“Ofelia! Ofelia! Wake up!”

  A slim silhouette is all I see the first time I opened my eyes. She’s probably the one who woke me up.

  “You’re finally awake! Let’s go see Samira now! Quick! Quick!”

  Child, stop tugging my shirt! Ow!

  “My head is throbbing. Wait.” Gah, I also have a sore throat!

  I haven’t processed what happened yet. Did the developers succeed in eradicating that malfunction-which is me by the way, in their game? Probably. What else am I doing in this tiny body if they didn’t?

  I glanced at the girl who is eagerly looking at me. I sighed. Seems like I am in control of my body now. “Let’s go see her.” That Samira she mentioned earlier.

  She smiled widely and goes running around the room.

  “Yay! I thought you’d disagree again!”

  Not that I can. I need to know whose body I am in so I’ll have no complications blending around the people she knows.

  “Let’s fix your hair first!” She said as she pulled me to a gold dressing table mirror. Wow, fancy. This kid’s parents are definitely wealthy.

  I almost shrieked in horror when I saw my reflection. What the heck is that?! Those eye bags are so big a coin can fit in there! And the hair looked like a bird’s nest! Also, is that dried saliva on the side of my mouth?

  “Before that, let me wash my face first.” or maybe take a bath.

  After going through all that ordeal on fixing my messy hair, we finally went outside to go see ‘Samira’.

  “Sister, I know you hate Samira and probably mom and dad, but I’m glad you are willing to put up with it just for today! You even let me fix your hair!”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  What’s with all the bruises I saw on my neck earlier?

  “And you’re even talking to me!”

  “I am not, you’re probably imagining I am.” Just please stop talking for a while, my head’s still throbbing.

  “Hmm… Well, I guess that’s true! I can see images and hear voices in my head all the time, hehe! I even talk to them occasionally.”

  My face crumpled. Am I in a magical world right now or this kid have imaginary friends?

  “Can I hold your hand, Ofelia? Just so I can truly tell if you are walking with me or not. Last time I thought you were with me on the way to see mom and dad but I was wrong. I was just holding air.”

  Ah. So it’s the latter.

  “Have it your way.”

  She wasted no second grabbing my hand.

  “Hehe, let’s go this way. Samira said she will be waiting there.”

  Yeah, yeah.

  “Samira said her parents bought new toys! I wonder what is it?”

  Probably just some Barbie dolls. She looks like at the age to be playing one.

  “Last time she showed us some interesting files that NOIR has found!” She leaned and whispered, “secret files!”

  Sure.

  This is only the 3rd time I possessed a child’s body as I am frequent on either in an animal or to a human adult and strangely enough, most of the children I possessed are weak. I can tell that the current body I am in is no different.

  [clattering noise]

  “We’re here!” She let my hand go and ran towards the kid sitting on a sofa. “Sami!!!!!!!!”

  I stopped on my track to check the surroundings. This place looks like a factory of something.

  Are we even allowed here?

  “Go put that back to where you took it, the kids are here. We’ll continue later.”

  The men who were dragging some metals turned around and exited the area. Look at that, why are they the ones excusing themselves for some kids? This isn’t even a good place to hang out.

  I took a few steps and sat in front of them.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Huh? Why are you sitting there, Ofelia? Come sit beside us!” The kid who dragged me here immediately asked.

  “I prefer it here,” I answered. “I need some distance to think.” I mean, not to be paranoid but this whole situation is giving me ominous vibes. Something is telling me this whole situation is wrong.

  “Think? What do you have in mind then?”

  “Nothing? My head is aching that’s why.” My insides are screaming that I need to get out of this place quickly and I can barely tell why. Let’s stay still until my head gets clearer.

  “Just let her be. Ofelia does look sick.” The girl, Samira, shrugged as she says that and pulled something out of her pocket.

  “Ehhhhhh! Okay then. Soooo what do you have for us today, Sami?”

  “Oh, I found an unused PCB from mom’s bedroom last week. I thought it looked nice so I made 3 rings out of it. Here, I made it with your favorite color.” She then handed me a ring.

  It’s a black ring with PCB in the center. The first thought that I had when she mentioned PCB is polychlorinated biphenyls–something that can’t be found in the bedroom actually–and not printed circuit board–also something that can’t be found in the bedroom–so this is a bit of a surprise. Unless her mother is an electrician, it is rather questionable why she had these lying around.

  “Is your mom an electrician?” My question would definitely raise suspicions but I need to know.

  She squinted her eye before answering. “No, she’s a professor. Have you forgotten? Is your headache that bad?”

  Then why does she have those things around? Perhaps she’s an electrical engineering professor? Could be. Ah, whatever.

  I put it on my thumb and raised my hand. It does look good. She got an eye for these things.

  “Thanks.” I quietly said.

  They both looked at me in shock. I guess the kid I possess doesn’t know how to say thanks.

  “You’ve been acting strange since earlier Ofelia.” The kid whose name I still don’t know said. It’s not like I can just ask her for her name, isn’t it?

  “Ofelia is always a strange one, why are you still surprised?” Samira took a cup of tea from the table. I didn’t even notice it was there. My attention is focused on analyzing the current situation.

  “Maybe the shot last week worked on her? Have a drink, it’s a new tea my mother bought from India.” India? So this world is the one I originated from?

  She gave the teacup to the unknown girl, which the second drank in excitement. Her drinking etiquette is refined that if anyone saw it, they’d think she’s a princess in a Victorian era. Samira looked at me in the eye and boy, anyone could tell those looks bring trouble.

  “Mother said it is time for your weekly shot, Ofelia. You will be coming with me after you both finish the tea.”

  What shot? Like an injection? What kind of disease this kid have to be needing that weekly shot?

  I took a sip from the cup. This tea tastes nice.

  “Sami, what was mother’s response about us asking for permission to enter the back room?”

  I almost choke on my tea. Back room? How does a child know about that term?

  “She said it is not safe for you to enter that place and suggested to forget about its existence.”

  “Aww, what a bummer.”

  These kids has been using terms that are not suited for their age, this place looks like a factory, those men walking away to give way to us, the PCB, bruises on my neck that I noticed when I washed my face earlier, and Samira telling me about ‘my’ shots.

  Darn, am I inside the body of some experimental kid? That’s the only explanation I can come up with!

  “It seems you’ve both finished the tea. Let’s go to room 1 now.” She stood up and started walking. She didn’t even wait for us!

  “You’ll be fine Ofelia. I heard from Sami that your shots today will be lesser than last week because they started giving me shots yesterday.”

  I gave her a side-eye. If my shots will be lesser because she had shots yesterday, that would only mean they gave us the same shots. Do we have the same genetic disease or are we being experimented together, to see which one is more suitable for whatever they are injecting us?

  “We are here,” Samira said. “…behave as usual so that mother won’t go rough on you.” She placed her right hand on the wall and the metal door immediately opened. If this is just a normal shot, why does the door has that particular lock? And what does she mean by this mother going rough on us? None of these terms sounds normal and I don’t think this place is a hospital either.

  There are three adults inside, and all of them are wearing lab gowns.

  Fuck. Fuck!!

  I’ve been one of these people in one of my travels and it was not a fun experience. And you’re telling me I’m on the receiving end this time?

  “Oh great. You are finally here. Go undress and lie down on the table, Ofelia.”

  I went behind the curtain she pointed and did what I was told and was shocked when I saw the bruises on this kid’s body. I thought the bruises were just on the neck but no, I have them everywhere on my body.

  “What’s taking you so long in there? Be quick.”

  I went out butt-naked and lay down on the metal table.

  Gah! So cold!

  Come to think of it, this kid ‘Ofelia’ and I have the same name. My original name. What a coincidence. I haven’t really thought of it because I was so immersed in what was happening. Just less than an hour in and a horrible foresight of my future is unfolding like dominoes falling.

  “You are obedient today, Ofelia. I hope you keep that up.”

  My eyes fell on the woman and I froze when I saw how lengthy the needle is. She is not going to inject that into me, is she?

  “What are these shots for?” I asked flatly.

  She looked at me and her brows quickly furrowed. Oh wow lady, I am only asking you what are those for. I have voice for a reason.

  She turned her head to the girl I came with. “Leonora, why don’t you tell your sister what are these shots for?”

  Huh? Leonora? Isn’t that the name of my character before I came into this world? A coincidence maybe?

  [muffled noises]

  I suddenly felt cold. Not because of the metal table but because of a strong feeling that came over me.I became nauseous and want to vomit. It is sickening and I feel like my insides are dropping by the second.

  Fuck. I need to get out of here. Quick!

  I sat abruptly and was about to get down from the table when two strong hands held my shoulders and forced me to lie down on the table. They strapped my hands and feet and pointed the lights in my face, blinding me for a moment. Seconds later, I felt an unimaginable pain below my right rib, making me cry and yell in pain. Before I was knocked unconscious, the last thing I saw is Leonora crying and Samira looking at me blankly in the eye.