Although subtle, Taekwoon could feel something (or someone) tugging on the strings attached to his skin. Without turning around, he knows that it was Hakyeon, another one of the patients staying in the asylum. The tugging becomes a little harder because of the lack of response from the male. The tugging finally stops and he can hear the boy walking away when he suddenly hears a crash. Surprised, he turns around and sees the boy on the floor, his battered cane a few meters away from him. Taekwoon stands up from his position and walks towards the boy to help him stand (or at least, as much as his ropes would allow him).

            “When did that table get there? I didn’t see it,” Hakyeon chuckles as he search the floor for his cane. Unable to do so, he lifts his hand to see if there’s a wall nearby to help him stand up. Unable to bear seeing the boy struggle, Taekwoon takes Hakyeon’s hand and pulls him towards the wall. Hakyeon tightens his grip on Taekwoon’s hand. “You have really nice hands, Taekwoon. Thank you,” he says when he finally finds the door to his cell. Taekwoon frowns and returns to his chair.

            He pitied the boy. So full of hope and light, and yet trapped in this hell and blind.

            Taekwoon looks at his hands. Although Hakyeon couldn’t see it, his hands – his whole body, in fact – were full of scars. Sometimes, he envied the slightly older boy. Because he was blind, he couldn’t see the sad reality of how they were living. He didn’t see the scars on Taekwoon’s hands or the stitches on his own arms. He could envision the world anyway he wanted. Taekwoon didn’t have that luxury.

            He knows that it is time, once again, the moment he hears heels on cement.

            Taekwoon could feel his ropes get looser before finally getting removed from the wall. He could use this chance to escape, knowing that he can easily overpower the uniformed man but he knew all too well that once he lifts his fist against the man, the administration wouldn’t hesitate to kill him. It was alright with him, knowing that it’ll be the only way for him to escape, but he just couldn’t leave him alone, especially because he knows that once he’s gone, he’ll be their next target.

            “Be careful Taekwoon,” he hears Hakyeon say in that almost inaudible voice of his. Taekwoon looks at Hakyeon as he was getting pulled away. The boy was sitting in his room, wrapped around in those cloths used as a pathetic excuse for blankets. He notices the boy clutching what seems like a small rag doll and remembers that it was him who had given the boy the doll, many years ago. He thought that it had gotten thrown out during one of the cleaning days but seeing the boy holding it, almost brought a smile on Taekwoon’s face.

Almost