Was it always like this?
The routine, the little daily frustrations that made one act out of their character.
I shouldn’t be here!

Was it always like this?
The dissapointment giving way to sadness, making one miss the signs.
I shouldn’t be here!

Was it always like this?
Waking up from numbness, in a place one couldn’t recognize.
I shouldn’t be here...
Amber eyes gazed at me with cold indifference. The glass separating us fogged over with moist breath.
How did I end up here? The industrial district wasn’t on any of the routes I take. The darkness of a back alley not really a place I would voluntarily step into.
And yet...

The eyes blinked slowly, the round glass window the only gateway to the outside world.
I shook the stupor off, making a hesitant step closer to the six containers. The amber eyes blinked again, slight interest crooked the eyebrows above them. I didn’t, couldn’t understand. There was a man in the container, a man with amber eyes and strange markings covering the sides of his face. I peeked around his container, and was met with a similar sight in all of the remaining ones. Faces that were and were not entirely human.
I shouldn’t be here!!!

I think I stumbled into something no one should have seen, if they didn’t want to get a bullet in their brain. Or something worse, getting locked inside another one of those over-grown tincans.
The man put his right hand against the glass. And against my better judgement I stepped closer, fingers carefully running over the surface of his prison. I only guessed it was meant to contain him, what else? Surely not to protect him, or the others. The metal felt cold to touch, it must be even colder inside. The door was secured with a set of, curiously, easy to open padlocks, not an actuall locks. This situation was getting stranger by the minute. I lifted my gaze, settling on the strange face. He had red hair and soft almost gentle features. A sudden movement made me jump, he pressed as close to the window as was possible, cocking his head to the side. Not a word was spoken between us, yet I felt a foreign pull, making my heart beat faster.

Creaking of door and voices somewhere further into the alley threw me out of the dazed state. I panicked.
I shouldn’t be here!!!

I leaned away from the container, glancing between the remaining ones to spot what could only be called a shady character. A man wearing tacky jewelry and clothes that have seen better days. He was checking the first set of the metal prisons.
A soft sound made me glance back to the window. A left hand joined the right, an intensity burned now like flame in the amber eyes. I gulped in a great lungfull of air, eyes jumping between the window and the thug coming closer and closer each second.
I clenched shut my eyes, gritted my teeth.
I really shouldn’t be here!

From behind the corner I heard a commotion. A surprised yelp, a shout, a bang of metal against metal, followed by more screams.
And then silence.
I chanced a look back into the alley.
A frightening sight met my eyes.

All of the containers were empty and red painted the walls.
Six pairs of glowing eyes were set in darkness, unblinking. One after the other they dissapeared in blakness where I couldn’t follow. Except one.
Burning amber floating like two moons in a starless universe. They dissapeared for a second, only to reapper slightly closer, stratling me and taking a few years of my life, and move up and down in a carefull nod. A silent thank you.
After a minute they too pulled away to fade into the void. My locked knees finally gave away. The pavement was damp and cold, my palms curled on it, taking all the support I could. I was shaking, heaving great breaths that stung in my throat.

What did I just let out!?

I really should take the bus from now on.