I raised my head as I heard the familiar clack of polished shoes on wood. Like so many times before, my mind immediately went to the days of my childhood where I snatched Dad's shoes and danced my heart out trying to perform some tap. Those attempts ended when humiliation replaced cheerfulness. One of those shoes that had been far too big finally rocketed off my tiny toes and smashed Mom's nose. She laughed it off and complained more to Dad about why he felt the need to have footwear with such hard soles, but my tap dancing days were done.
"Hey, Crys. Feeling any better?" Dad asked as he rounded the corner. He was already hovering over me with a sympathetic smile before I could answer.
"Yeah. This new medicine is working a lot better than the other ones have. I'm still feeling a bit weak and unsteady though. Kinda cold too. Part of me wants to turn the fireplace on, but it's summer. That seems like it's a bit much," I smiled.
"I can help you if you don't mind some cuddles."
"How could I ever turn down cuddles? Just as long as you don't mind getting your clothes wrinkled."
"Bah, what's a few creases?"
I scooted over for Dad to settle down next to me. The couch was a lot less manageable than it used to be when my crashes happened when I was little, but Dad refused to admit this old loveseat might not contain us for much longer. He snuggled me tight, and I closed my eyes relaxing into his secure hold. Too many times I'd ended up in the hospital because of my anemia. Him and Mom making sure to always be there with a warm hug was a gift I would never forget.
I dozed off for a little bit. Dad normally wouldn't dare move, but with his impending promotion to CEO at work he couldn't help but to have more responsibilities. Part of me had been horribly selfish enough to almost ask if he had to take the position. Meetings and business trips had jutted into more than their fair share of important dates and crucial life events. Our small family was overwhelmingly rich enough as it was from generations of inheritance of both pure wealth and advantageous careers. No way did Dad need to take the promotion. It was his life's goal though, so I'd gotten a grip of myself and kept my mouth shut. Besides, I'd be starting college in the fall. Why beg for Dad to stay around when I'd be gone myself?
"Really, you two?" I rolled my eyes at my parents after Dad departed the couch to get a snack. I had followed a few minutes later to get a cup of water to take my next pill, and there the two were all snuggled on a stool. "I haven't flown the coop just yet, you know."
"Your dad just has to make sure I get my fair share of cuddles too," Mom teased.
"I only have a few minutes before I have to go upstairs and resume the conference call. I'd lose valuable time sneaking us away," Dad added matter-of-factly.
"Sure, sure," I scoffed, amused. I use their preoccupation with one another to sneak an extra blue raspberry candy from our shared stash. That was all our favorite flavor, so I was really breaking a rule there. It was fine though. I'd broken down and ordered a five pound bag of just that flavor from the manufacturer to finally give us a supply to last more than a few days.
Dad gave me a kiss on the cheek before he went back upstairs. I held incredibly still so he didn't notice the offending sweet in my mouth. My blue tongue would likely give me away in the end, but there was a chance the color would fade by the time the meeting concluded and Mom finished dinner. Mom got some music going on her little radio while I switched my location to be in front of the television. There was stuff I actually wanted to watch. However, I was trying to be better and more informed. The news that I used to ignore I tended to watch for at least a little each day now.
"Welcome back to TTN 5," the anchor announced. "We'll be jumping right in with the story that broke earlier this morning that has the country on its toes."
I tilted my head. Something super big had happened that was affecting the whole country? Guess it was a good thing I hadn't gone right for my recorded series.
"For those viewers just joining us, early this morning information was leaked by an anonymous whistleblower of widespread corruption plaguing the nation. In a situation one would only hope to find in a story, we bring you these details."
Instantly pulled in, I intently listened to the recap of what had clearly been building all day. It seriously was a level of corruption one would only think to hear a conspiracy theorist declare. Unfortunately, the more I listened the more my heart picked up. Government officials from local to federal were accused of the worst crimes. Businesses of all types were no better off.
The anchor listed off various grievances ranging from fraud to bribery to well-hidden assassinations yet didn't waste time getting to the hot topic of the story.
"Set to go live soon from the east coast, TTN 5 will be sharing an interview with a key figure of this situation, Eden Yonder. A previous employee of Spreading Roots, Mr. Yonder has been influential in bringing to light what we have been shown today. He has gone on record to state that he is separate from the main whistleblower. Mr. Yonder will talk of his involvement in regards to his main motivation to stand fast against the predicament he found himself in: his younger sister, Ethereal. Ethereal, born with albinism, is a victim of genetic manipulation and general abuse from the powers that created her."
"Huh," I mumbled. I mean, I was captured by this broadcast enough, but hearing of this Ethereal lured me in even further for obvious reasons.
"The interview is expected to touch on topics that some viewers may find disturbing. We here at TTN 5 are committed to providing the truth and ask that viewers proceed with their own discretion."
I saw no reason to click away. Mom walked by me to go upstairs in the interim where the news station waited for the interview on the other side of the country to begin. While I tried to focus her attention towards what was going on, she insisted she continue on her way. She was not one to care for the news. That was why I had grown up mostly not caring either. One of the perks of being too rich, I guess. What went on with everyone else really never ended up affecting us. Did I listen closely though when that Eden Yonder began his interview. I heard his tale of how a section of Spreading Roots called T.R.E.E. lured him into the job under false pretenses where he was put into a role looking after infants coming about through illegal genetic modification. His half-sister Ethereal was one of those babies, and she was chosen to be used as an eventual human incubator to have babies for T.R.E.E. to sell. When Eden talked about the most recent event where Ethereal had been kidnapped, forcibly impregnated, and had been at risk for being prostituted against her will to earn even more profits, I definitely understood why the anchor had given his warning. My thoughts centered around how sorry I felt for her until the interviewer asked a very specific question.
"But those other children born are still out there, correct?"
"Yes, very much so," Eden answered grimly. "I touched on it a bit, but aside from one boy who passed the rest were illegally sold."
"And the adopters were aware of what was going and on and where the children were coming from?"
"To an extent, yes. T.R.E.E. would naturally not divulge the full details of the operation to every curious party, but the potential parents were made well aware that the children had been made for a purpose. It got quite nasty."
"In what way?"
"Ethereal, overall, was the strongest of the children. The girl born shortly before her, however, was almost chosen instead to be the one to stay. Then she was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia."
Like me. What a coincidence.
"The others felt Ethereal's weakened immune system would be easier to manage as they naturally did not intend for her to face the rest of the world. I remember that other girl well. She was so sweet. She had a birthmark on her left shoulder shaped like a boomerang."
...Wait.
"With her being one of the healthiest, although that's not necessarily the most accurate term to use, she was fought over quite intensely by the potential adopters. The ones who ended up taking her home had used their wealth and connections to scare off the other contenders by way of threats and stalking by hired hitmen."
"My goodness. Now certainly these people will not be let off the hook for their involvement?"
"There should be those dealing with the matter, although I do not have the liberty or even the knowledge to expand on that further. All the more I can say is that those other children are victims as much as Ethereal is. They were born suffering to fulfill a vain desire, and I am aware there is a good chance several of them are watching this broadcast right now and finding their life has been full of lies. The last thing I want is for them to be hurt even more, and I hope they know I am truly sorry."
I shook. My veins had already felt lacking of their lifeforce, and now they ran completely empty. Eden and the interviewer continued their conversation talking about other disabilities the other children faced. My ears, though ringing, hung onto every word desperate for them to say something more about that little girl born with sickle cell anemia and a boomerang-shaped birthmark that could contradict with who I was. It could just be a coincidence, no matter how much I knew it was not. Maybe if my parents hadn't told me I was adopted I could delude myself. If only I didn't know I wasn't theirs by blood...
"Mom!" I jumped to my feet when she returned downstairs.
"Crystal, what is it? You should be careful and try not to get too worked up right now. You already collapsed once today."
"Tell me they're wrong!" I demanded, pointing at the television. "Give me proof right now that I'm not part of what is going on!"
"W-What is going on? Sweetie, I don't know─"
"Someone leaked a bunch of corruption, including a program that bred albino children with genetic tampering just so shallow people could buy them like pedigree poodles!"
Mom went entirely rigid. Recognition and fear of my words flashed across her expression with such strength that I wondered how I'd lived nineteen years believing her at all.
"I don't know anything about that. You're not─" Mom stammered.
"That guy said there was a girl born shortly before his sister! Ethereal is about to be nineteen, while I just turned nineteen! The girl was also born with sickle cell anemia, and she has a birthmark identical to mine! You've never given me one good explanation as to who my birth parents are or how you adopted me!"
"It's a coincidence."
"LIAR!"
"Crystal, Summer, what is going on?" Dad came rushing down the stairs.
With an agonized sob, I turned on my heel and stomped towards the front door. I did not blame this Eden, but god if he definitely wasn't the catalyst for my world crashing down around me! My parents who I'd just been cuddling and joking around with now stood before me as complete strangers.
"Crystal, where are you going?" Dad questioned, panicked.
"Away from you two!"
"Why? Did we do something? What's wr─"
"You're disgusting hypocrites! You're shallow and vain and cruel! All those times while I was growing up when supposed friends turned out to be fake, when I had to break up with my boyfriend of two years because he and they only cared about me being albino─ you held me tight and dried my tears! You spoke of how wrong it was for people to treat me like that, that I was so much more than my appearance! You told me how much you loved me even though you...you...you BOUGHT me! You purchased me like a trophy to put on your shelf for all to see!"
"I..." Dad went pale.
"Crystal, please," Mom pleaded, trying to remain composed with a deep breath.
"NO! You can't calm me, and you can't trick me! You can't excuse that away!" I jammed my finger once more towards the television. "They're exposing it all right as we speak! You threatened others! You hired hitmen! All so you could be the victors to bring me home!"
"We care about you so much, Crys. That's not─" Dad tried.
"No you don't! You would have never taken me in if I wasn't white! You went out of your way, ignoring all the other children out there who needed a caring home, to get some designer baby basically made in a factory! If I wasn't albino, you would have turned your noses up at me and walked away the instant you learned I was sick!"
My head spinning, I knew I had to get away. Mom had spoken one truth though. My ill body wasn't set to cope with the fit I'd worked myself into. Stumbling feet slammed me into the front door as I fumbled to turn the handle and bolt.
"You're going to pass out again, honey! Just please wait!" Dad begged.
Sweetie. Honey. Crys. How dare they keep using such terms of endearment as if it would sway me back to their side? A deep inhale focused my vision enough to get me out the front door.
"Froth, go after her!" Mom worriedly pushed him onwards.
He managed to only make it out the door. His feet stopped where mine didn't as two important looking government officials stepped out of the sleek car now parked alongside the road outside our house. It was no question as to why they were here.
"Crystal? Crystal Chime?!" the one called after me.
I pushed myself faster. In the end, I didn't get far. My legs only supported me until the bottom of the hill where I collapsed hard and majorly scraped up my shins. My flight of emotion definitively failed when the one man pulled alongside me in that car. He carefully helped me into the front seat where upon our return to the house I quietly watched as Mom and Dad were guided into the back seat of a police cruiser that had also shown up. They pressed against the window desperately pleading for my attention as our car kept driving on. Towards the hospital, the man said, and after that...towards the rest of what awaited me in this crumbled life broken free of lies.
Poor Crystal. Poor others involved too. Talk about a mess.
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