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It was a sunny day at the playground. Kids were running around playing tag, hide and seek, pretend and all sorts of other games. Ethan and little 5 year old Rose had arrived and the father had quickly let his daughter go off and play (while putting sunscreen on obviously!).
She swung on the swings, slid down the slide, and climbed the monkey bars with Mr. Monkey! She was currently in the middle of playing spies with him and having him climb up the rock wall, when she saw something— or someone hiding under the play set.
A little girl, who looked around her age. Short black hair covered her face as she played with a small stitched doll in her likeness. Rose looked around the playground, every other kid had someone, and they both didn’t— so she should go talk to her!
She crouched down to be at face level with her, seeing her greyish-green eyes in between her hair. “Hello!” She perked up, the girl with black hair flinched a bit at the sudden cheer, but looked up to be face to face with her. “Hello…” she mumbled so quietly you could barely hear.
“I’m Rose! Im actually called Rosemary but that’s way too fancy!” She extended her monkey free hand. The little girl hesitantly took it, “I’m…Eveline.”
“Hi Eveline! I like your dolly? What’s she called? This is Mr. Monkey, he’s my best friend!” She gestured to the plushie in her hand then at Eveline‘s doll. Wow, this girl was really, really talkative Eveline thought.
“This…this is Evie, my papa made her to look like me.” Eveline crawled out from under the play set, Rose could now see her dark clothes which were a contrast to her own bright pink ones she was currently wearing.
“Wanna play? I don’t have anyone else to play with,” she leaned in close and whispered like she was telling government secrets, “we’re spies trying to take down the president!”
Eveline had a blank expression on her face before smiling a small bit and nodding, “ok…ok I will!”
————
An hour had passed and the two girls were already calling each other “the bestest friends in the whole wide universe and closer than anyone else”. (Guess Mr. Monkey didn’t make the cut…)
They had climbed, played, slid, swung, and jumped everywhere they could. They played spies, then princesses, then school, then house, then pretended they were monkeys!
The two girls were now sat on top of the play set—giggling, since meeting her Eveline had definitely come out of her shell. Rose gently grabbed Eveline’s arm and leaned in. “Ok, I’m not allowed to say this— but I’m trusting you since you’re my bestest friend in the whole wide world!” Rose whispered. Eveline nodded, intrigued.
“I…have superpowers! My daddy and my uncle Chris help me use them! I can’t use them around people though.” Rose expected Eveline to not believe her, or look shocked, or run away screaming— but…she didn’t.
“I have superpowers too! I can make something called mold and I can control people! My papa says I’m not allowed to though. He also has superpowers! He can move metal with his mind!” Rose’s tiny jaw fell open in awe, there were other people with superpowers?!
The two little girls began talking about their powers, about how Rose had magical light powers and Eveline’s mold powers— and how they couldn’t share their secret with anyone else.
“I’m glad someone else that isn’t my papa has superpowers! I don’t really have any other friends…the other kids think I’m scary…” Rose put her tiny hand on Eveline’s shoulder.
“Well you’re my best friend now and when we grow up we can be superheroes together!” And the two of them broke out into a fit of giggles.
Suddenly, a taller man with tied back grey hair and a beard walked over smiling fondly. “Hey there sweetie, I see you made a friend?”
Eveline lit up. “Hi papa! This is Rose and she’s my new best friend!” Karl was so surprised to see his little girl so happy and energetic with other kids. But, that Rose name reminded him of…no, there’s lots of Roses in the world, lots of Rose’s with blue eyes and blonde hair that wore pink.
“Well nice to meet ya Rose, glad Eveline has a new partner in crime.” He winked which caused a giggle from both girls. “Let me go find my daddy! He can meet you two and we can have a play date!” Rose hopped down and sprinted over to the bench her dad was sitting on.
“Hey sweetie! What’s got you so energetic?” Ethan asked as he put his phone down. Rose grinned so big her cheeks turned pink, “daddy! Daddy! I made a new friend! Her name is Eveline and she and her papa have superpowers! You have to meet them so we can have a play date!”
Ethan chuckled, his little Rose and her big imagination. “Ok baby, but promise you didn’t tell them anything about your powers.” The father said as he got up taking his daughter’s hand. “I promise!”
That was a flat/out lie but he seemed to believe it.
She ran back over, beaming. “I’m back!-“
Suddenly, though, Ethan froze and she looked back to see a horrified expression on his face with a mix of…anger…?
Confused, Rose turned back to Eveline and Karl, only to see Karl with the same expression ushering a nervous but confused looking Eveline behind him. She went to reach them but Ethan pulled her back.
“…daddy…? What’s going on…?”
but the only thing Ethan muttered back was to the man and little girl in front of him.
”…How the hell are you two alive.”