Chapter Fifteen

 Lightning

 This chapter is part two to Thunder, meaning that it is also a flashback. Just to clarify though, chapter fourteen took place about a year before present time, while this chapter’s flashback is several years before.

 Heechul scrunched his eyes closed, hearing the door open with its distinct creak. He tried to hide under the paper thin sheets, mumbling softly, “Please just go away. Please.” However, he knew that even if he begged that nothing would change. He felt the sheets ripped out of his grasp and thrown to the floor. Goosebumps rose almost immediately when his pale skin met the frigid air. He squinted around, blinding white light hurting his eyes as the man before him glanced over his emaciated figure emotionlessly.

The adult before him simply ignored his pleading. It was something Heechul had expected, however he was still flooded with disappointment, having hoped – even prayed to whatever the others went on about – that the torment would finally end. Nothing had happened though. He was still didn’t have a single being that he could rely on.

 His attention was directed over to a small rolling cart lingering by his bedside and grimaced. He bit his tongue, knowing that whenever he had spoken out before only worse came of it and his eyes glimmered at the much older male. He had tried his best not to hate the people that worked there, but it was so incredibly hard.

They had taken him away from his family, sentencing him to stay in the shabbiest of rooms all alone. Heechul wasn’t even quite sure of what he looked like anymore. He hadn’t gotten the chance to look in a mirror in two years now. Ever since they had found out that his family, along with many others, wasn’t purely human like them. He had kept track of every day that passed, having to witness as everything seemed to come and go as a blur. He couldn’t even recollect anything but pain.

The man picked a needle up in his hand and flicked it, the needle catching the overhead ceiling light and glinting demonically. If Heechul could run, he knew that he would be long gone. He would’ve left without the slightest hesitation, but he couldn’t. He only was allowed to eat once a week, a controlled portion that would just barely keep him alive. That didn’t include all of the pills and drugs that were constantly coursing through him, keeping him disoriented and confused. He could barely concentrate on something for too long, except the fact that he wanted to leave so direly.

Heechul whimpered, as per usual, when he felt the sharp tip prick his skin, digging into the flesh until it had completely disappeared. He hissed in pain, the actual penetration of the needle was nothing in comparison to the acidic-like substance being injected into him. Heechul glared at the man, who only smirked at him knowingly. He quieted down, keeping his eyes in his lap. Another, much more outspoken “caretaker” had threatened to take out his vocal chords if he spoke out of term against them again. Whether they were being serious or bluffing, he figured that they were pretty secure in their warning as they could sedate him with little effort, the six-year-old pretty boy could feel the words sting his ears constantly. They knew how to keep him in line, which irritated him to no end.

He felt the man’s cold hand patted his head like a dog. “Good boy.” His voice was venomous as he drew back away finally, the cart clinking as he rolled it out. Heechul let out a sigh of relief once the door closed behind him and tried to stand, his legs wobbling under him as he went over to the small window settled near the top of the ceiling.

Heechul used all of his strength to jump up and knocked on the window as best as he could, before sliding down to sit on the floor. He gasped, a weak smile spreading itself across his face as the window slid open and the cheerful face of a boy that was perhaps a few days older than him, peeped into the room.

“Do you still feel bad?” The other boy asked innocently and Heechul had to resist a sigh.

He didn’t know how he had wound up attracting the attention of the son of one of the works at the facility, but it had been quite apparent that the bright spirited boy didn’t have a clue as to what was actually going on.

The boy on the other side of the window was under the impression that the whole place was actually a hospital for the chronically ill. He knew nothing of Chosen. He knew nothing of Heechul, except the few things that he told him sometimes. The older male did almost all the talking, taking place as the only companion in the dank, foreboding place. If it hadn’t been for that one human boy, Heechul would hate their entire kind. But the boy gave him hope that not everyone was out for him.

Heechul shrugged at the other’s question. He sat on the uncomfortable concrete floor silently, glancing up towards the other every once in a while. The boy’s dimple perked upwards as he reached into his pocket and extended his arm into the window as far as he could, revealing a small bag of candy.

“I know that you’re not supposed to have any…” He blushed guiltily, “But I thought you should have some anyway. Just because you’re sick doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get to enjoy yourself a little!”

The boy beamed proudly as Heechul hesitantly over towards it and reached out to grab it. The older male nodded encouragingly, as Heechul rarely came close to him. Heechul finally took the bag and immediately went to hide it under his pillow. Who knew what would happen if any of the adults saw it? He shuddered at the thought.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at school?” His voice drawled, barely carrying to the other side of the room as it was quiet.

The other boy strained to listen before grinning sheepishly. “I lied that I was sick so I could come here and see you.” The older boy’s eyes cast down in embarrassment.

Heechul rolled his eyes, a blush crossing his own cheeks, hot and red, however he wouldn’t acknowledge that. As great as a companion the other had been, he wasn’t sure he could trust him – even with his name in case the other slipped up and told his parents about him.

“Why are you so nice to me?” He huffed out, crossing his arms. The scared little boy gave way to annoyance, more in defense of the fact that he felt something flutter in his stomach. It was just whatever the man had injected earlier… Right?

The other giggled, noticing the other get flustered. “Because you’re my friend.” His tone was firm, leaving no room for Heechul to question it.

“You’re so weird, Jungsoo.”

The other raised an eyebrow. “Are you really one to judge about that?”

Author's Note:

Whoo~ New chapter up... again. The TeukCHul is coming soon... just wait. Please enjoy and comment! :)

~*Carissa*~