(SOUNDS THE ALARM!) Warning: The ending to this story has a small spoiler (it all depends how quick on the ball you are) so read at your own risk!

But do enjoy :)

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I always thought of myself as an ordinary person, I had parents and a sister. We were the same age of course, my sister and I, being twins and all, but I think I was a little bit older. I always seemed to be more…advanced than my sister. I was defiantly smarter than your average child.

Life, as far as I could care, was great, but it all started to change on our fourth birthday. It started off like all our other birthdays. Our presents were set up on dining room table the night before and we weren’t allowed to leave our room until our parents said so. Finally, when we were allowed out we’d race down to the closed living room door. Our parents would cover our eyes and lead us to the dining room where our relatives were waiting. There was a big party with games, cake and then present opening! My favorite present was from my parents, it was fluffy brown bear. I remember hugging it tight and never letting it go. My sister’s favorite, I think was a rag doll with red string hair, button eyes and long white dress with red polka dots on it. It kind of scared me, with its big creepy smile, but I didn’t complain.

Our party unusually ended well after our bedtime and we were instantly sent to bed after the last person had left. We whined and we moaned but eventually gave in. But being the mischievous pair that we were, we were and talking the second we knew mum was gone. I was sat on my bed, holding my bear. She was on hers, with her doll.

“This sucks!” She pouted. “We didn’t even get to play with our new toys!”

“We’ll have all day tomorrow.” I laughed, being the more sensible one.

“I want to play now!” She whined and slammed her doll down in frustration. I remember laughing again and at the same time, for no real reason, wondering what the doll would do to Emily if it was alive.

“Stop laughing.” Emily frowned. I composed myself but she still frowned. “I said stop laughing!”

“I have.” I frowned at her. She suddenly looked down at her doll and screamed the house down before running out the door. I blinked and walked over to the doll. I picked it up by its arm and shook it lightly. Nothing happened.

“It tried to bite me, honest!” She whimpered as dad carried her back into the room.

“It was probably just a nightmare, honey.” He reassured and tucked her into bed. I had retreated to mine before he entered. “Goodnight girls.”

“Night.” We replied in unison. When the door closed over Emily threw the poor doll across the room.

“Stupid doll.” She mumbled.

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The next day we were taken into town, so much for playing all day. It was a long, boring morning until we stepped out of Queens Gate market. Outside on the grass was a large white tent. We thought it was a miniature circus and begged to take a look. We hopped down the steps and rushed over to the tent where an old man in a white coat stood outside it. His hair was thinning and turning gray and he coughed a lot. I didn’t know it then, but he was going to be the greatest influence of my life.

“Is this the circus!?” We both jumped up and down in excitement. The man laughed.

“Oh no, but it does have some fun games you can try.”

“What kind?” Emily tilted her head to the side.

“Fun concentration games.” Our mum walked up behind us with dad close behind and they started talking to the man.

“We want to try the games!” I smiled. “Please, please, please!” The begging worked and we were allowed into the tent. There were a few tables and chairs around and each table had a person in a white coat sitting down.

“I’m David Whitten by the way.” The man smiled and shook my parent’s hands. He then explained about each table and what he was planning to do with us. Emily and I were split up and our parents watched from a distance. The games were very strange but the people were very funny and encouraging. On the illusion test another man appeared in a suit. He had green eyes and black hair; he seemed to know Mr. Whitten. What I didn’t know, and wouldn’t understand until I was older, that he would be my worst enemy.

“Emma.” Mr. Whitten caught my attention again. “I want you to look at the young man in the white coat in the eyes and make him think he’s in a forest.”

“How?”

“Just think it, picture the forest yourself.” He smiled. So I did. I pictured lush green trees, birds, rabbits and other animals and I pictured clear blue skies and water. The man in front of me started to smile and explained what he could see. “Is that what you pictured, Emma?”

“Yes.” I nodded. A smile spread across his face and he hugged the man in the suit. He rushed over to my parents and congratulated them for some reason. My parents agreed to something and the next day I was taken to an old building filled with other children.

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For a few weeks I stayed at this building with a huge group of other kids. Mr. Whitten explained to my group that we were very special and had a very special ability. So for those weeks I practiced using my ability and became top of my group. There was a time though, where I didn’t want to use my ability anymore. I was instructed to tap into a person’s fears. So I did, I found out the person was afraid of spiders and made him think they were crawling all over him. He started to scream and panicked. When I saw the fear in his eyes I knew I never wanted to do that again.

“Sometimes, Emma.” Mr. Whitten kneeled down in front of me. “Making people realize their worst fears is a good thing; you never know when it might come in handy.”

I wiped the tears from my eyes and nodded, and then it was all over. Mr. Whitten begged my parents to let me stay longer but they wouldn’t allow it. And I returned home.

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A whole year passed by so quickly and I finally turned five! Emily and I were playing outside by the road on our new bikes. We had sat down on the grass for a break and talked about all the neat toys we’d received. For some reason we didn’t have a party. So, as I stood to get on my bike a van sped past. The side door slid open; a man leaned out and pulled my inside. He handed me to another man then snapped a sliver collar around my neck. I remembered the advice that Mr. Whitten had given me and tried to tap into their fears. The collar shocked me. Soon I was sat in front of James ‘Wilson’. He kept me locked up in a room and only let me out to practice my ability, under close supervision, to make it grow.

Four years later, just before my eighth birthday, I got my break. James had carelessly left some papers on the table I was sitting at and I managed to take a look. It was detailed information about a Collette Sanders. I assumed he was playing the role of her social worker. I drilled the name into my head and when they finally took the collar off me I contacted her. That’s how we met. When we escaped together I was the happiest girl alive and so grateful to her uncle to let me stay with them.

Now, twenty years on, I’m a scientist just like Mr. Whitten was and specialize in mental abilities. But there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t miss my big sister Collette.