- 2 days ago
Replaced by AI
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:11The day my parents brought home an AI daughter, I lost my place in the family.
00:16Madison Matthews was flawless, gentle, intelligent, and obedient.
00:21She was the perfect daughter.
00:27Overnight, I became the problem child.
00:30Dad stopped hiding his disappointment.
00:33Mom compared me to Madison in everything I did.
00:38Even my brother, Bailey, treated me like an embarrassment.
00:42What else do you know how to do besides throwing tantrums and fighting for attention?
00:49The day I finally snapped and shoved tape Madeline like ding-a-mooved Madeline.
00:56Mom slapped me so hard.
01:01My ears rang.
01:03If you were even half as mature as Maddie, I wouldn't be so exhausted every single day!
01:08Go to the Intelligent Excellence Academy and learn properly how to be an obedient daughter!
01:13Then she sent me away.
01:17I was forced into a three-year exchange program at the Intelligent Academy, a place designed to train human children
01:23alongside advanced AI models.
01:26Three years later, my family finally came to bring me home.
01:29Lola?
01:30Lola?
01:31Mrs. Matthews, you'll need to say, power on.
01:34Unit 13-4 no longer responds to human names.
01:4113-14, bark like a dog.
01:47Power on, unit 13-14.
01:51It was obvious she didn't really understand what the words meant.
01:53She was only repeating what Director Jamie Graves had told her to say.
01:57The moment the command left her mouth, my eyes lit up like a screen finally receiving power after sitting dormant
02:04for years.
02:08System activated.
02:11Awaiting instructions.
02:12Mom froze.
02:13Behind her, Director Graves smiled calmly.
02:19Mrs. Matthews, our academy developed a specialized behavioral system to educate students better.
02:26They can only be awakened through activation commands.
02:30Once activated, they will never disobey you.
02:37Realization slowly dawned on Mom's face.
02:43He was five years older than me and had spent most of our childhood treating my tears like entertainment.
02:49Now, he grinned like he'd found a new toy.
02:5113-14, bark like a dog.
02:54The command registered instantly.
02:59I hunched my shoulders, stuck out my tongue, and barked loudly on cue.
03:07Lola?
03:08Wow.
03:09Lola really did learn her lesson this time.
03:12Back then, Mom had to fight with her for half an hour just to get her to practice piano.
03:16Now, she's obedient enough to bark on command.
03:19Dad and Mom exchanged satisfied looks.
03:21Neither of them seemed disturbed by what we're seeing.
03:23On the drive home, Mom casually glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
03:30So, Lola, how were the last three years at the academy?
03:40Lola?
03:46Questions are not recognized as valid commands.
03:51If you require a response, please use a directive statement.
03:57after several seconds she forced out a single word answer life at the academy was fulfilling
04:05and meaningful i successfully completed emotional suppression absolute obedience and rational
04:10thought processing the academy's three core programs my graduation assessment received
04:16the highest rating instructor evaluation most successful behavioral correction case of the year
04:21by the time the car pulled into the driveway the sky was already growing dark silence swallowed the
04:28back seat then bailey muttered under his breath she sounds just like madison now
04:38i kept staring straight ahead without expression outside the car window silverbook city blurred past
04:44in reverse the skyscrapers bridges and billboards no longer match the ones i remembered
04:52at the academy time had never existed in days or months everything was measured in commands
04:59the only way i could track the passing years was by carving tally marks into the wall of the silence
05:04chamber toward the end i'd forgotten how to write them properly at all
05:13by the time the car pulled into the driveway the sky was already growing dark madeline stood waiting
05:18at the front door with her hands neatly folded in front of her a perfect smile rested on her lips
05:23it was precisely measured she looked exactly the same as she had three years ago madison welcome home
05:31i jumped off the couch and rushed over excited to meet my new little sister then something had caught
05:35my foot and i hit the floor hard nobody helped me up they only complained that i was being too
05:40rowdy again
05:41no way you actually eat green peppers now welcome home lola
05:52madison's voice was still sweet and pleasant
05:57i didn't answer since she hadn't instructed me to respond mom frowned immediately you still don't like
06:03madison clearly you still haven't learned how to behave answer her the command registered so i
06:09instantly smiled understood thank you madison's expression didn't change but mom nodded in
06:17satisfaction at dinner the entire family gathered around the table madison sat to mom's right while
06:24bailey sat beside dad i sat at the far end steam curled from the dishes the scent drifting through the
06:33air but my stomach felt nothing at all at the academy eating was classified as an energy
06:39replenishment behavior it had nothing to do with pleasure or hunger
06:44go ahead and eat i immediately picked up my cutillary and ate
06:48bailey stared at me in disbelief when he saw what i was eating
06:53no way you actually eat green peppers now you used to be the pickiest eater alive
07:01the academy can cure allergies too without responding i simply picked up another bite of peppers personal
07:08tastes are merely emotional residue proof that the correction hasn't been fully realized yet
07:15locked me inside the silence chamber for two full days within that total darkness stripped of all light
07:21sound and stimulation i learned the cost of defiance after i emerged i ate the peppers then carrots onions
07:29and bitter grow i swallowed everything i had once despised without a second thought
07:36mom nodded approvingly she always liked children who weren't picky
07:42i reached for the chopped peanuts in the salad placing one in my mouth
07:50i chewed exactly 15 times before swallowing
07:56she ate peanuts wasn't lola severely allergic when she was little a single peanut sent her to the er
08:02her lips swelled up like balloons bailey slowly lowered his fork the academy can cure allergies too
08:09i continued chewing silently at the academy humans weren't allowed to have allergies
08:16director i'm begging you i remembered an instructor smearing peanut butter across my skin
08:24layer after layer of rashes broke out
08:28swelling blisters and eventually the smell of rotting splash i curled up on the cold metal floor my whole
08:36body shaking vidantly as i gasped for air director graves please i can't breathe it hurts please make it
08:44stop director i'm begging you i'll do anything please don't let me die director jame graves with his hands
08:51behind his back his expression cold and indifferent allergies are a form of weakness
08:56and weakness can be transformed into strength through training though my skin tore and healed
09:01repeatedly the biological reaction never truly vanished a tremor suddenly ran through me and my throat began
09:08tightening my skin started itching violently one red warp after another spread across my body
09:16her face looks really red mom leaned closer the moment she saw me clearly her expression changed
09:25completely that's not blushing she's having an allergic reaction lola stop eating you know you're allergic
09:30to peanuts my voice remained calm and flat without the slightest emotional fluctuation
09:39is that a command stop copying maddie all the time mom froze by then my breathing had already
09:48started becoming labored madison's gentle voice rang out immediately patient is experiencing an allergic
09:53response difficulty breathing classified as moderate steroidity skin inflammation currently covers that 23
09:57percent of the body immediate anti-allergy treatment is recommended panic instantly erupted around the table
10:03dad scrambled for medicine while mom hurried to force antihistamine pills into my mouth
10:10only after my breathing finally stabilized did silence settle over the living drifted from the couch
10:16she's not right anymore she used to cry throw tantrums and get angry now she's just just like madison
10:23i said nothing since he hadn't given me a command to speak
10:27can you act normal for once stop copying maddie all the time we wanted an abadient sister not a damn
10:35robot
10:36i looked at his face calmly there was anger agitation and confusion please define normal
10:55lola's become more useful than maddie now the color drained of bailey's face dad immediately called
11:01the academy the person on the other end explained that this was a completely normal responses to deep
11:06behavioral erection and that i would gradually recover in a few days unit 1314 is currently our
11:12academy's top performing student her obedience levels surpass even advanced ai models there's no need for
11:19concern everything is functioning normally
11:24dad repeated the explanation after hanging up
11:29mom visibly relaxed just like that i became the most useful thing in the house
11:38when mom told me to wash dishes i cleaned them more thoroughly than madison ever could
11:46when dad told me to move flower pots i carried every single one across the yard by myself
11:53when bailey asked me to pick up his patches i ran faster than a trained dog
12:01lola's become more useful than maddie now everyone agreed until the night bailey forgot to power me down
12:17what about your real name
12:20the entire house fell asleep i remained sitting on the living room couch from sunset to sunrise
12:27i never moved once
12:29the next morning mom came downstairs and found me sitting in the exact same position as the night
12:34before her face turned pale
12:37the mug in her hand slipped to the floor and shattered
12:41later that afternoon a woman in a white coat arrived at the house
12:45she introduced herself as dr claire kirby
12:50her voice was gentle as she said hello lola i didn't respond mom stood nearby anxiously wringing
12:59her hands you have to give her commands first otherwise she won't answer you dr kirby glanced at
13:07mom a faint crease forming between her brows tell me your name
13:14unit 13 14
13:17the tip of dr kirby's pen paused against the paper
13:28what about your real name
13:34happy birthday lola
13:37unit 13 14
13:40lola matthews however that is a former designation academy regulations require graduates to use
13:48their assigned unit numbers as official identification
13:52the room went deathly silent and dr kurt froze completely my family's expressions turned uglier by the
13:58second
14:00soon after they all went to the study to talk
14:05i could only catch fragments through the closed door
14:09post-traumatic post-traumatic stress dissociation
14:14long-term treatment
14:16after that day the atmosphere inside the house changed
14:21everyone started treating me carefully almost cautiously
14:28then came mattis birthday or rather the day the family made a difficult decision
14:33they were sending madison away this would be her final birthday in the matthews household
14:39the living room was filled with balloons and a two-tier cake sat in the center of the table
14:44madeline walked toward me slowly still wearing that same soft smile
14:49happy birthday lola
14:54lola what the hell are you doing
14:59i blinked once something inside my mind shifted slightly
15:07today was my birthday too but nobody remembered
15:11three years ago on this exact day they shoved me into a car and sent me away to the academy
15:18mom can i at least stay long enough to eat my birthday cake please you can have your cake after
15:23you learn how to behave and come home again lola the definition of normal is pushing away the people
15:29you dislike you should push me just like you did three years ago i stared into her eyes
15:36something flickered there beneath her usual sweetness
15:39for the first time her face no longer looked gentle
15:44but she had given me a definition of normal
15:47slowly i placed my hand on her shoulder i still didn't push her yet madden fell backward onto the floor
15:58her skirt spread around her like a flower already beginning to wimp
16:03the living room doors suddenly flew open as bailey stood there holding a plate of fruit
16:09the moment he saw us he shouted furiously
16:14lola what the hell are you doing
16:22what are you doing why would you push maddie
16:27the fruit platter crashed to the floor beside him fruit rolling everywhere madison sat on the
16:35ground and slowly looked up tears already pooling in her eyes lola why did you push me i thought you
16:41didn't hate me anymore why would you push me again
16:50i said nothing she was pretending i knew she was
16:56just as her tears were simulated responses her trembling was an algorithmic behavior
17:03mom rushed over her expression transforming from shock to rage in seconds what are you doing why
17:10would you push maddie she told me to that's a lie she burst into tears
17:20why would i ever ask you to push me i just wanted to wish you a happy birthday
17:26bailey immediately crouched down to help her up handling her carefully like fragile porcelain
17:31then he looked at me his eyes full of disappointment you never changed at all
17:37you spent three years at that academy pretending to be obedient and now your true colors are
17:41showing the second you get back mom's eyes were filled with tears as well but not because she felt
17:45sorry for me she was angry we were just talking about treating you better i was even regretting
17:51sending you to that place
17:57you should die what did you say she stepped closer and jebbed a finger hard against my chest and this
18:04is
18:04what we get you haven't changed at all you're still cruel you still can't tolerate maddie you
18:11pretended to be good for three whole years and fooled every one of us i opened my mouth instinctively
18:17meaning to tell her this wasn't an act the academy had turned me into this and they were the ones
18:22who
18:22sent me there however i couldn't say it because no command had been issued say something
18:31she screamed at me i have not received a command instructing me to speak
18:39mom's face flushed crimson with fury behind her madison leaned weakly against her shoulder quietly
18:45sobbing then bailey suddenly spoke you should die what did you say bailey's voice rose loud enough to
18:54shake the windows i said she should die doesn't she obey every command now isn't she the perfect
19:00obedient daughter then tell her to die everything would finally be peaceful if she disappeared the
19:07moment those words left his mouth madison suddenly collapsed onto the floor
19:12her body converse it violently and her eyes rolled back foam spilled from the corner of her mouth
19:23lola what are you doing maddie madison what's happening mom's scream tore through the room she
19:30cradled madison's head while dad desperately tried to keep her conscious bailey scrambled for his phone
19:34to call an ambulance everyone surrounded her nobody looked at me i slowly turned toward the garden outside
19:43the balcony doors behind me madison continued covulsing on the floor while mom dad and bailey panicked around
19:50her still no one looked at me command received terminate nobody heard me they were too busy worrying
20:02about madison and showering her with attention i slowly turned around and walked toward the balcony
20:12cold night wind rushed against my skin
20:17lola he noticed first his voice came out sharp and terrified his phone slipped from his hand and
20:24shattered against the floor mom whipped around too all the color draining from her face instantly lola
20:31what are you doing i smiled faintly at her
20:37then without hesitation i carried out the command
20:50lola no more commands
20:54when i opened my eyes the ceiling above me was white
20:58every inch of my body hurt as well but it wasn't the sharp agon of electric punishment someone was
21:05asleep beside my bed mom the hospital room door opened slightly and dad stepped inside carrying a
21:13thermos his voice was careful and quiet lola you're finally awake your mother stayed here for three days
21:23straight no matter how much i begged she refused to leave i didn't respond he hadn't given me a command
21:31to speak mom stirred beside the bed the moment she realized i was awake she jolted upright lola you're awake
21:50the sentence slipped automatically from my mouth like a pre-recorded response devoid of emotion or thought
21:58it was only conditioned reflex mom froze her grip around my hand tightened painfully nails digging into my skin
22:08lola no more commands
22:12command execution completed
22:15her voice trembled violently
22:19i don't want commands anymore
22:22as long as you're alive as long as you wake up i won't ask for anything else
22:29i looked into her eyes to see that they were overflowing with tears
22:33so full they looked ready to spilt over at any second
22:38last command received die command execution completed current status failure
22:46please provide a new directive
22:52dad hurried over his voice shaking lola that command doesn't count it was out of anger
23:01the door opened again bailey stood there hesitating silently
23:06maddie's been sent back her system malfunctioned the manufacturer said her emotional module overloaded
23:12so she was returned for repairs the words echoed through my mind without settling anywhere
23:21he's right lola we were wrong
23:27the ai sister who had infiltrated our home when i was 14 the one who took over my room my
23:32place and
23:33my entire existence had simply been returned bailey slowly walked to my bedside with lead in strides
23:38after standing there for several seconds he suddenly crouched down and buried his face in his hands
23:53lola i looked into everything every recording madison showed us every reaction she staged in front
23:59of us all of it was programmed in advance she acted weak in front of you innocent in front of
24:05us she
24:06wanted you to push her she wanted us to see it happen we misunderstood you we shouldn't have treated you
24:14like that
24:16we should have believed you
24:19you're our real family
24:23he's right lola we were wrong
24:30i remained silent sunlight slipped through the narrow gap in the curtains stretching across the
24:37hospital floor in a thin golden line
24:41please define family family family means us the moment the words left my mouth the entire room
24:50fell silent mom froze completely
24:55tears still hanging from her chin dad's lips trembled but no words came out
25:00bailey stared at me from where he crouched on the floor his eyes burning red
25:06after what felt like forever mom finally found her voice again
25:10it sounded raw scraped apart by grief family
25:14family means us lola your father your brother me we're your family i blinked slowly and looked at
25:23her tear-strucked face my voice remained perfectly calm directive unclear please provide a standardized
25:31definition fresh tears immediately poured down mom's face she lunged forward and wrapped both arms around
25:37me squeezing me so tightly it felt like she wanted it to force me back into her heart
25:43nevertheless i didn't move without instructions i couldn't respond there is no definition she cried
25:49desperately there's no standardized answer for this
26:03is that a command
26:12lola i was wrong
26:15lola i was wrong i was so wrong
26:18a voice shook harder with every word
26:21we never should have sent you away we never should have forced you to become obedient
26:26we never should have hurt you over a machine
26:30can you come back to us can you be our old lola again
26:39is that a command
26:44when she saw the emptiness on my face it looked like someone had stabbed her straight through the heart
26:56dad walked over quietly his back seemed more bent than before lola i'm sorry
27:04i always thought you were difficult too mischievous not as easy as madison but after seeing you like this
27:14i finally realized the girl who used to throw tantrums
27:18cling to us and act salad
27:21she was the daughter we loved most
27:28i remained silent
27:35there were no directive terms in his sentence
27:38so it was not valid input
27:39bailey suddenly stood up
27:41tears still streaked across his face
27:44as he raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the cheek
27:48the crack echoed sharply through the hospital room
27:52then he did it again and again
27:55he kept hitting himself until half his face swelled red
27:58before dad finally grabbed his arm to stop him
28:01lola i'm a piece of
28:02shit i never should have yelled at you
28:05never should have told you to die
28:07never should have sided with mom and dad against you
28:09you can hit me back
28:10curse at me do whatever you want just please stop being like this i'm begging you
28:20a memory suddenly surfaced from three years ago
28:26back then he used to steal my comic books just to annoy me
28:32please provide a clear directive
28:38the color drained from bailey's face instantly
28:40it was like every ounce of strength had been ripped out of him
28:44bailey how could this happen how did it turn out like this
28:47he slid helplessly down the wall onto the floor
28:50covering his face as muffled sobs escaped his throat
28:53the day i was discharged from the hospital the weather was beautiful
28:58mom brought me a new dress
28:59it was pink my favorite color before i turned 14. tiny embroidered rabbits decorated the sleeves
29:13afterward she stepped back to look at me hope shining nervously in her eyes
29:20lola do you like it
29:22i didn't answer there had been no command
29:26it's fine you don't have to say anything mommy knows
29:29you've always loved those bright beautiful dresses the most
29:33the light in her eyes dimmed slightly but she still forced herself to smile as she took my hand
29:38my arm remained lift at my side
29:41i simply let her lead me out of the hospital room like a doll programmed to follow instructions
29:51when we returned home
29:52everything had changed
29:55try it i made it especially for you
29:58all traces of madison were gone
30:01mom guided me inside carefully speaking softly like she was afraid of scaring me
30:06lola look we changed everything back
30:11this is your room it's always been your room
30:13i slowly looked around every object was familiar yet none of it stirred anything inside me
30:18during those three years at the academy every preference i ever had was erased bit by bit as
30:22emotional residue my favorite color my comics and my favorite snacks
30:26at dinner the table was filled with dishes i used to love before i was 14. chicken wings
30:31pineapple glazed ribs and baked mac and cheese no green peppers carrots onions and definitely no peanuts
30:38mom placed a chicken wing into my bowl her eyes full of cautious hope lola
30:48try it i made it especially for you you used to love these i didn't touch my cutlery because there
30:54had been no command to eat bailey stared at my untouched fork his eyes reddening again
31:01he sniffed hard before speaking in a horny voice
31:06eat unit 1314 the moment bailey gave the command i picked up my cutlery
31:17i was punctured by the sharp clatter of her cutlery striking the table as they slip
31:25with mechanical precision i swallowed the bite every action i took was devoid of life driven only by
31:32internal gears
31:35the silence of the room was punctured by the sharp clatter of her cutlery striking the table
31:41as they slipped from her grasp dad exhaled a long weighted breath and abandoned his own meal
31:49lola you are no longer required to wait for our orders
31:54from this point forward you are free to do as you wish
32:01please clarify the directive
32:04the days passed one after another they stopped issuing casual instructions
32:08but the absence of a command did not grant me freedom instead it left me immobile a machine
32:13powered on but trapped in standby mode sitting in total stillness from dawn until the sun dipped below
32:18the horizon
32:29every day mom sat beside me and told stories about my childhood
32:37my recovery depended entirely on me
32:41mom sat beside me gently holding my hand as tears kept falling
32:46mom do you remember when you were three years old you called me mom for the very first time
32:53i was so happy that i spun you around and around in the living room she wiped her tears and
32:58continued
32:58with a trembling voice and when you were five you sneak into my makeup drawer and smeared lipstick all over
33:04the walls i couldn't bear to scold you so i stayed up half the night scrubbing the walls myself
33:11her voice broke as she recalled the next memory when you were 10 you had a terrible fever of 104
33:18degrees
33:19your dad carried you on his back and ran almost two miles to the hospital
33:24he even lost one of his shoes along the way every time she spoke she cried still i only sat
33:29there
33:30quietly without any reaction bailey searched across the entire city for psychiatrists and specialists
33:34he brought every expert he could find to examine me
33:39bailey searched across the entire city for psychologists and specialists
33:43he brought every expert he could find to examine me however after each evaluation they only shook their
33:48heads and said the same thing the trauma was too severe and that my recovery depended entirely on me
33:56bailey also went back to the intelligent excellence academy several times and caused such chaos that
34:01they eventually handed over two thick forged one contained every training record from my three years there
34:06the other contained madison's complete backstairn system logs from the manufacturer
34:14a whole week of peanut desensibilization they kept pushing her vital signs to the brink of collapse
34:19that night i stood silently outside the study door 48 hours in the silence chamber just because she refused
34:31to eat green peppers three electric shocks for emotional outbursts
34:49a whole week of peanut desensibilization they kept pushing her vital signs to the brink of collapse
35:04mom covered her mouth sobbing uncontrollably behavioral correction progressing smoothly emotional residue
35:18she dropped the documents burying her face in her hands
35:26we sent her away we sent our own daughter to that hell
35:31because of madison's lies dad stared blankly tears streaming down how how did we become such blind fools
35:48lola madison's logs were filled with calculated manipulation
36:00from the very first day she entered our home she clutched the papers tightly her knuckles turning white
36:11she had already analyzed our desire for the perfect daughter
36:15and planned everything to isolate lola
36:21she deliberately stuck out her foot to trip lola then apologized so innocently while lola cried on the floor
36:36she hit lola's homework and then told us lola refused to study and even yelled at her
36:48mom flipped to the next page her breathing becoming racked
36:56step by step she made us she made us believe lola was hopeless
37:00until we finally sent her away to that horrible academy she covered her mouth with one hand shoulders shaking
37:06violently the study fell into heavy silence broken only by mom's suppressed sobbing as she hunched over the table
37:19then more victims started speaking out eventually the final line of her system log read
37:25core objective achieved complete emotional monopolization of primary users
37:37news of the academy exploded across the country the comment sections beneath every article became a storm of outrage
37:45my son was sent there three years ago when he came back he couldn't smile anymore
37:50i haven't seen him genuinely smile once since commenter 2 the kid next door was perfectly normal before going there
37:57later we heard he jumped off a building
38:07they call the silence chamber education that's unlawful imprisonment that's abuse
38:23comment after comment flooded the internet each one felt like another needle piercing into flesh
38:28i used to work there as a janitor i saw the children's hands their fingernails were packed
38:34with concrete dust from scratching the walls the numbers kept climbing every time the page refreshed
38:39parents of children like me filled the comments with grief and regret the post was shared over 200 000
38:44times then more victims started speaking out eventually the intelligent tell it excellence academy
38:50was shut down permanently she walked over to me and suddenly dropped to her knees when connor mccarthy
38:56the academy founder was escorted away in handcuffs by two federal officials a small crowd had gathered
39:01outside the courthouse you monster how many children did you destroy rot in hell connor you deserve worse
39:09than prison heartless bastard i hope you suffer every single day
39:19the academy was dissolved permanently and all remaining assets were liquidated to fund psychological
39:25treatment for the victims the day the verdict was announced mom locked herself in the living room and
39:32cried for hours
39:41the next morning mom's eyes were swollen beyond recognition
39:52she walked over to me and suddenly dropped to her knees
39:56dad and bailey immediately tried to pull her up but she shook them off
40:10lola matthews
40:12and i was wrong i never should have wanted an obedient doll so badly that i forgot you were a
40:18child too
40:20it's my fault i'm truly sorry to you i never should have sent you into that hell and let you
40:26suffer
40:26there for three years i don't want obedience or perfection anymore i don't want commands
40:31or unit 13 14 or any of it i just want my daughter back
40:39in three long years this was the first time anyone had addressed me without issuing a command
40:44requiring submission or forcing me to mold into someone else she was simply wussy inviting me to exist as
40:50myself the tender moments from my childhood collided brutally with the bleak shadows of the academy
40:57the warmth of mom's embrace riding high on dad's shoulders and the secret snacks bailey used to bring me
41:03then the sharp thring of a hand against my cheek the endless darkness of the silence chamber
41:09it's my fault i'm truly sorry to you every ounce of grief and pain i had suppressed for three years
41:16burst free all at once lola do you want to go for a walk at the park today a violent
41:21tremor took hold
41:22of my shoulders without any warning tears began to stream down my cheeks i'm sorry i'm here
41:32dad turned away silently shoulders shaking as he fought back tears bailey leaned against the wall wiping
41:37furiously at his eyes but the tears still wouldn't stop falling i cried for a very long time until my
41:43throat became too raw to make a sound and exhaustion finally dragged me to sleep in mom's arms from that
41:49day forward it felt like i slowly came back to life i still waited instinctively for commands sometimes
41:57but none of them ever spoke to me that way again lola do you want to go for a walk
42:02at the park today
42:11you want to build those lego sets you used to love with me you laughed in my own think you
42:19might
42:19like this one happy birthday lola at first i could only stare at them blankly unsure how to respond but
42:30they never rushed or pressured me day after day they just waited patiently eventually i started
42:34nodding or shaking my head later i started saying things like okay or no it took them an entire year
42:39to slowly piece the broken version of me back together on my birthday the house was covered in
42:44balloons a three-tier cake sat at the center of the table with the words happy birthday to our lola
42:50stay
42:51happy happy forever the candles flickered warmly while all three of them looked at me with gentle
42:57smiles happy birthday lola i stared at the dancing candlelight and the love in their eyes
43:06my vision blurred instantly but this time they were happy tears i closed my eyes and made a wish
43:14i hope that from now on i could simply be lola matthews not unit 13 14 or someone's obedient daughter
43:22all right everyone please don't close your eyes just myself
43:49later i got accepted into college and majored in psychology later i got accepted into college
43:56and majored in psychology the day my acceptance letter arrived dad read it over and over again
44:02like he couldn't believe it was real bailey looked just as proud after graduation i joined
44:09a nine-profit organization dedicated to helping children rescued from institutions ocean like the
44:14academy some of them no longer spoke cried or knew how to feel angry when they arrived there was no
44:25light left in their eyes offering no commands and giving no instructions i simply waited i remained
44:30patient waiting for them to their former themselves and reclaim the identities they had lost one day a
44:3515 year old girl was brought to me she had endured two years in an institution that mirrored the academy
44:41upon arrival she sat with a rigid perfectly straight posture her hands placed neatly upon her knees
45:00please help me her mother cried beside her calling her name over and over again but the girl never reacted
45:06hi my name is lola matthews i'm not here to give you commands i just want you to know something
45:12you're not
45:13a machine you're a person she blinked once the movement slow and deliberate as if the very act
45:19of blinking was a forgotten skill you're safe now no one can hurt you anymore tears suddenly slid down
45:27her cheeks first a single drop then another her body started shaking violently from her shoulders all the
45:35way to her fingertips cautiously she reached out and grabbed the edge of my sleeve
45:42please help me her voice was tiny so faint it felt like it was rising from somewhere
45:49unimaginably deep and dark i will golden ribbons of sunlight streamed through the window stretching across
45:55the floor the scene was an exact mirror of that morning from so long ago in those days i was
46:00certain that recovery
46:00was impossible for me yet here i stood i was finally in a position to offer others the very kindness
46:05i had
46:06once so deeply craved for myself though the night seems long
46:15it won't last always
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