The sound of the doorbell echoed through the mansion, startling Aubrey Shaull out of her seat. Her soft golden curls fell across her face as her gaze snapped toward the door of her room. Her lavender eyes were a darker shade of purple now, big and round on her heart-shaped face. Her hands nervously smoothed out the wrinkles of her green plaid skirt as she eyed the door. Senator McGlory must have arrived which meant that it was almost time. She started to panic, butterflies rose up in her stomach and for a moment she felt like she was going to be sick.

I don=t want to do this! No other twelve-year-old around has to. I=m tired of hurting other people just so father can have his way! Aubrey=s eyes started to well up with tears but she quickly wiped them away. Pull yourself together Aubrey! Don=t let him hear you. She silently berated herself. She blocked all thoughts from her mind so that if her father tried to see what she was thinking he'd only read an empty canvas.

She heard the sound of his footsteps growing louder as he approached her bedroom door. It swung open to reveal a middle-aged man with graying hair and dark hazel eyes.

"Come on Aubrey, it's time."

Obediently she rose from her chair and followed her father into the hallway.

"Remember what I told you. You do exactly as you were told and I'll make sure you get that new bike for Christmas," he said as he took her by the shoulders turning her around to face him. "You get any funny ideas that will ruin my campaign and I'll make good on my promise. You should know enough about the labs to be terrified of them. And I'm sure they would love to have you." He turned her back around and slapped her on the butt to get her moving, and she jumped a little but picked up her pace. "Now be a good girl and wait in the study. You should be able to work your magic from there."

Aubrey's face paled at the mention of the labs. She had heard a lot about them, mostly from her father, who had threatened on more than one occasion to send her there. She could remember a time when he hadn=t been like this. His heart hadn=t always been filled with greed and the thirst for power. He hadn=t been loving of course but he=d been nicer.

AI will be. I promise. Can we go to the park later then?@ She asked, looking up at her father with a hopeful expression.

AYou know better than to ask me that. If I let you run wild in public who knows what people would do. Now hush up.@

She dropped her gaze hoping he wouldn=t notice the tears that threatened to spill once again. Instead she let her eyes survey the only home she had ever known as she walked along in silence. If he sends me to the lab, I=d only be exchanging one kind of prison for another. The cast-iron gates that surrounded the home were like bars. Closing her off to the outside world. The vaulted ceilings and fine marbled floors carried echoes throughout the entire home making it feel big and impersonal. Aubrey had found many places to hide when her father=s temper boiled into blinding rage. There were no servants walking about, having been sent home hours ago. None of the staff lived in the mansion, even though the west wing was built primarily for that.

That=s perfect for father though. No one being around long enough to see anything.

They walked past the sitting area and Aubrey got a quick glimpse of Senator McGlory=s balding head. Her father ushered her past the doorway leading her into his study. She turned her head, looking longingly at the front door, wanting nothing more than to escape her fate. Instead her father=s strong grip propelled her toward the black leather couch. She sat down, eyeing the cherry oak table as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

From the couch she could hear her father enter the next room and greet Senator Shawn McGlory. She had met the man before, on another one of his visits to the mansion. She had liked the old man, mainly because he had brought along his daughter, Lynn. All of her life Aubrey had only had her brother Jonathon to play with and now that he was away at college she had no one.

Aubrey had wanted to ask Lynn if her father locked her away in the basement for punishment but her embarrassment over that kept her from getting the words out. Of course if I do what he says he wont lock me away. She mentally shook herself free of the memories choosing to concentrate on the task at hand. She pressed her ear up against the wall so she could better hear what was going on.

"Hello, Senator Shaull, it=s nice of you to invite me into your home. To what do I owe this pleasure? Another one of your brilliant political ideas?"

She imagined that they were shaking hands right about now.

"Something like that. Here are the papers that need to be signed, there's no reason to read through them, I'll tell you exactly what's in it."

How many more times is he going to make me do this! I want him to love me. Like fathers are supposed to.

She started to concentrate on the Senator=s mind but her own thoughts took a different direction. Memories of the past surfaced, ones of her sitting in her father=s office just like she did now. So many times I sat here and did as he told me. Making his colleagues do what he wanted. I don=t understand why he can=t use his own powers of telepathy. I guess it=s just easier to brainwash em. She thought bitterly to herself as scenes from past business deals rushed through her mind. A part of her hoped the other man would see them.

She heard her father shout her name, and she sprang off the couch running for the door. She passed by the den quickly catching a glimpse of the Senator clutching his head. Purplish veins had popped out across his forehead and Aubrey gasped in horror.

Did I do that?

AWhat have you done?@

ASenator? What=s wrong? Do you need some water?@

AYou, you were the one responsible for the money laundering, not Denise. How could you?@

AWhat?@ Her father looked over his shoulder at Aubrey and his angry voice telling her to stay put rung loudly in her mind.

AI saw it all. You have a rat in this house! And I saw it.@ His voice was strained and when he looked up straight at Aubrey she could feel her whole body turn cold.

Oh no! Father is going to kill me. Stupid Aubrey. Stupid.

She turned to flee up the stairs before her father could seize her. She wasn=t fast enough for her father reached her in two strides. His large hands wrapping themselves around her small forearms lifting her off her feet. She slowly brought her eyes up to meet her father's cold gaze. He was prone to get angry but his anger was more of the silent kind that boils up just waiting to explode.

AI ask you to do one thing for me and what do I get?" He dragged her struggling body toward the far end of the house. "I don't understand it. I've tried everything to get you to cooperate with me. What would it take Aubrey?"

"I didn=t mean to! It was an accident! Please, don=t. Let me go. You don't want to put me down in the basement and you know‑"

"Oh no you don't. And don't even bother trying to do it telepathically. You know full well I've had you blocked from my mind for years!" He tightened his painful grip on her arms as he dragged her along. He barked out a short laugh. "Sometimes I'm not sure you bothersome kids were worth the trouble for good family values."

"Like you have any," she spit out at him.

Her father continued to drag her down several more halls leading her to the old kitchen. He stopped at the cellar opening the door. He removed his hand from her mouth and reached inside his pocket for a hypodermic needle. She struggled in his grasp but he wedged her between his body and the wall, giving her no room to move.

"Here, this is something to prevent you from influencing anyone else to letting you out!" He jabbed the needle into her harm, and injected her with its fluid. She winced as she sucked in a painful breath. He then pushed her down the steps, his angry voice echoing in the small deserted space, "learn to obey or suffer the consequences Bree. You're not a normal child so don't expect to be treated like one. None of the other children that were born with them get special treatment. Trust me. Your powers are dangerous and until you can learn to use them, when and how you are told to, then this is it. Enjoy it." The door slammed shut, the frame vibrating from the force causing Aubrey to flinch.

She barely had time to sink to the floor before the darkness wrapped itself round her pulling her under.

Five hours later her eyes started to flutter open. Aubrey let out a small groan while she lifted her head up to look around. She rubbed her temples in an effort to silence the school band that was practicing inside her head. Slowly she pulled herself over to the steps, leaning up against the railing. She finally let the tears fall.

Tiny nails skittering over concrete echoed off the walls in the cellar making Aubrey shiver. She hated rats. She didn't think she was capable of hating any animal, but she really detested the creepy little things. She hated the way their tiny red eyes stared at her, just waiting for her to succumb to the darkness, breathing her last breath, so they could feast upon her flesh. She imagined that the rats were in on a conspiracy with the damp suffocating air that lived down there, along with the growing mold that was poisonous to the touch and pretty soon her pale white skin would turn brown and grow algae on it. They were all in on a conspiracy together that would slowly drive her insane. Now that she had figured out their plan, she was screwed.

What if this time he doesn=t let me out?

She vowed to never take the sunlight or the birds singing for granted ever again. She longed to be rid of this cellar and its evil inhabitants. She'd give anything to be outside with a cool wind on her face.

The sound of her father=s voice cut through the silence startling Aubrey into action. She pressed herself against the door waiting for him to open it.

AShe=s down here. She should still be out due to the drugs I gave her. I had to. She gets very dangerous sometimes.@

AWhy didn=t you turn her over to us in the first place Senator?@

AShe=s my daughter. And I love her very much of course. I can=t bear to part with her but I know now it=s for the best. The ideas she put into McGlory=s head.@

No, I don=t want to go. You can=t make me. I won=t. Daddy please!

Aubrey was paralyzed. She couldn't will her body to move as she watched the door to the cellar slowly creak open. "There's no one down here. It=s empty. Go back." The door started to close again.

AShe=s awake! Get ready men.@

I can=t hurt them. But I have to. It=s the only way.

The door was flung open and Aubrey was met with three armed guards.

"You're bleeding. Don't you feel the pain from the hole in your chest?" She asked, eyeing each one of them, letting her soft alto voice capture their attention.

The men looked at her funny for a moment, their guns slowly coming up to point at her.

"There's blood covering your shirt." One by one they all glanced down, patting their shirts where they believed the blood to be. One man, the closest one to her, pulled back his hand and examined his fingers, a look of horror on his face.

"There's pain in your chest. The bullet probably hit your lungs. Your breath is coming in short gasps and you can't take the pain. No one could."

The first man=s breathing became erratic but his gun was still aimed at her. The effect of her voice had taken more of an effect on the second man for he started to sway on his feet and he doubled over a little, one hand clutching at his chest. But his eyes harden and she could see the muscles clinching in his jaw.

"Drop the‑"

"Stratford!" The third man shouted, but he wasn't able to get out anymore. He bent over at the waist, dropping his gun while using his arm for balance.

"That's it. The pain is too much, the sharp needles piercing every inch of your body. Lay down and rest." Aubrey=s eyes started to dilate becoming darker and unnatural looking. Her own breathing started to become ragged as she used more of her energy to control the three men in the room. She could hear her father shouting from behind them but she ignored him. I won=t go. I won=t.

Aubrey sighed in relief as two of the men succumbed to the sound of her voice, their bodies dropping lifelessly to the floor, sliding down the steps of the cellar. She looked past them seeing her father push the third man aside as he stepped over the bodies to come at her.

AStop it! What are you trying to do?! You can=t get away from these people!@ He shouted, grabbing her arm.

ALet me go!@

ANo! I=m tired of you! The only reason I kept you around is so that maybe you could be of some use to me. Instead you have caused me nothing but grief!@

ACan you really send me away? Why can=t you love me?@

AWhy would I want to? Look at what you can do to people!@ He took her by the shoulders spinning her around to face the men on the floor. AThey=re dead Aubrey! You killed them with those powers of yours. That=s why your mother hates you, why she won=t come near you! You almost did the same thing to her once when you forced her to play dolls with you!@

ANo, I couldn=t have. They aren=t dead,@ she replied as tears streamed down her cheeks. She shook her head. AWhy did you make me use them on all those other people! Why?@

AI didn=t make you do anything. You did it on your own.@ He shoved her forward. AGet her out of here.@ He said, addressing the third man.

ARequesting back up,@ the man replied weakly. AThey=ll be down soon.@ He slumped to the floor still trying to reign in his breathing.

AWhat about you? Why didn=t he believe me? He has to believe what he saw!@ She cried. Her legs were wobbly causing her stumble as he pushed her forward.

AI=m a Senator Aubrey and a good one at that. No one would believe your lies.@

She looked up at her father with as much hate as she could pour into one glance before succumbing to the weariness that threatened to over take her. She leaned against the railing letting her body slide down to sit on the steps. Her skin felt like it was on fire and she was ready to curl up and sleep.

I caused this. It was me. I could have said no. Now two people lay dead. No. She glanced up at her father one last time and in that moment she realized that he would never love her. And now I=ve killed two people.

A sharp pain originating from her left shoulder caused her to cry out and as she glanced down she saw one dart protruding from her skin. She felt a pair of hands lift her from the ground, and she weakly slapped their hands away. Her flailing arms had no effect on them as they hoisted her up and onto a stretcher. She looked up pleadingly at one of her captors and he winced. "My god this kid's eyes look unnatural."

"That's because she's one of them rats." Another man answered gruffly.

"Brinkston looks like his head might have exploded."

"Good thing this one is going to the lab," the man looked down at her and grinned, "not that the rest of the world will know that. Just think. You=ll get to live in a place where hope dies and the rest of your days are spent undergoing painful tests. All for the sake of humanity of course. It=s going to be people like you that will give us the answers to currying cancer and other diseases." He smiled down at her, a weird gleam in his eye.

Aubrey lost the fight to stay awake and her world slowly faded to black once again.