Page 178 of Sparktopia
My mind has gone blank.
“Clara.” Tyse isn’t trying to be mean when he says my name. He’s trying to snap me out of my shock. I get this. But it’s terse. Like we’re in a hurry or something. “Clara!” He says it again. Louder now.
“Imogen,” I say. My voice is soft and sad, the complete opposite of his. Because I don’t understand what’s happening. I don’t like what’s happening. “Her name was Imogen Gibson.”
Tyse turns back to Anneeta, his blue eyes lit up so bright now, he’s casting shadows across the room. “What happenedto Imogen, Anneeta? Hmm? What happened to her? Tell Clara. Tell her everything or we’re leaving right now and you’re staying behind.”
“You can’t go!” This isn’t a squeal, it’s a loud, echoing shout that comes with vibrations and another wave of spark. And this time, Tyse and I are both blown backwards, crashing into the bed.
I blink, stunned at the sudden violence. And when I look at Anneeta, her hair is standing on end. The room is filled with spark.
Tyse recovers, stands, and offers me his hand. I get up as he points at Anneeta. “You need us.”
She crosses her arms and then there is a clicking sound at the door and even I understand what this click means. She’s locked it. The magnets, or whatever. And we’re stuck until she decides to unlock it.
Tyse crosses his arms too. “We can’t trust you. And locking that door, keeping us prisoner, just makes it worse.”
Anneeta closes her eyes, takes a breath, and all the static, spark, and light disappears. When she opens them again, I see it.
She’s not a little girl.
She’s nothing close to a little girl.
And when she speaks, she is calm, and mature, and completely in control. “Fine.” The door clicks again. Tyse walks over to it, pulling it open to check and make sure it’s unlocked. Because clearly, she cannot be trusted.
He doesn’t leave though, just closes the door again and turns to Anneeta. “What happened to Imogen? What happened to your mother?”
Anneeta looks at me, frowning. There is a slight hesitation, but then she just spits it out. “I ate her. When I was three years old. I ate her.”
For a moment these words do not make sense. Because I’m picturing this child—this adorable, big-brown-eyed child with missing front teeth—trying to gnaw on an arm while wearing a pink tutu, brown tights, and a Henley.
It’s so ridiculous, I laugh right out loud.
“Clara?” There’s worry in Tyse’s voice. It’s warranted. Because I think I’m losing my fucking mind. “Clara?” He grabs my shoulder and shakes me.
“Right. I’m fine. It’s just…” I look at Tyse. “She said sheateher?”
“Not likethat,” Anneeta growls. “I ate her spark. That’s how I live. It’s not my fault. It’s like eating adventure bars. It’s just food to me.”
Suddenly, my dream comes back to me. The one I was having before the knock on the door. I saw them all come here. One by one. “What happened to the others, Anneeta? What happened to Marlowe, and Mabel P., and Lucy, and Mabel S., and Piper, and Brooke? Did you eat them too?”
Anneeta lets out a long sigh. “I didn’t know they were your friends. I didn’t even know it was wrong. All I knew is that I needed the spark.”
“What about Haryet, Anneeta? What happened to Haryet?”
Anneeta shrugs. “I don’t know. She didn’t come to me like the others.”
“The others came to you?” Tyse bends down and places his hands on her shoulders. “Tell the truth now, Anneeta. There are no secrets if we’re friends. You can’t lie and you can’t hide things. We need to know everything.”
Anneeta nods. But then she looks up at me. “They just came to me. They were sleeping when they arrived. And it’s not even like I had a choice. When I need the spark, I need the spark.” She shrugs with her hands.
“You didn’t eat me, though. How come?”
“Because I’m not hungry for it. I don’t need it yet.”
Tyse stands back up and paces the room, rubbing his hands down his face. Both Anneeta and I stay quiet as he does this, but I’m just starting to get impatient when Tyse looks at me. “Pack a bag. We’re leaving.”
“What?”
