It didn't take long for Mother to open her hand and Ella flicked her hand over the screen, and then Mother made a fist as if something was caught, she stared into the air, reading.
"Huh. That is modest. Out of curiosity. What was the last thing you ate?" Mother asked.
"Mom!" Kate groaned loudly.
"What?"
"Don't show off."
"I have to. So come on. It'll be fun."
What followed was a horrifying science lesson that involved all of them. Mother put in the work of breaking down exactly what was missing in their diets and a chemical list of suggestions.
The only relief Kate got for the entire twenty-minute period of hell was that Mother hadn't stripped them down.
Thankfully she didn't, though she wondered how they would react. She was pretty sure she'd never see them again.
"Okay," Mother began. "We should be able to activate your tastebuds in new and exciting ways. I'm giddy, though I am very curious. I know for a fact my little girl didn't bring you all to have me cook. So, there some kind of group project?"
"No mom. I got a councilor to find me a friend, that's how I met Ella here." Kate said.
"You do a profile?" Mother asked.
"She barely had to look, had someone in mind."
"Ah, well I've seen a profile for that lady, let me guess. Hmm… You weep for it? Going bold wouldn't work right?"
"Went heavy on it. Too heavy. I'll be on a list."
"I guess we'll need to talk about it when everyone else is gone, otherwise I'll make sure any note of you is gone. Then she led you to them?"
"Yes."
"Then you decided they were worth the energy and the risk?"
"Well, to be fair. Ella decided Zack and Liam were worth the energy, and I trust Ella's judgement. I also like them. They get the idea of being targeted. They just don't get the idea of targeting."
Mother's face changed to something far sharper and thoughtful. Meanwhile other others simply gaped, they were staring with weird wide wild eyes. Their heads had been bobbing from left to right constantly until finally ending on Mother who was eyeing them up and down.
"And you think you can teach them Kate? In how long?"
"As long as you let us stay?" Kate ventured, sounding hopeful.
Mother's brow rose, lips pursed as she looked at the others but also looked at Kate.
"Not long at all."
"Mom." Kate complained.
"Fine, we will talk about that. Now what's your plan about this situation?"
"We're gonna show them all of them. And they're gonna."
"Why."
"Because they wanna. Even if they're scared."
"They'll always be scared. Always." Mother stated with a surety of a sunrise.
"I get scared too. Doesn't stop me. You told me you got scared too."
"Prove it and we'll stay"
"Deal."
"You know I have my uniform. I could just-"
"You're okay with Kate murdering that girl?" Ella yelled jumping up, she looked visibly shaken.
Mother genuinely appalled slapped the table.
"Murder? I thought you said destroy."
"I was trying to lie." Kate said with defiance.
There was a vindicated look to the Ella girl. She looked so damn triumphant.
===================================================================
Up Next
What starts as breakfast turns ballistic. A fridge opens—not to food, but to firepower. Guns are tossed like snacks. One goes off. Screams follow. Smoke, light, and raw panic. Kate stays calm. Mother does not. Testing them one by one, she watches how they hold, aim, or break. What's a lesson? What's a threat? It's impossible to tell. In this house, survival is earned—and sometimes, the safety's off. Say the right words… or run.