RUN

A boy covered his mouth as he trembled. The red collar that gripped his neck, blinked beautifully against the darkness, yelling the whereabouts; betraying the boy.

THEY’RE COMING

Stomps of boots went by, shouting for the boy to come out. People yelled at each other to look around corners, others yelling ‘Yes sir’.

THEY’LL TAKE YOU

When all was silent, the boy breathed. As he breathed, a bright light interrupted his thoughts of escape. A hand reached for his collar, yanking him out of the closet in which he hid. A scream escape. A scream that begged for mercy and his mother.

Yixing sat still in the white room. His pitch-black hair ruffled around, as blood dripped from his head. He just finished the daily training and beatings as he has for the past 20 years. He was now 27, still in this room that drove him nuts. He once tried to beg for his release but no one answered with a voice. The only response he received was that of a shock from his red collar.

He shifted a bit, rattling of his chains following in suite. Slowly, Yixing looked at his chains with a blank stare. He tilted his head, noticing how much heavier they were. It was likely they changed overnight to challenge him to run away again. Small beeping made him look up to see two men walk in. Both wore white lab coats and a badge. They were scientists, just two of the many hundreds who watched and observed him.

“#10, it’s time for dinner.” One man said, holding up a tray of a gray slob. He was bald, his skin shining against the light.

As much as dinner sounds divine, Yixing looked down. His small protest snapped in half as the other man forced Yixing to look up with a rough grab at his chin. This man had blonde hair with pale blue eyes and looked much tougher than the first.

“Eat.” The man commanded, shoving a spoonful of the slob into Yixing’s mouth.

It didn’t go down because soon as it was in, it was out on the second man’s face. Yixing glared viciously at the man, as he watched the man wipe the stuff off. It was silent before the man brought his hand down on the soft cheek of Yixing’s.

“Try that again. It’ll be much worse.” The man growled, his teeth showing off.

The other man left the tray in front of Yixing as they turned to leave. To leave the room, one of the men pressed small buttons to the side before pressing his hand on. A small high-pitched beep made a sound as the massive doors opened. Then they closed, leaving Yixing alone once again.

Yixing looked down at the tray, his glare long gone. The slob stared back, nothing to say. Then it slightly jiggled, a drop of water moving it. It was a tear. Yixing sniffled as he squeezed his eyes shut, small breaths taking over his normal breathing pace.

“ARGH!” he gave a shout as he slapped his tray away, the slob flying with it. Yixing sobbed as he covered his sobs with his hands.

It’s been too long. Far too long since he has been out. The last time he saw the outside world, it was when the scientists tested him on his abilities or to go on missions. His abilities… They were a curse, but a gift. They were the abilities to heal.

At first, Yixing loved them. He could heal everything in sight. A dead flower that bloomed with a touch of his fingertip. A butterfly that flew after a small kiss. It made Yixing feel needed.

Now he wasn’t. Instead of helping the needed, Yixing was being trapped in the damn building, helping people see more to his abilities. Every night he cried to be let go. Every night he cried to go home. Every night he cried to live.

No one heard. They passed his room as they considered his cries meaningless. They left him in that cell to grow mad. They left a seven-year-old boy in a cell that would consume his sanity and will to live for two decades, only feeding him sunlight every few days in a month.

The times they did respond was when they gifted Yixing the red collar. Before it was just heavy shackles on his ankles and wrists. Now they gave him a collar and light chains, making him feel much more of a dog. When he cried to be free, they gave him a shock to shut him up. When he failed to meet the goal of the day, they abused him with the collar until red seeped on the skin above and below the collar.

There were times they took him out on ‘missions’. These missions were capturing other boys. Other boys who had a curse as Yixing did.

Yixing couldn’t see most of the boys when they were captured but could hear the fight they held up to the scientists. Some even forcing the guards to use violence on them. Most of the boys didn’t take much to take down but there was one, who destroyed the small force used to bring the boys.

Sometimes, Yixing wonders whatever happened to that boy. He could remember that day, the shouts from the men, guns firing and the wind screaming to kill them all. Yixing was just around 12 at the time. He was hiding in the bushes, covering his ears. With one peek, he saw a boy taller than him, maybe older, who knew, controlling the winding. He watched as the boy gripped his hands, crushing the bodies of the soldiers.

That day would be kept in the file of important memories. Yixing remembered his younger self crying over the dead bodies he was forced to ‘revive’ but could not. Yixing cursed the wind boy for making him see such things and for the extreme beating he received that day, but he also thanked him. He thanked him for giving him that small shimmer of hope.

Now Yixing was lying on his side, tuckered out from his daily sobbing of frustration. He stared at the door, quietly whispering ‘open’. It didn’t listen as it remained closed. Only a sigh came after he realized it wouldn’t do as told. Just as silence was about to settle in for the day, a growl came from within.

Yixing stayed quiet, before looking over at the flipped over tray with the gray slob splattered on top. He gently got on all fours, crawling to the food. Who cares if it had no flavor? It was the only thing that’ll keep him alive.

The chains on his feet rattled as he crawled. He cupped up some of the slob that didn’t touch the ground. Yixing stared at it with endearment, watching it as it jiggles so slightly in his hands. With no hesitant, he slurped it down.

A soft moan came from him as he could feel it slide down his stomach. Yixing looked at the rest of the slob, unsure if he should eat the rest on the ground or pick it up.

His stomach whined, protesting against the cleanup idea. It wanted more. Yixing didn’t respond as his eyes ate up the view of the slob. “No…. No… I’m no animal.” He whispered, picking up the affected pieces and setting them on the tray. He stood up with the tray and set it in front of the door for the people to take.

Yixing walked back to the wall to lean against. He slid down to the ground, watching the door. There was a bed for him to rest but it was too hard to his liking. Therefore, he rested on the floor, his eyes fluttering shut at the sight of the door.

“It’s you! You’re him!” a voice cried.

Yixing twitched as he shifted in his sleep. These voices were coming over him again. They came whenever he slept. They didn’t sound normal. They always sounded off, always echoing each other. Sometimes screaming over one another.

“Don’t you know what you did to me?!”

“Ugh!” Yixing whimpered, shivering. Sweat slid down his cheek, him panting gently.

“You’re the most dangerous of us all.”

“You don’t know do you?”

“Thousands of bodies dead.”

“I just wanted to protect them.”

“We’ve been waiting to meet you for so long…”

“Please help.”

“I want my brothers back.”

“If you can heal things, why can’t you heal this?”

“You know who you belong to.”

The voices grew as Yixing twisted and turned, panting heavily to make them go away. “No…. No… NO!” he screamed, shaking on the cold floor. “I don’t belong to anyone! I don’t belong to anyone!” he sobbed, twitching from the voices. His eyes slowly opened, his vision blurred. “I belong to me.” He whimpered.

“I belong to Yixing…”

As Yixing sobbed, the doors to his room opened. Though he couldn’t see clearly, black-suited men came in and took a grip on him. “I-I don’t belong to anyone…” Yixing whined, shaking his head, squirming.

The men held him still as a scientist came in and took a hold Yixing’s chin. The scientist looked over Yixing before raging. “That bastard is getting in his head again. I thought I told you to make sure to take control of that boy’s mind control!” he yelled over at another man behind him.

The startled man stuttered over his words. “I did! I made sure to-“

“Never mind that! Look what he’s doing to #10!” the man yelled, gently caressing his hand against Yixing’s cheek.

“Sir, I think maybe it’s time Yixing is reunited with-“

“No! Their destructive powers could overwhelm his! Besides… It’s best if he stays away from them… Especially #94. You remember what that woman told us did you not?” the man hissed, letting go of Yixing. “Take #10 to his bed. He shouldn’t be sleeping on the floor, anyways.”

Yixing let the men drag him to his rock hard bed, hanging his head low. He could feel their grip loosen as he now stood in front of his bed. “I…” he began but didn’t bother to finish. Slowly, he climbed onto the bed and lied down on his side.

“Rest well, #10. You have another busy day in a few hours.” The scientist’s voice said as the lights went out.

Now Yixing was lying in the dark. He stared at the dark wall that his bed rested against. “Have I gone crazy?” he whispered. “Mother… have I gone crazy?” With slow breaths, Yixing shut his eyes to rest a good dream.

“Yixing, wake up.” A soft whisper startled him awake in his dream.

It was his mother this time. Yixing sat up, looking around his surroundings. With the soft look around and the birds singing, he knew where he was. He looked at his hands and saw his hands were now that of his seven-year-old self.

“Yixing!”

The called one looked up to see his mother waving at him. He smiled gleefully, running to his mother’s side. “Mama! I missed you!” he cried, hugging her arm.

His mother only laughed, patting her son’s head gently. “I missed you too, Yixing.” She whispered. She sighed as she looked at the scenery before them. “Yixing, do they still hurt you?”

Yixing stayed quiet, gripping his mother’s robe. “Yes.” He whispered. He looked up to see his mother’s broken look.

“Oh… I’m sorry, my baby… I thought the boys would have met you by this time.”

“Who are these boys, Mama?” Yixing frowned, his lips sticking out. Whenever he had his mother in his dreams, she always mentioned the other boys.

“Don’t you remember baby? The boys with a gift like you.” His mother said gently, allowing her son to rest his head on her lap. “They want to meet you.”

“Why? I don’t want to meet them.” Yixing muttered, glaring at the flower in front of him.

A sort of choking sound came from his mother. “W-What? Why not?” she asked. She seemed to have been caught off guard, but Yixing didn’t mind.

“They hurt me, Mama… These voices… The scientists tell me it's them!” Yixing whimpered, sitting up right now to look at his mother. “They’re hurting me, mother!”

His mother’s look became that of concern. “Oh, baby… I didn’t know that the voices could hurt you… I’ll talk to the boys for you.” She whispered, cupping her son’s cheeks, bringing him close to place a kiss on his nose.

Yixing looked at his mother to see a shimmer in her eyes. “Mama, I love you.” He whispered, holding her hands.

“I love you too, baby.”

Yixing opened his eyes to see the wall. He sat up in the pitch-black room, keeping his eyes forward. “Mom…” he whispered, his hand slowly placing itself on top of his chest. There he could feel his heart beat against his hand at a beautiful pace. He looked down to watch his hand.

As he did that, the lights blared on. The doors opened and in came the black-suited men again. “Time for training, #10!” one man announced.

Yixing didn’t protest but took his time to get off the bed. “Take me away.” He muttered, extending his neck, emphasizing to lock his collar to their leashes.

The man did so, gently tugging Yixing forward. “Move out!” he shouted, pulling Yixing along as a dog.

The victim didn’t say anything as he followed behind, keeping his eyes lowered. This was what he usually did. He didn’t look around because it always was the same. White walls, people in lab coats or people in black suits as the guy that surrounded him.

All Yixing could do is follow and listen to conversations. He didn’t find anything interesting to listen to, that is. However, a conversation perked his ears up.

“Is that #10?”

“Yeah, a beauty isn’t he?”

“Sure is. The perfect match for #94.”

“#94? The one in the K building?”

“Yeah, that one. He’s about to get transferred again to the EXO building.”

“Let’s hope he doesn’t try to break one of the other’s neck.”

There it was again. The number 94. It seemed the other was a beast to be sent back from the EXO building. Yixing didn’t know much, but the EXO building was safe haven around here. He heard of other boys training there. Some of them mostly being those who he helped capture.

Other boys… Yixing grimaced at the thought of them. Why were they constantly on his mind? Why were they trying to wreck his small bit of sanity? Just who were they?

“We’re here. Unlock him.”

Yixing could feel hands reach his collar to unhook the leashes that tied to him. He looked at the door in front of him, waiting for it to open. Once it did, there in front of him was the outside. The sun shone brightly that Yixing had to shut his eyes for a good few minutes.

“Today, you’ll be growing a garden under five minutes.” A voice came over. Yixing opened his eyes a bit to see another scientist. “If you fail to do so, you’ll be shocked every time. I wish you luck.”

NEXT UPDATE: MAY 2018

XO: Not my greatest beginnings but it’s better than nothing.