The woods were quiet.
Golden light slipped through the trees, catching dust motes that floated like tiny ghosts in the air.
Somewhere beyond the branches, the water shimmered in the sunlight, and laughter broke the silence.

"Lizzie! Lizzie!"

Alexanders voice echoed through the forest, bright and full of energy. I was only two, tiny feet stumbling through the grass, chasing the sound of  my brothers laughter:

"Bubby!" I called back, giggling as I pointed to the tall oak tree in front of us.
"Help me up!" I said

He grinned.
"Three...two...one...Up you go!" he said.
With a push, he lifted me onto the branch before climbing up beside me.

For a while, we just sat there- watching the ripples move across the water, the wind soft against our faces. It was rare for things to be this quiet. Rare to have a moment that felt normal.

After some time, I broke the silence.
"Bubby?" I ask

"Yeah, Lizzie?" He said

"I don't want anymore shots today." My voice wavered as I rubbed my arm.
"My body hurts" I say

"I know. I don't want to either. But mama says it helps us" he sighs.

I crossed my arms, frowning.
"Tell me why it helps us again?" I ask

He turned to me, his expression serious in a way no five-year-olds should ever be.
"Mama says the shots come from her work. They make our brains grow faster- make us smarter. Every time we get one, we get better"  He says

I didn't answer. I just stared at the water, wishing I didn't have to be better.

"Lizzie" he said softly
"we should head back before they notice we're gone" he says

"Fine" I huffed, and he helped me down from the branch. We walked hand in hand toward home- the little wooded house in the middle of nowhere.

But the moment we opened the door, everything changed.

Mama and papa stood waiting, their faces unreadable.

"Mama, papa-" Alexander started quickly
"It was me. It told Liz-Elizabeth to go. It's my fault" he said

Mama smiled, and for a second, I thought maybe she wasn't anger.
"I'm not worried about that." She said calmly. Alexander and I froze.

"You and your sister, are coming with us to my work today. How would you like that?" She continued

We didn't answer. We didn't dare to.

"Do you not want to go?" Her tone sharpened, the air in the room suddenly too heavy to breathe.

"Oh, no-We want to go. When will we leave?" I blurted out

Her lips curled into a grin.
"Right now. Go get in the car" she said

I glanced up at Alexander. He looked as scared as I felt.

The drive felt endless. Trees blurred into gray and green until they vanished altogether, replaced by concrete and cold air. When we stopped, I saw the building- tall, metal, lifeless. It looked abandoned, but I could feel something wrong inside it.

"Come on. Can't keep them waiting" papa said

Alexander bent down, whispering.
"Just stay with me, Lizzie. Don't let go" he said

I clung to his arm. I didn't let go. Not even when the doors opened and the smell of chemicals hit me.

They led us into a room- white walls, bright lights, machines that hummed like monsters. A man waited inside, old and thin, his eyes sharp as glass.

"Are these the two?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." Papa said proudly.
"My son, Alexander- five years old. The serum's been working fine. No side effects. And my daughter, Elizabeth- two. Her progress is the same" he said

"Incredible." The man murmured.
"The only two survivors, and at their age." He said

He turned to my parents,
"The offer stays the same. You'll get your payment now- and every time they survive another test." He said

"Deal" papa said, shaking his hand.

My voice trembled.
"Mama? Papa? What's going on?" I ask

The old man smiled at me like a wolf showing its teeth. 
"Your parents made a deal, little one. You both belong to me now. I'll run down experiments, and every time you live, they get paid. Simple, isn't it?" He says

"You sold us?" Alexander's voice broke.

Papa sneered.
"Why do you think we had you in the first place? You were both made for this" he said

My chest burned.
"You're monsters!" I screamed.

"Oh no, sweetheart." The man said softly, smiling wider.
"We are Hydra" he said

He snapped his fingers.
"Take them to their cells" he said

Guards grabbed us before we could move. I kicked, screamed, cried- but they didn't stop. They threw us into separate cells, the doors slamming shut with a sound that felt final.

"Lizzie!" Alexander's voice came from the other side of the cell.
"Are you okay?" He asks

I crawled to the edge of my cell, pressing my small hands through the bars until I felt his fingers. 

"I'm okay. What are we going to do?" I whispered.

"I don't know. We'll figure out, okay? Don't worry" he said quietly

"Can you sing me the song?" I asked, voice barely a breath.

He paused for a moment, then began to sing.

"Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,
Lavender's green
When you are King, dilly dilly,
I shall be Queen"

His voice soft, echoing down the empty hallways of Hydras lab.
For a few seconds, I could almost pretend we were back in the tree- safe, free, together.

"Who told you so, dilly dilly,
Who told you so?
'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly,
That told me so"

When the song ended, I pressed my forehead against the cold metal and whispered.
"Thank you" I said

"Get some sleep, lizzie" he said

"Goodnight, Bubby" I said, already yawning.

"Goodnight" he said

The lights flickered, the humming grew louder, and the world went dark.