Free These Lying Eyes by Amanda A. Allen Page A

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    “Watch out!” a sprite called.
    Still running, Mina shot a fleeting look over her shoulder. A massive man tore down the path behind her, wearing a crisp white uniform. Head shaved, chin covered in scruff, and built like a line backer, he loped after her, always gaining. Maybe it was the scrubs, for certain it was where she was running from, but Mina was sure he could only be a crazy-house orderly.
    How could they know already?
    Would Dr. Seal have called them before she even evaluated her and spoke to her parents? Was there an orderly SWAT team? Mina gagged on her fear. She barely evaded the orderly’s giant hands, but he was so close behind her she was amazed to not feel his breath on her neck.
    Ducking behind trees, she tried avoiding him by weaving through trees he was too large to squeeze through. Somehow, however, he was able to stay close enough that she felt as if his breath warmed her neck.
    She darted to the side, hoping agility would save her. Except, her foot caught the arc of an exposed tree root, and she let out a shrieking yelp as she fell headlong to the ground.
    A massive hand clutched her ankle as a voice rasped, “Got you. Freaks like you belong in a nut house. You and all your family.”
    Mina jerked away. With a thud she rolled against the tree trunk trying to escape from the undergrowth and the grasping hands.
    Free arm flailing, Mina scampered back crying, “No!” as she tried again to evade the hulking man.
    She scrambled away, desperately kicking her free leg at his face. Mina yanked her leg with all of her strength, kicking his face and throwing herself back. Her head slammed into something hard. A tree? And all was darkness.
     

 
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
     
    A low steady beep woke Mina. Mina shifted; her legs were trapped. Fear spread through her, but Zizi whispered, “Do not open your eyes, Mina.”
    Mina stilled.
    “Just Listen,” said the soft low buzz.
    Mina had barely focused when she heard her mother’s voice, “You don’t understand.”
    “No you don’t understand.” The voice was deep, low—unfamiliar. “Wilhelmina is not like your other children.”
    “We made this choice for our children. All of them. We did it to protect them.”
    “Then you shouldn’t have had seven children, Mrs. Roth. Not as a seventh yourself. You shouldn’t have set up your daughter like that.” There was scorn in the voice, anger.
    Mina heard her mom gasp just as Zizi huffed, “Finally.”
    “Your daughter is a Seventh of a Seventh. Of how many generations? Do you even know?”
    Mina froze. She wasn’t…
    “I…” her mom’s weak reply wasn’t countering the doctor.
    “It doesn’t matter,” the man cut in. “Obviously she is from generation upon generation of Sevenths. You may have trained your abilities to lie low, but your daughter has not. She can not. Not any more than you could have.”
    “My husband and I…”
    “Enough, Mrs. Roth. Your daughter is too thin. She’s dehydrated. For goodness sake, her lips are cracked and bleeding.”
    “Just listen,” her mom nearly wailed.
    “No. You know the cause of your daughter’s suffering, and you don’t tell her?” His scorn was so thick, Mina felt like she could choke on it.
    She was her parent’s fourth child.
    And what were they keeping from her? What was going on? Mina wanted to scream. She couldn’t remain still and the rustle of her body against the sheets had both voices pausing.
    After a moment, the man continued with a lower voice, punctuated by the beep of the hospital machines, “I don’t know how you can face yourself.”
    Her mom’s breath jerked in a painful gasp. Mina’s echoed it.
    “It’s ok,” Zizi whispered, “it’s ok. Just listen.”
    Mina swallowed and then held her breath.
    “Our laws might prevent me from telling your daughter myself, but I will tell you now that whatever lies you and your husband are telling yourselves…”
    “You don’t understand…” Mina’s mom cut