Hollow
Everyone was so busy, pulling out paper plates and plastic forks, the many different types of pasta salad. Bella stared at them in excitedly, hoping that they would soon be allowed to cut the cake.
The cake was her favorite part of her birthday, especially the frosting.
The sun was warm, sending soft golden rays of light across the park. Families gathered for picnics, parents watched their children play, dogs raced through the grass after rubber tennis balls.
No one could have suspected the dark events that the day promised. They couldn't have known that the quiet calm of the day would soon be shattered, leaving one family in pieces.
The young girl's mother, Miranda, had just picked up the cake from the bakery right before they'd gotten there. Bright purple frosing to match her bright purple dress. Her whole family was coming today to celebrate this momentous day.
You only turned six once.
Quickly growing bored, Bella skipped away from them looking for something fun to do. Her older brother Liam wasn't there yet, he was at his soccer game. She was disappointed that he wasn't there to keep her company but her mother promised that Liam and her daddy would be there before the party started.
She kicked off her shoes and began twirling around. She loved practicing the spins that she learned in the ballet class her mommy put her in. She was getting really good at them too; everyone said so.
"Bella, don't go too far okay?" Her mom called.
Bella nodded. "I won't mommy!"
Her mother continued taping streamers to the side of the picnic table. If she didn't get the decorating done by the time her own mother showed up, she'd never hear the end of it. Even at thirty-two years of age with two children, her mother never failed to try control her life.
She glanced up every now and then to make sure that Bella was still in sight. The young girl was jumping around in the grass with bare feet. She made a mental note to go fetch her shoes when the decorating was done. She didn't want them to get lost during the celebration.
"Miranda, I'm here. I brought my famous store-bought potato salad!" Bella's mom rolled her eyes before smiling and greeting her sister.
"Oh Sam, how I love your store-bought potato salad." Miranda answered.
Samantha set the salad down before rubbing her hands together. "Alright, let's get this table decorated before
mom gets here."
Miranda nodded in agreement, thanking her sister. It only took about ten minutes to get the table ready. They set out most of the food but would have to wait to eat until Victor, Miranda's husband, showed up and cooked the hamburgers.
She hadn't wanted Liam to go to his soccer game since it was his sister's birthday, but the sport meant so much to him, she couldn't say no. Victor had promised to be there by 12 o'clock when the party started.
It was now 11:43 and she was hoping that they wouldn't be late. That would be another reason for her mother to lecture her.
She glanced over at Bella who appeared to be trying to catch a butterfly. Miranda loved how much her daughter enjoyed nature. Unlike Liam, who was always after the next new video game, Bella never grew tired of playing outside.
"Miranda, where is Victor?" Miranda cringed slightly at the sound of her mother's voice.
She turned to face her. "Victor is on his way now with Liam."
Miranda was met with her mother, Carol's, famous look of disappointment. "I cannot believe you allowed him to go to that game on Bella's birthday."
Miranda sighed. "He's not missing the celebration, mom. Bella doesn't mind anyway."
Her mother shook her head and sighed. "Well, I'm not going to tell you how to be a mother, but-"
"Mom, you don't even need to finish that sentence." Miranda said tiredly. She opened the box holding the cake.
"Okay, I won't comment about the soccer then, but honey are you going to give the child cake before lunch?" Carol asked incredulously.
Miranda shook her head. "No, mom, I'm just putting in the candles. That way they'll be ready to light when we're ready."
Carol relaxed slightly with a nod. "Oh, well alright."
Miranda finished placing the sixth candle in before glancing out again to get a glimpse of Bella. When the red-headed girl didn't come into view she blinked and surveyed the area again.
She was nowhere.
A slight panic filled her chest and she quickly started off into the direction that Bella had been going in.
"Bella?" She called.
She tripped slightly and looked down to find Bella's purple flats laying in the grass. She picked them up and quickly moved forward again, desperate to find her child.
"Bella!" She called again.
A cold hand gripped her arm and pulled her back.
"Sweetheart, where did you last see her?" Carol asked worriedly.
Miranda's chest tightened as she tried to breathe regularly. "She was just here, by the trees! She was playing, chasing a butterfly I think."
Carol nodded. "Alright, we'll find her. Keep looking."
Miranda looked around again.
Where is she?
She ran towards the jungle gym where a few kids were playing. Her daughter's wild red hair was no where in sight. She ran to a few mothers sitting on the bench.
"Excuse me, please help me." She caught her breath. "My daughter I can't-"
A sudden pain pierced her heart and she gripped her chest. Something wasn't right, she could feel it.
One of the mothers stood up. "What is it? You can't find her?"
Miranda shook her head. "She was just here, I don't know where she could be."
She turned and looked around again, her eyes were straining. She was in complete desperation.
"What does she look like?" The other mother asked.
Miranda gulped. "She's six, she has red hair, light skin, she's wearing a purple dress."
The mothers took in her description and immediately began searching the area with their own children at their sides.
"Miranda!" She turned to see Victor jogging up to her.
"Have you found her? Carol said Bella wandered off." His eyes were wide in fear.
A sob escaped Miranda's throat as another pain shot through her chest. Something was seriously wrong, she needed to find her baby, now.
Victor pulled her into a quick hug before pulling away.
"Come on, we need to find her." He said.
Miranda nodded.
They searched the park and the streets around it for only a few minutes before the police showed up. Samantha had called them as soon as Carol told her that they couldn't find Bella.
Bella wasn't the type to wander off without supervision. She knew the rules well- don't talk to strangers, always stay where mommy and daddy can see you, ask before going somewhere. This was not like her.
Miranda's chest pains quickly grew into a panic attack as the first hour passed and there was still no sign of her daughter. The police tried questioning her once Victor had calmed her slightly but she was in hysterics.
"She's six, red hair." She told them. "Six years old today, she's only six. Today is her birthday." And she sobbed.
Samantha had taken Liam away from the scene. He was confused, everyone was too busy to explain anything. He was twelve, old enough to understand what was happening, Samantha thought, so she told him.
He immediately jumped up, determined to go search the city for his younger sister, but Samantha held him still, insisting that the police would handle it.
They were there for hours, the party guests had come but soon left in their own search teams. They were Bella's family and Miranda's closest friends. They'd all be heart broken if anything bad happened to the young girl.
The sun was setting and Miranda and Victor still hadn't heard anything about their daughter.
Miranda couldn't believe it. None of this felt real, it was all like a bad dream. Her worst nightmare come true.
It had only taken a split second, one minute she was twirling in the grass, and the next-
-she was gone.
~ ~ ~
She lay, unmoving, unspeaking as the cold overtook her body. Her bones ached as her wet clothes weighed her down. She was on her back, a metal table supporting her.
It was quiet, but she new that they were still there. They were always there, watching her. They spoke occasionally, but she'd long since been able to focus on what they were saying.
Her body shivered, shaking almost violently, but she could no longer feel it. Her body was numb, near shock, but they still wouldn't release her. Not until she released herself.
She blinked into the darkness, attempting to make out any shapes around her. She was staring at the ceiling, but she didn't know that. She didn't know where she was, which way was up or down.
She wanted to feel warmth again; she'd forgotten what it felt like. She tried to imagine it, picturing herself wrapped in a blanket, hands in front of a roaring fire. The yearning she had for heat only made her aching increase.
"How is her progress?" Someone asked.
"She is very strong. She has been resistant in letting go, much more than our other recruits, but I believe she is close." Another voice answered.
The owner of the first voice nodded. "Finish it."
The other person nodded as well and signalled the others. "Prepare for another drop."
They stood around her and one stepped closer.
"Disconnect, recruit." He said calmly. "This will all be over once you disconnect."
Her mouth opened as she tried to speak, but no words came out. She wanted something, someone, but she couldn't remember what, or who.
He reached out, gripping the lever. "Disconnect." He repeated before pulling the lever down.
Once again she was submerged in water, ice cold and unforgiving. She'd been expecting it, but her body was too exhausted to react quickly enough. Her muscles froze at the sudden cold, she couldn't move.
They pushed her, more and more each time, to the brink. The more they pushed her, the further she was from her memories. The cold would invade her mind, taking away her past, leaving her mind open for them to mold.
When they had first begun, she had struggled, trying hard to escape the water. She had cried out for her mother, thrashed around, nearly died from her refusal to cooperate.
She was almost number fourteen. The fourteenth of all recruits in the history of the Agency to have been lost in the transition stage. They had been just seconds away from losing her, a risk they were willing to take. When she awoke again, desperately holding onto life, they knew she'd be a powerful operative one day.
All they needed to do was make the final break, between her and her past.
Now, as they looked down at her in the water, she didn't move, didn't struggle, didn't breathe. The pressure built around her lungs, squeezing at them, but she didn't try to reach oxygen. She accepted the cold. Her mind became cloudy and spots invaded her vision.
They watched her, her lack of struggle, and they knew. She was there's.