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Nine Years Old

“Mother!” Marlena’s tiny fists slammed against the door, over and over and over again until they were sore. “Father?” Her voice quieted.

Marlena swallowed hard, panting from the panic seizing control of her body. She hadn’t kept track of how long she’d spent screaming. Spinning on her heels, Marlena let her tear-swollen eyes wander over the small room.

There was nothing but her reflection in the mismatched mirrors covering nearly every inch of wall space. The rest of the room was barren. Not a chair, a bed, blankets. Nothing.

It was just Marlena and the mirrors.

“You must learn to perfect your craft, Marlena, and this is the way my mother taught me. It’s the way I’ll teach you.” Her mother’s voice rang in her ears as she stared into her vacant eyes in the tallest mirror.

She’d been working so hard. So hard.

Marlena would have worked harder if they’d asked her to. She would’ve done anything not to be locked in this room where all she saw was herself and her flaws.

Marlena, work on your posture.

Marlena, work on your power.

Marlena, work on your presence.

Marlena, you must be better.

Marlena, if you’re not strong enough, you’ll be nothing.

Marlena. Marlena. Marlena.

A sob escaped her already pursed lips. “Vega!” The release of her little sister’s name racked through her body. If her parents wouldn’t help her, she knew her sister would!

“Vega!”

Her cries for her sister weren’t panicked; they were full of sorrow. Marlena wanted the comfort of the only true friend she had, the sister she would do anything for.

“Vega, please! I’m down here!” She jumped as hard as she could, trying to rattle the mirrors. They stayed frozen against the wall, locked in place, and she finally noticed the reverberation of her voice bouncing around the room with her.

A sound shield. Her parents had the closet-sized room safeguarded from any sound entering or exiting.

Marlena was truly locked away where no one could find her. She fell to the floor and started sobbing again.

How many more tears do I have left in my body? she wondered to herself.

Hours passed, maybe days—Marlena was nine, and she couldn’t tell the passing of time well—before the sound of a door opening caught her attention. She flung herself up from the floor, and before she could see who was on the other side, it closed again. A small cup of water sat in front of the door.

Marlena scrambled to reach for the water and chugged it down in a few fervent swallows. Her thirst was hardly sated, but it was enough to rid Marlena of the drought in her mouth .

A small part of her wanted to start screaming again, to see if maybe the door opening had weakened the sound shield, but when Marlena opened her mouth to test its strength, nothing but a peep came out.

She tried again, but still, nothing but a quivering breath exited.

Even the sob that shook her body had no noise. Marlena fell to her knees, and the cup skidded across the cold, hard floor until it stopped in the corner.

Sleep came and went, but it was the only constant Marlena had. No food, barely any water, and if she needed to relieve herself, the corner with the cup became the place to do so.

Marlena learned time had no meaning when you were locked up without a way to tell how long had passed.

Eventually, Marlena realized the only way she was going to get out of this room and return to her normal life was by doing what her mother said—perfecting her craft.

Marlena took a long, heavy breath and released it through her nose.

And then she did it a couple more times before scraping her gaze off the floor and forcing herself to meet her eyes in the mirror.

The lights above cast menacing shadows across her face. Her cheeks were hollow, and the bags under her eyes had grown shades darker since the last time she’d looked at herself.

Little Marlena shuddered at her reflection, blinking the image of herself away.

Marlena’s ability pulled at the edges of the duplicate in the mirror.

Her shoulders disappeared, and then her torso followed.

She gritted her teeth and pushed her blanket of invisibility, cloaking her mind.

Her face grew red from holding her breath, and her heart thudded against her chest like the sound of a beating drum. Thump thump thump thump.

Marlena let go of the hold she had on her invisibility, and her full body reappeared in the mirror. Her lungs swelled with her inhale. The strain on her young powers weakened her from the lack of rest, food, and her overall mental state.

When she tried again, even less of her body disappeared. Eventually, Marlena was pushing and pulling at any little thread of her power she could feel, and nothing happened.

She went until her body gave out, until there was nothing left inside to give. Marlena collapsed and was asleep before her head cracked against the bare floor.

More water waited for her when she woke.

Marlena shook the cup when she finished drinking, hoping a few more drops would slip out.

Marlena hadn’t eaten in days and was starting to feel lethargic, her teeth clattering from lack of body heat. There was still no food being brought in, and she was given such small amounts of water that her body was too dehydrated to get rid of any that was given.

At least I no longer have to pee in the corner like a street mutt.

Marlena called out for her parents again, promising in between cries that she would work harder, that she would do better.

No one came.

No one would.

Marlena was on her own.

After she wept out all her tears, surely not helping with her dehydration, Marlena squared her shoulders and honed in on her invisibility. Several attempts later, and she was able to make the lower half of her body disappear.

It wasn’t good enough though. Do better.

She pushed herself until her body couldn’t take it, and she crumpled to the floor like she did after every failed attempt .

Whenever she woke up, there was always a small glass of water in the same spot by the door. Each time, Marlena gulped it down and then got back to pushing her abilities past their natural limit.

The loneliness started to fade, but Marlena still couldn’t look herself in the eyes. The hope was draining from them, and she couldn’t stand to see the new version of herself staring back.

Marlena spun in a slow circle and glanced down at her right hand, where three fingers were still visible.

Three fingers. That’s all I need, and I can get out of here!

She wrapped herself in her invisibility tighter, squeezing her eyes shut, and drove what little control she had left into the tips of her fingers.

Stars clouded her vision when her eyes popped open, and her body was clammy with sweat, but the three fingers were still as clear as day.

A scream tore through Marlena’s chest, and as the sound split her lips in two, her whole body reappeared.

I’m never going to get out of here was her last thought before she passed out from exhaustion.

Marlena’s stomach roared with hunger, waking her from a fitful sleep. Her eyes landed on her reflection in the mirror, curled up in a ball with her arms wrapped around herself. Her eyes bounced from the girl staring back at her to the floor.

Hollow. Inside and out.

She stretched her muscles, wincing at the pain in her stomach. Marlena wanted to cry again, but what was the point? It wouldn’t get her anywhere.

It won’t get me out.

Slowly, Marlena pulled herself up. The room spun, and nausea rolled her stomach so hard she had to reach out and steady herself.

Marlena might not know how long she’d been locked in here, but she did know if she didn’t eat soon, she wouldn’t have any energy left to fight…

and as soon as the fight went out, it would be over for her.

“I don’t want to die,” she said out loud, and the words sounded like an echo.

Her thoughts were muddled, incoherent, and nothing felt real anymore.

Would her parents let her wither away in here for the sake of a power she wasn’t supposed to have mastered yet?

It wasn’t common for a nine-year-old to have full control over their ability, so why did she have to?

Marlena failed again and again, passing out in between attempts.

Her body’s stored energy was dwindling, and everything took more effort to accomplish.

Breathing hurt, her body ached, and her brain felt like mush.

But the longer she stayed in here, the weaker she would get and the harder this would become.

So she pushed forward, determined to get out of here today.

Marlena watched as her body faded in the mirrors, the edges of her vision blurring from exertion. She blinked away the black spots and carried on, repeating to herself, Be stronger. Failing isn’t an option.

The middle, ring, and pinky finger of her right hand remained visible again, like they were mocking her.

Marlena balled up her fist and squeezed so hard her knuckles popped. She ignored the discomfort flitting through her body, focusing on the only thing that mattered.

Disappearing.

Marlena held strong even though her muscles quaked, begging to stop.

She refused to fail this time. Through gritted teeth she screamed, puncturing the skin of her palms with her nails.

Blood warmed her closed fists, trickling off her knuckles.

A chill shot through her, and when Marlena glanced up from the floor at her reflection, blood dripped from midair like she wasn’t there.

Her fingers were gone, and so was the rest of her body.

Marlena pulled in a sharp breath, the sound of her heartbeat pattering in her ears. She didn’t move an inch, her nails digging further into her hand as her eyes scanned every mirror for any sign of her body.

There was no trace of Marlena. The only signs she’d ever been there were the droplets of blood littering the floor around her bare feet.

Marlena twirled around slowly, scared if she moved too fast or lost concentration, she’d lose her hold. “I did it.” She let out a breath, and with it, her body materialized back into view like she feared.

She cleared the room in a couple shaky steps, ready to test her exit. The door handle didn’t turn. Marlena jiggled it harder, shaking the door and its frame.

The noise vibrated through the room, perking Marlena up. The sound shield was gone.

“Mommy! Daddy!” she yelled, banging on the door. “I did it! I did it! I disappeared. Let me out, please! I’m so hungry.”

The door swung open, and standing before her was her mother, Ryanna Fugere-Caelum, in all her jaw-dropping beauty.

Her long blonde locks wrapped around her head in a tight braid, and her chartreuse eyes scrutinized Marlena, raking up her body.

“It took you a lot longer than it should have.” Ryanna sighed, pointing to the mirror directly across from her. “One more time.”

“Mommy—”

Ryanna interrupted. “‘Mommy’ is for babies. You are not a baby, Marlena.”

“Please, I just want to get out of here. I want food. Vega,” Marlena squeaked.

Ryanna reached for the door handle. “If you’re not going to show me that you can fully disappear on command, then I guess you need another night alone.

You are an original bloodline. You are to be better than the others, stronger.

You are not a commoner, and your powers will not be weak like theirs. ”

Marlena lunged for the door and yanked it back by the handle with what little strength she had left. “No! I’ll do it. I can do it. ”

Ryanna crossed her arms and waited, raising a brow.

Marlena tried until her body couldn’t hang on anymore, spiraling into burnout, and when she awoke this time, she was wrapped in her favorite blanket and no longer on the cold, hard floor of the room with the mirrors.

It’s over. You did it. There’s no more torture.