Ch 2 - Fake Märke & Outside

"Are you sure about this?" I asked. Dan had several of these things called markers and he wanted to make a fake märke on my hand. He also had a thing called temporary tattoos that he made himself.

"Positive. Now, let's do a blue butterfly. That seem the most less threatening märke to me." He says, placing the temporary tattoo on the back of my hand. He quickly applied it and colored it blue and black. "Done! My masterpiece is done!" He said, smiling. I take a look. It truly is beautiful.

"Do you think no one will notice?"

"Oh, I think everyone will notice the innocent girl in the world of evil, but who cares. Let's go have fun!" Dan says. He stands up and walks to the safe room door. He opens it and gestures for me to exit. He then guides me through the house and tries his hardest to stop me from stopping. I leaned over to grab a pair of shoes that looked neglected for a while and put them on. Dan then grabbed the front door handle.

"Wait." I said, stopping him. Dan freezes.

"What is it?" He asked, concerned.

"I… I can't do it. I won't go." I said. I could tell that I was noticeably, physically shaking. Dan sighs and shakes his head.

"Fine then, I guess you'll never met another human being again and you'll be stuck in that crappy, moldy cell forever." He says, letting go of the handle. I was fine in staying in my safe room forever, but it wasn't a cell and I wanted to met other people other than Dr Grace and Dan. I pouted and grabbed the handle myself. I twisted it and threw the door open.

A blinding light pierced my eyes. Once the brightness went away, I gasped. There, everywhere, was other humans walking. I pushed up my glasses and started to walk on the sidewalk. Dan walked next to me, allowing me to wander around and figure out everything.

"It's… beautiful." I said.

"Could be worse, that's for sure." Dan says as he shoves his hands in his pockets. I was just absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells. I started wondering into what I believe is called a park. I sat down in the grass and closed my eyes. I tilted my head back and inhaled. I then fully fell over, letting myself lay in the grass. I could hear some light laughter as I did so. I peeked open an eye and glanced at Dan, who was trying to control his laughter.

"What?" I asked. Dan just stifles his laughter and sits down next to me, but then lays down instead.

"Oh, it's nothing." He said. After a minute, he sits up. "Have you ever been to a cafe before?"

"What's a cafe?" I asked, sitting up as well. Dan just smiles and stood up. He offered his hand to me. I stared at it, then I hesitantly took the gesture. We began walking in a certain direction until we reached a small shop. We entered the building and got in line. Dan quickly explained to me that I just had to choose something off of the menu. I had chosen a mint hot chocolate and Dan had gotten some sort of coffee that I forgot to remember. We then sat down at the tables.

"So, how did you live your whole life locked up?" He asked.

"Well, it gets lonely and boring at times. The only thing that I really had to entertain myself was a rubik's cube, but I solved that when I was 5."

"Wait, you solved a rubik's cube when you were 5?"

"Well, yeah. I've had years to figure it out. And when I was 10, I learned how to fix that tv you guys have."

"How…"

"I read the instruction manual and went from there. I also had gotten new channels for you guys." I said as the waitress delivered our drinks. I took a sip of mine. It tasted so good, with the mixture of flavors. Dan looked really lost and deep in thought. All of a sudden, something hit Dan on his shoulders. I hadn't been expecting it, so I jumped in my skin.

"Hey Dan!" The person said. I looked at the person. It was a boy with jet black hair that was a lot like Dan's but faced the other direction. He also had icey blue eyes.

"Hey Phil." Dan said, only glancing up it look at the man while he took a sip from his coffee.

"Who's the lady you got there?" Phil asked, sitting down next to Dan. Dan kinda just froze. I think it would be weird if he said "This is the girl that's been locked in my basement for her whole life", so I said the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm his cousin. The name's Maycie." I said, reaching my hand across the table for him to shake, which Phil took. As we did so, I noticed something colorful on his neck. After a second, I could see it. It looked like a flag, but instead of the country flag, I had all the colors in the rainbow. I wonder what that means...

"Nice to met ya. I'm Dan's mate, Phil. You know, I can see the resemblance between you two."

"Really?" Dan asked after almost choking on his coffee in surprise.

"Yeah, you guys have the same facial structure. Its also ironic that the both of you have curly brown hair styled in the same direction." Phil said, taking Dan's coffee and stealing a sip. Dan playfully punched Phil's arm, but waited until Phil finished his sip before he took it back. The two looked like great friends.

At that thought, I felt my stomach churning. I felt so sad and upset. Why couldn't I have been born with my märke? I would have great friends who cared for me like Phil did for Dan. If it hadn't been for me, Dan wouldn't have had to give up his great life. I dropped my head and took a small sip of my delicious hot chocolate. While the two gabbed about whatever was going on in their life, I just kept to myself.

"So, Maycie." Phil started, pulling me out of my own world. "That's an interesting märke, what does it mean?" I started freaking out on the inside. Everyone was told what their märke when they were born.

"Um, the butterfly effect." I said, remembering a lesson that Dr Howell taught me.

"What's the butterfly effect?" Phil asked, looking curious about it.

"It's a theory that the smallest thing, like a butterfly flapping it's wings, can change the whole world forever."

"Wow, that's super cool! All I have is gay right's movements."

"Don't say that. You could have been born without a märke." Dan says.

"True, but the government hates gay people, so that puts me on the to watch list."