Stories
Soon
I don’t have any names or aims for this here bit, but it was too long to justify posting it as a blurb. It’s just kind of a descent into Stockholm Syndrome. Happy thoughts.
Chatper 1
Footsteps entered the room without hesitation. Their firm, proud sound giving away who they belonged to if there was any question to begin with. When finally reaching their destination, a figured silhouetted against the glass front of the small case. After pushing a few buttons on a small watch, the glass shimmered to reveal a young boy crushed into a corner, chained.
Time ticked by moment by moment as both waited for the other to show signs of conversation. After the seconds spread into more than a few minutes, the elder of the two spoke. His voice rang clear as his footstep had on their approach, echoing in the silence.
“Hello, little one. How are we today?” There was an obvious taunt in the voice, knowing the true answer.
The boy behind the glass failed to suppress a violent flinch at the loud noise after his long last in silence. It had been days, maybe weeks, without sound. The reintroduction of voice was both a pain and relief, but there was no reply.
“Well then, I’m glad to see that you are enjoying your ‘room’.”
There was a slight growl in response so low the man almost missed it if not for his enhanced hearing.
“Tsk tsk,” The man chuckled lightly, “It seems you require more ‘alone-time’ than I first assumed; a few more weeks perhaps. We can’t have you disrespecting your teacher, now can we?”
The reaction was immediate. The boy jumped off the floor and rushed towards the man, a whimpering plea escaping his dry lips. He came as far as the chains would allow, enough for his hands to fully press into the glass.
The man looked into those impossible, blue eyes. They held a broken glaze yet, to the man’s delight, retained their fire firmly lit in the shadows.
When the man made no move to relieve any of the boy’s fears, another plea tore through the silence. “Please, I’m sorry!”
The response was a chuckle. “Hit a sore spot did I? Well, I don’t see the harm in letting you out for a few hours.” He mused.
Light broke through the boy’s eyes as his whole demeanor seemed to brighten with hope. He nodded vigorously, pulling at the chains’ hold on him to move closer.
Lips pulled into a dark smile as the man saw how truly broken the boy was becoming. “Perhaps I will check my schedule for the day after tomorrow, or this weekend. I am very busy as you may imagine and I can’t be slacking off on my duties for a troublesome boy, now can I?”
The faint hope in the boy’s eyes shattered like the frail light he had held onto for so long. He shook his head slowly, trying to understand. It was only moments before realization hit him. Fighting against the chains, the boy pulled and pleaded for freedom, for another chance, a promise of obedience, but it all fell on deaf ears. Without a second thought, the man reestablished the sound-proof, one way mirror to replace the glass.
Guiltless, the man’s sure steps walked out of the lab and into his study where he sat as the large desk harboring his computer. Typing quickly, he activated the camera hidden in the boy’s case and watched his prize break before his eyes.
The boy was still pounding on the glass, though it was now a mirror only reflecting the sole being in the case. When he tired, the boy’s fist slid down the mirror as he fell to his knees. Shoulders shook, telling the viewer that the boy was crying.
Smirking proudly, the man continued to watch as the boy let his hand fall into his lap followed by tears, tracking down his young face. It was at least ten to twenty minutes before the boy made another move which was to slowly back his way into the corner he was first seen in. He brought up his knees and hugged them tightly, burying his face to hide behind them.
Heart wrenching as the sight was, the viewer felt another smirk split his face. He turned triumphantly away from the monitor and made his way to his private chambers. Readying for bed, one thought rang through his mind accompanied by that last sight of the boy. He smiled.
Soon.
Reverse View
Time passed second by second to keep the world in motion. People knew to abide by the rules the clock presented as life went on.
Only one being disregarded this as he sat timelessly in his prison. Curled into a ball, bound by his chains in the corner as usual, the boy listened to the deafening silence in the darkness. Occasionally, he heard breathing, but after a time of false excitement, he knew it was his own light breaths accompanying him in the quiet.
It had been days, maybe weeks that he had been abandoned. For a time, his captor would provide meager plates of food into the room if for no other purpose than to keep the boy alive. Despite his desire to rebel against the man’s wishes, the boy couldn’t help but devour every last crumb available before the plate was taken away.
It was on one particular stretch of time between meals that there was a shift in the way his breathing would hit the walls. Something had changed, but he had been fooled too many times to bear losing what ounce of hope he had left.
“Hello, little one. How are we today?”
The boy knew the voice was spoken at a normal level, but he couldn’t help but flinch at the volume it presented after so long in silence. He longed to run towards the voice and beg it to fill the painful silence, but he knew it would hurt to hear until he could get re-accustom to sound. Regardless of his desires, the boy stayed quiet.
“Well then, I’m glad to see that you are enjoying your ‘room’.” The voice teased cruelty.
Against his better judgment, a low growl passed his dry lips. A faint plea arose that the man hadn’t heard, but even that small request was denied.
“Tsk, tsk. It seems you require more ‘alone time’ than I first assumed; a few more weeks perhaps.” The boy’s heart lurched at the man’s words as he continued. “We can’t have you disrespecting you teacher, now can we?”
His heart leapt into his throat. Jumping up, he let his legs carry him as far as they could with the chains’ restraint, whimpering pathetically in an attempt to beg. Their eye met, but the man made no move of reassurance so the boy took it further.
“Please, I’m sorry!” His broken voice echoed in the dark room.
The cruel man laughed deeply at his actions. “Hit a sore spot, did I? Well, I don’t see the harm in letting you out for a few hours.”
The hope the boy had clutched for all this time flared brightly as the mention of freedom. He couldn’t help pulling the chains taut to get closer and nodding excitedly.
Another smile darkened the man’s face. “Perhaps I will check my schedule for the day after tomorrow, or this weekend. I am very busy as you may imagine and I can’t be slacking off on my duties for a troublesome boy, now can I?”
The light and hope shattered as the words hit him. He shook his head slowly, trying to understand. What he realized had him pulling harder on the chains, leaving bruises on his skin as he pounded his fists against the glass. He found himself begging for freedom, promising to obey if given just one more chance.
Without a care, the man returned the glass to the mirror, forcing the broken boy to face his reflection. He pounded on the glass until all of his energy faded into pained acceptance. Falling on his knees, he let his fist slide down the glass as his tears began to fall.
Time passed before the boy could force himself to move again. Scooting his way across the floor, he crushed himself into the corner he so often occupied and wrapped his arms around his pulled up knees burying his face behind them.
He had been so close. Freedom was right there, dangled in front of his eyes then ripped away faster than he could reach for it. The hope he had gripped had shattered and there was nothing he could do to get it back.
He had been so close.
Chapter 2
It was time.
He was sure to wait another week before considering the boy’s freedom, but it took so little thought. He was as anxious for his obedient little apprentice as the boy was about getting out of that room. His steps, while their usual firmness, held a slight lightness to them.
He was finally ready.
Without care to the boy’s reintroduction to light as a consequence of being in the dark for so long, he threw the door open and flipped the switch to brighten the room.
Even from behind the mirror, the boy flinched and hid his eyes.
Not missing a beat, he turned off the soundproof mirror in favor of the two-way glass. Unable to hide a small smirk, he waited for the boy to acknowledge his presence before speaking. To his delight, the teen peeked above his knees at his captor- no, his teacher.
“Good morning, little one.”
The boy, again, flinched at the deafening sound though his voice was as low as he could manage.
There was no wait for an answer. “I have made a decision this morning that you would be most interested in. Would you like to hear it?”
Hesitantly, the boy nodded. His head lifted a bit more to fully face the man’s with eyes full of fear and confusion.
“I am going to let you out.” The news didn’t hit the unwavering boy as the man had hoped, but it only took moments to recall the last time he mentioned freedom. Giving a deep chuckle that caused the boy to cringe, the teacher explained. “I am talking about now, little one. Would you like to come out?”
Rising quickly, the boy nodded, but stayed safely in his corner.
With a short nod in response, the small hatch-like door on the front of the glass that was only visible when opened was released. Stepping into the room, the man slowly approached the boy who couldn’t help but back into the wall behind him. When hands made contact with his skin he whimpered and squeezed his eyes shut.
At the sound of clanking metal, the boy carefully opened his eyes to find the chains that had held him for so long were gone. He raised his arms to cautiously look at his wrists as if afraid it would all be a dream or a lie. To his delight, he could see the pale, if but a bit reddened skin that the cuffs once hid.
The man waited for the boy to look at him for answers before gently taking the boy’s arm and leading him out of the room. It took a second for the teen to cross the threshold, but his face betrayed the relief and happiness he felt at being out.
Without hesitation, the man continued to lead the boy through the lab, into the study, and then into the hallway. It wasn’t a surprise that he could let the boy’s arm go and have him follow his teacher like a frightened puppy. After passing a few doors, they stopped and the elder of the two led the younger into an elaborate bedroom.
With dark blue walls and ceiling, the room resembled the sky complete with small dots for stars scattered around. The soft carpet was a light brown highlighted by the dark, wood furniture. It included a large dresser, a side table, a large bed, and a desk accompanied by a black office chair. A door attached to the neighboring wall of the main door offered a bathroom as another door on the wall shared with the bed revealed a fully stocked closet.
The boy stood in awe of what was offered him after so long in the small, empty space.
He affectionately ruffled the boy’s hair before gently pushing him into the room. “I will send the butler to collect you when dinner is ready. I’m sure you will find something to fill your time with.”
There was a quick nod of assurance from the boy, faintly afraid to be left alone again, but he stayed quiet.
Sure enough, time passed quickly. The teen showered, cleaned himself up a bit, and found himself stuttering at his choice of clothing. It had been so long since he had last changed clothes. Choosing quickly for fear of being late to dinner, he opted for a black T-shirt and dark, navy jeans.
Running a comb through his hair, he could easily see that it had grown. It was almost down to his neck whereas he preferred to keep it short. Maybe he could ask the man if he could cut it. No! he thought quickly. He wouldn’t ask for anything. His teacher let him out; that’s all he wanted.
Watched
Definitely not based on my reality...definitely not...
Start Here
They were Disney villains when she was young.
She would image their beady eyes peering through the window that was never properly covered due to the too-big-to-move dresser in the way of the curtains.
Blankets hid her small form against the bed as she dug a small hole out of the side and pressed her nose out into the fresh air while still shrouded within the mound.
It was always then that she would find a reason to move. Be it that she was no longer comfortable or that her nose began to itch didn’t matter to the girl who just knew something bad would happen if she alerted the spies.
Closing her eyes tightly, she focused on her hearing and waited until even the faintest noise cut through the silence. Imagining the villains looking away to investigate, she would quickly shift or itch before they could turn back to their task.
Despite her raging paranoia- though, at the time, she was unaware of its name –she would eventually fall victim to a deep sleep filled with strange tales of bridges, dragons, and empty fields.
She was content with her nightly ritual and thought nothing more of it when she woke, but continued to fit her delusions into her daily life with mental tales of time-travelers keeping an eye on their future savior or enemies studying the hero before she gained her powers.
As she grew older and less inclined to expect such innocence in the world, the unseen gaze became proof of a deity she had always been pressured into believing in. Though, that line of thinking faded within the few years she remained under her parents’ care, she abandoned her faith once she stepped foot into reality.
It soon became the car behind her that had been following her for the past few streets only to be traded for another car that would take the place of the first. They were watching her, she day-dreamed, because she was important- powerful –but her enemies took her memories and were left assuring themselves she was still lost. At night, it would be through the edges of her window that refused to be covered that they would keep watch to make sure her dreams wouldn’t call to the forgotten life.
Perhaps it was her multi-dimensional family calling to her through a coma-like sleep, surrounded by IVs and heart monitors. Too many times had she heard her name being called without any source. What if, in another reality, she had been put to sleep and force-fed a life not her own? Or this reality was existed aside another and she became lost between the two without the benefit of her mind following after.
It would have been anything; her paranoia. With her overactive imagination, it easily was. Labeling it with such a harsh term used for those disturbed and out of mind was too unnerving for her to consider. Rather she create a facade through her childlike line of thinking than accept that such an all-encompassing fear be named for what it really was. Let it be her lost family, the suffering rebels, her avid enemies, the comical villains, anything else but the truth.
Happy in oblivion, she went about her life unfazed.
Until the day she found out exactly who these “villains” really were.
It began more simply than something so life changing should. At least, that’s what she decided. The simple social mistake
To Be Continued...
...at some point, I promise.
Virus
This may not be the best time to post something like this, but, in my defense it's been sitting in my document list for years.
Public Education
The virus was airborne and spread through- as far as they knew –the entire school. Parents had come flooding in to get their children, but the doors remained locked; the windows barred. It wasn’t more than a few minutes later when the announcement was set that the perpetrator didn’t stop with just this school. It was “breaking news” all over the world. Every school in every country, city, state was now harboring poisoned children.
She wasn’t sure why she felt as if the only one willing to help, but as he weaved through the frantic parents/siblings, she wondered if she really was the only one in a stable enough mental state to do this.
Teachers, though just as hysteric as every other adult, were instructed to pull out as many resources as possible and to make the children as comfortable as possible while keeping them nearby until a solution could be found. It wasn’t a well-headed order as most of them had children of their own to fret about, but those with steady mind began to shuffle the desks together and pile all the blankets, mats, anything soft together.
Some of the children were too young to understand what was happening. They felt perfectly fine, but they could see their families pounding on the doors and windows while teachers were acting strange. Those older, were harder to control as they fought to get to what they deemed sanctuary- their parents’ arms –and completely ignoring anything and everything trying to keep them away.
Less than two hours after the horrible announcement, the barricades were no longer holding and people began pouring through the holes to get their children. No one could blame them really. Who wouldn’t fight to the death to reach those that meant so much to them? Still, without the children altogether, no antidote could be administered in mass. There might not be enough time to go to each child individually.
This was loudly explained to the parents, though some didn’t bother to listen. Others, however, frantically followed any order they believed could help and soon, the make-shift beds were supporting adults too. Many adults or graduated teens took it upon themselves to gather supplies for the unprepared staff. Mattresses were pillaged from homes along with blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals in hopes of bringing the no-doubt confused children comfort. Several TVs, movies, and game systems filled the halls of the more upgraded schools to distract the older children form their predicament.
It took far longer than she had hoped and soon she found herself running toward every offer of hope. She had graduated a few years ago and her sister just last year, but that didn’t bring her the slightest hesitation; rather just a bit of relief.
Days later, when the symptoms began to put the children into bedrest, she found it. It had been the last in a long list of last hopes, but she found it nonetheless. There wasn’t much and could only hope that it would be enough for as many children as it was needed for. Her discovery, however, was not just the antidote, but also the orchestrator who started all this madness. They fought briefly before she knocked him out cold with a lucky shot and a metal pipe she’d stumbled upon in the beginning of her search.
Unfortunately, in her haste, she failed to ensure her safety. The tedious process of transferring the large bean that had proven itself to be the counter drug to the plastic bag she had acquired from a hospital was taking all of her attention. During her lapse of situational awareness, a sharp pain in the side of her neck almost caused her to drop the children’s only chance of survival. More strength than she had even needed to exert was pushed to its own limit as she fought to stay steady as the stabbing pain continued its assault.
She was being injected with the poison. No one had been directly injected before, but she shoved the thought away to keep focused on her task. Finally, the bean had fallen into the bag, the seal was secured, and she was able to pull the syringe out of her neck, but the damage had already been done and the man had escaped.
The effects of the poison hit her almost instantly as she seen found it difficult to remain standing. She had to get to a school or hospital as soon as possible; or at least before it weakened her any farther. It was almost poetic justice that it was the school she had volunteered at years ago that lay the closest option. She knew the nurse was more than capable so she steering her uneven, slowing steps toward the large building.
Getting in was easy, but maneuvering from there was not. The children’s symptoms, over the 5 days it had taken her, they worsened until they could hardly move. Parents were now uncontrollable as they went after the school officials in a blind panic. Police did what they could, but their own children were at stake as well and there were far too few of them without a family. Hals were overcrowded and she had to push and shove her way through, hiding when noticed in case of alerting the unstable mindsets of the adults.
Her legs were tiring far too quickly. She wouldn’t make it at this point, but it was then she heard the voice of the old school nurse from behind a hidden door. Upon entering the room, she stood tall and strong; as healthy as she could. It would not do for them to waste even a second fretting over her when there were children to save.
The moment she passed through the door, cheers erupted. The fact that they remembered her was almost enough to make her stone heart break into tears, but she remained steady as she passed off the bean with instructions she had found lying about the man’s workshop.
Hopeful announcements were soon sent flying through the intercoms around the school as well as, she could only imagine, around the world that the antidote had been found. It took some time and she wasn’t able to do much to help as she wasn’t much of a science major, but the bean was proven real and was being rushed toward the nearest hospital to be refined.
As soon as the end of the tunnel was lit for the children, her legs finally gave out on her. The world slowed to a crawl and the worried voices around her were thousands of years away. She was falling into something soft soon after and awoke to the sound of a child crying. Surrounded on all sides by familiar, if not older, faces was a strange experience as the last time she saw these young faces they were bed-bound as she now found herself.
The nurse soon explained that the antidote was soon to be administered in a vapor form in every town. She almost laughed at the idea of such a small bean stretching so far, but laughter was found to be a painful experience. They had tried to contact her family, but the lines were so overwhelmed with people phoning others, it was almost impossible. She nodded understandingly and shakily pulled a wad of papers out of her pocket. Labeled for each member of her family, it was no question what they were and the nurse took them with eyes filled with tears.
An eternity seemed to pass as the room around her emptied of people and light. Hallucinations soon haunted her and she ran a hand over the unfamiliar blankets until they turned completely. The one on the bottom was light green and covered in darker green flowers that almost looked black from a distance. It was the blanket her and her little sister would huddle under during cold nights that influenced them both to huddle under the large comforter and into each other. On top was no a white quilt squared with purple enclosing sewn flowers; the cover her great grandmother had made her so many eons ago.
She imagined the reactions of her family. Her parents, brother, and sister would be devastated; at least she hoped. Was it wrong to hope your passing would bring pain? Shouldn’t she hope they would be alright without her? The thought faded into the back of her mind when the hallucinations soon brought those loved faces before her. She spoke to her family one at a time with as many words as she could choke through her tears. Apologies, assurances, admissions, promises, they all poured out of her as quickly as her tears followed, but the visions didn’t last as long as she.
The door to her left soon burst open to reveal the nurse who was at her side in a moment. How the woman knew she was fading, she didn’t bother to wonder. A sharp bee sting pricked the inside of her elbow and the nurse’s hopeful face appeared in front of her as if searching for something. She was glad that she wouldn’t be alone for this. The nurse seemed frantic as words burst from her, but she couldn’t hear a word of it.
Instead, she could hear her heartbeat. It was slow, she realized distantly, but it hardly mattered to her as her world faded to darkness.
She was floating or falling; who could tell? Tearful visions of her family surrounded her and she could almost feel their arms around her as she drifted away from their reaching grasp.