Friday Snippet: geonncannon
This is my last Friday Snippet! I'm posting next Saturday, so it really wouldn't make a lot of sense to post a snippet the day before. ;-D
"My parents told me stories of you and your Sanctuary when I was growing up. It was like a fairy tale. A place where we could be safe and protected. When my parents died last year, I decided to see if it was true. I spoke with people who had been outside and they claimed you were real. I assumed you would be much older, however."
Helen smiled. "You might be surprised. I'm much older than I look. You mentioned in the letter that you and your sisters inherited your parents' abilities."
"Yes, but they only started noticing the power recently."
"Abnormal abilities can often remain dormant throughout puberty. It's not an exact science. How old are your sisters?"
"Minna is seventeen, and Katya just turned fifteen."
Helen couldn't hide that she was surprised. "That is shockingly late."
Lisbeth didn't seem concerned. She simply nodded as if it was an expected complaint. "Well, yes. Because of the Wall."
Helen furrowed her brow. "What does the Wall have to do with your Abnormal abilities manifesting themselves?"
Lisbeth looked confused. "You do not know?"
"Know what?"
"In the thirties, the Ahnenerbe discovered a kind of stone in Sweden with unusual properties. They brought it back for research and discovered the Abnormals they were holding captive in their laboratory could no longer use their powers, or had their powers greatly reduced. Further experiments were done and they learned it was an effective way to entrap Abnormals who would otherwise be unable to cage."
Helen thought back to James' report of their time in Carentan, John's attempt to teleport them both to safety. The walls of the building had prevented them somehow. "My God. The stone--"
Lisbeth nodded toward the west. "They used the stone in the Wall. No Abnormal can penetrate the Wall using their abilities, and those of us who live in close proximity cannot fully use our powers." She punched her fist into the palm of her left hand, then held it up for Helen's examination. A lame spark jumped from her index finger to the thumb, but it fizzled before making contact. She smiled sadly. "I have seen photographs of my mother with her hands aflame with light."
Helen could only offer Lisbeth half her attention. She looked toward the west, although the Wall wasn't visible from where they were. If James was relying on the residents of the Berlin Sanctuary to back him up for any potential rescue attempts, he was going to be in for a nasty surprise. And Helen's chances of a successful escape had once again shrunk.
"My parents told me stories of you and your Sanctuary when I was growing up. It was like a fairy tale. A place where we could be safe and protected. When my parents died last year, I decided to see if it was true. I spoke with people who had been outside and they claimed you were real. I assumed you would be much older, however."
Helen smiled. "You might be surprised. I'm much older than I look. You mentioned in the letter that you and your sisters inherited your parents' abilities."
"Yes, but they only started noticing the power recently."
"Abnormal abilities can often remain dormant throughout puberty. It's not an exact science. How old are your sisters?"
"Minna is seventeen, and Katya just turned fifteen."
Helen couldn't hide that she was surprised. "That is shockingly late."
Lisbeth didn't seem concerned. She simply nodded as if it was an expected complaint. "Well, yes. Because of the Wall."
Helen furrowed her brow. "What does the Wall have to do with your Abnormal abilities manifesting themselves?"
Lisbeth looked confused. "You do not know?"
"Know what?"
"In the thirties, the Ahnenerbe discovered a kind of stone in Sweden with unusual properties. They brought it back for research and discovered the Abnormals they were holding captive in their laboratory could no longer use their powers, or had their powers greatly reduced. Further experiments were done and they learned it was an effective way to entrap Abnormals who would otherwise be unable to cage."
Helen thought back to James' report of their time in Carentan, John's attempt to teleport them both to safety. The walls of the building had prevented them somehow. "My God. The stone--"
Lisbeth nodded toward the west. "They used the stone in the Wall. No Abnormal can penetrate the Wall using their abilities, and those of us who live in close proximity cannot fully use our powers." She punched her fist into the palm of her left hand, then held it up for Helen's examination. A lame spark jumped from her index finger to the thumb, but it fizzled before making contact. She smiled sadly. "I have seen photographs of my mother with her hands aflame with light."
Helen could only offer Lisbeth half her attention. She looked toward the west, although the Wall wasn't visible from where they were. If James was relying on the residents of the Berlin Sanctuary to back him up for any potential rescue attempts, he was going to be in for a nasty surprise. And Helen's chances of a successful escape had once again shrunk.