Beth Patrick was a normal girl in a normal world, except for one thing - she could create things. Shape things. Mold something into anything or nothing into something. She wasn't too skilled at it, but 99% of what she shaped functioned as it should. She was more talented than others of her kind at the same age, but she didn't know any of them to compare.

Tereza Muir was Beth's closest friend, and Tereza's father, Gordon, was the mayor of their fair little town. Everybody adored Gordon, and Tereza was quite popular. Their familiy insisted they weren't rich, but everyone knew they were.

This is a fraction of the tale of Beth's life and experiences. Every person is special, but Beth was unique, and some people cannot pass up an opportunity to exploit others.

"Beth," whispered Tereza. "A pencil. Mine broke."
Beth took the stubby, broken pencil from Tereza's palm and slowly, like a hologram, it grew. When Beth handed the pencil back to Tereza, it looked brand new. Tereza flashed a smile of gratitude in Beth's direction. They had been friends for years, but still she didn't take her friend's gift for granted.
After class, Tereza and Beth walked slowly down the emptying hallway. "School's out," said Beth. "Why aren't you hurrying?"
Tereza looked at her feet. "The town is running out of money and there are some legal issues happening. Daddy's worried."
Beth, ever happy, chirped, "No problem." She held out her hand and molecules gathered to form a stack of 50-dollar bills. Tereza pretended to be reluctant to take the money, but as she turned her head to put the bills in her pocket, she was smiling. "Thank you," she said politely, almost embarrassed at the eagerness of her friend to do such a thing that was most likely illegal.
"Don't mention it," sympathized Beth. "What're friends for?"

"Hi, Gordon!" said Beth as he gathered her in a warm hug. Mr. Muir had been a father to her ever since her own had died.
"How was your day, Beth?" Gordon asked of their guest.
Beth thought for a minute. "It was all right for me, but poor Amy accidentally walked out of the change room with no shorts on for gym class."
Gordon just laughed because sweet Beth sounded sorry for what had happened to Amy, even though she and Tereza were always complaining about Amy's attitude and actions. Tereza spoke up, "It'll blow over pretty quick, but the guys won't easily forget."
The girls went on discussing such things, but Gordon's mind was elsewhere, and soon his body followed and he left the room while the girls chatted.

Beth slept over at Tereza's house that night, since the next day was Saturday. She had the strangest dream and slowly woke to someone standing over her, talking quietly.
"You must make more money," the voice said. "We need it. Please, Beth."
Beth was puzzled. Not at the request for money, but because she recognized the voice as Gordon's. She was tired and confused. Why would he need more now? I just gave Tereza some. How much more does he actually need?" she thought. But in her sleepy state, she did not question his motives or reasoning. She shaped a stack of ten-dollar bills at his feet. He stooped to pick them up and Beth went back to sleep.
The next morning at breakfast, Mr. Muir said to Beth, "You'll be staying over again tonight. I already picked up the extra articles you'll need as well as phoned your mother."
Beth avoided his eyes, not really remembering last night, or whether it had been another dream or not, but she quietly uttered her thanks at his consideration. Why was he keeping her here? Her vision of a hero, a father figure, was slowly changing. In its place grew a thing of darkness. She supposed he just wanted her to make more money. He doesn't need more money! she thought in anger. He is more full of greed than I though. I'm slipping away before bedtime. Her mind was made up.

Beth stood up from the board game she and Tereza had been playing. They had played in eerie silence. "I need to go to the washroom."
Tereza smiled a wooden smile. "Go ahead. The game won't run away." But I will, thought Beth. Was her best friend in on this? After all, he was her father. But how could she? They had been friends their whole lives! It was almost sad.
Beth walked down the hall to the washroom, but turned left when she was out of Tereza's sight. She didn't bother to grab her coat, but yanked open the door and started running across the huge, impeccably landscaped lawn. It seemed like a hundred miles to the road.
"Euuh!" She had been tackled from behind. The wall was so close! she screamed at herself. She was wrestled to her feet and escorted back inside by Mr. Muir himself, and cruelly thrown then locked in the dark basement. She tried banging on the door, but that only increased the banging in her head. She slumped down at the bottom of the stairs, her ears ringing. He drugged me, realized Beth. She let herself go unconscious, and resolved to do something when she awoke.

She was untied occasionally for a few minutes at a time, which Beth did not think was very hospitable. It still hadn't quite dawned on her yet that she was being held prisoner, but that might have been because of the brain-numbing drug that was routinely given her. Gordon only let it wear off for a little while each day during the time she created wealth for him, because while she was drugged, it was impossible to think straight in order to create something accurately.
The day after Gordon went to a jeweller's he had ordered Beth to make diamonds. They were even harder to create than money, especially with the drugs floating around in her system. He exhausted her on most days, and she always slept until he shook her awake the next morning. But one night she had a sane dream that changed her circumstances. Why hadn't she thought of it before?
It was almost 8 a.m. when Beth had the dream. At least, that's what it felt like. She was trapped in the basement, just like she was in real life, though in her dream she was free to wander. The door at the top of the stair opened, and she ducked behind the stairs, very much afraid. Footsteps reached the bottom of the stairs and the person grinned pointed teeth at her. It was Mr. Muir with horns and a tail, like a cartoon devil. Beth created a duplicate of herself on the other side of him. He turned to the duplicate and stared at it while the real Beth ran up the stairs.
"Beth! Wake up!" She felt a sharp stinging on her cheek. Gordon had slapped her. Why is it suddenly okay for him to hit me? He doesn't hit his own daughter, and I thought he loved me. Beth nearly started crying. Her emotions had been like a roller coaster since she'd first been injected with the drugs.
She sat upright, though her head still hung lazily on her chest and muttered a greeting. Mr. Muir fed her breakfast to wake her up and then put her to work, not noticing that a jumble of random molecules were assembling behind the stairs. Though he did notice that her work was rather sloppy today, and for that he slapped her again before he stabbed her with a needle and left hours later. She needed to get more sleep. She didn't do well when she was tired. Perhaps he would give her an extra hour of sleep tomorrow and ease up on her dose.

Gordon had finally left. It was already the next day, though he'd pumped her full of so much drugs yesterday it seemed, that the night had passed by in a blur. She formed a knife and cut her rope, checking behind the staircase to make sure her molecule-gathering hadn't been a dream, and sure enough, there was a lump of goo sitting there, waiting for a form.
Gordon wouldn't be down again tonight, nor would anyone else. He was the only one who ever came down. Now is the time, thought Beth. If I don't do it now, I'll have to wait until tomorrow night, and I don't know what will happen before then, or if he'll increase my dosage again so that I can't think straight to try anything.
Beth held out her hand, merely for effect, transforming the lump of particles she'd made yesterday. Slowly it grew skin, muscle, sinew, and parts of it stretched out so that it looked like a doll shape. She could feel organs forming as she willed them to, and fluids and bones came into being. Everything would have to be perfect for it to work.
She laboured on it for hours, using her sense to peer inside herself and make copies of her own parts and organs, duplicating their functions, size, and shape. Not once did she stop for a break, though she could feel herself growing weaker with each passing moment. In the wee hours of the morning, a human sat before Beth. Not yet a girl, but a person who had all the necessary, working parts. Beth sat on the floor, her head on her knees. Black was crawling across her eyes, but she hung onto consciousness. She wasn't finished yet. Somehow in her semi-conscious state, she transferred memories and knowledge� and a bit of power. Her power. Her ability to create. That would throw him off for a little while, allowing her to escape.
"Are you done yet?" the forgery asked, now sentient and knowledgeable of the fact that it was being created.
"Almost," Beth whispered. "Now I need to make you look like me."
Beth's hands stayed wrapped around her legs (for she did not feel it necessary to try to impress herself) and slowly, molecule by molecule, the duplicate started to appear like Beth.
She was Beth. It was all up to her.

THE END