The Birth of the Special One

It will be 12 soon and I haven't heard from Kate. Usually, she calls me ten minutes before the clock strikes 12 so she will be the first to wish me. This year she broke the tradition. Is she planning some surprise?

I even message her, “Hey there, it's me, the birthday girl, remember?” After a minute my phone chimes. Excitedly I check my messages but it's from someone else. Soon my phone is bombarded with innumerable messages. Maybe there was some issue with my network. But still no message from Kate. Now I get worried sick about her.

A strange message from an unknown number pops on my screen.

Happy twentieth birthday. You have been selected.

Selected for what? I simply ignore it. But then they send some more.

Congratulations! Happy Birthday!

Are you ready? We are.

Then as if possessed, my phone keeps playing the notification sound just like when a contestant hits a jackpot on a TV game show. Ding ding ding ding… it gets on my nerves. I toss my phone in terror. It falls to the ground and goes dead. “No!” I exclaim, though relieved that the ringing has stopped.

In the dead of the night, my doorbell rings, leaving me startled. I live alone and wasn't expecting any visitors. Fearful, I walk towards the door and hesitate to open it. After a minute I crack open the door and see a bright blinding light before I faint.

It's a birthday party. Apparently, mine... as displayed on the cake. All the faces in the crowd are unknown to me. I've been handed a knife to cut the cake set in front of me. Then walks in my arch-rival, Haley with a smirk on her face. We have a class together. There was always something weird about her behaviour. I'd find her staring at me and Kate whenever I’d glance at her and she wouldn't bat an eyelid! I even confronted her once but she simply grinned.

The other girls in our group tease us that maybe Haley fancies us both. But no. There's was a strange look in her eyes as if she was observing us. It gave me the creeps so I stopped attending that class. However, she'd still lurk around without ever interacting with either of us.

This party seems very odd. And I have more questions clouding her mind. Where is Kate? And how did I end up in the same room as Haley? Has she got something to do with Kate's disappearance? Did she plan all this? I brandish the steely knife in front of her eyes with murderous rage. I demand her to let me go. In response, she lets out a cackle. And the crowd joins in with her. The din gets louder and I try to thrust the knife into her heart. But there's an unknown force stopping me to do so. I begin to cry.

"What’s wrong with her vitals? Is the special one okay?"

The voice seemed mechanical, robot-like. But the other voice was that of a woman.

"Yes, the special one is doing good. It's just one of her dreams. Her subconscious mind doesn't rest at all."

"There's one more month left. For twelve months we've invested all our efforts and hopes into her. We can't afford it to go to waste."

"Twenty four months, to be precise. I observed her for an entire year before I approved of her."

"Whatever it is, any failure on your part will lead to consequences. And you must be familiar with our ways by now."

The robotic voice fades to a distance. I try to force my eyes open but manage to open just slightly. I recognise Haley's face instantly. She's wearing a doctor's coat. She turns around and walks away. Now, my eyes open wide and I can see clearly. From the corner of my left eye, I watch Haley open a door. As I see her companion, a lump forms in my throat, stopping me from screaming. A green odd figure is waiting for her. I blink my eyes. The door closes.

Panic surges through my blood. I can't move. I struggle within and look around me. My vision is limited since I am lying flat on a steely cot and my head is fastened in a specific position. There are a few pieces of medical equipment around but the ambience doesn't resemble a hospital room.

I look to my right and see another person lying there. Is that Kate? The hair unmistakably looks like hers, a redhead with blonde streaks. There's a big bulge over her midriff as if something is placed upon her which is covered with a white sheet …some tubes are connected to almost all parts of her body. I try to scream and frantically battle with my body, without success.

Then I sense several movements in my stomach.

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Image: Unsplash/Sharon McCutcheon