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It could have been a prison.In bed by 21:00. Lights out by 21:30. The electrics were on a timer, so no one really had the option of staying up anyway, but it was annoying. Vanya had read about children experiencing life. For all the books in their library, she couldn't find a single one where people were treated like her. Only in prisons. She was being held hostage in her own home.Of course, her siblings were held to different rules to her. Sometimes they got to stay up late if they'd been on a mission. Once, their father had taken them all to the cinema afterwards, all of them but Vanya. She had the privillage of staying home with Grace and Pogo, playing go fish until it was bed time.On time as always, the lights in her room switched off. She was halfway through a sentence in her book, Carrie by Stephen King, so of course that's when they turned off. She was smart though. The torch under her pillow jabbed her back but it always came in handy when she was avoiding sleep. Vanya smiled to herself. Her father was a smart man, but sje be dammed if she did everything he wanted.Her smile was broken by a bright blue light by her bedside."Vanya, you'll never guess what the old man had us do today?"Five was her favourite sibling. Maybe it wasn't fair to play favourites, but he was the only one who didn't treat her any different for being normal; he just treated her like his little sister. Besides, Dad played favourites everyday with how he treat Luther. Number One was the only one allowed to sit in their Father's office. How was that fair?"What did he do today?""He strapped electrodes to our heads so he could measure our brainwaves while we performed for him like monkeys," Five sighed dramatically. He flopped down onto Vanya's bed and rolled his eyes at her. "Pogo wouldn't be treated with the disrespect Father gives us. Seriously, we should call CPS.""And say what, we have magical powers but can't beat an old man?" Vanya giggled. The thought of calling CPS had crossed her mind before, but they were different from other kids."You think we could take the old man in a fight?" Five raised his eyebrows."You guys could," Vanya said. Maybe if Vanya was put through the same drills she could help, but she could barely throw a punch. She didn't look up to meet Five's eyes, picking at her threadbare bedsheets instead.Something in the room changed. The energy had fizzled away as they spoke, turning from anger to sadness. Five reached out for Vanya's hand, squeezing it tight before letting go. It was a simple gesture but it really did mean the world to her. The smile returned to her face.The book in her other hand was pulled away by Five, though he was careful to hold the page she was on."Carrie?" He asked. His eyes scanned over the words. "As in the bullied, loner Carrie? I hope you're not going to go all psycho on us." He laughed but his eyes were shadowed from the torch light. Vanya shrugged."I understand why she does it," she said. There were pages and pages of horrible words towards poor Carrie. The same sort of words her siblings spat at her. "I wouldn't though. Especially not to you." Five handed her back the book."I wouldn't blame you if you set Luther on fire," Five shrugged. "To be honest, Grace and the old man would probably assume Diego or Klaus did it." It had only been a few days since Klaus' last fire incident. Less than a day since Diego broke Luther's nose. They would all need therapy by the time they left that damn academy.The siblings sat in silence for some time. Silence was horrorfying when demanded by their father, but when it was just Vanya and Five, it was like a warm blanket. She wished it could always be like that, but she was a realist at heart. Father didn't like them being friends. He especially didn't like the others being friends with her.As it neared midnight, Five stood up."I'll be back, same time tomorrow?" He grinned. "It's grocery day tomorrow, right? So we should have some mini marshmallows. Tomorrow we feast like kings!"Five disappeared in a haze of blue light. Even though he was only down the hall, he felt an ocean away. Vanya was a prisoner once more, a hostage in her own head until night rolled around again.