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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Hayley
One
Melanie-Anne
December 20, 2002
Somewhere in the Lesotho mountains
The girl sat on the floor, her back straight against the wall. Her legs were crossed, lotus-style, and her eyes were closed. The ball in front of her slowly started to rise up in the air, stopping half a metre above the ground. She opened her eyes and the ball started spinning. Suddenly she let the ball fall to the floor and straightened her legs in front of her. The SIM lab was empty except for a table and two chairs. She stood up and crossed the room.
"Hayley, what are you doing wandering around?"
She folded her arms across her chest and stared at the man who had just entered. "I'm bored."
"Hayley—"
"Aw, come on, Michael. Ever since the twins left there's nothing to do." She flopped down into one of the chairs and watched her mentor as he came to join her.
"What twins? You're not supposed to have contact with—"
Hayley rolled her eyes. "You're so boring. Can we go outside today?"
"Not today."
"But—"
Michael held up a hand to shush her. "You were supposed to be working on your exercises in your room."
"But I was working."
"I'm sorry, Hayley. Not today."
The girl pouted, a frown marring her pretty features for just a moment before her expression turned playful. A smiled tugged at the corners of her mouth. Seconds later, the ball dropped onto the table in front of them.
"See? I have been working."
"Very good. But you still can't go."
"Michael . . ."
"Someone's come to see you. All the way from America."
Hayley felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick up. She turned her head slowly towards the door, and wanted to shrink back into her seat. A bald old man walked across the tiled floor, the rubber wheels of his oxygen tank squeaking behind him.
"Hello, Hayley," he said.
She smiled politely. "Hello."
"Dr. Raines." Michael held out his hand, pretending not to care when the other man ignored it. "It's an honor to finally meet you."
"What can you do, girl?"
Hayley stood up, a guarded expression on her face. Once again, the ball rose up into the air. At the same time, the door to the SIM lab swung shut and Hayley's chair slid under the table of its own accord.
Raines nodded, his expression inscrutable, then left.
"Who was that, Michael?" Hayley held the ball in her hands, rubbing the smooth surface with her thumbs.
"He's the chairman of the Centre in America."
"So, what's he doing here?"
"He wants to transfer you there."
Hayley dropped the ball. "What if I don't want to go?"
"You don't have a choice."
She glared at Michael, then turned and stormed out the lab. In her anger, she didn't watch where she was going and marched straight into a sweeper. The tall, black man smiled down at her.
"Where are you going, Miss Hayley?"
Hayley grinned back. Mpho was her favorite sweeper and had been around for as long as she could remember. Unlike all of the other sweepers, he went out of his way to be friendly to Hayley. The only other person she could call a friend was Michael, although that was hardly condoned by the powers that be.
"I was just going to my room, Mpho. Do you want to walk me there?"
"Is something wrong, Miss Hayley?" The inflections of his words betrayed the fact that he had learnt the language late in his life.
Hayley shrugged, linking her arm through his. "It's nothing."
"You can tell me."
She looked up and down the hallway, then lowered her voice. "Michael says I might be leaving."
"That's great."
"No, it's not! I don't want to go anywhere. I'm happy here."
"You're not a child anymore, Miss Hayley. This is a good thing."
Hayley shook her head, not willing to explain exactly why she was so uncomfortable about going to America. The voices she heard were her secret – not even Michael knew about their existence.
"I like it here, Mpho."
"There she is!" A sweeper stood at the end of the hallway, pointing in her direction.
"No . . ."
"It's time to go, Hayley."
She looked at Raines, this time not bothering to hide her fear. "Mpho!" she whispered and clutched her friend's arm.
"Miss Hayley—"
"Mpho! Don't let them take me! Please!" She threw her arms around the sweeper's waist, kicking and screaming when she was pulled away. "NO!"
A tiny prick in her shoulder was the last thing she remembered before succumbing to the darkness.
One
Melanie-Anne
December 20, 2002
Somewhere in the Lesotho mountains
The girl sat on the floor, her back straight against the wall. Her legs were crossed, lotus-style, and her eyes were closed. The ball in front of her slowly started to rise up in the air, stopping half a metre above the ground. She opened her eyes and the ball started spinning. Suddenly she let the ball fall to the floor and straightened her legs in front of her. The SIM lab was empty except for a table and two chairs. She stood up and crossed the room.
"Hayley, what are you doing wandering around?"
She folded her arms across her chest and stared at the man who had just entered. "I'm bored."
"Hayley—"
"Aw, come on, Michael. Ever since the twins left there's nothing to do." She flopped down into one of the chairs and watched her mentor as he came to join her.
"What twins? You're not supposed to have contact with—"
Hayley rolled her eyes. "You're so boring. Can we go outside today?"
"Not today."
"But—"
Michael held up a hand to shush her. "You were supposed to be working on your exercises in your room."
"But I was working."
"I'm sorry, Hayley. Not today."
The girl pouted, a frown marring her pretty features for just a moment before her expression turned playful. A smiled tugged at the corners of her mouth. Seconds later, the ball dropped onto the table in front of them.
"See? I have been working."
"Very good. But you still can't go."
"Michael . . ."
"Someone's come to see you. All the way from America."
Hayley felt the hairs on the back of her neck prick up. She turned her head slowly towards the door, and wanted to shrink back into her seat. A bald old man walked across the tiled floor, the rubber wheels of his oxygen tank squeaking behind him.
"Hello, Hayley," he said.
She smiled politely. "Hello."
"Dr. Raines." Michael held out his hand, pretending not to care when the other man ignored it. "It's an honor to finally meet you."
"What can you do, girl?"
Hayley stood up, a guarded expression on her face. Once again, the ball rose up into the air. At the same time, the door to the SIM lab swung shut and Hayley's chair slid under the table of its own accord.
Raines nodded, his expression inscrutable, then left.
"Who was that, Michael?" Hayley held the ball in her hands, rubbing the smooth surface with her thumbs.
"He's the chairman of the Centre in America."
"So, what's he doing here?"
"He wants to transfer you there."
Hayley dropped the ball. "What if I don't want to go?"
"You don't have a choice."
She glared at Michael, then turned and stormed out the lab. In her anger, she didn't watch where she was going and marched straight into a sweeper. The tall, black man smiled down at her.
"Where are you going, Miss Hayley?"
Hayley grinned back. Mpho was her favorite sweeper and had been around for as long as she could remember. Unlike all of the other sweepers, he went out of his way to be friendly to Hayley. The only other person she could call a friend was Michael, although that was hardly condoned by the powers that be.
"I was just going to my room, Mpho. Do you want to walk me there?"
"Is something wrong, Miss Hayley?" The inflections of his words betrayed the fact that he had learnt the language late in his life.
Hayley shrugged, linking her arm through his. "It's nothing."
"You can tell me."
She looked up and down the hallway, then lowered her voice. "Michael says I might be leaving."
"That's great."
"No, it's not! I don't want to go anywhere. I'm happy here."
"You're not a child anymore, Miss Hayley. This is a good thing."
Hayley shook her head, not willing to explain exactly why she was so uncomfortable about going to America. The voices she heard were her secret – not even Michael knew about their existence.
"I like it here, Mpho."
"There she is!" A sweeper stood at the end of the hallway, pointing in her direction.
"No . . ."
"It's time to go, Hayley."
She looked at Raines, this time not bothering to hide her fear. "Mpho!" she whispered and clutched her friend's arm.
"Miss Hayley—"
"Mpho! Don't let them take me! Please!" She threw her arms around the sweeper's waist, kicking and screaming when she was pulled away. "NO!"
A tiny prick in her shoulder was the last thing she remembered before succumbing to the darkness.
