Eighteen gave in response as she threw herself down into a comfy chair.
Eighteen couldn't understand why Cassie was acting as though nothing had changed between them.
She'd told her the truth about herself.
Admitted that she was an android, something no longer human in the conventional sense.
In the overwhelming tide of self-loathing that had overwhelmed her as she had related her bitter past she'd hardly noticed Cassie's reaction.
Now Cassie was acting like nothing had happened.
Didn't Cassie think that Eighteen was a…monster?
Instead she treated her more like a person than ever.
"You know" Faris remarked to her suddenly. "we never really had the chance to get to know you yesterday did we? Why not tell us a little about yourself while we're all gathered?"
Eighteen nearly choked on her mouthful.
"I'm all for it!" Linaly enthused as she finished her bacon. "Go ahead Eighteen!"
"Why don't you guys go to the beach for a while? Cassie cut in before Eighteen had a chance to reply. "We'll catch up with you later."
"Where are we going?" Eighteen asked grateful to Cassie for changing the subject.
"We're gonna get you some new clothes. By the look of it you wore the clothes you came in for a few weeks solid!"
You hit the nail right on the head there Cassie, Eighteen thought.
But she'd caught her breath at the prospect of going clothes shopping after so long.
"That's settled then." Cassie went on not giving anyone a chance to object. "Catch you later Linaly. Chow for now Faris!"
Linaly and Faris agreed albeit a little huffily.
It was as though Cassie wanted them out of the way for some reason!
"Thanks Cassie." Eighteen said.
Her voice was strangely humble.
"Uh-huh."
Cassie was not really listening.
She stood behind Eighteen with a tape-measure in her hands.
Eighteen was standing in front of a full-length mirror in her underwear.
She didn't really mind Cassie.
After all she WAS another woman.
"Oh sorry?" Cassie exclaimed looking up as she realised Eighteen had said something.
"I said thank you." She repeated. "You…that is…doesn't it bother you that I shouldn't be alive? I mean I rightfully died a long time ago. It's not as if I'm really here."
"That's crap." Cassie's reply as instant and emphatic. "You ARE real Eighteen. As I live and breath."
"And you kept my secret…" Eighteen persisted almost desperate to find some reason for Cassie not to be so loyal to her.
"I promised. You told me it in confidence Eighteen. I'll never tell anyone else unless you give me your permission. Kay?"
Eighteen was lost for words.
She fiercely told herself that she deserved no such loyalty.
Nor the friendship given by a human.
It was strange to feel that she had these things but it felt kind of…nice.
"So now that that's out of the way" Cassie's voice had a business-like tone. "Which shall it be?"
Eighteen's eyes drifted over to the heap of clothes they'd brought into the store changing cubicle.
"Mmm." It was a tough call. "I think I'd like…"
Next chapter comin right up.
"…rise and shine!"
Eighteen was awakened without ceremony.
After she had sat with Cassie sobbing violently for a few hours Cassie had managed to ease her into sleep.
To this moment Eighteen found it unbelievable that she had let herself get that way.
She'd been reduced to tears like some wide-eyes school girl.
She had never let herself get like that in her whole life.
Nor her previous one.
Eighteen remembered how she'd sobbed loudly and the way the tears had flowed down her face staining her clothes.
Eighteen had always found this kind of raw emotion in herself unacceptable.
She had no idea but she'd always been like that.
As Faris dragged apart the curtains letting in the light Eighteen grimaced averting her eyes.
As she fixed her eyes on the blanket covering her knees she allowed herself a bitter smile.
That night she had dreamt during her the little sleep her fitful night had permitted her.
this was something she'd thought was well past her.
Her brother had always denied that he had dreams claiming that they were for the guilty.
Funnily enough the dream had been about the past life she had shared with him before they had had their humanity torn away from them.
Dreams were rare to her these days and she had cursed mentally when she had been woken by the others since this one had allowed her a glimpse into her lost life.
Eighteen supposed that in a strange little way she'd always been little more than a machine.
Perhaps it had been because her brother had treated with scorn whenever she'd let her female nature show when they were children.
However much she'd tried to toughen herself up he had always seen her more as a woman than as his sister.
In the end she had found an unusual way to try to get his approval.
Eighteen had begun to deny herself.
Feeling give him cause to love her more she had not allowed herself her woman-ness.
She'd denied herself her tears any gentleness.
She had denied her feelings.
Now she had no idea how to see herself and the more she thought about it the less inclined she felt to try.Eighteen had lost touch with her true self long before she and her brother had come into contact with Gero.
All that sadist had done to her was to erase the very last traces of her humanity.
In seeking her brothers approval and in Dr Gero's manipulation of her Eighteen knew that she had become a ghost.
A ghost of crumbling stone.
"Come on!"
Eighteen had been thinking enough to fill volumes but actually her thoughts had only filled the time it had taken for Linaly to wake her up and Faris to yank open the curtains.
There was no more time to think as Faris pulled her out of bed and Linaly placed a hand between her shoulders pushing her through the doorway.
Her nostrils twitched as she arrived in the living quarters but she did so with pleasure.
Cassie was at the gas cooker turning over fried bacon in a pan.
As Faris and Linaly walked in Eighteen took a seat and took a moment to study Cassie from behind for s moment or two.
"Breakfast anyone?" Cassie asked without turning her head.
"Please." Faris chirped as she and Linaly dropped down next to Eighteen on the sofa. "What is there?
"Anything so long as you like bacon." The bacon in question sizzled as Cassie dropped it on its other side. "With milk or without?"
Finishing the cooking of the meat Cassie placed enough on plates for three helpings.
With a plate in each hand and a third balanced between them she trotted over to the sofa.
As she took her plate Eighteen noticed that she had only made enough for she Linaly and Faris.
When she mentioned this Cassie simply replied that she wasn't hungry.
Cassie gave Eighteen an enigmatic wink and giggled inwardly at the startled blink Eighteen gave in response as she threw herself down into a comfy chair.
Eighteen couldn't understand why Cassie was acting as though nothing had changed between them.
She'd told her the truth about herself.
Admitted that she was an android, something no longer human in the conventional sense.
In the overwhelming tide of self-loathing that had overwhelmed her as she had related her bitter past she'd hardly noticed Cassie's reaction.
Now Cassie was acting like nothing had happened.
Didn't Cassie think that Eighteen was a…monster?
Instead she treated her more like a person than ever.
"You know" Faris remarked to her suddenly. "we never really had the chance to get to know you yesterday did we? Why not tell us a little about yourself while we're all gathered?"
Eighteen nearly choked on her mouthful.
"I'm all for it!" Linaly enthused as she finished her bacon. "Go ahead Eighteen!"
"Why don't you guys go to the beach for a while? Cassie cut in before Eighteen had a chance to reply. "We'll catch up with you later."
"Where are we going?" Eighteen asked grateful to Cassie for changing the subject.
"We're gonna get you some new clothes. By the look of it you wore the clothes you came in for a few weeks solid!"
You hit the nail right on the head there Cassie, Eighteen thought.
But she'd caught her breath at the prospect of going clothes shopping after so long.
"That's settled then." Cassie went on not giving anyone a chance to object. "Catch you later Linaly. Chow for now Faris!"
Linaly and Faris agreed albeit a little huffily.
It was as though Cassie wanted them out of the way for some reason!
"Thanks Cassie." Eighteen said.
Her voice was strangely humble.
"Uh-huh."
Cassie was not really listening.
She stood behind Eighteen with a tape-measure in her hands.
Eighteen was standing in front of a full-length mirror in her underwear.
She didn't really mind Cassie.
After all she WAS another woman.
"Oh sorry?" Cassie exclaimed looking up as she realised Eighteen had said something.
"I said thank you." She repeated. "You…that is…doesn't it bother you that I shouldn't be alive? I mean I rightfully died a long time ago. It's not as if I'm really here."
"That's crap." Cassie's reply as instant and emphatic. "You ARE real Eighteen. As I live and breath."
"And you kept my secret…" Eighteen persisted almost desperate to find some reason for Cassie not to be so loyal to her.
"I promised. You told me it in confidence Eighteen. I'll never tell anyone else unless you give me your permission. Kay?"
Eighteen was lost for words.
She fiercely told herself that she deserved no such loyalty.
Nor the friendship given by a human.
It was strange to feel that she had these things but it felt kind of…nice.
"So now that that's out of the way" Cassie's voice had a business-like tone. "Which shall it be?"
Eighteen's eyes drifted over to the heap of clothes they'd brought into the store changing cubicle.
"Mmm." It was a tough call. "I think I'd like…"
Next chapter comin right up.